From Mahatma Gandhi’s The Story of My Experiments with Truth to Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s Wings of Fire, famous autobiographies offer direct accounts of remarkable lives — and are a consistently tested topic in every major competitive exam.
The Books & Authors section of UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, Railways, Banking Awareness, and State PSC exams regularly features autobiographies. This page covers 44+ must-know autobiographies of Indian and world leaders, scientists, sportspersons, and literary figures — with MCQs, flashcards, and memory tips.
⚡ Quick Facts
- Gandhi’s autobiography — originally written in Gujarati; English title: The Story of My Experiments with Truth; covers life up to 1921.
- A.P.J. Abdul Kalam — Wings of Fire — co-authored with Arun Tiwari; traces his journey from Rameswaram to India’s missile programme.
- Nelson Mandela — Long Walk to Freedom — written secretly while imprisoned on Robben Island; manuscript buried in prison garden.
- Jawaharlal Nehru — An Autobiography — written in prison (Almora Jail, 1934–35); also called Toward Freedom.
- Sachin Tendulkar — Playing It My Way — co-authored with Boria Majumdar; bestselling Indian sports autobiography.
Nehru’s “The Discovery of India” is NOT an autobiography — it is a historical and cultural survey of India. His autobiography is An Autobiography (1936). Also: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson is a BIOGRAPHY (written by Isaacson), not an autobiography by Jobs. And Wings of Fire is Kalam’s TRUE autobiography — Ignited Minds and India 2020 are motivational/policy books, not autobiographies. Most-Tested Traps
✅ My Progress Tracker
📚 Famous Autobiographies — Complete List
| # ↕ | Title ↕ | Author | Year ↕ | Field | Key Exam Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Story of My Experiments with Truth | Mahatma Gandhi | 1927–29 | Freedom Movement | Originally in Gujarati; covers life up to 1921; most tested Indian autobiography Hot |
| 2 | An Autobiography (Toward Freedom) | Jawaharlal Nehru | 1936 | Freedom Movement / Politics | Written in Almora Jail (1934–35); covers early life and freedom struggle Hot |
| 3 | An Indian Pilgrim | Subhas Chandra Bose | 1948 (Posthumous) | Freedom Movement | Posthumously published; also wrote The Indian Struggle (1920–1942) |
| 4 | Waiting for a Visa | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar | 1935–36 (pub. posthumously) | Social Reform | Account of caste discrimination faced by Ambedkar; important social reform autobiography Hot |
| 5 | India Wins Freedom | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad | 1959 | Freedom Movement / Politics | Partition of India and independence; Azad was India’s first Education Minister |
| 6 | Young India | Lala Lajpat Rai | 1916 | Freedom Movement | “Lion of Punjab”; nationalist leader; also wrote Unhappy India |
| 7 | My Truth | Indira Gandhi | 1980 | Politics | India’s first female PM; compiled from interviews; autobiographical memoir |
| 8 | An Autobiography | Dr. Rajendra Prasad | 1957 | Politics | First President of India; memoir of freedom struggle and public life |
| 9 | My Presidential Years | R. Venkataraman | 1994 | Politics | Memoir of India’s 8th President (1987–1992) |
| 10 | Wings of Fire | A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (with Arun Tiwari) | 1999 | Science / Politics | Co-authored with Arun Tiwari; Rameswaram to Missile Man of India Hot |
| 11 | Playing It My Way | Sachin Tendulkar (with Boria Majumdar) | 2014 | Sports — Cricket | Co-authored with Boria Majumdar; bestselling Indian sports autobiography Hot |
| 12 | A Shot at History | Abhinav Bindra (with Rohit Brijnath) | 2011 | Sports — Shooting | India’s first individual Olympic gold (10m Air Rifle, Beijing 2008) Hot |
| 13 | Unbreakable | Mary Kom | 2013 | Sports — Boxing | 6-time World Amateur Boxing Champion; Manipur; film adaptation 2014 Hot |
| 14 | The Test of My Life | Yuvraj Singh | 2013 | Sports — Cricket | Account of his battle with cancer and return to cricket; 2011 World Cup Player of Tournament |
| 15 | Straight from the Heart | Kapil Dev | 1999 | Sports — Cricket | 1983 World Cup winning captain; India’s greatest all-rounder |
| 16 | The Racket | Sania Mirza | 2016 | Sports — Tennis | India’s top women’s tennis player; Grand Slam doubles titles |
