The Wall of Life: Pictures and Stories from This Marvelous Lifetime
Academy Award-winning actress and New York Times bestselling author Shirley MacLaine shares a dazzling memoir in photographs, chronicling her extraordinary life with 150+ images from her personal archive

With more than seventy years on the silver screen, Shirley MacLaine has, as she says, seen it all, done it all, been everywhere, and met everyone. Since making her Hollywood debut in 1955, her popularity has only grown as she's amassed a stunning collection of awards and written multiple bestselling memoirs.

Now, at ninety years old, MacLaine has more stories to tell and the pictures to bring them to life. By introducing readers to her extensive photo collection-which she calls her “wall of life”-MacLaine reveals both intimate family memories and images with some of the most significant figures from entertainment and politics. With wit and charm, she reflects on each photo, exploring ambition, love, friendship, motherhood, art, political activism, curiosity, and more.

Charting the course of her remarkable life and career, MacLaine shares both early memories (her childhood with her brother, Warren Beatty; her decision to leave for New York City at age sixteen; her early work dancing on Broadway) as well as remembrances of her days in the public eye (campaigning for George McGovern, traveling to meet political luminaries, starring in legendary film roles, and developing an interest in spirituality).

Along the way, readers gain greater insight into figures such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bob Fosse, Jack Nicholson, the Dalai Lama, Fidel Castro, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and many more. Whether she's sharing what advice Elvis Presley asked her for, how she consoled close friend Elizabeth Taylor after the death of her husband, or which head of state she discussed UFOs with, MacLaine offers her most visual and delightful book yet, giving readers an unprecedented glance into a life like no other.


* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of photos from the book.
1145161241
The Wall of Life: Pictures and Stories from This Marvelous Lifetime
Academy Award-winning actress and New York Times bestselling author Shirley MacLaine shares a dazzling memoir in photographs, chronicling her extraordinary life with 150+ images from her personal archive

With more than seventy years on the silver screen, Shirley MacLaine has, as she says, seen it all, done it all, been everywhere, and met everyone. Since making her Hollywood debut in 1955, her popularity has only grown as she's amassed a stunning collection of awards and written multiple bestselling memoirs.

Now, at ninety years old, MacLaine has more stories to tell and the pictures to bring them to life. By introducing readers to her extensive photo collection-which she calls her “wall of life”-MacLaine reveals both intimate family memories and images with some of the most significant figures from entertainment and politics. With wit and charm, she reflects on each photo, exploring ambition, love, friendship, motherhood, art, political activism, curiosity, and more.

Charting the course of her remarkable life and career, MacLaine shares both early memories (her childhood with her brother, Warren Beatty; her decision to leave for New York City at age sixteen; her early work dancing on Broadway) as well as remembrances of her days in the public eye (campaigning for George McGovern, traveling to meet political luminaries, starring in legendary film roles, and developing an interest in spirituality).

Along the way, readers gain greater insight into figures such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bob Fosse, Jack Nicholson, the Dalai Lama, Fidel Castro, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and many more. Whether she's sharing what advice Elvis Presley asked her for, how she consoled close friend Elizabeth Taylor after the death of her husband, or which head of state she discussed UFOs with, MacLaine offers her most visual and delightful book yet, giving readers an unprecedented glance into a life like no other.


* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of photos from the book.
13.5 In Stock
The Wall of Life: Pictures and Stories from This Marvelous Lifetime

The Wall of Life: Pictures and Stories from This Marvelous Lifetime

by Shirley MacLaine

Narrated by Shirley MacLaine

Unabridged — 1 hours, 19 minutes

The Wall of Life: Pictures and Stories from This Marvelous Lifetime

The Wall of Life: Pictures and Stories from This Marvelous Lifetime

by Shirley MacLaine

Narrated by Shirley MacLaine

Unabridged — 1 hours, 19 minutes

Audiobook (Digital)

$13.50
FREE With a B&N Audiobooks Subscription | Cancel Anytime
$0.00

Free with a B&N Audiobooks Subscription | Cancel Anytime

$15.00 Save 10% Current price is $13.5, Original price is $15. You Save 10%.
START FREE TRIAL

Already Subscribed? 

Sign in to Your BN.com Account


Listen on the free Barnes & Noble NOOK app


Related collections and offers

FREE

with a B&N Audiobooks Subscription

Or Pay $13.50 $15.00

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Shirley MacLaine is an icon, and through this survey of her life, readers get a window into her superstardom and into the expansive list of people and places that have come into her orbit.

Academy Award-winning actress and New York Times bestselling author Shirley MacLaine shares a dazzling memoir in photographs, chronicling her extraordinary life with 150+ images from her personal archive

With more than seventy years on the silver screen, Shirley MacLaine has, as she says, seen it all, done it all, been everywhere, and met everyone. Since making her Hollywood debut in 1955, her popularity has only grown as she's amassed a stunning collection of awards and written multiple bestselling memoirs.

Now, at ninety years old, MacLaine has more stories to tell and the pictures to bring them to life. By introducing readers to her extensive photo collection-which she calls her “wall of life”-MacLaine reveals both intimate family memories and images with some of the most significant figures from entertainment and politics. With wit and charm, she reflects on each photo, exploring ambition, love, friendship, motherhood, art, political activism, curiosity, and more.

Charting the course of her remarkable life and career, MacLaine shares both early memories (her childhood with her brother, Warren Beatty; her decision to leave for New York City at age sixteen; her early work dancing on Broadway) as well as remembrances of her days in the public eye (campaigning for George McGovern, traveling to meet political luminaries, starring in legendary film roles, and developing an interest in spirituality).

