Best of
Autobiography

1977

The Diary of Virginia Woolf, Volume One: 1915-1919


Virginia Woolf - 1977
    [This] is a first chance to meet the writer in her own unguarded words and to observe the root impulses of her art without the distractions of a commentary” (New York Times). Edited and with a Preface by Anne Olivier Bell; Introduction by Quentin Bell; Index.

Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder


Arnold Schwarzenegger - 1977
    Universe, seven-time Mr. Olympia, and Mr. World, Arnold Schwarzenegger is the name in bodybuilding. Here is his classic bestselling autobiography, which explains how the “Austrian Oak” came to the sport of bodybuilding and aspired to be the star he has become.I still remember that first visit to the bodybuilding gym. I had never seen anyone lifting weights before. Those guys were huge and brutal….The weight lifters shone with sweat; they were powerful looking, Herculean. And there it was before me—my life, the answer I'd been seeking. It clicked. It was something I suddenly just seemed to reach out and find, as if I'd been crossing a suspended bridge and finally stepped off onto solid ground. Arnold shares his fitness and training secrets—demonstrating with a comprehensive step-by-step program and dietary hints how to use bodybuilding for better health. His program includes a special four-day regimen of specific exercises to develop individual muscle groups—each exercise illustrated with photos of Arnold in action. For fans and would-be bodybuilders, this is Arnold in his own words.

The House by the Sea


May Sarton - 1977
    The journal records the renewing of her life and work in this place.

Sitting by My Laughing Fire


Ruth Bell Graham - 1977
    She traveled extensively with her husband, Billy Graham, on his many Crusades around the world. While their five children were growing up, she took on the responsibilities of managing the household to give Billy the freedom to travel and preach wherever God called him.These poems, first published as a collection in 1977, are from all phases and periods of her life. "I wrote because, at times, I had to. It was write, or develop an ulcer-or forget," she said. "I chose to write. At times I even wrote for the sheer fun."Numerous family photos taken over the years-including some never before published-add a rich context to this edition, creating a treasured memory book of the life of this remarkable woman.

Midnight Express


Billy Hayes - 1977
    A classic story of survival and human endurance, told with humor, honesty, and heart, it became a worldwide best-seller and the Academy Award-winning blockbuster film of the same name. In 1970 Billy Hayes was an English major who left college in search of adventures to write about, like his hero Jack London. He had a rude awakening when he was arrested at the airport in Istanbul trying to board a plane while carrying four pounds of hashish, and given a life sentence. After five brutal years, relentless efforts by his family to gain his release, and endless escape plotting, Hayes finally took matters into his own hands. On a dark night, in a wailing storm he began a desperate and daring escape to freedom... This is the astounding journey, told in Billy Hayes's own words, of those five years of living hell and of the harrowing ordeal of his time on the run.

Agatha Christie: An Autobiography


Agatha Christie - 1977
    Though she kept her private life a mystery, for some years Agatha had secretly written her autobiography, and when it was published after her death, millions of her fans agreed - this was her best story!From early childhood at the end of the 19th century, through two marriages and two World Wars, and her experiences both as a writer and on archaeological expeditions with her second husband, Max Mallowan, this book reveals the true genius of her legendary success with real passion and openness.

Milestones: Memoirs 1927-1977


Benedict XVI - 1977
    It tells the fascinating and inspiring story of his early family life, the years under Nazi oppression in Germany, and his part in World War II—including how as a teenager he was forced to join the Hitler Youth and the German army, from which he risked his life to flee. This book also recounts Joseph Ratzinger's calling and ordination to the priesthood, the intellectual and spiritual formation he received, his early days as a parish priest, his role as an expert at the Second Vatican Council, his experience as a popular university professor and theologian, and his appointment as Archbishop of Munich-Freising in Germany. Joseph Ratzinger would go on to serve for over two decades as the Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith under John Paul II, before being elected pope himself in 2005. Written before Benedict XVI became pope, Milestones remains a valuable road map to the man's mind and heart. It dispels the media myths and legends, and it reveals the real Benedict XVI—a man of the Church who loves God and humanity, a scholar, a theologian, a teacher, and a humble pastor with deep compassion and profound spiritual insight. Illustrated.

