Total Recall [Hardcover]

I am very much a child of the eighties and grew up watching the films of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, although due to my age and the ratings on most of their films I only saw the 'comedies' they made at the cinema.

I relied on my VHS copies of films such as Running Man, Predator, Commando and Totall Recall on an almost daily basis and literally wore them out.

Even though Arnold Schwarzenegger is still undoubtedly one of the more famous celebrities in the world, he has some how managed to keep a great deal of his private life out of the public forum, and so it came as quite a surprise to a great many people when stories of the big mans numerous extramarital affairs and began breaking in the news over the last year or so.

Now with the release of this book it leaves me thinking of the chicken and the egg.

Which came first here?

The scandals in the press, so Arnie decides to cut his losses and release a autobiography on the back of it?

Or a decision to 'release' these stories to drum up publicity for this new book?

To be honest having read this book, and therefore having a better understanding of what a determined, intelligent, driven and calculated man Arnold Schwarzenegger is, I am inclined to believe the latter.

Its a big book, just under 700 pages spread across 30 chapters, and there are lots of really good photographs, some instantly recognisable but some I assume must be from his private collection because I have never seen them reproduced previously.

The book starts right at the beginning and tells of his youth in Austria, these bits are really well written and from an early age you get a real sense of how he was forming a plan for the rest of his life.

He talks in great detail about his body building and admits the steroid use, something that led to serious health problems later on in his lfe, and illustrates how an unbelievable amount of hard work and dedication enabled him to win Mr Universe.

What follows then is a perfect example of the 'American Dream', it really is amazing when you read what Arnold came to America with and what he has achieved in that time.

Is it inspiring?

Yes most definitely, but unfortunately the world has changed a great deal since Arnie started out and for an individual to do now what he achieved would be quite a different matter in my opinion.

One thing that surprised me about the book was the lack of 'surprises'!

I really thought this book would be a warts and all book, but to be honest all the major revelations are already out there and all this book does is give more detail, unfortunately it is very much from the authors side of things and I fear he doesn't always accept as much responsibility for his mistakes that I would have liked.

The book is very funny in places and I definitely got a sense of a man with a quick wit and a wicked sense of humour, it has some great stories about the worlds of bodybuilding, Hollywood and politics.

With regards to the latter, politics, the book does go into considerable detail, and so it should, Arnold Schwarzenegger governed the state of California for nearly a decade at a time when it went through huge upheaval, many consider him to have been very sucessful and this is yet another remarkable achievement in a remarkable career by a remarkable man.

It is definitely not as salacious as the hype has suggested it may be, infact it probably is more of an attempt to rebuild a tarnished reputation and make a lot of money at the same time, it is ultimately another example of what this man has done best throughout his career; refuse to be beaten, control his image, come out on top, and gain financially.

Does this matter?

Not to me!

I grew up loving the films of Arnold Schwarzenegger, I am really excited that he is back in the movies, and this book lived up to my expectations.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and definitely know far more about the author than beforehand, I also have far more of a respect for what he has achieved considering what humble beginnings he came from.

I was weaned on the giants of the `80s action movies: Stallone, Seagal, Van Damme, Lundgren and of course, Schwarzenegger. I can in fact remember the first time I saw an Arnie film, when my babysitter decided to put on The Terminator and at a pre-school age, I was confronted with the sight of this behemoth of a man, carving a path of carnage through LA. From then on in, I was a fan.
When Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story the autobiography of Arnold Schwarzenegger landed on my doormat, I felt like a kid at Christmas!

The life story of Arnold Schwarzenegger is truly remarkable. In his own words, "...what are the odds... for an Austrian farm boy to come to America and become the greatest bodybuilding champion of all time, to get in the movie business, marry a Kennedy, and then get elected governor of the biggest state of the United States..."
From that brief quotation, the reader can see there is certainly plenty of material for him to cover and this is demonstrated by the fact that you're halfway through the book before any real discussion of The Terminator: a movie that was made almost 30 years ago.

