The classic autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845) is a thoughtful telling of Douglass's life first as a slave and then as an abolitionist in America. Despite suffering extreme oppression and humiliation, he was determined to become educated so he could be a leader for his people. His recollections of his past are marked by keen observations and a striking ability to recognize hypocrisy and abuse of power.

Anne Frank's diary, published as The Diary of a Young Girl (1952), is often discussed in the context of Klemperer's diary. Frank was a teenage Jewish girl who went into hiding with her family and four other people in Amsterdam after the Nazis occupied Holland. It has become a classic in young adult nonfiction.

Thomas Keneally's moving novel Schindler's List (1993) is based on the true story of German industrialist Oskar Schindler...