This is the story of William Shatner's half-century career and private life. The audio will take readers from the streets of Montreal to regional theatre, where Shatner was once called upon to replace Christopher Plummer as Henry V— in a role he had never rehearsed, with actors he had never met. It will describe his early TV work and movies, among them Roger Corman's The Intruder, a movie about racism filmed in the south in 1961; Kingdom of the Spiders, in which he costarred with 30,000 tarantulas; and Incubus, the only film ever made in the language of Esperanto. It will include his private life, including the complete story of the drowning death of his third wife. It will include stories from three other series, T.J. Hooker, Rescue 911—which saved more than 240 lives—and Boston Legal, as well as his work on Third Rock from the Sun, for which he won his first Emmy for playing "the Big Giant Head." And of course, it will include the story of Star Trek; how it came about and how it affected him—and fans—concluding with the story of a taxi driver who told Shatner he'd been a prisoner in Vietnam and that pretending they were the Star Trek crew kept him and his fellow inmates sane. And yes, it will include his singing and commercials and quiz show hosting and award show hosting and the greatest practical joke ever played, Invasion, Iowa, not to mention the story about Shatner being invited into a cage with Koko the Gorilla—who wanted to take him back to her bedcage. After almost 60 years, William Shatner has become one of our most beloved entertainers. And as evidenced by Comedy Central's roast, "The Shat Hits the Fan," Shatner gets the joke. For the first time, William Shatner shares with listeners the remarkable, full story of his life.
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"Now this is a book that is just meant for the audio version--with the Shat Man reading, of course. I only know William Shatner from the Start Trek days, but he does exude charm and a sense that he is making fun of himself, and I wanted to know if he was as arrogant as he has been accused of being. Answer: Possibly yes, but he still exudes the charm. And what a voice. Also, he has had a lot of different types of acting gigs that I knew nothing about."
— Nancy (4 out of 5 stars)
Listeners will enjoy Shatner's quirky speaking pattern…At other times, Shatner almost whispers into the microphone, creating an intimate connection between himself and the listener.
— Publishers Weekly" I truly enjoyed this book. I read it just before I read Nimoy's and loved both for different reasons. Up Till Now is hilarious and entertaining and eye opening. I also wonder, at times, whether or not it is totally true. I don't have that doubt with Nimoy's book. But both are great reads. "
— Danielfschafer, 2/19/2014" This is a great book!! It is honest, funny, and endearing. William Shatner shares not only his life story, but a nice summary of the evolution of acting from stage work and live TV to recorded TV and contemporary, uber-controlled movies. His stories are sometimes all over the place, but in a fun, conversational way. The audiobook with him narrating is especially nice. "
— Stacey, 2/17/2014" Fun, quick read. Shatner life is interesting and funny. "
— Terry, 2/9/2014" I love Shatner, what can I say? "
— Eric, 2/8/2014" I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to. He has a great sense of humor about himself, but I think it took him a while to get there. "
— Theresa, 2/2/2014" The beginning is a bit exasperating, but past that it's hilarious and at times touching. "
— Heather, 1/27/2014" Reads just as Shatner speaks...entertaining! "
— Dayle, 1/23/2014" I love these types of books. I remember William Shatner from his narrating on RESCUE 911. I had no idea he played in other shows and movies I liked. Amazing what you learn about your favorites! "
— Mandy, 1/16/2014" I really liked this. Bill seems to really open up. Of course, he's going to put his own spin on his own life, and you either like him or you don't. Either way, this is extreme Shatner, especially if you listen to the audio edition. "
— Bill, 1/14/2014" I just love William Shatner, and not because of his work on Star Trek. He's insightful, thoughtful, and provides honest discourse about his acting career and relationships. "
— Melanie, 1/9/2014" Shatner's an interesting character, and he writes with the same self-deprecating wit that have made his Priceline.com commercials, his albms, and his portrayal of Denny Crane so popular. "
— Erik, 12/22/2013William Shatner, an acclaimed actor, musician, recording artist, author, and film director, is best known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the highly successful Star Trek television series. He has also starred in the television series T. J. Hooker and as Denny Crane in the hit television series Boston Legal, a role for which he has won two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.He is also the author of numerous Star Trek novels, memoirs, and nonfiction books.He is actively involved in charitable activities for the Juvenile Justice Connection Project, Tourette’s Syndrome, the California Endangered Species Campaign, and Toys for Tots, and he also speaks at Star Trek conventions nationwide. He made his film debut in the 1957 production of The Brothers Karamazov, followed by Judgment at Nuremberg, The Intruder, and other films. During the early 1960s he had guest roles in many of the top television shows.
David Fisher is the award-winning author of almost one hundred books, including twenty-six New York Times bestsellers. He has written works of nonfiction, fiction, reference, and humor and collaborated with legendary figures in a variety of fields, from Hall of Fame athletes to Nobel Prize–winning scientists. He lives in New York with his wife, Laura.