Let's Face It: 90 Years of Living, Loving, and Learning

by Kirk Douglas Narrated by Jason Alexander

Overview

Kirk Douglas has been one of the brightest stars in Hollywood, a hard-charging actor whose intensity on the screen has been mirrored in his personal life. In this poignant and inspiring memoir, Douglas contemplates what life is all about, weighing current events from his present frame of mind while summoning the passions of his younger days.

Kirk Douglas is a born storyteller, and throughout Let's Face It he offers wonderful tales, favorite jokes, and hard-won insights. He explores the mixed blessings of growing older and looks back at his childhood, his young adulthood, and his storied, glamorous, and colorful life and career in Hollywood. He tells delightful stories of the making of such films as Spartacus, Lust for Life, Champion, The Bad and the Beautiful, and many others, and he includes anecdotes about such friends as Frank Sinatra, Burt Lancaster, Lauren Bacall, Ronald Reagan, Ava Gardner, Henry Kissinger, Fred Astaire, Yul Brynner, John Wayne, and Johnny Cash. He reveals the secrets that have kept him and his wife, Anne, happily married for more than five decades and talks fondly and movingly of times spent with his sons and grandchildren. He also reflects upon his Jewish faith and offers strong opinions on everything from racism to corporate greed to the war in Iraq and the situation in Israel.

A must-read for every fan, this engrossing memoir provides an indelible self-portrait of one of America's screen icons-while sharing the wit and wisdom Kirk Douglas has accumulated over a lifetime.

Editorial Reviews

On December 9, 2006, Kirk Douglas turned 90. Viewers revere him, of course, as the sharp-chinned, gravel-voiced star of dozens of Hollywood films and also as the father of actor/producer Michael Douglas. But the man who gained our attention by playing "sons of bitches" is also the author of four sensitive memoirs: The Ragman's Son, Climbing the Mountain, My Stroke of Luck, and now Let's Face It. In this fond look back, he reflects on his first 89 years, his resilient marriage, his career, his near-fatal helicopter crash, his stroke, and his ongoing recovery. Autumnal memories for the soul.

From the Publisher

* At 90 years old, recovered from a stroke and a near-fatal helicopter crash, acting legend Douglas is in a reflective mood: “now is the time to have an audit of my life,” he writes, and he does not disappoint. Douglas recalls his childhood and his own children, 50-plus years of marriage to wife Anne and the deaths of his son and many of his famous friends. He tackles a wide range of topics, with chapter names like, “Three Thoughts About Two Races,” “I Love Dogs” and “Does God Laugh?” He’s also unafraid to take a few swings at the young ‘uns, most notably at Mel Gibson, Michael Moore and even the whippersnappers at NASA. Douglas's assessment of his life is honest, wise and not always flattering; when he heard, in a recent documentary, what some family members had to say about him, he notes, “It’s difficult to see ourselves as others see us.” Nevertheless, Douglas is upbeat, engaging and full of sharp observations, such as his simple epitaph, “I tried, dammit, I tried.” (Apr.) (PW.com, April 16, 2007)

For the record, this is Douglas's fourth memoir. His first, The Ragman's Son (1988), tells of his hardscrabble early years as Issur Danielovitch and his rise to fame. But a brush with death in a helicopter crash and a stroke led him to reevaluate his life and renew his Jewish faith, which he describes in Climbing the Mountain (2000). In his third book, My Stroke of Luck (2003), he shares his near recovery from the stroke. All of the books are liberally sprinkled with anecdotes, including this latest narrative. Now 90, Douglas weighs in on everything from Terri Schiavo to racism. He contemplates the meaning of life, gives tips on a happy marriage (he and his wife have been married for over 50 years), shares his sorrow over the death of his son Eric, and relates what it's like to outlive all of your friends. There is less pomposity here and perhaps even more truth as the actor rethinks things he wrote earlier. At his age, what do you have to lose? Fans of Douglas and those who enjoyed the previous memoirs will want to read this one.
—Rosellen Brewer, Sno-Isle Libs., Marysville, WA (Library Journal, April 1, 2007)

easily his most compelling [book]…written in deftly lucid prose as a series of insights into the mind of a man reflecting on the past and facing the inevitable." (The Times  (Knowledge Supplement), 14th April 2007)

“…a brilliant read and something you can’t put down…you want to close your eyes and be taken into the world of Douglas. And what a world and life he has lived… (SomethingJewish.co.uk, 12th April 2007)

"...this self-deprecating, wise and witty book is not a vanity project - it's a genuinely moving account of a great figure's later years." (Empire, August 2007)

JULY 2008 - AudioFile

Ninety-year-old Kirk Douglas makes another splendid foray into his life (THE RAGMAN'S SON, MY STROKE OF LUCK), and Jason Alexander excels in its narration. Alexander's voice is friendly and inclusive, and his speech patterns are well suited for Douglas's many remembrances. His Yiddish pronunciations are perfect, and he tells a Borscht-belt joke with panache. Douglas's writing is appealing and conversational, offering a series of personal anecdotes, letters, poetry he's written, and poetry by the masters. He expresses deep concern about the kind of world we're leaving our children and shares his hard-learned philosophy, reflecting on his mistakes, his successes, his joys, his griefs, and his treasured friends and family. Alexander transforms the iconic movie star into the decent, humane man fans never knew—'til now. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169806489
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	03/01/2008
Edition description:	Unabridged

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