Publishers Weekly
02/22/2016
Shatner and Leonard Nimoy shared an off-screen relationship as deep, complex, and sometimes testy as their Star Trek characters Kirk and Spock, according to this fond elegy. Shatner is warmly effusive, calling Nimoy his only "real friend… to whom I could completely emotionally unburden myself," but there were rough patches: relations on the original Star Trek television series were marked by a rivalry that exploded into tantrums; friendship blossomed while they basked in adulation at Star Trek conventions, and when Nimoy, a recovering alcoholic, helped Shatner cope with his alcoholic wife's death. The friendship sputtered in its last years after a never-explained rift made Nimoy cut off contact. (Shatner's anguish over the rupture is palpable.) Nimoy is an interesting if aloof presence here; the most insightful chapters deal with the meticulous Method technique he used to craft the cerebral, soulfully alienated, nerve-pinching Vulcan, which played brilliantly against Shatner's intuitive, external, fist-fighting embodiment of Kirk. The book is also a fine portrait of the prosaic, unsentimental worldview of workaday actors. (Both men were astonished by the emotional fervor Trekkies—including Martin Luther King Jr.—invested in the show.) Amanuensis Fisher's engaging prose and Shatner's shrewd reflections and good humor make this a resonant retrospective of one of pop culture's great partnerships. Photos. (Feb. 16)
From the Publisher
"This is a book Star Trek fans will love." —The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Shatner takes readers behind the nonemotive Vulcan visage to reveal the poet, photographer, devoted stage actor, recovering alcoholic, and formidable listener who was his friend. A fond remembrance of Leonard Nimoy by one who knew him like no other." —Kirkus Reviews
"Touching on Nimoy’s other pursuits, including his photography, poetry, writing, and directing, Shatner offers up a lovely and moving tribute to his beloved friend." —Booklist
“Essentially a traditional biography, but one that is filtered through the prism of its author’s friendship with his subject.” —The Washington Post
"Trekkies will want this for the insider stories from Captain Kirk himself, but fans of candid, emotion-filled biographies will adore this account because it's a treasure trove of information." —Library Journal (starred review)
"A resonant retrospective of one of pop culture's great partnerships." —Publishers Weekly
"Shatner delivers a raw and honest look at the life of Leonard Nimoy through the filter of someone who loved him like a brother. "Star Trek" fans aren't the only ones who should read this definitive biography of the man who was much more than Mr. Spock." -Associated Press
"Star Trek fans looking for a trip down Memory Alpha lane should enjoy Leonard, William Shatner’s tribute to fellow icon Leonard Nimoy, the unemotional Mr. Spock to his passionate Captain Kirk." -USA Today
"These two men shared an extraordinary life together, and fans will enjoy the anecdotes and insights into the television industry and ‘Star Trek’ in particular. At it’s core, though, it’s a loving tribute from one man to his best friend." -The National Post
"Unexpectedly poignant. An eyebrow-raising tribute to a fascinating man." -Maclean's
"Highly readable and entertaining." -Examiner.com
"If you want to get to know the men in a funny and brutally honest way pick up Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship With A Remarkable Man." -Red Carpet Crash
Library Journal
★ 02/15/2016
Fans of TV shows might wonder if the people who portray the characters are friends in real life. As Shatner explains in this biography of Leonard Nimoy, actors form close bonds when working together and swear their undying friendship when it's over but more likely never see one another again. That was not the case with Shatner and Nimoy, who starred in three seasons of cult favorite Star Trek as Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock respectively, though Shatner reveals that they were wary of each other at first. He tells stories about the show, such as Nimoy's creation of the iconic Vulcan salute and nerve pinch, yet also shares little-known personal information, such as Nimoy's alcoholism and the price of celebrity. However, the heart of this book is Shatner's description of their friendship that grew from the Star Trek movies and the Trekkie conventions they attended as a pair. Shatner discusses his own life and the parallels in Nimoy's, but he does not upstage his friend, rather giving him center stage with his usual Shatner self-deprecating humor. VERDICT Trekkies will want this for the insider stories from Captain Kirk himself, but fans of candid, emotion-filled biographies will adore this account because it's a treasure trove of information. [See Prepub Alert, 8/10/15.]—Rosellen Brewer, Sno-Isle Libs., Marysville, WA
FEBRUARY 2016 - AudioFile
William Shatner and the late Leonard Nimoy were friends for 50 years, creating many memories. They first appeared together in a 1964 episode of “THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E,” which was a far cry from the sci-fi work they’re most known for. Shatner narrates his story with touching reverence for a dear friend and describes how their relationship strengthened as they filmed 79 episodes of “Star Trek,” which would shape their destinies—individually and as a much-loved onscreen acting team. Shatner’s authentic performance moves the story along with humor and sincerity, making the anecdotes all the more interesting and touching. He describes the significant ways the two influenced each other and how their friendship helped make them the unique actors their fans revered for years to come. B.J.P. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2016-01-10
In the original Star Trek series, Mr. Spock's contemplative temperament was balanced by Capt. Kirk's emotive and physical nature. Now it's the captain's turn to reflect. It's hard to believe that an entertainment franchise consisting of five distinct TV series, 12 feature films, numerous comics and novels, an animated series, fanzines, conventions, and a huge worldwide fan base began with an underfunded TV series that only ran for three seasons (1966-1969) before being cancelled by the network for its unprofitability. This year marks the 50th year since the franchise's birth, and the crew of the Enterprise continues to go where no man has gone before. Though the fabled starship has had many actors at its helm, the original portrayals of Kirk and Spock remain iconic. Shatner (Shatner Rules, 2011, etc.), who will celebrate his 85th birthday in March, memorializes his esteemed co-star in a memoir that spans the half-century of the two actors' friendship and, with the input of others who knew Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015) well, beyond. From Nimoy's early years in Los Angeles scrounging for bit roles in TV to the late actor's charitable support of Zachary Quinto in his 2009 reprisal of the role of Spock, Shatner describes his friend as a serious artist who constantly honed his craft. Though the actors eventually formed a strong bond, Shatner humbly recalls bags of fan mail arriving in the first weeks of Star Trek's popularity and the jealousy that he felt that the most beloved character on the show was Spock. Fans will devour anecdotes surrounding the making of the series and its posthumous surge in popularity, but Shatner takes readers behind the nonemotive Vulcan visage to reveal the poet, photographer, devoted stage actor, recovering alcoholic, and formidable listener who was his friend. A fond remembrance of Leonard Nimoy by one who knew him like no other.
