Autobiography

The word autobiography is derived from the Greek words ‘auton’ and ‘bios’ which mean ‘self’ and ‘life’. An autobiography is a truthful narration of one’s life and experiences. A biography, which is a recorded document on someone’s life, heavily relies on a wide variety of documents and viewpoints. Unlike a biography, writing an autobiography is based entirely on the writer’s memory.

Autobiographies are written by authors of all ages. These autobiographies can encompass the experiences of a lifetime or a few years. The first element necessary for writing a successful autobiography is experience. Most people have had interesting and unusual experiences in their lives; however, all of these experiences may or may not be worth recording or describing. Many autobiographies are written by sports persons such as “Beckham: Both Feet on the Ground” by the famous football player David Beckham. Autobiographies have often been written by politicians and leaders, which give an account of their public exploits as well as insights into their lives. Such autobiographies, which are written by people having authoritative position, are usually a comment on the social scene and, at times, from a purely personal point of view.

Many scandalous autobiographies were written anonymously by characters of questionable repute or libertines during the eighteenth century, and which have become quite popular for their juicy gossip. Autobiographies serve as a historical record of a person's life, also throwing light on the impact of political and social events on an individual’s life.