A selection of memoir and autobiography book covers published by Penguin.

New memoirs and biographies 2025

Reading lists

New autobiography books and memoirs to read this year

Al Pacino

‘The book is a beautiful trip … (from) one of the world’s greatest, most influential actors for more than 50 years. He’s audacious. He’s outrageous. He’s Al Pacino’

‘A 5 ft 7in Hollywood giant … Al Pacino’s readably eccentric memoir really preserves his Bronx-reared turn of phrase… The Godfather star recalls his tough childhood, turbulent romances and how he burnt through a $50 million fortune’

'Startlingly cinematic ... A fine memoir. From fish out of water to Hollywood star, the method actor traces his path to success, spending as much time on the films that flopped as the greatest hits'

'Surprising, introspective ... His youth was grim, his money troubles serious, his fame unlikely. Al Pacino's friends all died in poverty. How did he survive?'

"Soulful…Pacino explores his life with eccentric charm…Shot through with self-deprecating honesty to with the well-worn Pacino swagger…You can almost hear him saying all of this in recognizably Pacino-like tones…Pacino has done such a high volume of great work that reading ‘Sonny Boy; often feels like hanging out within a history of American movies over the last 50 years.'"

'Conversational, breezily readable, reflective…Dives deep into Pacino’s career highlights and low points'

'This disarmingly frank memoir by one of our greatest actors has the remarkable effect of making a larger-than-life figure feel more human than ever'

‘Godfather fans will love this … Pacino is refreshingly honest'

‘Charming, hilarious, a nonstop talker. There is an aspect of him that is like a lost orphan, like this kind of crazy idiot savant’

‘As Michael in The Godfather, Pacino was everything I wanted that character to be on screen. I couldn’t believe it. It was, in my eyes, a perfect performance, a work of art’

‘Comedic, talented, and certifiably insane’

‘Al is money, the man in charge, making it happen. I got to act with Al Pacino and it was worth more to me than anything’

‘The depth of Al Pacino's artistry is only more overwhelmed by the generosity of his spirit and his warmth. Al Pacino is Van Gogh. Modigliani'

‘A singular, special talent, whose work stands the test of time’

A Memoir

From one of the most iconic actors in the history of film, an astonishingly revelatory account of a creative life in full 
 
To the wider world, Al Pacino exploded onto the scene like a supernova. He landed his first leading role, in The Panic in Needle Park, in 1971, and by 1975, he had starred in four movies—The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon—that were not just successes but landmarks in the history of film. Those performances became legendary and changed his life forever. Not since Marlon Brando and James Dean in the late 1950s had an actor landed in the culture with such force. 
 
But Pacino was in his mid thirties by then, and had already lived several lives. A fixture of avant-garde theater in New York, he had led a bohemian existence, working odd jobs to support his craft. He was raised by a fiercely loving but mentally unwell mother and her parents after his father left them when he was young, but in a real sense he was raised by the streets of the South Bronx, and by the troop of buccaneering young friends he ran with, whose spirits never left him. After a teacher recognized his acting promise and pushed him toward New York’s fabled High School of Performing Arts, the die was cast. In good times and bad, in poverty and in wealth and in poverty again, through pain and joy, acting was his lifeline, its community his tribe. 
 
Sonny Boy is the memoir of a man who has nothing left to fear and nothing left to hide. All the great roles, the essential collaborations, and the important relationships are given their full due, as is the vexed marriage between creativity and commerce at the highest levels. The book’s golden thread, however, is the spirit of love and purpose. Love can fail you, and you can be defeated in your ambitions—the same lights that shine bright can also dim. But Al Pacino was lucky enough to fall deeply in love with a craft before he had the foggiest idea of any of its earthly rewards, and he never fell out of love. That has made all the difference. 
 
_________________________________________________________________________ 
 
Praise for Al Pacino: 
 
‘Al Pacino is magical’ Martin Scorsese 
 
‘A legend’ Francis Ford Coppola 
 
‘So unique and special’ Robert De Niro 
 
‘A singular, special talent, whose work stands the test of time’ Robin Williams 
 
‘A wicked sense of humour’ Oliver Stone 
 
‘Charming, hilarious, a nonstop talker. There is an aspect of him that is like a lost orphan, like this kind of crazy idiot savant’ Diane Keaton 
 
‘As Michael in The Godfather, Pacino was everything I wanted that character to be on screen. I couldn’t believe it. It was, in my eyes, a perfect performance, a work of art’ Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather 
 
‘Comedic, talented, and certifiably insane’ Johnny Depp 
 
‘Al is money, the man in charge, making it happen. I got to act with Al Pacino and it was worth more to me than anything’ Samuel L Jackson 
 
‘A marvellous actor and man’ Sean Connery 
 
‘The depth of Al Pacino's artistry is only more overwhelmed by the generosity of his spirit and his warmth. Al Pacino is Van Gogh. Modigliani' Andy Garcia 
 
‘The greatest actor in the world’ Jamie Foxx

Al Pacino

Praise for Sonny Boy

‘The book is a beautiful trip … (from) one of the world’s greatest, most influential actors for more than 50 years. He’s audacious. He’s outrageous. He’s Al Pacino’

‘A 5 ft 7in Hollywood giant … Al Pacino’s readably eccentric memoir really preserves his Bronx-reared turn of phrase… The Godfather star recalls his tough childhood, turbulent romances and how he burnt throug ...

'Startlingly cinematic ... A fine memoir. From fish out of water to Hollywood star, the method actor traces his path to success, spending as much time on the films that flopped as the greatest hits'

‘The book is a beautiful trip … (from) one of the world’s greatest, most influential actors for more than 50 years. He’s audacious. He’s outrageous. He’s Al Pacino’

‘A 5 ft 7in Hollywood giant … Al Pacino’s readably eccentric memoir really preserves his Bronx-reared turn of phrase… The Godfather star recalls his tough childhood, turbulent romances and how he burnt throug ...

'Startlingly cinematic ... A fine memoir. From fish out of water to Hollywood star, the method actor traces his path to success, spending as much time on the films that flopped as the greatest hits'

‘The book is a beautiful trip … (from) one of the world’s greatest, most influential actors for more than 50 years. He’s audacious. He’s outrageous. He’s Al Pacino’

‘A 5 ft 7in Hollywood giant … Al Pacino’s readably eccentric memoir really preserves his Bronx-reared turn of phrase… The Godfather star recalls his tough childhood, turbulent romances and how he burnt throug ...

'Startlingly cinematic ... A fine memoir. From fish out of water to Hollywood star, the method actor traces his path to success, spending as much time on the films that flopped as the greatest hits'

Articles featuring Al Pacino

New autobiography books and memoirs to read this year

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