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One Direction: Who We Are: Our Official Autobiography
*SUNDAY TIMES #1 BESTSELLER* For the first time EVER, global superstars One Direction are releasing their 100% official autobiography, offering a new, intimate insight into their lives as never before seen or heard! In their first in-depth autobiography, pop sensations Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis tell the story of their lives. From nervously auditioning for the X Factor and meeting each other for the first time, to filming their hit movie This Is Us and releasing their bestselling third album, Midnight Memories, it really has been one incredible journey. For the first time, the boys’ loyal fans will be given an unprecedented insight into all of it, from their humble beginnings and lives before the X Factor, to recording their first single, touring the world, winning awards, breaking records, and much, much more. What has it been like for them? What did they really think of each other when they first met? What inspires their song-writing? How do they handle life on the road and long breaks away from those they care about and love? And what do they think is next for them as a band who have achieved so much so quickly? Beautifully produced and filled with never-before-seen snaps, drawings and notes taking you behind the scenes of the creation of their music, their tours and their incredible friendship, One Direction are ready to lay themselves bare in a way we’ve never seen before. Get ready for the incredible story of a lifetime from an incredible set of lads.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
360 people are currently reading
3995 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 352 reviews
March 16, 2015
I listened to the audiobook version of this and it was basically just an automatic 5 stars because c'mon, I got to hear bae (Liam) whisper sweet nothings (autobiographical details) in my ear. Also all my other favourite men. Loved it.
February 13, 2017
I never, ever thought I'd be a One Direction fan, but my bestie Chelsea (who you all should follow because she's amazing) got me into them and I just have to say that their music and their videos have really helped me a lot lately. As most of you know, I'm in the middle of getting treated for severe anxiety and depression and to be honest, the boys just make me feel better.
I just loved reading their individual feelings on everything that's happened to them so far and I have to say that Harry's section was definitely my favourite (not only because he's my favourite band member) but also because I feel that his was the most truthful, emotional and influential. People say all this crap about him and who he's dating and whatever, but they fail to mention the huge heart he has and the incredible things he does for people all over the world without even telling his publicists or anything so you know he's just doing it out of the goodness of his heart. Ed Sheeran said that he spent a couple thousand dollars going around feeding and getting to know homeless people one day, and no one even knows about it.
I just love these boys and they have brought me so much joy in the past week that I've become a 1D fangirl and I think they're just great in every single way.
If you think you hate one direction, I definitely recommend getting a closer look into their music and their movie and stuff because you'll probably fall head over heels just like I did. Their movie 'This is Us' is absolutely HILARIOUS and is a fabulous insight into their down to earth personalities dealing with going on tour and also their 'Where We Are Tour Concert' because it is just freaking incredible and some of you may or may not know that they write the majority of their songs. What talent and what a fantastic book!
Chelsea: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
I just loved reading their individual feelings on everything that's happened to them so far and I have to say that Harry's section was definitely my favourite (not only because he's my favourite band member) but also because I feel that his was the most truthful, emotional and influential. People say all this crap about him and who he's dating and whatever, but they fail to mention the huge heart he has and the incredible things he does for people all over the world without even telling his publicists or anything so you know he's just doing it out of the goodness of his heart. Ed Sheeran said that he spent a couple thousand dollars going around feeding and getting to know homeless people one day, and no one even knows about it.
I just love these boys and they have brought me so much joy in the past week that I've become a 1D fangirl and I think they're just great in every single way.
If you think you hate one direction, I definitely recommend getting a closer look into their music and their movie and stuff because you'll probably fall head over heels just like I did. Their movie 'This is Us' is absolutely HILARIOUS and is a fabulous insight into their down to earth personalities dealing with going on tour and also their 'Where We Are Tour Concert' because it is just freaking incredible and some of you may or may not know that they write the majority of their songs. What talent and what a fantastic book!
Chelsea: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
September 25, 2014
Honestly, I can't believe I actually read this thing. I'm just super 1D af so I guess that's why.