At times, I was laughing uncontrollably at some of the stories in this book and most of the time, I couldn't help but read it and hear his voice in your head! Although much of what is narrated in the book is already well-known, getting Schwarzenegger's version of events is compelling, hearing about his childhood in Austria, his will to succeed in bodybuilding, how Conan the Barbarian brought him international stardom, how he was determined to succeed as Chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports; and many other tales that leave you wondering how one man at the age of 65 years old could fit so much into one lifetime.

Arnold comes across as incredibly driven, highly competitive and quite calculating, sometimes to the point where I found myself losing a bit of respect for him. His psychological toying with other athletes on and off the stage were not what I would expect from a modern athlete but then again, Schwarzenegger really was a game-changer as far as the bodybuilding world was concerned.

As the book progressed, I was worried that he would simply ignore the subject of his lovechild but in fact, my fears were allayed late on in the book. Despite this, he skirts over his own failings and misdemeanours such as affairs, alleged sexual harassment, drug use and steroid abuse. This may be understandable, given that Arnold is still a high profile individual, a role model to many and a man who still hopes that he can save his marriage to Maria Shriver.

The section on Arnie's time in politics will not be to everyone's taste, especially those who are more interested in his bodybuilding and/or movie career. At times, it can be very dry and overly-descriptive about political processes; but it is also not without its highpoints and is peppered with references and anecdotes about famous politicians and celebrities alike. Schwarzenegger freely admits many of the mistakes he made while in office as the Governor of California but is keen to point out that he gave it his absolute all, just like every other career decision he has made.

For me, as a fan, I don't regret reading this book. Much of the information contained therein is already common knowledge but the facts and circumstances that are already known are brought to life with Schwarzenegger's own stories and thoughts on events. The title of the book however, is only partly true; the latter half being correct in that yes, it is indeed an "unbelievably true life story"; but the title "Total Recall" is quite the misnomer, since I cannot help but feel much has been omitted deliberately from this book.
Ultimately, this book is much like the man himself: entertaining, larger than life, charismatic and unforgettable; but not without its flaws.

Arnold Schwarzenneger has always been a self-confident player in the media, business and political world. From his Austrian origins and his journey to America, he has played his cards with hard work and ambition. His 'Education of a Bodybulder' (1977), reveals his goals. "Strength and confidence , plus a firsthand knowledge of the rewards of hard work and persistence, can help you attain a new and better life". Never better summarised regarding Arnold's approach.The epitomy of America. If you want it enough it is achievable. From 'Mr Olympia', unbeatable body builder (under Ben Weider's guidance, despite controversy ), his Kennedy connections, Governor of California , a lucrative film career, he has had it in the palms of his hands as if a 200kg barbell. Most know him for his incredibly successful film output. Exciting and entertaining.

His book is informative and humorous, yet reveals the calculating side of his personality. Arnold has charisma and a cold charm allied to his appearance, physique, dialect, (can't help seeing and hearing him whilst reading this), all adding to the attraction. His marketing has been handled expertly. Even his rumoured affairs have come to light. With spin they have been largely surfed over. His ego matched the size of his biceps. Failure was never an option. His movies presented him to the world stage never to look back. Revealing so much of his life in the present day and other sporting revelations is admirable but leads the reader to decide 'Who Is The Real Arnold?'.

It puts together much that I knew from following his career through the sixties and beyond. His ambition was,and presumably still is, one of tremendous drive to be the best. With Arnold you only know one thing. Whatever he does, he is an achiever, manipulator, through his and the media promotion. 'Total Recall' is an interesting summary and synopsis of the man. I have great admiration for his achievements despite the spectre of underhand help. He has admitted well-known aspects of his past and played the rest close to his chest. If you want to dig into Arnold's psyche, this is an entertaining place to start. I'm sure he'll be back in some format or other. In the book, 'Pumping Iron', (1974), he describes his body 'like a sculpture' that can be improved. In the film 'Pumping Iron' his muscular back is described 'like a Christmas tree' with 'total definition'. I wouldn't want to be in front of it. There is a lot more not revealed. I think this reflects his attitude to his life. Why he writes a book now is suspiciously like a firework about to go off with another cracker to come.