Up Till Now and over 360,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle � Amazon�s new wireless reading device. Learn more

Quantity:

More Buying Choices

141 used & new from $0.12

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Express Checkout with PayPhrase

What's this? | Create PayPhrase

Share with Friends

Share your own customer images

Search inside this book

Start reading Up Till Now on your Kindle in under a minute. Don�t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.

Up Till Now: The Autobiography (Hardcover)

~ (Author), David Fisher (Author)
Key Phrases: charity horse show, Star Trek, Denny Crane, New York (more...)

4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (75 customer reviews)

List Price:	$25.95
Price:	$17.13 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save:	$8.82 (34%)
	o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 3 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Thursday, November 12? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

48 new from $2.47 90 used from $0.12 3 collectible from $22.49

Also Available in:	List Price:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Kindle Edition (Kindle Book) Kindle Edition (Kindle Book) $8.95 Available for download now. Published May 19, 2008		$8.95
Hardcover (Bargain Price) Hardcover (Bargain Price) $10.38 In Stock. Published May 13, 2008	$25.95	$10.38	21 used & new from $3.05
Paperback Paperback $8.95 In Stock. Published April 28, 2009	$15.95	$8.95	67 used & new from $3.99
Audio CD (Abridged,Audiobook,CD) Audio CD (Abridged, Audiobook, CD) $19.77 In Stock. Published May 13, 2008	$29.95	$19.77	41 used & new from $5.80
Hardcover (Large Print) Hardcover (Large Print) $17.87 In Stock. Published August 6, 2008	$31.95	$17.87	21 used & new from $15.52

Frequently Bought Together

Price For All Three: $45.53

Show availability and shipping details

This item: Up Till Now: The Autobiography by William Shatner
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Star Trek Memories by William Shatner
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
I Am Spock by Leonard Nimoy
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Captain Kirk's Guide to Women (Star Trek)

by John Bones Rodriguez

3.9 out of 5 stars (20) $12.60

Get a Life! (Star Trek)

by William Shatner

4.5 out of 5 stars (51) $16.32

I Am Spock

by Leonard Nimoy

4.4 out of 5 stars (56) $18.21

From Sawdust to Stardust: The Biography of DeForest Kelley, Star Trek's Dr. McCoy

by Terry Lee Rioux

3.8 out of 5 stars (27) $10.08

Star Trek Movie Memories

by William Shatner

3.7 out of 5 stars (18)

› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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 © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

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 © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; 1 edition (May 13, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312372655
ISBN-13: 978-0312372651
Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (75 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #231,638 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's William Shatner Page

Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
charity horse show

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Star Trek, Denny Crane, New York, Captain Kirk, Los Angeles, Alan Shore, Boston Legal, Roger Corman, Leonard Nimoy, The Transformed Man, Jim Kirk, Big Giant Head, France Nuyen, Author's Collection, The Defenders, United States, Marianne Williamson, Captain James, Gene Roddenberry, Bill Shatner, World War, John Lithgow, Leslie Stevens, The Practice, Spencer Tracy

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	92% buy the item featured on this page: Up Till Now: The Autobiography 4.4 out of 5 stars (75) $17.13
	3% buy Star Trek Memories 4.1 out of 5 stars (27) $10.19
	2% buy Get a Life! (Star Trek) 4.5 out of 5 stars (51) $16.32
	2% buy I Am Spock 4.4 out of 5 stars (56) $18.21

Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

star trek(17)

william shatner(17)

shatner(10)

autobiography(7)

boston legal(7)

memoir(4)

denny crane(3)

humor(3)

entertainers(2)

captain kirk(1)

check it out(1)

See all 23 tags...

Customer Reviews

75 Reviews

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (75 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

119 of 125 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shatner's Log: Stardate 9529.1, May 14, 2008

By	Barry Pearl (E Northport, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a very enjoyable book, easy and fun to read and at times, I laughed out loud. There are also moments of great sadness. It is flawed only by Mr. Shatner's own interruptions that often destroy the flow of a good story.