But the book was kind of boring, and super repetitive. All the boys talked about the exact same "turning" points in their lives so after you're done with Niall and Liam you've pretty much read the entire thing.
It's kind of obvious that the book wasn't written by them, not really. I'm sure they collaborated in the process with their thoughts and words and stuff, but /honestly/. The excessive talk about the X Factor, the shameless plugs of big management names (Ooo yea Ben Winston's cool! ooo yea Richard Griffiths!!!)--it got old real fast and it just made me skeptic about the whole thing. Also, the fact that there were some pretty constructed phrases that made me kind of uncomfortable sucked. Like I remember there was this part in Niall's chapter where he talked about being present in social media and how close it made him to the fans, it annoyed me so much. I feel like this was just a stupid way to trick little fans into believing that the boys are in control of all their social media accounts and like yea!!! totally legit!!
The amazingly limited vocabulary was also super annoying. The book was full of words and phrases like "it was mad!", "great craic!" (in Niall's chapter), "gig", "lads". It quickly became annoying and I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over and over again. Especially because, like I said before, they talked about the same things in each chapter-- X factor, leaving home, how overwhelmed we all were, MSG, Olympics, Ghana--we're super conscious about our fame and want to give back y'all honestly-- Midnight Memories, how lucky we all are! how we appreciate the fans! 1D day! Stadium tour! whoo! We're all lucky lads! We get sad sometimes but we're all happy! Love One direction! We rock!
Zayn's part was super refreshing though. I loved how he talked about his mixed race background and got all deep and smart around the middle with his talk about social media and all. His was the only one that seemed very genuine and stuff.
Yeah. So. It was an ok book. Kinda felt like I wasted my time, but honestly, I didn't expect any different. Sorry boys. I never believe you in print.
But the book was kind of boring, and super repetitive. All the boys talked about the exact same "turning" points in their lives so after you're done with Niall and Liam you've pretty much read the entire thing.
It's kind of obvious that the book wasn't written by them, not really. I'm sure they collaborated in the process with their thoughts and words and stuff, but /honestly/. The excessive talk about the X Factor, the shameless plugs of big management names (Ooo yea Ben Winston's cool! ooo yea Richard Griffiths!!!)--it got old real fast and it just made me skeptic about the whole thing. Also, the fact that there were some pretty constructed phrases that made me kind of uncomfortable sucked. Like I remember there was this part in Niall's chapter where he talked about being present in social media and how close it made him to the fans, it annoyed me so much. I feel like this was just a stupid way to trick little fans into believing that the boys are in control of all their social media accounts and like yea!!! totally legit!!
The amazingly limited vocabulary was also super annoying. The book was full of words and phrases like "it was mad!", "great craic!" (in Niall's chapter), "gig", "lads". It quickly became annoying and I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over and over again. Especially because, like I said before, they talked about the same things in each chapter-- X factor, leaving home, how overwhelmed we all were, MSG, Olympics, Ghana--we're super conscious about our fame and want to give back y'all honestly-- Midnight Memories, how lucky we all are! how we appreciate the fans! 1D day! Stadium tour! whoo! We're all lucky lads! We get sad sometimes but we're all happy! Love One direction! We rock!
Zayn's part was super refreshing though. I loved how he talked about his mixed race background and got all deep and smart around the middle with his talk about social media and all. His was the only one that seemed very genuine and stuff.
Yeah. So. It was an ok book. Kinda felt like I wasted my time, but honestly, I didn't expect any different. Sorry boys. I never believe you in print.
May 12, 2015
Listened to the audiobook of this while I was rearranging my shelves and I REGRET NOTHING
November 12, 2014
So don't judge me, but whatever. I listened to the audiobook version of this because, hello, who wouldn't want their sweet English/Irish accents caressing your eardrums for 2 hours? Anyways, this was really interesting to listen to and get their take on things and listening to each one narrate their own chapter felt genuine, like they were telling you these stories and not reading it off a page at you. I do feel like you get a better grip on who they are personally and what their personalities are like, which is fun. All in all if you like One Direction then you'll enjoy this little book, and you should definitely get to the audiobook version.