A Sense of Freedom


Jimmy Boyle - 1977
    All around him the world was drinking, fighting and thieving. To survive, he too had to fight and steal… Kids’ gangs led to trouble with the police. Approved schools led to Borstal, and Jimmy was on his way to a career in crime.By his twenties he was a hardened villain, sleeping with prostitutes, running shebeens and money-lending rackets. Then they nailed him for murder. The sentence was life – the brutal, degrading eternity of a broken spirit in the prisons of Peterhead and Inverness. Thankfully, Jimmy was able to turn his life around inside the prison walls and eventually released on parole.A Sense of Freedom is a searing indictment of a society that uses prison bars and brutality to destroy a man's humanity and at the same time an outstanding testament to one man's ability to survive, to find a new life, a new creativity, and a new alternative.

A Postillion Struck by Lightning


Dirk Bogarde - 1977
    Round the cottage was a rickety wooden fence with bits of wire and an old bedstead stuck in it, and some apple trees and the privy with its roof of ivy and honeysuckle'A POSTILLION STRUCK BY LIGHTNING marked Dirk Bogarde's transition from star of stage and screen to a bestselling and internationally acclaimed author.This vivid and engaging memoir traces the first steps of Dirk Bogarde as a young actor before he became world famous as well as his childhood amidst the enchanting beauty of rural Sussex. Here is the delightful harmony of summer days spent fishing with his young sister, a hunt for an escaped tortoise, the discovery of the biggest mushroom in the world, and the quest to win a pet canary at the local fair. Then came the plays he and sister used to put on in their barn, followed by the local amateur dramatic society, all a prelude to his growing desire to join the world of the stage.

Lancaster Target


Jack Currie - 1977
    Flying Lancaster bombers from RAF Wickenby in Lincolnshire between 1943 and 1944, Jack Currie chronicles the life and death struggles against flak, night fighters and perilous weather with clarity and feeling, while capturing the µlive for the moment' spirit of off-duty escapades.

Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's


Ray Kroc - 1977
    His revolutions in food service automation, franchising, shared national training and advertising have earned him a place beside the men who founded not merely businesses but entire new industries.But even more interesting than Ray Kroc the business legend is Ray Kroc the man. Not your typical self-made tycoon, Kroc was 52 when he met the McDonald brothers and opened his first franchise.Now meet Ray Kroc, the man behind the business legend, in his own words. Irrepressible enthusiast, perceptive people-watcher, and born storyteller, he will fascinate and inspire you. You'll never forget Ray Kroc.

The Boy Captives: (Clinton And Jeff Smith)


Clinton L. Smith - 1977
    

A Fine Old Conflict


Jessica Mitford - 1977
    It tells of her experiences in the Communist Party which she joined in California during World War II and left in 1958, illustrating, with biting humour, a neglected chapter of American radical history. She and her husband, lawyer Bob Treuhaft, campaigned passionately for civil rights in the face of great personal danger, particularly during the McCarthy witch-hunts.

George, Don't Do That ...


Joyce Grenfell - 1977
    This edition contains all the material in the original volumes of George, Don't Do That and Stately as a Galleon, including the bloodthirsty 'Ethel' and the unforgettable nursery school monologues.

Black and Free


Tom Skinner - 1977
    Barbara Williams-Skinner, Skinner Leadership Institute "Few books have touched my heart so deeply as Black and Free . A simple story. A timeless classic. Redemptive. Hopeful. A crystal clear explanation of what it means to be a true Christian-and not." - Patrick Morley, author, CEO of Man in the Mirror "My mentor, Tom Skinner was one of the greatest Christian minds and spoke persons for the Kingdom of God that the church has ever had." - Dr. Tony Evans, President, The Urban Alternative, Pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship "He lovingly held the world in his heart. Now in this book, he continues to love us and teach us. I am happy to welcome Black and Free, for it tells me Tom Skinner lives." - Maya Angelou, Author, Poet