The book traces Mr. Shatner's career in show business and the path to "make him a star." It is not an easy path. Even after getting several breaks, Mr. Shatner turns down a $500 a week, five-year contract with MGM and the role that Robert Reed got on the Defenders. He had hoped for something bigger and was always waiting for it.

Of course, it came with Star Trek, although it was a bit hard to realize at the time. One of the most interesting parts of the book is his insight and behind the scenes information on Leonard Nimoy. More than learning about their differences in the beginning, and later friendship, we discover the event that strained the relationship between Mr. Nimoy and Gene Roddenberry. We learn about Leonard Nimoy's alcoholism and how he struggled with it. This becomes even more important when we learn about Mr. Shatner third wife and her struggle with the same disease.

The book does not shy away for the animosity that many of the Star Trek regulars had towards him, why they did and how he addressed it. It also doesn't hide the fact of his long struggle to make money and keep it for him and his family. Star Trek does not at all monopolize the book but it is certainly always in the background as it will as be in his. It was refreshing to read his take on why the first ST movie was not a great one and how the company really messed up his attempt to direct ST 5. It was not what I had thought.

There are some very funny, and insightful, stage moments, some with Yul Brenner, Frances Nuyen, and my favorite, laugh out loud moment, when he was on stage with Walter Mathieu. As with any good biography, it gives you an insight not just of the man, but also of the profession.

We also learn about the struggles and the bad times. His first two marriages end in divorce and he blames himself, but he does not go into detail, he does not say anything really damaging about those wives. The story of his third wife, an alcoholic is just overwhelming sad, especially, of course at the end. It was very interesting to see a "celebrity's" view of an intruding press at this kind of sad event. . We also learn about the loss of his father. His love for his daughters is always there and we learn how he became enthralled with horses. His meeting with Chris Reeve, after the accidents, was compelling.

Shatner finds humor everywhere, even in the most tragic places and that helps us get through the book. I had difficulty with two items. He interrupts the book, in the beginning, in mid sentence and gives, what I thought was a comic take on commercials, using his own website. However, he doesn't know when to stop. He does it throughout the book and just when you are getting interested in a topic, he "goes to commercial." Boy, did it stop being funny fast. In addition, in listing the licensing items for Star Trek, he not only goes on FOR PAGES, just listing items, but as if it was a commercial interrupts with that too. He also had trouble starting the book, for the first few pages, he tells you how he will not start the book. Well, then,he is actually starting it then, the way he doesn't want to.

Finally, it is only about 350 pages so you cannot go into great depth on everything. However, there are very interesting stories on TJ Hooker and the cast and Boston legal and its cast. We even get background on 911, Third Planet and Tek war. We learn about the man and why he needs to work so much and so often.

Let me leave on a humorous note. Shatner is driving to an outdoor site, to film part of a Start Trek movie at 4:30 in the morning, wearing his Captain's uniform . Speeding, he is stopped by a cop who asks, "Where are you going?"
"To my spaceship" said Shatner.
"OK, Go ahead. Oh, and live long and prosper."

He has.

Comment Comments (4) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One heck of a life, June 1, 2008

By	Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

I really have little interest in celebrity biographies. I had little interest in William Shatner, save for his hilarious sendup in a Brad Paisley music video. But I saw this voume and figured it was worth skimming at least.

Actually it is extremely interesting. I am presuming Shatner's co-author had a lot to do with the style, but it is Shatner as a person that shines through.

It's a surprisingly good book about an actor's life, how so very much of that kind of life is dependent entirely upon random fortune, luck - good and bad. Shatner had been a working actor for years, essentially steadily employed, but not famous. Captain Kirk was his breakout role - and in that he freely admits to being a second fiddle, especially in the beginning, to Leonard Nimoy's Mr. Spock character.

Kirk gave Shatner more freedom than ever to be Shatner, a man open to experiment, taking serious roles as well as spoofing himself and everything in between. Since I am not actually a Shatner fan, I was really surprised at just how much work Shatner has done.