July 23, 2019
Siempre quise este libro, finalmente lo conseguí y es increíble. Todo lo que podría haber deseado, perfecto para un fan de 1D. Es grande, lleno de fotos e información. Un gran libro para todos, no importa si eres fanático de una dirección o no. Tiene una gran visión de quiénes son. Imágenes de gran calidad, me hace sentir como si las estuviera mirando en la vida real y no en un libro. También aprendí sobre algunas culturas diferentes a lo largo del libro debido a lo mucho que viajan. Y los padres... los padres de estas súper estrellas en rápido ascenso dicen cosas impactantes que nos hacen pensar.
February 11, 2024
Y’all know I cried. So did my inner child. I MISS THEM
September 26, 2014
Confession time!
I'm 1D af and I loved this book. I listened to the audiobook, so hearing their voices made my heart melt.
I regret nothing.
I'm 1D af and I loved this book. I listened to the audiobook, so hearing their voices made my heart melt.
I regret nothing.
July 19, 2019
Enjoyed this one! Harry’s chapter bumped it up to a 5 star <3
March 17, 2025
I listened to the audiobook, which was kind of bittersweet, hearing the boys tell their stories and trying not to cry when I heard Liam's voice. I won't say this one went too in-depth, and it was definitely structured by management to make Simon and Co out to be more responsible and kind than we know they were, but I still enjoyed the book. Each member tells a bit about their experiences in the band, their X-Factor journey, tours, etc. I enjoyed Harry and Zayn's chapters the most, I think, as they felt more serious and genuine.
October 13, 2014
Not going to lie, I adore these boys. I can't help it. They are just pure fun and this book was pretty much that. This autobiography gives each boy a chance to share their story from the beginning leading all the way up to the start of their 2014 stadium tour. While parts were repetitive (they all talked about the same moments in their bands history), it was fun to see how each of them viewed what was happening to them.
I definitely learned some things about them that I didn't know and truthfully, it endeared them to me more. This book isn't for everyone though. I honestly wouldn't read it unless you were a fan.
I definitely learned some things about them that I didn't know and truthfully, it endeared them to me more. This book isn't for everyone though. I honestly wouldn't read it unless you were a fan.
October 22, 2024
read by the whole band 🥹
I listened to all of this while out walking my dog and then out running this morning, and it was so sweet to hear their voices and stories but also so very sad now and my heart hurts 💔
I listened to all of this while out walking my dog and then out running this morning, and it was so sweet to hear their voices and stories but also so very sad now and my heart hurts 💔
March 2, 2015
i found the stories of the boys intresting.
the way it's written it's almost like you're talking to them face to face.
recommened for both fans and non-fans.
the way it's written it's almost like you're talking to them face to face.
recommened for both fans and non-fans.
August 9, 2016
BAE. AF
November 3, 2024
once a one direction girlie, always a one direction girlie 🫶🏾
August 6, 2024
I mean dit was HEEL repetitive en niets wat ik nog niet wist, maar deze jongens hun stem horen in een vliegtuig heeft mijn angsten geminimaliseerd so that’s a win haha
December 21, 2014
Can you get ANY MORE humble than that?
That's not a rhetorical question - I am literally wondering if it is physically possible to compose a piece of more humble literature? I mean, Jesus f'n Christ of Nazareth couldn't write an autobiography at this level of humbleness. He'd try to be casual like "Sure I walk on water and rise from the dead, but it's a privilege to be crucified and have my back turned into minced meat for all you wonderful believers out there" and he'd still be One-upped by One Direction. Pun intended.
I don't mean it as a knock on them, but at the same time I wasn't overly fond of it either. I love pop music and pop culture as a whole - it fascinates me, but I consider myself more of a rock fan: I just find rock music and rockstars more genuine. And most rockstars aren't the kind of folk you'd find in a dictionary next to the definition of "humble". So, if a multi-platinum selling artist mentions that he sold "a few records" once - that's kind of cute, but if five multimillionaires write a book after what seems to be an overdose of humble-pie: it kind of becomes annoying at a certain point.
