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| Up Till Now | 
 enlarge | Author: William Shatner
Publisher: Macmillan Digital Audio
Category: Book
List Price: £16.99
Buy New: £3.50
You Save: £13.49 (79%)
New (19) from £3.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 142733
Format: Audiobook
Media: Audio CD
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 5.7 x 4.7 x 1
ISBN: 0230700055
EAN: 9780230700055
ASIN: 0230700055
Publication Date: May 16, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: brand new copy with shelf damage, factory sealed but case cracked, price reflects, next working day posting
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| Customer Reviews:
 An enterprising man August 23, 2008
I Like Bill Shatner. There is just a likable quality about this old stager that you have to admire, a refusal to fade away & a willingness to do whatever it takes to keep going.
To call this an autobiography is perhaps a little generous. Whether, as a previous reviewer noted, Shatner really has forgotten what is real & what isn't, or whether as I suspect he is a crafty old stager who knows when & how to play it daft, the fact is that you will learn only what he wants you to & in the end you know more only about the actor not the man.
Nevertheless to bemoan this is to miss the point. Shatner wants to entertain & he does so by the bucket load here. A very funny man who has a sharp eye out for irony & a very personable way of relating his stories. From the outset, where he hops from one opening idea to another, he rambles from one anecdote to the next & often moves on before a story or quote is complete. He roughly follows things in chronological order but freely wheels through his career as he see's fit. There are a huge amount of anecdotes here that will make you laugh & a lot most will not know.
Star trek is mentioned of course but it doesn't dominate, he has done far too much else to dwell too long on any one of his projects too long.
A nice point is his lack of rancour, either with others, fans or 'the business'. He comes across as generally satisfied. Honesty too is shown in painful memories & moments that perhaps do not show him in the best light.
In the end this is more like an after dinner speech from a raconteur than a revealing conversation with a star.
Shatner is a professional at what he does & although at times you find yourself wishing the gloss was a little less polished & the barriers lowered it is understandable that he would want to keep some distance & treat this 'biog as yet another job.
This is a funny & enjoyable reading, he is relaxed , personable & witty. The scatalogical style may not suit everyone but I enjoyed this very much and will certainly be listening to it again.
 Honestly, this is Bill Shatner at his very best August 11, 2008
William Shatner delivers the full chronology of his extensive body of work, his intricate relationships with his fellow actors and some of the most tender and precious moments from his life, including the tragic death of his wife.
The book is narrated by William Shatner and abridged over 5 CD's with a total listening time of about 5 hours. I first listed to it in the car driving to and from the office but have since loaded it on my IPOD.
If you're already a fan of William or just getting to know him I would recommend you listen to some of his music CD's to fully appreciate the talents of this incredible man.
1. Leonard Nimoy / William Shatner - Spaced Out
2. William Shatner (with Ben Folds 5) - Has Been
In my opinion, this is one of the books you must read / listen to before you die and I regret that I'll *probably* never get the chance to meet William Shatner.
Shatner Plays It "Lite" . . . with Tongue in Cheek and a Wink June 12, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Up Till Now will appeal to Shatner fans and those who are thinking about acting careers. He provides a "lite" look at what it was like where even the tearful moments are mostly played for laughs.
William Shatner and David Fisher provide lots of entertaining fare that manages to explain his roles and attitude toward life. Being an actor brings an appreciation for irony: An ordinary role may create stardom while a great role may lead to a cancellation. Mr. Shatner's long and successful career has taught him to appreciate simply being able to work and save a little money. He also humbly understands that building and maintaining a marriage while acting is even more difficult, an area where he has not excelled.
The book contains lots of humorous details that were hidden to the camera at the time and the writing sparkles with bon mots like: "This was a series that spared every expense." "Call me 'Lost my life savings in uranium' Shatner. But don't call me collect!" "Where divorce is concerned, it takes two to tangle."
The writing also simulates a conversation in which Shatner continually changes the subject just as you get the juicy part, such as interrupting a story about performing nude with Angie Dickinson with another story about learning how horses can help physically and emotionally handicapped kids. I assume this is Shatner's personal style.
There's also a lot of peek-a-boo in the book, where an allusion is made to some secret that reveals much of the secret without getting into the whole detail such as in the book's final question (I won't say what it is, that would be a spoiler).
Star Trek fans may be a little disappointed that the book doesn't revolve around the series and movies. But most of Shatner's career involved non-Enterprise appearances.
The book kept me laughing throughout. Unlike most books where I race through the book, the entertainment value in this one kept me reading closely.
Why didn't I rate the book a little higher? Shatner was so coy for so long that I didn't feel like he was playing consistently fair with me. Perhaps he doesn't know any more what his own feelings are compared to what he knows will entertain.
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