Robert Shaw - by Christopher Shaw Myers (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Timed to the 50th anniversary of Steven Spielberg's Jaws, an intimate and richly told portrait of the iconic actor and writer Robert Shaw.

A must-read for fans of JAWS, classic cinema, literary biography, powerful women, and stories of brilliant men who burned brightly and died too soon.

An unconventional biography told through the eyes of Robert Shaw's nephew, this is narrative nonfiction at its most intimate and revealing--a raw, riveting journey into the heart and mind of one of the most complex figures in 20th-century film and theater. Robert Shaw unforgettably commanded attention as the weathered seaman Captain Quint in the blockbuster sensation, Jaws. But what came before and after that landmark film is as dramatic as the hunt for the great white shark itself.

Shaw was shaped by brilliant, forceful women and haunted by personal demons. Capturing the many facets of the vibrant, generous, and sometimes polarizing man, Myers explores the forces that shaped a dynamic personality--including Robert's indomitable mother, his deeply troubled father, and his activist sister, Joanna, with whom Robert shared an unbreakable bond. Out of the traumatic events of their childhood in the Orkney Islands and Cornwall, Mrs. Shaw pushed her children to pursue their dreams. For Robert, that dream was acting and writing.

Despite a storied career on the British and American stage--as both performer and playwright--and a string of hit films including From Russia with Love, A Man for All Seasons, The Sting, and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, international celebrity eluded Robert . . . until he was summoned to star in "a little horror film" called Jaws.

Through nearly 300 pages of vivid storytelling and never-before-published material, the book brings readers behind the scenes of JAWS--and deep into the Shaw family itself. When his sister Joanna, a lifelong crusader for equal rights, watched Robert being devoured by a mechanical shark named 'Bruce, ' she was not thinking of the movie, but of the demons eating at her brother from the inside.

Robert Shaw was a warrior, both on and off screen, and like his most iconic character, he refused to wear a life jacket. From his Tony and Academy Award-nominated performances to his prolific work as a novelist and playwright, Robert Shaw lived a life of extremes--never dull, never safe, and never forgotten.

Review Quotes

Praise for Robert Shaw: An Actor's Life on the Set of JAWS and Beyond

"No person who reads Chris Shaw Myers' narrative will ever, ever see or hear Quint's speech the same way again. Things suddenly make sense. Terrible and tragic sense. That is what this book does for Robert Shaw. It is illuminating and clarifying." --The Montauk Sun

"I have seen very few movies more captivating than JAWS, and very few actors more captivating than Robert Shaw. This book provides fascinating insight into a legend and his most legendary work." --Mike Greenberg, ESPN anchor, author of Why My Wife Thinks I'm An Idiot and the novels My Father's Wives and All You Could Ask For

"A deeply personal record of a legendary cinematic figure . . . Shaw was an extraordinary, larger-than-life figure both onscreen and off. His nephew, Christopher Shaw Myers, captures this flamboyant, intricate, and contradictory man in his new and vibrant biography." --Greg King, author of The Duchess of Windsor

"Writer-actor Robert Shaw was a formidable presence on the screen and in the flesh. Christopher Shaw Myers has captured the multitudes of this extraordinary, and often challenging, man. The shark movie gets deserved attention, but it's the man's rich family adventure that makes this book so stunning. Go for the Jaws, stay for the Shaws." --Nat Segaloff, author of The Exorcist Legacy

"If you've ever seen a Robert Shaw performance, you know how captivating he can be. With that in mind, his performances pale compared to his and his family's real-life adventures. His nephew has diligently chronicled these amazing adventures in a literary style that reads like an epic film. -- Dwayne Epstein, author of Killin Generals: The Making of The Dirty Dozen

About the Author

Christopher Shaw Myers grew up listening to the stories told by his colorful uncle, Robert Shaw, and other family members. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, he attended Trinity College, where he double majored in English Literature and Mathematics; and Columbia University, where he received a master's in business administration. After a 30-year career in the hi-tech field, he delved deeper into his family's history to explore the magic that Robert and his siblings cultivated in their lives. He lives in the New York area and can be found online at www.christophershawmyers.com.