Still, the book wasn't a hack job, because if you know how to sift through the bullshit (luckily, 15 years of being a pro-wrestling fan helped me hone that skill), you can find a lot of real under all the thick lairs of humbleness. Here's the trick: just pay more attention to the parts that are immediately followed by "but it's still such a blessing to be a part of 1D" or "but it's such a small price to pay for this experience". The parts that precede these cliches, are the things that are actually bothering them. Like sacrificing parts of their personal life, their relationships being on public display or being homesick. They're still young adults that are trying to cope with a level of stardom that is unprecedented. Why? Because with the ever-growing rates of out interconnectedness via social media, superstars of tomorrow will experience a higher level of celebrity that the superstars of yesterday. Maybe for a shorter time and not as long lasting, but the madness will be above an beyond. Frank Sintatra didn't know what it was like to be Elvis Presley and Elvis couldn't imagine what it was like to be Michael Jackson.
Now, regarding the value of this book in terms of an Autobiography - the problem I had with it was, that even though there were some personal bio parts scattered here and there, basically, their lives are so intertwined that they were retelling the same story at a fraction of a different angle, because they lack a different perspective while traveling together. And midway through the book you just know the sequence of events: childhood; X Factor; album going Number 1; USA tour; London Olympics; MSG; Ghana Comic Relief; first movie; stadium tour. Not one of them missed a single link in this chain. I was almost getting a kick out of reading about MSG and going "...here comes Ghana and humbling poverty". Sure enough, the next sentence takes me to Africa.
All in all, the book was nice if even a non-Directioner such as I could enjoy it. It was very light on P.R. and wasn't aggressively pushing any agendas or product on you.
Since I enjoy a couple of their singles every year, I hope that there's no 20-year-old Yoko Ono with a "Band Wrecker" kit waiting for them around the corner.
That's not a rhetorical question - I am literally wondering if it is physically possible to compose a piece of more humble literature? I mean, Jesus f'n Christ of Nazareth couldn't write an autobiography at this level of humbleness. He'd try to be casual like "Sure I walk on water and rise from the dead, but it's a privilege to be crucified and have my back turned into minced meat for all you wonderful believers out there" and he'd still be One-upped by One Direction. Pun intended.
I don't mean it as a knock on them, but at the same time I wasn't overly fond of it either. I love pop music and pop culture as a whole - it fascinates me, but I consider myself more of a rock fan: I just find rock music and rockstars more genuine. And most rockstars aren't the kind of folk you'd find in a dictionary next to the definition of "humble". So, if a multi-platinum selling artist mentions that he sold "a few records" once - that's kind of cute, but if five multimillionaires write a book after what seems to be an overdose of humble-pie: it kind of becomes annoying at a certain point.
Still, the book wasn't a hack job, because if you know how to sift through the bullshit (luckily, 15 years of being a pro-wrestling fan helped me hone that skill), you can find a lot of real under all the thick lairs of humbleness. Here's the trick: just pay more attention to the parts that are immediately followed by "but it's still such a blessing to be a part of 1D" or "but it's such a small price to pay for this experience". The parts that precede these cliches, are the things that are actually bothering them. Like sacrificing parts of their personal life, their relationships being on public display or being homesick. They're still young adults that are trying to cope with a level of stardom that is unprecedented. Why? Because with the ever-growing rates of out interconnectedness via social media, superstars of tomorrow will experience a higher level of celebrity that the superstars of yesterday. Maybe for a shorter time and not as long lasting, but the madness will be above an beyond. Frank Sintatra didn't know what it was like to be Elvis Presley and Elvis couldn't imagine what it was like to be Michael Jackson.
