A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway. Published posthumously in 1964, this memoir is made up of Hemingway’s collected accounts of his time as an expat writer in the 1920s, largely in Paris. The memoir sold 780,000 copies in its first week on sale, CNN reported. According to the news outlet, “selling hundreds of thousands of copies in one week is exceedingly rare.” While consumers seem to be a fan of the book, the Trump administration is decidedly not — Bolton is currently facing a lawsuit brought on by the U.S. Check out some of the top 12 best-selling celebrity memoirs of all time. 12 Becoming by Michelle Obama During her time as first lady of the White House, Obama connected with millions and made an impact with the world, preaching women empowerment and healthy lifestyles, all while parenting two pre-teens and partnering with the then President of. In Leslie Jamison’s new memoir The Recovering, she cites the great writers before her who’ve battled alcoholism and addiction.Indeed, she’s hardly the first: Many celebrated authors have.
Americans have always been intrigued by the lives, both professional and personal, of our elected officials. Nowadays, all we have to do is log onto Twitter to see what our Commander in Chief is thinking, but before that, readers had to rely on the best presidential memoirs to give them insight into the lives of their leaders, and the inner workings of Washington. What better way to learn about these fascinating figures and the most important historical events of their presidencies than from the politicians themselves?
Writing a memoir is basically part of the job description for presidents and politicians in America. Just recently, Barack and Michelle Obama made headlines with their major post-presidency book deal that is reportedly worth more that $65 million dollars. From Jefferson to Eisenhower to Bush and beyond, nearly every United States president has written about their lives and politics, either as a way to help them gain notoriety before running for office, or after their presidency as a kind of rite of passage. While many of these books are insightful, inspiring, and intriguing stories about incredible political achievements, unbelievable challenges, and some of the most dramatic moments from our history, there are others that are, to put it simply, duds. How do you know which ones to choose?
Luckily, you don't have to, because I have rounded up the best nine presidential memoirs written. From our earliest Commanders in Chief to some of the most recent, these are the autobiographies you don't want to miss.
A prolific thinker and a gifted writer, Thomas Jefferson is not only responsible for writing the Declaration of Independence, but the third president also penned over 70,000 letters in his life. In The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson, many of those letters, both personal and professional, along with journal entries, notes, and addresses come together to form a clear and insightful view of the remarkable man who made some of the most important contributions to early American politics. Intimate and intriguing, this is one of the earliest and one of the best presidential memoirs to ever hit shelves.
Considered one of the finest books written by an American president, Ulysses S. Grant'sPersonal Memoirs & Selected Letters is an exceptional work written under extraordinary circumstances. Penned in 1885 while Grant was suffering from throat cancer and published by none other than Mark Twain, this autobiography and selected letters is a frank and sincere collection that will reshape the way you see one of America's finest generals and most well-known presidents.
Soldier, rancher, reformer, hunter, historian, and the youngest man to serve as president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt led such an intriguing life, it's impossible to pick just one of his works to name as 'the best.' That's what makes Theodore Roosevelt: Rough Riders/An Autobiography the perfect read for anyone interested in learning about his extraordinary life. Starting with his famous and fascinating stories of the Rough Riders, the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry who fought in the Spanish-American war, and moving into his own autobiography covering everything from how he got his start in politics to his work as New York City's police commissioner to his eventual rise to the presidency and lifelong commitment to conservation, this collection will give you the full view of one of the country's most celebrated politicians.
The work that is often credited with transforming the approach to presidential memoir writing, Dwight D. Eisenhower's Mandate for Change is personal, insightful, and an absolute must-read. Covering the years of his first term in office, this revelatory memoir covers not only the personal and national events between 1953-1956, but also takes a deep-dive into the president's thinking process, the lessons he learned, and how he felt during some of the most crucial decisions he made. Filled with honesty, wit, humor, and sincerity, Mandate for Change should be on every political junkie's reading list.
One of the most controversial presidents in American history, Richard Nixon is an intriguing figure whose early writing give readers insight to the man who would later become the 37th president of the United States (and the only one to resign from office.) In Six Crises, the politician chronicles six major events, including an attack he suffered at the hands of a mob in Venezuela, Eisenhower's heart attack, and the 1960 presidential campaign. While it's not the juiciest read (this is pre-Watergate), it does offer insight to one of American politics most complicated figures.
Jimmy Carter has penned over two dozen books in his lifetime, and while his earlier memoir Keeping Faith is considered to be one of the most revealing presidential memoirs ever written, his 2015 memoir A Full Life offers a fresh new perspective on one of America's most dedicated public servants. A retrospective look back at some of the most pivotal moments in Carter's private and public life, including his youth growing up in rural Georgia and his lost bid for re-election, A Full Life is a clear, candid, and captivating read perfect for any politics lover.
One of America's most beloved presidents, Ronald Reagan lived in the public eye for most of his life, but his memoir shows another side of the actor, politician, and husband. In An American Life, Reagan discusses honestly and in detail his childhood during the Depression, his incredible acting career, his transition into politics, his enduring love for his wife, and so much more. Including some of the most crucial moments of his presidency — his run for governor of California, his 1985 Geneva meeting with the Soviet leaders, an assassination attempt on his life — An American Lifeis a warm, personal, and inspiring book about an extraordinary man and a remarkable politician.
In this remarkably candid and detailed memoir, Bill Clinton invites readers into not only his life, but the day-to-day goings on of the White House. Recounting his dysfunctional youth with a loving mother and abusive stepfather, his sweeping romance with Hillary Rodham, his journey into politics and his rise to the office of the presidency, and yes, even the Monica Lewinsky scandal that almost ruined his life and career, Clinton doesn't pull any punches in this deeply personal and insightful memoir.
While it is not technically his official presidential memoir because it was published over a decade before his election, Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father is a remarkable work about race, inheritance, and American culture. Chronicling his family's history as well as his own, from his mother's family's move from Kansas to Hawaii, his parent's whirlwind romance, his father's death and subsequent legacy, this incredible story is powerful and inspiring, a must-read before the release of his upcoming memoir about his years in the White House.
The No. 1 best-selling Amazon book of the year isn’t a cookbook, self-help book, novel, or nonfiction epic: It’s a memoir. A memoir that wasn’t even published until mid-November, that is, rocketing up the charts in just a little over a month. Not bad for a genre that is often considered oversaturated, eh?
So we wondered: Which other memoirs sold exceptionally well this year?
We limited our search to memoirs published in 2018, which is why Anthony Bourdain’s best-selling Kitchen Confidential isn’t on the list, nor is Viktor E. Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. The remaining four titles are stories from a mix of celebrities, government officials, and a debut author who became an instant literary darling. In descending order, here are the best-selling memoirs of 2018:
4. Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon
Best-selling Memoir 2019
Greatest Memoirs Of All Time
Reese Witherspoon may be best known for her work as an actress in hits like Legally Blonde, Walk the Line, and Cruel Intentions, but did you know she’s one of the most accomplished producers of modern books-turned-blockbusters in Hollywood? Witherspoon was instrumental in turning titles like Gone Girl,Wild, and Big Little Lies into Hollywood productions. Now Witherspoon is entering the authorial side of the industry with Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits. The No. 1 New York Times best-seller is part memoir, part lifestyle guide, and 100% charm.