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The Elephant To Hollywoodthe Autobiography
Film legend and British icon Sir Michael Caine's major new autobiography.
Published
2010
by Hodder & Stoughton
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Community Reviews
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Let's get things straight - I'm a huge fan of Michael Caine, and I eagerly snapped this book up. I've always found him to be a great actor (although admittedly he occasionally makes some very ill-advised choices as regards which movies to appear in), and think he's a very funny raconteur, with lots of great anecdotes to share.
However, I was pretty disappointed with this book, for two main reasons. As a long-time fan of Caine, I'd already read his previous autobiography, "What's It All About?", w ...more
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Below is the message I posted about this book at my GR group
:
I recently finished reading The Elephant to Hollywood , an autobiography by one of my favorite actors, Michael Caine . The book has just come out; it was first published in September of this year (2010). I borrowed it from our public library. I'm rating this book 5 stars because I was so happy to find a book which I enjoyed thoroughly. (Those are few and far between these days.)
The word "Elephant" refers to the area of London where Caine ...more
I recently finished reading The Elephant to Hollywood , an autobiography by one of my favorite actors, Michael Caine . The book has just come out; it was first published in September of this year (2010). I borrowed it from our public library. I'm rating this book 5 stars because I was so happy to find a book which I enjoyed thoroughly. (Those are few and far between these days.)
The word "Elephant" refers to the area of London where Caine ...more
I picked this up at Barnes & Noble last week. I really liked his first memoir
What's It All about
I enjoyed this book very much. Michael Caine has had a very interesting life and career. He's one of my favorite actors. This book includes his favorite movies (the ones he has been in are in a separate list). I was glad to see he put Dirty Rotten Scoundrels on his list as that is one of my favorites as well. If you are a movie fan, you will enjoy this book!
Yep, this is a memoir, he's rememberin' stuff.
I sincerely love Michael Caine as an actor. I grew up with his movies and when I spotted this book on the library shelf I knew I had to read it. Seriously, though, I got through 4 ridiculous pages of uppity remarks, non sequiturs, and pretentious name dropping. I think you could make a drinking game of opening to any page and counting the actors names.
I think it doesn't help that I just finished Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson, who spent signif ...more
I sincerely love Michael Caine as an actor. I grew up with his movies and when I spotted this book on the library shelf I knew I had to read it. Seriously, though, I got through 4 ridiculous pages of uppity remarks, non sequiturs, and pretentious name dropping. I think you could make a drinking game of opening to any page and counting the actors names.
I think it doesn't help that I just finished Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson, who spent signif ...more
Michael Caine does a lot of name dropping in this, which is the kind of thing I love in famous-actor-biographies. He speaks a lot about his family, and the chapter on meeting his wife and falling in love with her made my heart melt. Similarly, I cried at his mention of the passing of some of his best friends (part of a group that called themselves the Mayfair Orphans), and his description of his love for his grandchildren. He focused so much on his relationships and friendships, and it was reall
...more
Great Book. Very honest and straightforward. M
British actor Michael Caine delivers another autobiography, this one an update on his first book,
What's It All About?
, from 1993. This volume is most definitely an update, as the actor basically provides a skimmer on his earlier bio then does some extra chapters on his life since his first book.
I hate comparing books as the idea is to read each book as its own entity, but in this case it's quite pertinent. If you want a Niven-esque story about Caine's life (up to 1993), then read What's It All ...more
I hate comparing books as the idea is to read each book as its own entity, but in this case it's quite pertinent. If you want a Niven-esque story about Caine's life (up to 1993), then read What's It All ...more
Michael Caine is a wonderful actor who has been in some classy films and some downright horrible films. Even in the horrible films Mr. Caine’s role is usually entertaining and memorable (Hoagie in Jaws the Revenge). I read his first autobiography in high school, picked up a hardcover copy of “What’s It All About?” for $3.00 at the local Dollar General. It was an enjoyable read, basic autobiography discussed his younger life and his film career up to the early nineties. I picked up his second bio
...more
The best two words to describe Michael Caine are perseverance and gratitude. Perseverance because he spent the first several years of his acting career being laughed off stage, turned down for jobs and criticized by agents before he made it big. Gratitude because each paragraph in the book seems to end with a word of gratitude for a experience or person in his life. I think it's these two traits that made Michael Caine not only a great actor but individual and family man.
It's funny because I've ...more
It's funny because I've ...more
Oct 17, 2010
Khairul H.
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
biographies-and-memoirs
Rags to riches story of one the entertainment industry's icon (he may be an icon but his wife still tells him to take out the rubbish). Michael Caine seemed to have a relatively stable life despite being in one of the most unstable jobs in the world. A hardworking man, he's only been married twice (the first one he admitted was a mistake since they were both very young but even so he remained on good terms with his ex-wife until she died).
