About the Author

As well as playing Captain Kirk in the Star Trek tv series and in seven spin-off films, William Shatner also starred in the popular series T.J. Hooker and recently won an Emmy and Golden Globe for his role in Boston Legal. In addition to his prolific career as an actor, he has worked as a musician, author, producer and director.

Reviews

"Shatner's sincerity, honesty, and heightened sense of humor all come across at warp speed in this entertaining memoir." --"Publishers Weekly" "Shatner makes you feel like he's sitting out on the balcony with you, sharing a cigar and waxing nostalgic." --"The Oregonian" "That rare celebrity autobiography that's as entertaining as it is self-revealing, a genuinely fun read." --"The "Dallas"" Morning News
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"It is now Bill Shatner's universe--we just live in it." --New York "Daily News"

Working with various collaborators, Shatner has previously written science fiction (the TekWar series) and science fact (I'm Working on That), and ventured into memoir with Star Trek Memories. Embarking on a full-scale autobiography, he begins with his Montreal childhood doing children's theater, then covers comedies with the Canadian National Repertory Theatre, lead roles with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and live TV in New York City in 1956: "I became one of the busiest actors in the city." At that point Shatner opens a Pandora's box of self-deprecating humor and fascinating anecdotes about the hilarious goofs, on-camera accidents and stage fright during the live TV era. Obsessed with work, Shatner took any job that came his way, from dog shows to reality TV. Some of his tales are quite funny, such as doing an entire feature film, Incubus (1965), in Esperanto: "No one understood their lines." Covering his multiple careers of acting, writing and directing, he never pulls his punches, describing humiliations as well as triumphs. Shatner's sincerity, honesty and heightened sense of humor all come across at warp speed in this entertaining memoir. (May 13) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

Adult/High School-Today's teens may know Shatner from his role as Denny Crane in Boston Legal, or as the pitchman for Priceline.com, or as a character in several Brad Paisley music videos. They are probably also aware of his enduring role as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek television show and movies. In this autobiography, he takes a somewhat tongue-in-cheek look at his long acting career, starting with performing in the Montreal Children's Theatre, moving on to the Canadian Rep, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and, ultimately, just about every television drama that was on the air in the 1950s. Over the years, he clearly learned to laugh at himself, which makes this book an entertaining read as he talks about his career, his four wives, three daughters, horses, love of risk-taking, eternal quest for financial security, and lots of people, famous and otherwise, whom he met along the way. Although the narrative is roughly chronological, Shatner never hesitates to stop in the middle of one story to tell another, or to refer to something that happened much later. There is some repetition-he clearly has favorite stories-but his lighthearted approach makes readers willing to be indulgent of his vagaries and excesses.-Sarah Flowers, Santa Clara County Library, CA Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.