Lush Library discussion

I love reading historical fiction that is fairly heavy on the detail and I've been thinking about reading more {auto}biographies. My areas of interest are showbiz people (not necessarily legends but golden era stars or people who worked in the business), Scottish, British,Irish or Asian > I'll have a think and add some more later but I'd love recommendations all historical (predominantly set in the past but they don't have to be dead lol) pretty please

Any non fiction that you would recommend or has been recommended to you would be great - I'm going to make a shelf for it:)

For golden era autobiographies you can't beat David Niven's The Moon's a Balloon (and the sequel, Bring on the Empty Horses, is just as good). He knew everyone in Hollywood, and dishes the dirt on the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Douglas Fairbanks, while remaining utterly charming and very witty. Definitely in my all time top five autobiographies.

Sophia wrote: "For golden era autobiographies you can't beat David Niven's The Moon's a Balloon (and the sequel, Bring on the Empty Horses, is just as good). He knew everyone in Hollywood, and dishes the dirt on ..."

thanks Soph - that is going straight on my list. I love this cover - it's not an image of him I could have imagined. Can you tell who the woman is? I'm on my phone and she's too tiny to tell lol

I'm not sure but I think it's Lauren Bacall.

I like a good (auto)biography, particulary if it's some kind of actor.

I really enjoyed Here We Go Again by Betty White, the woman has been in showbusiness, particulary TV, forever and it's well written and funny. not too much about the Golden Girls in it, but about her whole career, which is really impressive, up until the time the book was published.

I completely adore Esther Williams, it's been a few years since I've read it, but I remember really liking The Million Dollar Mermaid, it's about her life from childhood onwards, with all of her movie career and a bit of dishing thrown in.

not exactly "golden era", but a real laugh was If Chins could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor by Bruce Campbell. the man is awesome and funny and I cannot recommend this book enough.

and in Hellraisers; The Inebriated Life and Times of Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, Richard Harris & Oliver Reed you sort of get four for the price of one, with emphasis on their drinking and other excesses. it's a really good read though, not as depressing as one might think from the title. my friend gave me this as a present a few years back and I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self. I don't know if you want to go back that far!

Ok, I'm more of a science person when it comes to non-fiction, nothing too heavy though. If you want some suggestions let me know and I'll pop them in here.