I didn't mind the non-linear style this book was written ...more
I didn't mind the non-linear style this book was written ...more
Awesome of course, but a bit of a re-hash in parts rather than a second act. But still, Michael Caine. Because Michael Caine.
I listened to this while commuting and found it to be a lovely listen. Mr. Caine narrates the audio edition and is charming. He has a wonderful sense of humor, and is surprisingly sweet. When I finished listening, I wanted to meet him. I enjoyed his stories of his youth, old Hollywood, and his marriage. If you enjoy biographies of celebrities, I would listen to this one!
An interesting read, nonetheless, it's just a 'like' for me. Found myself thinking at the start that it was rather 'big notey' mentioning this and that famous 'friend'. However, the further I read, the more I realised those famous people were/ are actually Michael's friends. Just very different from my world I suppose! Caine has met a really wide range of people from Walt Disney, to The Queen to Scarlett Johannsen. Dispels the myth that being a movie star actor is all fun and no hard work, but c
...more
I would give this book 3 stars for the written version, and four stars for the spoken version, especially listening to the spoken version of double the normal speed. Michael Caine's stories are great, and there's plenty here to keep the Michael Caine fan interested. There is however a fair amount of unnecessary information, especially about the history of Hollywood. My advice: keep reading to the end, but do feel free to skip over sections that you find uninteresting. The problem that I found wh
...more
Not spectacularly written - but it didn't need to be. Reading this felt as though I'd just sat down to tea with Sir Michael Caine and he'd decided to grace me with well-told and enrapturing stories of Hollywood, old and new. Michael Caine is a good, good man who funny in a way that is heartfelt and sweetly sentimental. His career has spanned old Hollywood, where he worked alongside actors like Danny Kay, Peter O'Toole, Laurence Olivier, Cary Grant - to name a few. And new Hollywood - where he wo
...more
The life and times of Michael Caine, actor. As told by Michael Caine.
Having not read his earlier volume of memoirs, I found this all pretty entertaining and interesting. The stories of his early days, before he made it big and starts name dropping all his very good friends, was particularly informative.
It loses pace and form towards the end - a rambling excursis of his recent holiday to India, for instance - but he seems to be happy enough with where he has ended up, and overall comes across a ...more
Having not read his earlier volume of memoirs, I found this all pretty entertaining and interesting. The stories of his early days, before he made it big and starts name dropping all his very good friends, was particularly informative.
It loses pace and form towards the end - a rambling excursis of his recent holiday to India, for instance - but he seems to be happy enough with where he has ended up, and overall comes across a ...more
Favorite part was when Michael Caine is genuinely chuffed that the staff at some American restaurants sing you Happy Birthday on your birthday. I love this guy.
Would love to be their neighbors! Sounds like they have a wonderful marriage, and he is truly appreciative of the life he's led---AND he's so funny!
I would rate this a 3.5 by the way
As many have said before me, I am a big fan of Michael Caine's work, and was looking forward to this. Ultimately, a bit like fast food, it was satisfying but the feeling quickly wore off. The early chapters were the most interesting , and I really enjoyed those, but the more we progressed the less detail we got, the more tangents we were led off to, and the more filler crept in.
Caine's writing style is very readable, and enjoyable to follow, but sometimes it's t ...more
As many have said before me, I am a big fan of Michael Caine's work, and was looking forward to this. Ultimately, a bit like fast food, it was satisfying but the feeling quickly wore off. The early chapters were the most interesting , and I really enjoyed those, but the more we progressed the less detail we got, the more tangents we were led off to, and the more filler crept in.
Caine's writing style is very readable, and enjoyable to follow, but sometimes it's t ...more
It's great when stars read their own memoirs. Michael Caine actually laughs out loud at some of his own anecdotes.
I'm a huge Michael Caine fan, but this book is not the best picture of the man and the actor. It's self-satisfied, pompous, and riddled with name-dropping that doesn't justify itself -- the stories aren't funny or interesting enough. Still, it's Michael Caine, and he's worked with every actor in the known universe, he's made more films than most people have teeth, and he's worked in hilarious or scary conditions just about everywhere in the world. So I was glad to spend the time with him, but ha
...more
Really wanted to like this, as 'What's it all about?" was such a good read.
2/3's of this book was retelling, almost word for word, of big chunks of his last book and as much as I love Michael Caine, I found myself doing lots of skimming.
The new stuff is interesting and told in that great style that feels like Caine is sitting down with you telling a story, but it's a lot of fluff. He just kind of drifts around, giving you little bits of info and then moving on too quickly.