There are many memorable scenes and highlights in this book. One that really sticks in my memory is Shatner's explanations for why he works so much, aside from the need to satisfy his creative urges. The first stemmed from a tour of the late Edward G. Robinson's renowned gallery of French Impressionists. This was at a time when "real" actors did not lower themselves to doing television commercials. In a discussion about actors and commercials, Robinson waves his hand at his very valuable and very expensive collection of paintings and asks Shatner how he thought Robinson could afford them. Point well made.

The other anecdote is an explanation of why Shatner rarely turns down work: every job opens a door to new opportunities, explains Shatner. What a great philosophy.

There are many, many asides, seques and detours in this book, which frankly adds to its character. It is a collection of tips to aspiring actors. It is a journal of the remembrances of a man who has seen good times and bad. The story of his third wife's alcoholism and her accidental death is dad. Likewise, the recounting of Leonard Nimoy's alcoholism came as a surprise to me. There are snippets of the proud father talking about and to his four daughters. Bits and pieces of his four marriages make their way into the narrative.

By the last page, you have a pretty good feel for the man who is William Shatner. He's a guy who has had some lucky breaks and, more importantly, never stopped trying to expand his horizons, never stopped giving vent to urge to create. All in all, he comes across as an interesting, talented guy who is at ease with himself.

Good reading, even if you are not a Shatner fan.

Jerry

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

53 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worthwhile and Substantive, but Somewhat Uneven, May 20, 2008

By	The Weary Professor (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

I just finished reading Up Till Now and feel inclined to comment. I enjoyed the book enormously, but have some minor complaints. For the last dozen years I've taught literature and composition at the college level, so I'm used to carefully examining what I read in terms of style and usage.

The tone of this book is quite different than Bill's previous autobiographical works. This is presumably due to co-writer David Fisher's approach and prose style differing from Chris Kreski's. The earlier books presented a consistent, if somewhat workmanlike, organization and textual style while Up Till Now is more inconsistent and less linear. Like most celebrity memoirs, it appears the book was compiled from Bill's recorded anecdotal ruminations and numerous sections are presented verbatim in a voice that sounds much like Bill's. Fisher's approach was likely to organize the material and provide bridging prose to logically link the anecdotes. Kreski seemed to collate the memories and render the material in his own version of Bill's voice. Along with editorial tinkering, the different approach would account for the fluctuations of tone in the new book. The informational arrangement is somewhat chronological, mitigated by attempts to also arrange the material thematically. This is always an awkward strategy and I've never seen it done with complete success. Someone also had the lamentable idea of frequently interrupting Bill's many interesting stories with trivial asides and jovial sales pitches for [...]. While we all know Bill as a marvelous pitchman, this technique quickly becomes irksome when frequently repeated on the printed page. Perhaps it will be more effective in the audiobook version. These elements necessarily make for inconsistent reading, and while this is a book of quality, this is also a book to be read in short spurts. Please don't misunderstand me. It's certainly readable and without glaring typographical or grammatical problems, but Bill's earlier memoirs made for more consistent reading from a stylistic perspective. Also, as I'm sure someone must have pointed out by now, the photo from Cannes is missing from the insert section. Although Bill didn't appear in the animated film, I doubt the empty white box was meant as a joke.

As for the actual content: There's a nice mix between the oft-repeated familiar stories and new material. As a longtime Shatner fan I'm grateful to have the book and relish the insights it provides. Much of the writing is extraordinary. The section describing Nerine's alcoholism and death is one of the most beautiful and poignant things I've read in a long time. It moved this jaded and critical reader to tears. The insights into Bill's acting philosophy, his quest for metaphysical meaning and his evolving friendhips with Leonard Nimoy and James Spader are welcome and satisfying.