East Wind: A Survivor's True Story of Faith Inside the Gulag of World War II


Ruth Hunt - 1977
    "Only one who has felt the nearness of death can truly be grateful for each new day, no matter how much suffering it might bring." Thus speaks Maria Linke, survivor of nine years' imprisonment in the death camps and prisons of Stalin's Russia following World War II. There have been many "God is faithful amid the horrors of war" stories, and although East Wind fits this description, it is far more than just another war story. The unusual aspects of Maria's life make this book so arrestingly different: the winsome portrait of a childhood lived on the banks of the Volga River as the daughter of a wealthy pre-Revolution German industrialist, the tragedy of banishment to Siberia and life among the nomadic tribes there, the flight from a burning Cossack village and escape to Germany during the Russian Revolution, teen years in lively Berlin, World War II and her work as an interpreter in the labor camps of Germany, her arrest as a spy by the advancing Russian armies, miraculous escapes from death, romance, and the infamous Waldeheim trials. Nine years in a Soviet prison camp would seem an eternity to most of us. For Maria, it was an investment in eternity. This is the true story of Maria Zeitner Linke--a story of survival and courage in the death camps of Stalin's Gulag after World War II. But more than that, it is the story of how one woman turned her sorrow into an opportunity for growth, ministry, and strengthened commitment to Jesus Christ. In nine years, Maria moved through six different camps, including the infamous Buchenwald, which the Soviets had taken over from the Nazis after the war. In the process, Maria touched the lives of many people and helped them turn their own mourning into dancing. This book, which will remind many readers of the works of Corrie ten Boom and Alexander Solzhenitsyn, offers encouragement and hope to anyone who has ever wondered, "How would I react if my faith were really put to the test?" It comes to terms with the true meaning of practicing patience in tribulation. East Wind is a powerful book. Historically, its scope is broad. Spiritually, its impact is tremendous. It will be a long time before you find another story that will move you as much as Maria's.

Journal II, 1957-1969


Mircea Eliade - 1977
    The journal is filled with his work, dreams, memories of his youth, stories of his travels, the reflections of each day.

The Journey


Cecilia Sternberg - 1977
    

Truck: On Rebuilding a Worn-Out Pickup and Other Post-Technological Adventures


John Jerome - 1977
    Yes, he needs the truck to haul manure, but Jerome also hopes that “by knowing every nut, lockwasher, and cotter pin I could have a machine that had some meaning to me.” Thus his year-long odyssey under the hood, among the brake shoes and valves, becomes more than a mechanic’s memoir; it is a meditation on machines, metaphysics, and the moral universe. Long after its publication in 1977, the essential dilemma of Truck still rings true: as Jerome dismantles the aged straight six, he also disassembles our reliance on “two-hundred-dollar appliances that sport flaws in thirty-five-cent parts” and decries the “deliberate encapsulation, impenetrability, of the overtechnologized things with which we furnish our lives.” Despite gouged knuckles, a frigid New Hampshire winter, frustrating and inexplicable assemblies, and a close call when the truck rolls off its jacks, he perseveres. In the end, he admits, “I did not find God out there in the barn among the cans of nuts and bolts.” What he does find, however, is that he must make peace with technology; it’s a mistake, he says, to “assume there is a point on that line between the caveman’s club and the moon shot that marks the moral turnaround, before which technology was somehow benign, after which it is malign.” While Jerome gains a truck that runs—sometimes—we gain new insight into a technology that continues to encroach upon our lives.

Bilal


H.A.L. Craig - 1977
    He hears the Prophet begin his teaching and when told to beat a fellow slave for repeating Mohammad's assertion that slaves are the equal of their masters, he refuses and is himself almost beaten to death. Bilal is saved by the prayers of the Prophet and takes his place as one of Mohammad's earliest followers.H. A. L. Craig's book gives Bilal a voice to tell his own story. As an old man in Damascus he recalls the early struggles of the faithful and their work to spread Islam. The great battles and successes of those early years are brought vividly to life, including Bilal's finest moment. When Mohammad and his followers take Mecca, it is Bilal who gives the first call to prayer in what became Islam's holiest city.Bilal, an Abyssinian, was the first black convert to Islam and both Sunni and Shi'a revere him. The need to understand Islam has never been more essential. H. A. L. Craig's book provides an accessible and informative account of the beginnings of the faith.

Crying Wind: Beaten, Deserted, and Afraid of Both Death and Life, a Young Indian Girl Finds Life


Crying Wind - 1977
    Simply and sensitively written, Crying Wind's true story gives insights into American Indian culture and the cultural barriers an Indian must hurdle when he accepts Christ.

If everyone cared: Autobiography of Margaret Tucker


Margaret Tucker - 1977
    Left school? Was snatched from school, by the police! Taken forcibly from her part-Aboriginal parents to be trained as a domestic servant.Lilardia was born in 1904 on an Aboriginal settlement on the New South Wales-Victorian border. Her memories of her early years are the happiest part of her story. There was no government assistance then, but there was freedom to enjoy a carefree childhood: swimming and fishing in the rivers and lakes, going walkabout with her old uncle and aunt in their buggy, listening to the legends and learning the lore of the tribal elders, being taught by the kindly missionaries.All this came to an abrupt end when Lilardia was sent to the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls. The horror of the training, the cruelty of her first employer in Sydney, the loneliness, homesickness and heartache she felt are related without sentimentality, malice or self pity.Throughout a life span from Mission to MBE, Lilardia’s religious beliefs have sustained her in her times of trouble: poverty, racism, a broken marriage, the sometimes hopeless task of helping her own people. She is a true Christian and a true Australian, not only in her race, but in her heartfelt love and concern for her country and in her hope that one day all she has worked for will come to pass: that all Australians, black and white, will live together in harmony.This is a simple tale of humour and sadness, adventure and legend. It is, incidentally, of great historical importance. But it will appeal as the story of a brave, dedicated woman and her struggle through a life of hardship towards the achievement of recognition for herself and her people.

Prophesying Peace: Diaries, 1944-1945


James Lees-Milne - 1977
    

Meetings: Autobiographical Fragments


Martin Buber - 1977
    A glittering series of reflections and narratives, it seeks not to describe his life in its full entirety, but rather to convey some of his defining moments of uncertainty, revelation and meaning. Recalling the question on the infinity of space and time which nearly drove Buber to suicide at the age of fourteen, his adolescent 'seduction' by Nietzsche's work, his hero-worship of Ferdinand Lassalle and his love of Bach's music, Meetings has no equal as a portrait of an unique intellect in progress. Like Buber's great works Between Man and Man and The Way of Man, it evokes a tactile, earthly concept of meaning ultimately found, as Maurice Friedman writes in his introduction, 'not in conceptual or systematic thought but in the four-dimensional reality of events and meetings'.

Abba Eban: An Autobiography


Abba Eban - 1977
    He frankly describes leading statesman of the period, gives insight into the intricacies of diplomatic manoeuvering, & vividly depicts the ordeals & achievements of modern Israel since its establishment.Divided childhood From Cambridge to Cairo 1934-40 The road to Jerusalem 1941-45The break in the clouds 1945-47Present at the birth 1947-48The first flush of statehood 1948-50Story of a mission 1950-56Explosion at Suez 1956-57End of a mission: first steps in politics 1957-60Seven ministerial years 1960-66The foreign ministry 1966-67Nasser toward the brink 1967 Negotiations in three cities 1967Days of decision June 1967A political success 1967 Jarring, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon & "242" 1967-70The twilight years 1971-72Year of wrath 1973 The Geneva conference disengagement & cabinet changes 1974In retrospectIndex

The Searching Spirit: An Autobiography


Joy Adamson - 1977
    

Because He Lives: The Stories and Inspiration Behind the Songs of Bill and Gloria Gaither [With Music]


Gloria Gaither - 1977
    While reading these beautiful devotional thoughts, listen to the songs on the CD that is included.

A Cornish Summer


Derek Tangye - 1977
    Delving into the mass of letters and papers in the abandoned stable at Minack, the remote Cornish cottage where he lived alone after the death of his wife Jeannie, Derek weaves pieces of his past into the story of those last peaceful years spent in the company of his donkeys Merlin and Susie. Poignant and deeply evocative, The Confusion Room is a marvelous tribute to the memory of Derek Tangye.