cover image To the Stars: The Autobiography of George Takei, Star Trek's Mr. Sulu

To the Stars: The Autobiography of George Takei, Star Trek's Mr. Sulu

George Takei. Pocket Books, $22 (406pp) ISBN 978-0-671-89008-7

Asian-American actor Takei attributes his success to his role as Mr. Sulu on the Star Trek TV series and in six full-length motion pictures (1966-1991). Starting with his Japanese-American family's internment in a WWII high-security camp in northern California, this lively memoir reveals the author's upbeat but pragmatic nature. The boy's early fascination with the theater, abetted by supportive parents and a B.A. and M.A. in theater from UCLA, led to his discovery when he was 27 by Gene Roddenberry, creator/producer of Star Trek. While Takei's film credits include Ice Palace, Green Berets and Bridge on the River Kwai, most of the book, of major interest to Star Trek fans, deals with behind-the-scenes accounts of the series' filming and production. (Oct.)