JUNE 2017 - AudioFile
Comic actor and political activist Alec Baldwin delivers a very personal—actually, arrogantly self-centered—memoir. There is little of interest or appeal in the protagonist’s feeling powerfully sorry for himself as a lower-middle-class Long Island child and young man who was raised in a single-family home with more limited funds than his neighbors. But Baldwin’s persona as a talented actor is a powerhouse behind the microphone. He will likely reach out and absorb the listener’s focused attention, despite a text that offers little deep insight into his life, celebrated as it might be. Blame and anger predominate in this story of eventual big success. Baldwin fans will likely be enthusiastic at learning the details, however they may be slanted in his favor and however much he uses his significant presentation skills to convince. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
The New York Times - Sarah Lyall
…a thorough and sophisticated effort to answer an interesting question: How did an indifferently raised, self-flagellating kid from a just-making-ends-meet, desultorily functioning Long Island family, in Massapequa, turn into Alec Baldwin, gifted actor, familiar public figure, impressively thoughtful person, notorious pugilist? The passages about his childhood—his mother overwhelmed, depressed, lying in bed surrounded by laundry; his father working at a school; six siblings fighting for space and resources in a two-bedroom house, their parents unable to afford even a washing machine—are beautifully written and unexpectedly moving…Nevertheless…is full of unexpectedly sharp descriptions.…[Baldwin is] a highly literate and fluent writer…
AudioFile
Baldwin’s persona as a talented actor is a powerhouse behind the microphone.”
Entertainment Weekly
[A] rich, fascinating, occasionally irascible chronicle.”
Washington Post
Alexander Baldwin III is something of an American treasure…Nevertheless is a blunt object wielded by a man of sharp intellect against his own soul.”
New York Times
Thorough and sophisticated…Baldwin writes with great knowledge about old films, the art of acting, what he has learned from other actors, and about the differences among television, film, and theater…He’s a highly literate and fluent writer.”
Chicago Tribune
Swift, eloquent, witty.”
From the Publisher
[A] rich, fascinating, occasionally irascible chronicle.” — Entertainment Weekly
“Swift, eloquent, witty.” — Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
Swift, eloquent, witty.
The Globe and Mail
A rollicking, captivating peek into one of the world’s most vainglorious industries, as well as a sincerely moving portrait of the artist. . . . As he chronicles this tumultuous coming of age, one marked by the straining of relationships and the spilling of family secrets, it’s easy to get lost in the natural arc Baldwin builds, all broken dreams, earth-shifting drama, lucky breaks, eternal heartache, and addiction—early chapters are like Fitzgerald crossed with Cheever.
Washington Post
Alexander Baldwin III is something of an American treasure . . . ‘Nevertheless’ is a blunt object wielded by a man of sharp intellect against his own soul. . . . It’s refreshing to read a celebrity memoir that is not painted in pastels and glossed with self-actualization, that does not ride off into the sunset after rewarding projects and hurdled obstacles. . . . Evocative.
USA Today
Some memoirs invite speed-reading until the juicier ‘fame’ chapters; but Baldwin, an eloquent writer who attempts to see his past through various vantage points, creates a vivid look at the boy who lost his distant father, whom he adored, too young; the burgeoning young TV star who abused cocaine and alcohol in his 20s, and the man who would gamble on movie fame over Broadway in the mid-90s—and come to regret it. Readers who come for showbiz dish will leave well-served . . . . remarkably raw, human and relatable. . . . Think you know Baldwin? Nevertheless, you still may want to pick up his book.
Huffington Post on A Promise to Ourselves
Told with intelligence and passion . . . This book is a must.
New York Times Book Review on A Promise to Ourselves
Vivid [and] deeply felt.
JUNE 2017 - AudioFile
Comic actor and political activist Alec Baldwin delivers a very personal—actually, arrogantly self-centered—memoir. There is little of interest or appeal in the protagonist’s feeling powerfully sorry for himself as a lower-middle-class Long Island child and young man who was raised in a single-family home with more limited funds than his neighbors. But Baldwin’s persona as a talented actor is a powerhouse behind the microphone. He will likely reach out and absorb the listener’s focused attention, despite a text that offers little deep insight into his life, celebrated as it might be. Blame and anger predominate in this story of eventual big success. Baldwin fans will likely be enthusiastic at learning the details, however they may be slanted in his favor and however much he uses his significant presentation skills to convince. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