There are some really g ...more
2/3's of this book was retelling, almost word for word, of big chunks of his last book and as much as I love Michael Caine, I found myself doing lots of skimming.
The new stuff is interesting and told in that great style that feels like Caine is sitting down with you telling a story, but it's a lot of fluff. He just kind of drifts around, giving you little bits of info and then moving on too quickly.
There are some really g ...more
I love Michael Caine so much. This audiobook is his second autobiography, and it is brilliantly written and read by the great actor himself, basically from the point in his career where he thought his leading man days were over (a friend, Jack Nicholson, showed him how wrong he was) and takes the reader back to his days as a struggling theater actor in England after his time in the service. So many adventures, so much wonderful name-dropping. His depiction of his star time in Hollywood is especi
...more
Love Michael Caine and loved this book, a lovely story of his beginnings, and the moves through his life towards hollywood and stardom.
Sometimes the book seems like it is showing off the people the Michael knows with the names of the people who are part of his story, but I suppose that's his life and it's not showing off, its just a matter of fact that he has dinner, goes out for lunch, or stays over at the housee of the great and good of hollywood and america.
A good book, well written and enjoy ...more
Sometimes the book seems like it is showing off the people the Michael knows with the names of the people who are part of his story, but I suppose that's his life and it's not showing off, its just a matter of fact that he has dinner, goes out for lunch, or stays over at the housee of the great and good of hollywood and america.
A good book, well written and enjoy ...more
The Elephant to Hollywood
Published by Hodder and Stoughton, 2010
First published in paperback, 2011
Paperback, 408 pages
Autobiography/Non-fiction
“The Elephant to Hollywood” is actually the second book detailing certain events on British actor Michael CaineMichael Caine’s life. He wrote his first autobiography (“What’s It All About?”) in 1992.
I have to confess that I haven’t read the first book but I’ll try my best to articulate my personal thoughts in this. But first, a disclaimer. I have always a ...more
Published by Hodder and Stoughton, 2010
First published in paperback, 2011
Paperback, 408 pages
Autobiography/Non-fiction
“The Elephant to Hollywood” is actually the second book detailing certain events on British actor Michael CaineMichael Caine’s life. He wrote his first autobiography (“What’s It All About?”) in 1992.
I have to confess that I haven’t read the first book but I’ll try my best to articulate my personal thoughts in this. But first, a disclaimer. I have always a ...more
It's not like Michael Caine is my favorite actor but I've always said he's on a shortlist of actors that are always good with no fuss or angst even in bad movies (and he's been in a ton, I'm looking at you, Jaws The Revenge). Other people on that list include Gene Hackman, Christopher Walken, James Woods and Gary Oldman just to name a few. This isn't a book I'd have read if Caine hadn't written it himself and it's nice that he's as modest, funny, smart and self effacing as he seems in his best r
...more
Michael Caine kind of meanders from topic to topic with a general chronology that he doesn't stay with too closely. His writing style is about what you'd expect from a cockney boy from the Elephant, not that that's a mark against him. When I started reading the book, honestly, I thought Caine sounded like a starfucker and a name dropper, but as the story went on, I discovered he had genuine relationships with these people and wasn't just dropping their names for the sake of it (Like being roomma
...more
I’m a huge fan of Michael Caine and read his first autobiography “What’s It All About?” a few years ago. I remember Caine saying that this would be his only autobiography so I was intrigued when “The Elephant to Hollywood” was published. Michael explains this by saying that in 1992 he thought his Movie career was over. What actually happened was that his career took on a new dimension. As Michael explains he went from being a Movie Star to a leading Movie actor (picking up another Academy Award ...more
If you've ever wanted to have dinner with Michael Caine and listen to him tell you stories, you'll love The Elephant To Hollywood. The book is basically just that: one of the world's greatest actors telling the story of his life as though he were in a conversation. He starts with his childhood as Maurice Micklewhite in a section of London called Elephant and Castle, then moves to his early years as an actor (where he struggled to get work but absorbed the tidbits of advice those around him offer
...more
When I first heard about this book, I thought, “Didn’t Michael Caine already write an autobiography?” I wondered if this was a re-titled version of that book released in paperback for North America. My question was answered when I looked at the first sentence of this book’s introduction and he talks about it. Yes, he did. It was 1992’s “What’s It All About?,” which I read and enjoyed. What makes this volume different is that when he wrote his first autobiography, back then, he thought his film c
...more
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Sir Michael Caine, CBE was born Maurice Joseph Micklewaite in poverty near Elephant and Castle in South London. His first major starring role was
Alfie
in the 1960s. He is now a major Hollywood film star and two time Academy Award winner.
More about Michael Caine...
“I love the start of autumn when the trees in my garden change the colour of their leaves in one last dazzling display.”
—
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