5 Must-Read Memoirs & Biographies

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From famed musicians Eric Clapton and Willie Nelson to the extraordinary tale of survival of a German-Jewish woman during the Second World War, these books make a great addition to your summer reading list.

 

MOTHERLESS CHILD: THE DEFINITIVE BIOGRAPHY OF ERIC CLAPTON by Paul Scott

Back in the sixties, his fans spray-painted, “Clapton is God” all across London. Celebrated as one of the world’s greatest guitar players, Eric Clapton’s fame extends beyond his 18 Grammy awards to his notorious womanizing (including a rumored flirtation with Princess Diana) and a nearly lethal addiction to drugs and booze.

A LUCKY LIFE INTERRUPTED: A MEMOIR OF HOPE by Tom Brokaw

This time it’s Brokaw on Brokaw. In his memoir, the American journalist and author, known for his poignant portrayal of “the greatest generation,” shares his own very personal story of battling a rare and incurable blood cancer. Now 75, former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw reflects back on his remarkable career – and up to his cancer diagnosis – what he describes as an extraordinarily lucky life.

UNDERGROUND IN BERLIN by Marie Jalowicz Simon

After 50 years of silence, Marie Jalowicz Simon recounts her extraordinary experiences during the Second World War, when as a 19-year-old Jewish woman living in Berlin, she ripped off her yellow star and, assuming a false identity, went underground to escape deportation to the camps. She moved from safe house to safe house, and at one point, even lived with a dedicated group of Nazis.

IT’S A LONG STORY: MY LIFE by Willie Nelson with David Ritz

Country music legend Willie Nelson, who recently celebrated his 82nd birthday, tells his story from his childhood in rural Texas in the 1930s and 1940s to the topics that matter to him most: his music, his (many) marriages, his kids, songwriting and pot.

TOM JONES: THE LIFE by Sean Smith

From the celebrity biographer of such famous subjects as Kate Middleton, Justin Timberlake and J.K. Rowling comes this new book about Tom Jones and his rise to fame from Welsh miner’s son to pop star. Known for his bestselling hit “It’s Not Unusual” he burst onto the music scene at the same time as the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Now, 75, and knighted, he might not be swiveling his hips but he’s still going strong as a judge on the British version of The Voice.