Now, regarding the value of this book in terms of an Autobiography - the problem I had with it was, that even though there were some personal bio parts scattered here and there, basically, their lives are so intertwined that they were retelling the same story at a fraction of a different angle, because they lack a different perspective while traveling together. And midway through the book you just know the sequence of events: childhood; X Factor; album going Number 1; USA tour; London Olympics; MSG; Ghana Comic Relief; first movie; stadium tour. Not one of them missed a single link in this chain. I was almost getting a kick out of reading about MSG and going "...here comes Ghana and humbling poverty". Sure enough, the next sentence takes me to Africa.
All in all, the book was nice if even a non-Directioner such as I could enjoy it. It was very light on P.R. and wasn't aggressively pushing any agendas or product on you.
Since I enjoy a couple of their singles every year, I hope that there's no 20-year-old Yoko Ono with a "Band Wrecker" kit waiting for them around the corner.
October 10, 2016
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
I think I would have appreciated this better if I had read it and not listened to it on audiobook. Although it was nice to hear the boys tell their stories from a first-hand perspective, a lot of what was said was just repeated by each five boys.
You can tell that Zayn does not give one shit AT ALL. He sounded so bored and monotone and to be honest, I wanted to skip past his section all together because it didn't inspire me to keep listening. Even the funny bits he didn't even tell with any zest. I understand that he wasn't in a good place (hence why he decided to leave the band) and that definitely came through in his voice.
I think I would have appreciated this better if I had read it and not listened to it on audiobook. Although it was nice to hear the boys tell their stories from a first-hand perspective, a lot of what was said was just repeated by each five boys.
You can tell that Zayn does not give one shit AT ALL. He sounded so bored and monotone and to be honest, I wanted to skip past his section all together because it didn't inspire me to keep listening. Even the funny bits he didn't even tell with any zest. I understand that he wasn't in a good place (hence why he decided to leave the band) and that definitely came through in his voice.
April 23, 2015
This book was disappointing, except for Harry's part. Harry is never a disappointment.
February 20, 2016
This was a lovely book.
September 15, 2020
This rating is based purely on how much I enjoyed reading this, and NOT the book’s content.
September 6, 2021
One Direction helping me get out of my reading slump. I mean recording your own audio book is ICONIC behaviour. Harry's voice put me to sleep and I woke up to the audiobook done :) what a fun time. Literary genius. Izzy YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO THIS... I bet this was the inspiration for 101 facts about one direction and that was the best book I've read this year, maybe even ever. This is a close second though. The thirty minutes that I somewhat remember listening to was extraordinHARRY. Ok I think i'm done.
September 8, 2021
someone buy me a physical copy asap, this was amaZAYN, i had a brilLIAM reading experience like how can words express how phenomiNIAL this book- no MASTERPIECE- is. it's really fabuLOIS that these are just random british lads who have no clue what they were doing. my new favourite genre of books is one direction themed
March 28, 2020
Soy muy fan ❤️
October 25, 2014
Ok... so this shouldn't be called an autobiography because most of it was their experiences from the last 4 years and a little bit of their lives before and now but not as much as I would have liked (not so much their now personal lives cause I think they deserve to have that, but maybe a few more childhood stories would have been nice)...
I honestly would love to read this if they wrote it 10-15 years from now because even though I believe they were being honest, I'm sure there was a lot of honesty left out because of the fact that they're still in the thick of all of it... plus the fact that they are all barely in their 20's and even though they've experienced a lot, I imagine there is quite a bit more to come.
It was a bit repetitive... with all of them mentioning the xfactor, MSG, Olympics several times in the book... and that they all pretty much felt the same about it... but it was still nice to get their individual outlooks on certain things.
I can't give my boys less than 4 stars cause I just wouldn't feel right, and I did enjoy getting their perspectives, but it did get a little hard to read in the middle of each chapter...
Good job overall, loved this pictures :)
I honestly would love to read this if they wrote it 10-15 years from now because even though I believe they were being honest, I'm sure there was a lot of honesty left out because of the fact that they're still in the thick of all of it... plus the fact that they are all barely in their 20's and even though they've experienced a lot, I imagine there is quite a bit more to come.
