Up Till Now

The Autobiography

By: William Shatner, David Fisher

Narrated by: William Shatner

Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

After almost 60 years as an actor, William Shatner has become one of the most beloved entertainers in the world. It seems that Shatner is everywhere. Winning an Emmy for his role on Boston Legal. Doing commercials for Priceline.com. In movie theaters. Singing with Ben Folds. He sits next to Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel, and he's practically a regular on Howard Stern's show. And he was recently elected to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame. In Up Till Now, Shatner offers listeners the remarkable, full story of his life and explains how he got to be, well, everywhere.

It was the original Star Trek series, and later its films, that made Shatner instantly recognizable and called by name (or at least by Captain Kirk's name) across the globe. But Shatner neither began nor has ended his career with that role. From the very start, he took his skills as an actor and put them to use wherever he could. He straddled the classic world of the theater and the new world of television, whether stepping in for Christopher Plummer in Shakespeare's Henry V or staring at "something on the wing" in a classic Twilight Zone episode. And since then, he's gone on to star in numerous successful shows, such as T. J. Hooker, Rescue 911, and most recently Boston Legal.

William Shatner has always been willing to take risks for his art. Who else would share the screen with thousands of tarantulas, release an album called Has Been, or film a racially incendiary film in the Deep South during the height of the civil-rights era? And who else would willingly paramotor into a field of waiting fans armed with paintball guns, all waiting for a chance to stun Captain...er, Shatner?

In this touching and very funny autobiography, William Shatner reveals the man behind these unforgettable moments, and explains how he's become the worldwide star and experienced actor he is today.

©2008 William Shatner (P)2008 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"It is now Bill Shatner's universe - we just live in it." ( New York Daily News)

Loved it!

I was not a big fan of William Shatner from even way back when Star Trek was first on tv in the 60s.... but after watching Boston Legal and reading this book, hes great! Love his sense of humor through the whole book right from the start. I had read the book and liked it so much I bought the audio book so my husband, who always liked Shatner, could enjoy it with me.. I suggest this book to everyone, they will love it!

Up Until Now

Shatner is egotistical and self centered in this biography which is more like a week in a confessional than a book that exposes anytrhing new. Despite all that I got to understand his thin personality.

He plays himself as Denny Crane!

Gotta love Shatner!

Shatner is at his best. He is a great storyteller. It was like sitting out on the balcony and just enjoying some memories and stories with an old friend. I found it to be hilarious, entertaining, and moving. He has a really great way of looking at life. I did however find the audio quality lacking.

Not about Capt. James T. Kirk but a great book

I am a William Shatner fan, so I loved the book. Star Trek plays a small part in his biography but a big part in his life. I liked the honest look at his struggles and the joys he has found along the way. His work ethic alone is worth reading about. Thanks Mr. Shatner for giving us a detailed look into your life, both the triumphs and tragedies.

Very interesting Bio.

Maybe I'm biased because I'm a fan. But none the less, I thought it was great. I learned a lot of intesting facts about his life. This is a must read for any fan of Bill Shatner.

Fun, As It Was Intended

The ONLY way to enjoy this book is to have it read by Shatner himself. His ego is as big as his willingness to make fun of it. And that's the takeaway I imagine he intended. This is the fascinating fun of an interesting life as told by the interesting man who's living it...having fun with an ego that's earned it's size. What's most fascinating is how one man could take himself so seriously while simultaneously NOT taking himself too seriously...you're left not really sure which Shatner is real, except to assume that was also an intended takeaway of this book.

As Funny and Entertaining as You'd Expect

Also pretty honest, Shatner hides little including the people who didn't like him and why. It's not deep but there's a lot of meat, including a lot of detail about the making of the shows and movies we love. If you liked the character he played in Boston Legal, you'll enjoy this book.

Up Till Now

Loved the book only problem is William Shatner speeks very low at times making it hard to adjust the volume.

Audio not the greatest

While I love William Shatner and looked forward to listening to his rendition, I find that the audio is so poor that I can not hear half of what he says. We almost entirely listen to our books while traveling in the car and I find the author speaks much to rapidly and varies the volume of his speech to the extent that we cannot overcome the road noise and still enjoy the listen. I would like my money back for this book.

Great

Great