| 17 | My Music, My Life | Ravi Shankar | 1968 | Music | Sitar maestro; global ambassador of Indian classical music |
| 18 | The Country of First Boys | Amartya Sen | 2015 | Economics / Literature | Memoir and essays by Nobel Economics laureate (1998) |
| 19 | My Story | Kamala Das | 1976 | Literature | Bold autobiographical account; original in Malayalam; known as “Madhavikutty” |
| 20 | Romancing with Life | Dev Anand | 2007 | Cinema | Legendary Bollywood actor; covered his entire cinematic journey |
| 21 | Citizen and Society | Hamid Ansari | 2016 | Politics | Memoir of India’s 12th Vice President; former diplomat |
| 22 | Freedom from Fear | Aung San Suu Kyi | 1991 | Politics | Myanmar’s democracy icon; Nobel Peace Prize 1991; partly autobiographical essays |
| 23 | Long Walk to Freedom | Nelson Mandela | 1994 | Politics | Written secretly on Robben Island; manuscript buried; anti-apartheid icon Hot |
| 24 | The Diary of a Young Girl | Anne Frank | 1947 (Posthumous) | Literature / History | Holocaust diary (1942–44); published posthumously; among world’s most-read personal accounts Hot |
| 25 | I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings | Maya Angelou | 1969 | Literature | First of seven autobiographies; African-American poet and civil rights activist |
| 26 | The Autobiography of Malcolm X | Malcolm X (with Alex Haley) | 1965 | Civil Rights | Black nationalist leader; co-authored with Alex Haley; published posthumously |
| 27 | I Am Malala | Malala Yousafzai | 2013 | Social Reform / Education | Taliban attack and advocacy for girls’ education; youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner (age 17) Hot |
| 28 | A Promised Land | Barack Obama | 2020 | Politics | First volume of Obama’s presidential memoir; bestseller 2020 Hot |
| 29 | Becoming | Michelle Obama | 2018 | Politics / Memoir | Former US First Lady; one of the bestselling autobiographies of all time Hot |
| 30 | The Story of My Life | Helen Keller | 1903 | Social Reform | Deaf-blind American activist and author; icon of overcoming disability |
| 31 | My Own Story | Emmeline Pankhurst | 1914 | Social Reform | Suffragette leader; fought for women’s voting rights in UK |
| 32 | The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin | Benjamin Franklin | 1791 (Posthumous) | Politics / Science | US Founding Father; classic autobiography; unfinished at his death |
| 33 | Open | Andre Agassi (with J.R. Moehringer) | 2009 | Sports — Tennis | Candid memoir of tennis champion; revealed he hated tennis; bestseller |
| 34 | Shoe Dog | Phil Knight | 2016 | Business | Nike founder’s memoir; origin story of one of the world’s most iconic brands |
| 35 | Mein Kampf | Adolf Hitler | 1925 | Politics (Historical) | Controversial political autobiography; historically significant; Nazi Germany context |
| 36 | Out of Africa | Karen Blixen | 1937 | Literature | Memoir of life in Kenya; Nobel Prize nominated; adapted into Oscar-winning film |
| 37 | Spare | Prince Harry (Duke of Sussex) | 2023 | Memoir | Global bestseller 2023; controversially reveals Royal Family details Hot |
| 38 | Azhar | Mohammad Azharuddin | 2014 | Sports — Cricket | Former Indian cricket captain; controversial career; film adaptation 2016 |
| 39 | Golden Threshold | Sarojini Naidu | 1905 | Literature / Politics | “Nightingale of India”; freedom fighter; first female President of INC |
| 40 | An Autobiography | Annie Besant | 1893 | Politics / Social Reform | Theosophical Society leader; Indian Home Rule Movement; British-born, Indian nationalist |
| 41 | Gita Rahasya | Bal Gangadhar Tilak | 1915 | Philosophy / Freedom | Philosophical memoir written in Mandalay Prison; “Lokmanya Tilak”; Marathi edition famous |
| 42 | Dreams from My Father | Barack Obama | 1995 | Politics | Obama’s first memoir (NOT presidential); covers identity and early life; different from A Promised Land |
| 43 | Kitchen Confidential | Anthony Bourdain | 2000 | Culinary / Memoir | Behind-the-scenes memoir of the restaurant world; spawned a TV career |
| 44 | Living History | Hillary Clinton | 2003 | Politics | Former US First Lady and Secretary of State; covers her White House years |
