■ The Autobiography Of Benjamin Franklin
One of the most popular autobiographies of American literature, this charming self-portrait of one of America’s founding fathers has been translated into nearly every language. It covers Benjamin Franklin’s life up to his pre-war stay in London as representative of the Pennsylvania Assembly, including his boyhood years,experiments with electricity, political career and much more. Franklin’s account of his life is divided into four parts, reflecting the different periods in which he wrote them.
■ The Autobiography of Malcolm X:
This is an account of the life of human rights activist Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little (1925-1965). The book addresses his ministry with Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam (1952-1963) in America and his emergence as the organisation’s national spokesman. It then documents his conversion to orthodox Sunni Islam, his pilgrimage to Mecca, and his travels in Africa.
The blistering honesty with which he recounts his transformation from a bitter, self-destructive petty criminal into an articulate political activist makes this work a literary masterpiece.
■ The Story Of My Experiments With Truth by Mahatma Gandhi:
Autobiography of Mohandas K Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth was written in weekly instalments and published in his journal Navjivan from 1925 to 1929. The autobiographical work has been known to have inspired many freedom fighters and non-violent protesters.
■ Freedom In Exile by Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso):
In this astonishingly frank autobiography, the Dalai Lama reveals the remarkable inner strength that allowed him to master both the mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism and the brutal realities of Chinese Communism.
■ Long Walk To Freedom by Nelson Mandela:
In his autobiography, Nelson Mandela recounts his early years as an impoverished student and law clerk in Johannesburg, of his slow political awakening, and of his pivotal role in the rebirth of a stagnant ANC and the formation of its Youth League in the 1950s. Further, while describing his family and the unsuccessful yet painful married life, he talks about his struggle on the political front, his underground leadership, his life imprisonment and the escalating political warfare in the fifties between the ANC and the government.