Javascript is not enabled in your browser. Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site.

Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser

Biography Books

Discover the best selection of biographies, autobiographies and popular celebrity memoirs everyone should read.

Filter

B&N Reads: The Best Biographies & Memoirs of 2025. Read More

Malala Yousafzai reintroduces herself to the world. Finding My Way: A Memoir by Malala Yousafzai. Shop Now

Margaret Atwood - Book of Lives - The life of a literary giant, in her own words. Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts by Margaret Atwood. Shop Now

Rising in courage in the face of darkness. All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert. Shop Now

From daughter to author — an evolution. Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy. Shop Now

Michelle Obama - The former First Lady reinvents classic elegance. $10 Off. The Look by Michelle Obama. Shop Now

Dive deep into the life of one of America's literary geniuses through the eyes of a master biographer. Mark Twain by Ron Chernow. Shop Now

Featured Categories

Business Biography

Entertainment Biography

Sports & Adventure Biography

Women's Biography

A deep dive into the life — and loves — of a literary icon. Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs. Shop Now

B&N Reads

The Best Biographies & Memoirs of 2025

BN Editors

The Joy of Looking Back: A Guest Post by Bill Gates

Bill Gates

I Didn’t Want to Write a Memoir: A Guest Post by Neko Case

Neko Case

Find the world’s bestselling biographies, autobiographies and memoirs at Barnes & Noble®. Historical biographies allow you to walk side-by-side with larger-than-life figures like Frederick Douglass, Sacagawea or Queen Elizabeth I. You can revel in the wonder of lesser-known figures who did incredible things, like in The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lax or Empress of the Nile. Sports biographies take you into the locker room and off the playing field with the likes of Andre Agassi, Lauren Fleshman and Caster Semenya. Artist biographies run the gamut from Vincent van Gogh to Aurora James. And political biographies don’t get more inspirational than Lovely One, by Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Discover our list of the best books of 2024 including the best memoirs of 2024 for your TBR list or to give as gifts. Looking for biography books to read today? Download a biography eBook for your smartphone, tablet, or NOOK device and start reading now.

What is the difference between biography, autobiography and memoir?

Biography, autobiography and memoir are three different types of books that revolve around true life stories. An autobiography is a life story written by the subject of the book. A biography is a life story written by someone other than the subject of the book. A memoir is a book written about a specific time in the author’s life.

Biography Books

Bestsellers

Barnes & Noble Holiday Gift Guide

Best New Biographies

Best Biographies Coming Soon

Presidential Biography

The Paperbacks of the Year

Literary Biography Favorites

Best Reviewed Biographies

Bookseller Favorites

Best Paperback Biographies

Signed & Special Editions

Featured Categories

Biography eBooks

Biography Audiobooks

B&N Reads