Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man (2016) by William Shatner with David Fisher
From the book flap: Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner first crossed paths as actors on the set of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Little did they know that their next roles in a new science fiction television series, would shape their lives in ways no one could have anticipated. In seventy-nine television episodes and six feature films, they grew to know each other more than most friends could ever imagine. Over the course of half a century, Shatner and Nimoy saw each other through personal and professional highs and lows. In this powerfully emotional book, Shatner tells the story of a man who was his friend for five decades, recounting anecdotes and untold stories from their lives on and off the set, as well as gathering stories from others who knew Nimoy well, to present a full picture of a rich life. As much a biography of Nimoy as a story of their friendship, this is a uniquely heartfelt book written by one legendary actor in celebration of another.
This book was a must-read for this long-time classic Trek fan. Though I am an avowed McCoy girl, I have always enjoyed the on-screen relationship between Kirk and Spock. Having grown up with Trek and heard all the stories about supposed the behind-the-scenes feuds as well as the stories of Shatner and Nimoy's estrangement at the end of Nimoy's life, I was interested to read Shatner's side of things--but I also know to take it all with a grain of salt. After all, Nimoy is no longer here to tell his side...if he were willing to do so, and Bill Shatner is...well, Bill Shatner. Key words in his vocabulary are "I" and "me" and they appear a fair amount, even in this tribute to his friend.
But--he does come across as genuine. He readily admits his failings--that his own ego often got in the way and that, as the only boy in the family, he got a great deal of attention which contributed to his self-estimation. He also relates his great difficulty in making friends. As a boy from an Orthodox Jewish family, he walked alone to school and felt an outsider among his non-Jewish neighbors. He didn't have any close friends growing up and he found it difficult to make friends when he got older. It took a long time for him to become close to Leonard Nimoy and it really wasn't until they began appearing at Trek Conventions that they became close.
I do feel, from the stories related, that Shatner felt a lot closer to Nimoy than perhaps Nimoy did to him. It seemed that he got a lot more out of the relationship than he gave. And, again, that may stem from his admitted character flaws--he just didn't know how to give that kind of support. I don't know if it is his ego or his lack of real experience at friendship that causes him to say that he has no idea why Nimoy cut off the relationship in those final years. But his bafflement and hurt is genuine, I truly believe that he doesn't know or perhaps hasn't been able to recognize what went wrong. I really feel for the man who can't understand how he lost something important to him. I do hope that, as he has chosen to believe, that Nimoy really did see the final letter that Bill Shatner wrote to him--telling him of his great respect and love for his friend of fifty years.
The stories he tells of their work together and stories about Leonard's life--from early days in Boston to his young acting career through the glory days of Star Trek to finding new passion in photography in his later years were, to quote Mr. Spock, fascinating. Some of the stories had made the rounds of Trek lore previously, but there were enough new anecdotes to keep the memoir interesting and informative. A thoroughly enjoyable memoir. ★★★★
First line: At the conclusion of the second Star Trek movie, The Wrath of Khan, the Enterprise is facing destruction.
Last line: LLAP, my friend, my dear, dear friend.
