It’s been a long journey for Maurice Micklewhite – born with rickets in London’s poverty-stricken Elephant & Castle – to the bright lights of Hollywood.
With a glittering career spanning more than five decades and starring roles which have earned him two Oscars, a knighthood, and an iconic place in the Hollywood pantheon, the man now known to us as Michael Caine looks back over it all.
Funny, warm, honest, Caine brings us his insider’s view of Hollywood (where there’s neither holly nor woods). He recalls the films, the legendary stars, the off-screen moments with a gift for story-telling only equalled by David Niven.
Hollywood has been his home and his playground. But England is where his heart lies. And where he blames the French for the abundance of snails in his garden.
A plaque now celebrates him at the Elephant in London. His handprint is one of only 200 since 1927 to decorate the hallowed pavement outside that mecca of Hollywood stars, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
A very British star, The Elephant to Hollywood is the remarkable full circle of Michael Caine’s life.
(P)2010 Hodder & Stoughton
With a glittering career spanning more than five decades and starring roles which have earned him two Oscars, a knighthood, and an iconic place in the Hollywood pantheon, the man now known to us as Michael Caine looks back over it all.
Funny, warm, honest, Caine brings us his insider’s view of Hollywood (where there’s neither holly nor woods). He recalls the films, the legendary stars, the off-screen moments with a gift for story-telling only equalled by David Niven.
Hollywood has been his home and his playground. But England is where his heart lies. And where he blames the French for the abundance of snails in his garden.
A plaque now celebrates him at the Elephant in London. His handprint is one of only 200 since 1927 to decorate the hallowed pavement outside that mecca of Hollywood stars, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
A very British star, The Elephant to Hollywood is the remarkable full circle of Michael Caine’s life.
(P)2010 Hodder & Stoughton
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Reviews
Praise for What's It All About?: 'Written with just the right mix of warmth and candour, and in a prose style that is the literary equivalent of his easy-going, up-front persona, this is a super book that informs as much as it entertains.'
It has taken two decades to get a man back on the Moon and the man is Michael Caine. Niven's influence as a writer runs right through it... some genuinely vintage laughs
Caine gives his public value for money, covering his whole life with David Nivenish charm
uproarious and unflinching
Mr Caine is a charming raconteur....he writes with a quality that has grown rare among memoirists: good cheer
Michael Caine's second work of memoir brims with his gift for genial anecdote, but this time there's a hint of sadness as he looks back
To read Caine is to be in the company of an amiable, sentimental man who has achieved great success - and happiness - without appearing to be in the least smug.
A truly incredible life story.
Not much mileage in discussing warm receptions then, unless it's to wonder if a literary festival crowd has ever sounded more fulfilled than when Michael Caine finally said "you're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off" and "not a lot of people know that" halfway through his appearance in Cheltenham last weekend.
you can hear his distinctive voice throughout, his fans will enjoy the ride.
a gold standard celebrity who makes the modern sort look cheap
most memorable... This follow-up might have seemed over-indulgent were it not for his self-deprecating vignettes, told in a voice as distinctive as his spoken one, that led to critical comparisons with David Niven's classic, The Moon's a Balloon.
Michael Caine fans will love his 'blow the bloody doors off' autobiography.