| # | Author | Title | Year | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mahatma Gandhi | The Story of My Experiments with Truth | 1927–29 | Written in Gujarati; most tested Indian autobiography Hot |
| 2 | Jawaharlal Nehru | An Autobiography (Toward Freedom) | 1936 | Written in Almora Jail 1934–35 Hot |
| 3 | Subhas Chandra Bose | An Indian Pilgrim | 1948 (Posthumous) | Also wrote The Indian Struggle (1920–1942) |
| 4 | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar | Waiting for a Visa | 1935–36 | Caste discrimination account; published posthumously Hot |
| 5 | Lala Lajpat Rai | Young India | 1916 | “Lion of Punjab” |
| 6 | Bal Gangadhar Tilak | Gita Rahasya | 1915 | Philosophical memoir; written in Mandalay Prison |
| 7 | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad | India Wins Freedom | 1959 | Partition and independence; India’s first Education Minister |
| 8 | Sarojini Naidu | Golden Threshold | 1905 | “Nightingale of India”; first female President of INC |
| 9 | Annie Besant | An Autobiography | 1893 | Theosophical Society; Indian Home Rule Movement |
| Book | Year | Nature | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| An Autobiography (Toward Freedom) | 1936 | ✅ Autobiography | Written in Almora Jail 1934–35; covers early life and freedom struggle Hot |
| Glimpses of World History | 1934 | ✅ History (letters to Indira) | 196 letters to daughter Indira from prison; world history survey |
| The Discovery of India | 1946 | ❌ NOT an autobiography | Historical and cultural survey of India — NOT an autobiography; most commonly confused Hot |
⚖️ Compare Two Autobiographies
📝 Key Notes & Memory Tips
The five most tested Indian autobiographies in competitive exams: Gandhi’s The Story of My Experiments with Truth (Gujarati original; covers life up to 1921), Nehru’s An Autobiography (written in Almora Jail 1934–35), Kalam’s Wings of Fire (co-authored with Arun Tiwari, 1999), Tendulkar’s Playing It My Way (co-authored with Boria Majumdar, 2014), and Mary Kom’s Unbreakable (2013). For each, know: full title, author, one distinguishing fact.
- An Autobiography (Toward Freedom) — 1936; TRUE autobiography; written in Almora Jail 1934–35
- Glimpses of World History — 1934; NOT autobiography; 196 letters to daughter Indira from prison; world history
- The Discovery of India — 1946; NOT an autobiography; historical and cultural survey of India
- Exam trap: “Which of Nehru’s books is NOT an autobiography?” → Answer: The Discovery of India
- Autobiography = written BY the person about their own life (e.g., Wings of Fire by Kalam)
- Biography = written BY someone else about another person (e.g., Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson — NOT an autobiography)
- Co-authored autobiographies are still autobiographies: Playing It My Way (Tendulkar with Boria Majumdar), Wings of Fire (Kalam with Arun Tiwari)
- Obama’s two memoirs: Dreams from My Father (1995, early life) vs A Promised Land (2020, presidential memoir) — these are two different books, often confused
- Mandela — Long Walk to Freedom: Written secretly on Robben Island; manuscript buried in prison garden to hide from authorities; published 1994
- Anne Frank — The Diary of a Young Girl: Actually a diary (not traditional autobiography); written 1942–44 during Nazi occupation; published posthumously 1947
- Malala — I Am Malala: Co-authored with Christina Lamb; published 2013; youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner (age 17, 2014)
- Michelle Obama — Becoming (2018): One of the bestselling autobiographies of all time; distinct from Barack Obama’s books
“Gandhi Experiments, Nehru Struggles, Kalam Fires, Tendulkar Plays, Kom Breaks”
- Gandhi → Experiments with Truth (Gujarati)
- Nehru → An Autobiography / Toward Freedom (in prison)
- Kalam → Wings of Fire (co-author: Arun Tiwari)
- Tendulkar → Playing It My Way (co-author: Boria Majumdar)
- Mary Kom → Unbreakable (Manipur boxer)
🃏 Flashcards
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🧩 Practice Quiz
5 questions · Answer all · Check your score
Mahatma Gandhi wrote his autobiography in Gujarati, titled “Satya na Prayogo athva Atmakatha.” It was later translated into English as The Story of My Experiments with Truth and remains the most tested Indian autobiography in competitive exams. The autobiography covers his life up to 1921, published in two volumes (1927 and 1929).