If anything, the book's main flaw in terms of content is that it tries to cover too much ground. A career and life as substantial and varied as Bill's simply cannot be covered in a single 342 page memoir. I would rather this were one of two volumes--the first covering his early life and career up to perhaps the cancellation of the original Star Trek, and the second to cover the years since. It's too late now, but perhaps Bill might consider another book comprised of anecdotes about his acting jobs through the years (along the lines of the Basil Rathbone story in the book), because a career of his longevity necessarily means they were given short shrift in the present work. The ones here are terrific. So much is covered in this one book that it becomes dizzying at times, but then I imagine Bill's life is pretty dizzying at times.

In conclusion, even with my minor complaints, I heartily recommend this book to anyone ever touched or amused by a Shatner performance through the years. It's a unique opportunity to glimpse the soul behind the constantly metamorphizing showman and man that is William Shatner. It's a fitting epitaph, up till now, for a life that hopefully has many more chapters.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 75 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Shatner is one really amazing guy in real life
I enjoyed this book very much with its emphasis on his personal life (as opposed to the Star Trek Memories books he wrote back in the 90's which were slightly more just about the... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Lauren (not Bacall)

5.0 out of 5 stars Shatner deserves praise for a terrific book!
I am now a big Shatner fan. I have enjoyed his performances in everything I've seen him in from the early "Twilight Zones," "Star Treks," his movies and other television... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Frank Scoblete

2.0 out of 5 stars Terrible Sound Recording, Terrific Book
Great Audiobook -- read other reviews as to why -- but the narration by Shatner is poorly recorded.

The sound engineer should have used a "Compressor-Limiter"... Read more

Published 1 month ago by B. Compton

3.0 out of 5 stars I was waiting for an unabridged version
No unabridged edition seemed to be on the horizon, so I settled for this. I have always enjoyed the autobiographical audio books with Shatner telling his own stories, the history... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Patroo

5.0 out of 5 stars Up Till Now: The Autobiography William Shatner
William Shatner is a delight! I have never heard of an autobiography like this where he is talking about the past and interjects the present. Read more

Published 2 months ago by C. Ritter

5.0 out of 5 stars Up Till Now, by Wm Shatner
What can I say? Content isn't an issue. It is a book that I wanted to buy and it is nearly half price of one in Borders. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Cazamatic

5.0 out of 5 stars Captain Kirk is my hero!
I have not watched any of Shatner's other TV series - or his "non-star trek" movies because I enjoyed Star Trek so much I thought it would be dis-respectful to the series I... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Steve Shiflett

4.0 out of 5 stars Some of it will ring true in you as well
Despite the public perception of Shatner's over-acting and bombastic persona, you'll find by reading this book that he's a likable guy. Read more

Published 2 months ago by steve_oakland

5.0 out of 5 stars It's funnier than Bill Shatner..
Think about it. You probably only know a few aspects of his career. The whole is much better and funnier than any one part. This really is a perfect autobiography. Read more

Published 3 months ago by A. Kataryniak

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Just for Star Trek Fans
The theme of this enjoyable autobiography might best be captured by the classic Robert Hunter lyric, "what a long strange trip it's been. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Warren Liebold

› See all 75 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jqOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jqOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jqOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; }

Customer Discussions

This product's forum

Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
This autobio used as reference in great new bio (All About Jeffrey Hunter)	0	1 month ago
A Kindle edition?	0	May 2008

› See all 2 discussions...

Start a new discussion

Topic:

First post:

Receive e-mail when new posts are made

Prompts for sign-in

Guidelines

Active discussions in related forums

Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
biography Judicial biographies anyone?	24	5 hours ago
biography What is the best biography of a woman?	10	7 hours ago
star trek Star Trek is (sadly) Obsolete....	77	12 hours ago
biography So has anyone preordered Sarahs book?	49	15 hours ago
star trek Why are GLBT people totally absent from the Star Trek Universe, isn't it all about celebrating difference and diversity ???	112	1 day ago
star trek Religion in Star Trek	30	1 day ago
memoir Have You Written a Memoir - Come Tell Us About It.	1224	3 days ago
memoir Most satisfying memoirs?	27	4 days ago