It was a bit repetitive... with all of them mentioning the xfactor, MSG, Olympics several times in the book... and that they all pretty much felt the same about it... but it was still nice to get their individual outlooks on certain things.
I can't give my boys less than 4 stars cause I just wouldn't feel right, and I did enjoy getting their perspectives, but it did get a little hard to read in the middle of each chapter...
Good job overall, loved this pictures :)
March 12, 2018
One Direction, lads, I love you and all, but oof, that was kind of boring. The best part were the pictures of Harry, and the ebook copy I borrowed from the library had them all formatted awkwardly so they were all cut off and whatnot. So even that was a bummer.
In all seriousness though, I was hoping for a linear tale of the boys' career, something that followed them from X Factor to ... whatever point they were at in their career when they wrote this. But instead, it was a chapter from each guy, talking about the same moments in their career: getting mobbed at the airport for the first time, their first performance on the Today Show and first number one in the United States, performing at the closing ceremony of the Olympics in 2012, performing at Madison Square Garden, their trip to Ghana in aid of Comic Relief, life as a celebrity. It was just all the same stories repeated five times. I ended up skimming a fair amount.
On the plus side, this book got me watching YouTube videos of the Today Show and the Olympics, which in turn got me watching the Spice Girls reunion at the Olympics, which got me a little teary. Any excuse to watch Spice Girls is a-okay with me!
In all seriousness though, I was hoping for a linear tale of the boys' career, something that followed them from X Factor to ... whatever point they were at in their career when they wrote this. But instead, it was a chapter from each guy, talking about the same moments in their career: getting mobbed at the airport for the first time, their first performance on the Today Show and first number one in the United States, performing at the closing ceremony of the Olympics in 2012, performing at Madison Square Garden, their trip to Ghana in aid of Comic Relief, life as a celebrity. It was just all the same stories repeated five times. I ended up skimming a fair amount.
On the plus side, this book got me watching YouTube videos of the Today Show and the Olympics, which in turn got me watching the Spice Girls reunion at the Olympics, which got me a little teary. Any excuse to watch Spice Girls is a-okay with me!
May 14, 2016
Ok, this is definitely not my thing, lol. I made a deal with my neice...if I read a book she recommends to me, she'll read something I recommend to her. She read The Outsiders, which was one of my favorite books when I was younger (it still is!), so it was totally worth it! I am going to rate this book on what it was trying to do, not on how I feel about the group or music (although she made me listen to some, and they are talented kids, I admit, I'm just not a fan).
This book tells the story or the boys' first few years after the X-Factor. The book is broken up into 5 sections, with each boy telling their story and how they felt. It never felt repetitive, they are all different enough to just round out the full story. The book is filled with alot of pictures of the boys goofing around and performing. All in all, I think the book was entertaining and put together really well.
This book tells the story or the boys' first few years after the X-Factor. The book is broken up into 5 sections, with each boy telling their story and how they felt. It never felt repetitive, they are all different enough to just round out the full story. The book is filled with alot of pictures of the boys goofing around and performing. All in all, I think the book was entertaining and put together really well.
March 22, 2015
I enjoyed reading this book a lot. I've always liked this band but reading this book I was able to read how they truly felt and how they actually perceived different events. It's so cool to read their thoughts and I love that they wrote thus autobiography. It was interesting to learn so much more about them. You don't really have to be a huge fan of theirs to read this book because once you read it you will have this sort of respect for them. I really loved this book.
February 26, 2015
I've always been a casual fan of One Direction... Their new album is legitimately amazing. I've become so inspired looking back on their journey, seeing them all grow up and become so fabulous at what they do & staying so normal, grounded, & hilarious in the process. I'm encouraged to become a better artist and hope that if I was ever given an opportunity to do something awesome I would work as hard as these lads have to achieve their success.
December 10, 2024
had to pull this out of the archives. the book is clearly ghostwritten and based on interviews with the boys, but their personalities still come through on the page. my boys forever.
love u always liam ❤️
love u always liam ❤️
Displaying 1 - 30 of 352 reviews