Along the way, readers gain greater insight into figures such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bob Fosse, Jack Nicholson, the Dalai Lama, Fidel Castro, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and many more. Whether she's sharing what advice Elvis Presley asked her for, how she consoled close friend Elizabeth Taylor after the death of her husband, or which head of state she discussed UFOs with, MacLaine offers her most visual and delightful book yet, giving readers an unprecedented glance into a life like no other.


* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of photos from the book.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A worldly life journey candidly reflected in photos and captions . . . MacLaine’s images and captions cumulatively reflect an enviable, well-lived existence, offering glimpses into her world travels, family, friends, and various love affairs . . .”Kirkus Reviews

Library Journal

★ 10/18/2024

This unique memoir captures the essence of legendary actress/dancer/author MacLaine in a blend of eloquent words and dozens of well-chosen images. There are vintage childhood snapshots with parents, brother Warren Beatty, and early dance teachers, as well as those with friends, husband, and daughter Sachi. Numerous selections trace her award-winning and eclectic career from Broadway to Hollywood and beyond—including on the set of The Apartment with Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon, onstage in her one-woman show If They Could See Me Now, and in character on an episode of Only Murders in the Building. Most of the photos are of candid moments with scores of well-known names such as Hitchcock, Elizabeth Taylor, Sinatra, and Baryshnikov. Individuals representing her many non-theatrical pursuits abound—from past presidents and local politicians to Stephen Hawking and the Dalai Lama. An avid traveler and adventurer, MacLaine is shown walking Spain's 500-mile Camino de Santiago alone when she turned 60. Each image radiates joy, energy, and a more profound sense of MacLaine's multifaceted persona. Her accompanying narratives are interspersed throughout—charming and informative—yet uncompromisingly honest. VERDICT A must for MacLaine's fans and entertainment buffs.—Carol J. Binkowski

Kirkus Reviews

2024-09-28
A worldly life journey candidly reflected in photos and captions.

Throughout her illustrious career, from her 1950s star-making Broadway debut as an understudy inPajama Game to leading roles in acclaimed films likeSome Came Running andThe Apartment, Shirley MacLaine has diligently chronicled her life’s journey. Her bestselling memoirs, beginning withDon’t Fall Off the Mountain (1970) and includingOut on a Limb (1983), have documented her professional ascent and approach to living a fully independent, well-traveled life as a modern woman. Now in her 90s, MacLaine revisits her experiences through a collection of personal photographs and extended captions, serving as a visual narrative thread. In mostly laudatory terms, her memoir showcases MacLaine’s connections with luminaries from various spheres of her personal, political, spiritual, and show business life. Such reflections include her long, unconventional marriage to businessman Steve Parker, her Rat Pack associations (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.), and her encounters with U.S. presidents and controversial political figures like Nikita Khrushchev and Fidel Castro. Of the latter, she notes, “Castro and I had two days together. He was open, funny, and curious, especially about the Kennedys, and did not come on to me as Barbara Walters suggested he would.” On the flip side, MacLaine occasionally dishes a few subtle asides: Jerry Lewis was “overpowering and controlling, and I didn’t think he was funny,” director Herbert Ross “was an arrogant guy, very full of himself,” and of herTerms of Endearment co-star she simply comments, “I did not enjoy Debra Winger.” MacLaine’s images and captions cumulatively reflect an enviable, well-lived existence, offering glimpses into her world travels, family, friends, and various love affairs. An engaging but lightly written exploration, the scant narrative may appeal primarily to her devoted fans.

A glossy retrospective of MacLaine’s remarkable life and career, visually captivating yet offering more breadth than depth.

Product Details

BN ID: 2940191759982
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Publication date: 10/22/2024
Edition description: Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

Introduction

About forty-­five years ago, I put ten or so framed photographs of friends and family and people I’ve worked with all grouped together on a living room wall in my Malibu home. Everyone who came over loved to look at this montage, and so the “Wall of Life” was born. Over time, I added more until there were scores and scores of images pretty much covering the space, similar to the collection of photographs on the first and last few pages of this book. I even created a Wall of Life at my ranch in the New Mexico mountains and, until fairly recently, there was also a giant one at my home of almost twenty years in Santa Fe. But this collection really wasn’t about me as much as it was about all the people around me. In this magical and enchanting life of mine, I’ve known so many women and men who were interesting—extraordinary, really—and whom I was truly fond of and lucky to know. This wall helps me to remember them and respect them and keep them a part of my life. And there are photographs of people and friends from not only film and television but dance and theater, as well as government and politics, my spiritual journey, and, of course, my family. This is really the only book I’ve written that includes all the different worlds I’ve traveled through and been so fascinated by. Today, I am still shocked and surprised when, after looking at the wall, my memories surface and I realize who is still with me and who is not.

The Wall of Life has been a stage for asking questions, and not just for visitors to ask me things, but for me to ask myself to get at a deeper truth, and to ask my visitors to understand them more. I’ve been reminded that I’m not someone who eagerly engages in small talk and I am known to ask some rather probing questions. Most of the time people are fine with it, and these questions somehow help me know the human race better and understand what is wrong with us. Or what is right with us. Or what is still unknown about who we are. Human identity and human nature are what I love to study, and if nothing else, I want to be remembered for my curiosity and trying to see and know as much as possible. I worry, though, that I haven’t done enough, documented enough, or asked enough questions, so for now, I continue to add and subtract pictures on the Wall of Life—it’s still an ongoing project.

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews