Customer Reviews

Back to the Batcave

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If you follow my reviews, you know that I like Batman on a whole which probably makes me biased. Now to be sure, this book is probably not for you if you aren't a fan of the old 60s series. Well, that said, the book is absolutely phenomenal. I apologize for the cliche, but I 'just couldn't put it down.' The book is nicely divided into several chapters, and Adam talks about the different aspects of his life. A little bit on his childhood, some of his work before Batman, a moment in his life that foreshadowed his role as Batman, and elements of his domestic life. One thing you will notice in this book is that West is NOT uptight and stiff like his most famous character. He writes very flowingly and at times he touches us closely with his experiences. Some things have a comical aspect. (Like how the mask compromised his vision, so he had to get familiar with the set to avoid tripping.) He also explains that to do a character convincingly, the actor has to understand and know who he is portraying; another amusing thing was he reveals that one of the reasons he often made exaggerated gestures was to compensate for the fact that for obvious reasons, facial expressions were not so much an option for him. He also gives a generous amount of time to the other cast members. (Another thing that shows Adam's abilites as a writer is that while he will admit that his favorite villains were Newmar as Catwoman and Gorshin as the Riddler, he explains why the Joker (Romero) and the Penguin (Meredith) held the most popular villain spots. The only guest star he really knocks is Otto Preminger as Mr. Freeze. He also talks a little about the equipment like the Batmobile. (It wasn't so easy to drive.) Another thing that shows his ability to write well is that while he liked Yvonne Craig as a person, he explains (without knocking her) that he was not overly delighted at the presence of her character. Some other significant chapters focus on his personal life. (How his domestic life was affected for the worse, how being famous came with some negative elements, and how he was affected when Batman was cancelled.) There is a deep sadness in how his life was brought to a sudden detour when this happened, and how he realized that being Batman gave him some years of fame but made it difficult to find work afterwards. To be sure, he did some work in movies and telvision, but nothing really gave him the popularity of the batdays. He later tells about an experience where he had to become Batman for real one day when on a vacation, someone attacked a girl with a machete. All in all, this is an absolute MUST for fans of the 60s Batman series. Perhaps one of the greatest chapters is where he explains why he was hurt at not being asked to do Batman in the Burton movies. (And it wasn't just jealousy.) He had some really understandable reasons for being angered and hurt. (I did notice one glitch. He said he voiced a 'villain' Grey Ghost in the animated series.) Well, the Grey Ghost was not a villain. He was the childhood hero of Kevin Conroy's Batman, and on top of that Adam West's Grey Ghost helped Kevin Conroy's Batman stop the villain in that episode. A final passage that ties the book together is that even though playing Batman came with a price, he accepted that everything comes with good and bad, and that when he thinks of the good, he didn't regret it at all. This is NOT AT ALL the work of someone looking for a few dollars. This is a book full of interesting experiences, and written with honest heart felt emotions. Sometimes they are comical, sad, or objective. Good luck trying to put this book down once you pick it up. If you enjoy this book, be sure to get the dvd "Return to the Batcave." Many of the events in this book will be seen in that recent movie.

First, let me start off by saying that if you go to Mr. West's website, "www.adamwest.com"; you can get a personally autographed copy of his book. I think this is an absolutely great treasure to give to any "Batman" fan.

Second, my opinion of his tome. Simply stated, it's a fun ride back to your childhood. It gave me the scoop on everything and anything that was "bat-ified" because of that show. The only thing I wished was that there were more stories, even if little ones.

It was like a peek over the shoulder of one of my heroes from my youth. The difference now is that I can appreciate the reality of what went on outside the fantasy of Batman; what Mr. West sacrificed for the character. If you have the chance to see him in any other role, you would then understand "what could have been" in his career, though I think that he was born to be "The Caped Crusader".

What a look into the 60's and what was happening! Some of it delicious, and other parts, sobering. It seems that fame and fortune truly do have a price, but dealing with its effects is what made Mr. West a real man. He does this by being humble, quite honest, and quite funny, depending what part of his on-screen/off-screen life you're reading.

Some of his tales are pleasantly quirky, and others, detailed enough to feel like you were there; you remember an episode he speaks of, then you begin to think about what went on while he was filming it (the cast, the guests, etc.). Pure reading pleasure. Even the story surrounding the movie was wonderful.

I feel that he respected the reader enough, as well as himself, to describe the events of his life before, during, and after "Batman" by giving you insight that spins the yarn of all that was good and not-so-good, without having to give some of the harsh details. I make great mention of this because his co-star, Burt Ward, wrote his own version of life during "Batman" and if you have any morals or sense of respect for yourself or the show, DO NOT waste your time with his book. Mr. West was most gracious in his storytelling, and he deserves all your attention.

Get the book because "we haven't one moment to lose!".

Amazing how his career suddenly took off again after making a fool of himself back in 1989 on a nationally syndicated news interview show by crying and whining that Tim Burton never asked him to reprise his role as Batman. Alot of people felt sorry for him and all of a sudden he started appearing in guest spots on tv shows. The publicity stunt obviously paid off and there's no mention of this revival in his book. In fact he admitted that if he was asked to be in the movie he would've turned it down. What a bunch of baloney.

Another item that slightly ticked me off was that he mentioned he was in the recent Batman the animated series playing a "villian" called the Grey Ghost. He must think the majority of us readers who followed the Batmania trend closely are really stupid. The Grey Ghost mirrored West's life, a fact he may never want to admit.

I have to admit his book was far more digestable than Burt Ward's book. With the exception of Rudy Valley and Otto Preminger he never bad-mouthed anybody. Especially Burt Ward. He mentioned the ego wars between them but thankfully it was resolved peacefully and within a short period of time. Adam West ought to be commended for his maturity and insightfulness. It's a shame Burt Ward chose to run over his mentor for the sake of selling a book. I wouldn't blame Adam if he never spoke to Ward again.

Those of us who were kids growing up during the first Batman "craze" in 1966 are happy that Adam West has decided to take his cowl off and speak. West's loyalty and devotion to the character despite justified reservations about how it might have typecast him and limited opportunities elsewhere is heartening as is his affirmation that he would do it all over again if given the choice. Though West knew that he was doing comedy (it is a revelation that Neil Hamilton, who played Commissioner Gordon on the show, never realized this), he actually appears to have taken his character TOO seriously. His discussions of the TV character and of the TV episodes, particularly as these relate to the Batman comic strips are very thoughtful and analytical. I especially loved his treatment of the issue of "camp". Typical of much of what comes from Hollywood, the book also suffers from a surfeit of political correctness. "Conservatives" were obsessed with the possibility that Batman and Robin were gay? While West rightly recognizes that the show had lost its energy in its third and last season, his vocabulary won't allow him to discover why. He says only that he didn't mind sharing the spotlight with Yvonne Craig's Batgirl, but the lack of an additional superhero was not why the show was losing its steam... I also would have liked to learn more about the supporting cast, but the book is short on insight there too, though Hamilton's unshakable belief that he was doing serious drama is amusing. His character HAD to be played on the level in order for the humor to work, and his notion that he was doing serious drama is no doubt why he did it so well. West explains that he was too busy to socialize to know the other participants very well. There's only one well-known person that West "slams" in the book, and I will leave it to the reader to find out who that was. There are also some good "on the set" war stories and some fascinating descriptions on the devotion that went into making the show, including the special effects and the world-famous Batcave. The subject matter and West's devotion to it prevail to make this an overall worthwhile book, especially to those of us who witnessed the Creation from TV land.

I can't believe Adam West turned down a chance to be 007! But I believe his life story, BACK TO THE BATCAVE--it's terrific! And Adam West probably would have made a good Bond, just as he made a great Batman. I love the way he describes how he developed the character, and made him into the World's Greatest Detective. And I don't think I've ever read a biography that was as candid about a man's career and personal life as this one is. Adam West tells all kinds of behind the scenes stories about most stars, costars, guest stars,and I've never seen a book that goes into as many details about people I wasn't expecting to hear about as this one does, like when Adam West mentions Guy Williams and how he overcame typecasting--"I've been sleeping with the robot's daughter!" And even though there's a certain sadness to this book because of how West got typecast after BATMAN, but BACK TO THE BATCAVE is still a book I love to own! Write another, Adam West!

Chari Krishnan Tango2200@Hotmail.Com

I remember watching Batman when it originally came on TV in the late 60's. I loved everything about it: the fight scenes, the gadgets, the Bat Cave, the little 'pearls of wisdom' scattered throughout the shows. In particular, I was a big fan of Batman. When I read this book, it was a pleasant surprise to see that the actor who played Batman seemed to have a personality similar to the character he played. I enjoyed reading about Adam West's life before the show, the many exciting, stressful, fun, and memorable things that happened during the show, and Adam's life after the show ended. The only thing that disappointed me was how quickly the last chapter ended. It would down rather quickly, without going in to a lot of details about the past few years. However, I reckon that is ok, because the book is titled 'Back to the Batcave'. Also, a few more photos would have been nice.

Bottom line: I really enjoyed this book. It is a must for any fan of the original Batman TV show.

West shows us here how he became the comic book super hero for the ABC series which aired in 1966! Its all here the shows the casts and directors and each series plot. I think West was a great actor acting the part.

It is enjoyable for me to read the story of my childhood hero. I watched the reruns of the show during the 1970's. Adam gives us a behind the scenes look of Batman, info about the guest villians, and how playing Batman has affected him. This like Burt Ward's book and Yvonne Craig's are a must for batfans & the batmania collector.

I first bought this book and read it and had to re-read it all over again!

If your a fan of the Batman TV show as I am you will enjoy this book by the only Batman that matters, Adam West. I have waited 20 years for this book and really enjoyed reading all about the show, from casting to cancellation. West talks about his life, co-stars, costumes, and the extraordinary bat-vehicles. As nice as this book is it does have a disappointing aspect, there are only B/W photos and they are used more than once. This book however, is a must for ALL bat fans. Also, check out the release of the 1966 movie on video. It's the best bat-film by far!!!