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Beyond Uhura - Star Trek and Other Memories |  | Author: Nichelle Nichols
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Category: Book
List Price: $22.95
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Seller: internationalbooks
Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 760391
Media: Hardcover
Edition: First Edition
Pages: 320
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.4
ISBN: 0399139931
Dewey Decimal Number: 791.45028092
EAN: 9780399139932
ASIN: 0399139931
Publication Date: October 19, 1994
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The first African-American woman to have a major, continuing television role tells the inside story of Star Trek and its creator--her onetime lover and lifelong friend--and her struggle to overcome racism and bias against women. 100,000 first printing.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 19
 In many ways, the most interesting of the memoirs of major personalities of the original Star Trek series July 19, 2009
Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States(cashbacher@yahoo.com))
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
In many ways, this is the most interesting of all the memoirs penned by the stars and producers of the original Star Trek series. For Nichelle was a double minority, black and female, at a time when there were few acting roles depicting either competent blacks or competent females. Her career path took many turns and included an attempted rape by a man with strong political connections.
Star Trek was groundbreaking in so many ways; among other things it presented the first interracial kiss on television in an episode that was otherwise mediocre. However, the most significant new events were the depiction of black people in positions of command. Although Uhura never occupied the command chair in the original series, she was an officer and was depicted as one of the most talented people in her field. Furthermore, when the occasion demanded it, she was perfectly capable of engaging in hand-to-hand combat, even pulling a knife. This is the story of the very strong woman that made the role one of the first where a black woman played an active, energetic and intelligent character.
Not just another Star Trek memoir March 17, 2009
Nina M. Osier (Augusta, ME USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Nichelle Nichols, originally named Grace, knows from an early age that she wants to perform. Originally a singer and dancer, she marries early despite parental disapproval and quickly regrets everything about that union except the son it produces. Her life on the road, as a Black performer during the 50s and early 60s, evokes an America in transition. It's an exciting time, but a dangerous one, too. Eventually she relocates her entire family (the support system she needs in order to keep raising her son) to Los Angeles, and lands her first television role in The Lieutenant - a series produced by Gene Roddenberry, who becomes her close friend. When Roddenberry casts her as a member of the bridge crew aboard the starship Enterprise, in what critics call the first intelligent science fiction series on television, she finds herself filling another role on which she didn't bargain: that of role model for an entire generation of American young people. Especially for small girls, young women, and minorities.
This is not just another Star Trek memoir, although I'll admit I picked it up with that expectation. I was pleasantly surprised to find much more than that in its pages: the autobiography of a woman living through a time of extraordinary changes, who not only survived those changes but helped to shape them. The Star Trek reminiscences, my original reason for buying this book, wound up being the least interesting part of it for me. Instead, I found myself intrigued by the actress's pre-Star Trek career and - especially - by her work for NASA, in the years after the TV series ended. To me it reads like a volume of transcribed oral history instead of a celebrity tell-all.
--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of HIGH PLACES and 2005 EPPIE winner REGS
Deserves to be reissued for today's readers! December 2, 2008
ChibiNeko (Whereever I go, here I am.)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
My review is more from the memory of reading this book years ago than from any current readings. The short & sweet of this autobiography is that Nichelle writes about her life before, during, & after Star Trek. Rather than go the same route as other ST alumi, she tries her hardest to avoid badmouthing the Shatner (even though he makes it VERY hard for her to stay neutral) which she mostly succeeds at.
Miss Nichols has lead an amazing life. She not only starred in one of the most popular & well known series ever, but she's met famous political figures & Hollywood stars. She's gone through incredible hardships in order to get where she is today, and she writes a fantastic book to boot! The autobiography is easily accessible to both fans of ST & those who just want a nice book to read. Unfortunately this book has gone out of print, but it's well worth the time to track down a copy to own. The book has to be one of the most well written autobiographies I've read in a while, and that includes the ones I've read in the years since.
5/5
 Interesting autobiography November 28, 2005
lordhoot (Anchorage, Alaska USA)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
This autobiography by Nichelle Nichols reflects upon her life, as a black actress, facing racism of her times and breaking them with certain amount of courage and skills. First half of the book retells the story of her life prior to Star Trek, her education, training and people whom she met, some who were helpful while others who were not. Her occasional slide into self praise is typical of many memoirs, not atypical.
But for most people who read this book, they read it because they are Star Trek fans and second part of the book don't disappointed them at all. She goes into all sort of interesting tales about her experiences in Star Trek that brought her to the forefront. Her story on how Martin Luther King talked her into staying on the show, her frustration with the limited role she was having and her relationships with her co-workers while still fighting occasional racism at the studios proves to be an set of very interesting and telling stories. She continued on with her stories on the Star Trek movies as well as her work with NASA.
Like Jimmy Doohan and George Takei books, Nichols seem to have problems with William Shatner. From the three of them, Shatner does not seem to be a very generous actor and by design or not, William Shatner often end up sounding like a self centered cad. Its interesting that almost every Star Trek actor have problems with Shatner. But she was generous enough to say that Shatner as a director of Star Trek V, was most wonderful person. Doohan and Takei had no kind words for Shatner in their books.
Intersting reading material for all Star Trek fans. Story of Nichelle Nichols proves to be one of courage and determination that marked her a very special woman. In some ways, that make the color of her skin immaterial in the end.
Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories October 1, 2005
Marysia Walpole (NC USA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I really enjoyed this book. Nichelle tells lots of great stories. A couple of times it would get a little bogged down in details about all her various gigs, but for the most the book moved quickly. She begins with her multi-racial family living thru segregation. She goes on to tell stories about how her carreer evolved, her brush with gangsters running the entertainment industry, her relationship with Gene Roddenbery, how insensitive Bill Shatner was to his cast mates, and by contrast, how egalitarian Leonard Nimoy was, and about her work with NASA recruiting astronauts. There are many, many fascinating stories in this book.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 19
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