Wings of Fire (1999) is A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s autobiography co-authored with Arun Tiwari. It traces his journey from a modest background in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, to becoming the “Missile Man of India” and later the 11th President. Ignited Minds (2002) is a motivational manifesto — NOT an autobiography. India 2020 is a policy vision book. Only Wings of Fire qualifies as a true autobiography.
Nehru wrote An Autobiography (also titled Toward Freedom) during his imprisonment at Almora Jail in 1934–35. It was published in 1936 and covers his early life, education, and involvement in the freedom struggle. Note that Nehru’s The Discovery of India (1946) — often confused with his autobiography — is NOT an autobiography; it is a historical and cultural survey of India.
A Shot at History is the autobiography of Abhinav Bindra, India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist (10m Air Rifle, 2008 Beijing Olympics). The book is co-authored with Rohit Brijnath and chronicles his journey to Olympic glory. P.V. Sindhu’s book is not titled “A Shot at History.” Mary Kom’s autobiography is Unbreakable. Sania Mirza’s is The Racket.
Nelson Mandela began writing Long Walk to Freedom secretly while imprisoned on Robben Island. The manuscript was buried in the prison garden to hide it from authorities. It was eventually published in 1994, the year he became South Africa’s first black President. Mandela was later moved to Pollsmoor and Victor Verster prisons, but the secret writing began on Robben Island.
✅ Key Takeaways
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
The most frequently tested entries in the famous autobiographies list for Indian competitive exams are: Mahatma Gandhi’s The Story of My Experiments with Truth (Gujarati original; covers life up to 1921), Jawaharlal Nehru’s An Autobiography (written in Almora Jail 1934–35), A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s Wings of Fire (co-authored with Arun Tiwari, 1999), Sachin Tendulkar’s Playing It My Way (co-authored with Boria Majumdar, 2014), Mary Kom’s Unbreakable (2013), and Abhinav Bindra’s A Shot at History (2011). Questions typically ask the author’s name given the title, the original language, or a distinguishing fact.
An autobiography is written by the person about their own life — for example, Wings of Fire (Kalam wrote it with co-author Arun Tiwari). A biography is written by someone else about another person’s life — for example, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson is a biography (Isaacson wrote about Jobs). This distinction is tested in English and GK sections. Several famous “autobiographies” on exam lists are actually authorised biographies. Co-authored autobiographies (Tendulkar’s Playing It My Way with Boria Majumdar; Bindra’s A Shot at History with Rohit Brijnath) are still classified as autobiographies.
Several Indian freedom fighters wrote landmark works from prison. Jawaharlal Nehru wrote An Autobiography and Glimpses of World History during his imprisonment (Almora Jail, 1934–35). Bal Gangadhar Tilak wrote Gita Rahasya in Mandalay Prison (Burma). B.R. Ambedkar’s Waiting for a Visa was written during a period of social confinement. Nelson Mandela wrote Long Walk to Freedom secretly on Robben Island. These prison-written works appear regularly in UPSC Books & Authors questions.
Yes — for 2024–26 exams, important recent autobiographies include: Michelle Obama’s Becoming (2018 — still widely tested; former US First Lady), Barack Obama’s A Promised Land (2020 — his presidential memoir, different from his first memoir Dreams from My Father), Malala Yousafzai’s I Am Malala (2013 — youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner), and Spare by Prince Harry (2023 — global bestseller from the Duke of Sussex). On the Indian side, Sachin Tendulkar’s Playing It My Way (2014) remains a staple, and any autobiography published by current Indian political figures after 2020 may appear in current affairs rounds.
