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Pieces of My Heart Audiobook Summary

The New York Times bestseller Pieces of My Heart is the revelation-filled memoir from one of Hollywood’s most talented actors, Robert J. Wagner. He offers readers a candid and deeply personal look at his life and career, from his rise to stardom among legends like Cary Grant and Barbara Stanwyck to his troubled marriage, divorce, and remarriage to starlet Natalie Wood. With color photographs and never-before-told stories, this is a quintessentially American, remarkably candid story of one of the great sons of Hollywood.

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Pieces of My Heart Audiobook Narrator

Robert J. Wagner is the narrator of Pieces of My Heart audiobook that was written by Robert J. Wagner

Robert J. Wagner has been active in Hollywood for more than five decades and has starred in such films as A Kiss Before Dying, The Longest Day, The Pink Panther, and, most recently, the Austin Powers movies. On television, Wagner also starred in three long-running series, It Takes a Thief (with Fred Astaire), Switch (with Eddie Albert and Sharon Gless), and Hart to Hart (with Stefanie Powers). He is currently featured on Two and a Half Men. Wagner is married to actress Jill St. John and lives in Los Angeles.

About the Author(s) of Pieces of My Heart

Robert J. Wagner is the author of Pieces of My Heart

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Pieces of My Heart Full Details

Narrator Robert J. Wagner
Length 5 hours 47 minutes
Author Robert J. Wagner
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date September 23, 2008
ISBN 9780061706189

Subjects

The publisher of the Pieces of My Heart is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Biography & Autobiography, Personal Memoirs

Additional info

The publisher of the Pieces of My Heart is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780061706189.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Douglas

December 17, 2020

After a few days of staring at the cover, I finally opened Robert Wagner’s autobiography and actually read it. Whew- Wagner gives me absolutely everything I want in a Hollywood tell-all memoir, he lists all the movies he’s made, and adds interesting anecdotes about cast and crew and then he lists all the people he’s slept with and adds interesting anecdotes about them too. He had a one night stand with Joan Crawford, “she was controlling in ways in which you’d guess, but submissive in ways in which you wouldn’t.” He cheated on Natalie Wood with Joan Collins, partially because he suspected Natalie was cheating on him with Warren Betty, who was actually dating Joan Collins at the time...yes, it’s all so good! If you want more than just details on his salacious sex life, there’s also plenty of details about the making of The Towering Inferno, everything you’d want to know about Hart to Hart, and sadly the riff between him and Stephanie Powers (I refuse to take sides here!) And yes, for you people that slow down to gawk at wrecks on the freeway, he discusses the final weekend of Natalie Wood’s life, and I’ll just say it right now, his story sounds perfectly logical to me. But I recommend you read the book and make up you own mind!

Betty

November 20, 2008

Pieces Of My Heart: a Life by Robert J. Wagner with Scott EymanThe autobiography of a well-grounded man who never lost his awe of life or the movies. He also was humble enough to allow friends to help him in his darkest hours. A man whose gentility reminds one of an earlier time. This is the story of "Pieces of My Heart: a Life" told by Robert J. Wagner. The story is candidly told with no Hollywood excess overpowering the theme. That is not to say there is nothing Hollywood about the book, how could there not be? In fact, there are a lot of interesting insights into a number of legendary actors. What R.J., as he was known, relives in this book is very much a living history of movie acting from the 1950s to the present. Many of his best friends through the years were from the earlier days, Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy... He has the determination, the talent, the luck and the willingness to work hard, and even more, puts the movie rather than himself first; ego has no place in his agenda. His work ethic is admirable and his goal is to "always make it fresh."He was fortunate to have grown up in California and as a boy worked at the Bel-Aire Stables. On his breaks he was able to watch the golfers at the Bel-Aire Country Club, where his father was a member. This is where he first saw some of his greatest movie heroes.This is a deeply personal story, and he bares his all for us, and, I personally think, for his children. This is the first time he bares his soul in his memories and details of his two marriages to Natalie Wood. This book is full of love for friends, personal relationships, his children, and the profession he has chosen. This story is told not by a star but by a real person. I think he says it all when he writes "I think my ability to sustain a long career has been at least partially a result of my ability to sustain long relationships, sometimes through succeeding generations." I highly recommend this book, not just for movie enthusiasts, but for the joyous embracement of life, and the sharing of his sorrows and overcoming them.

Michael

November 28, 2011

This is one of the best celebrity autobiographies that I've read in quite some time.Despite may tragedies, Robert Wagner has had a wonderful life and career. He writes from his heart and comes across as what he is: a very nice, caring human being who speaks the truth.

Mark

September 03, 2014

Robert Wagner - who shares my birthday of 10th February, albeit 39 years apart - was a Hollywood kid, growing up in Bel Air next to a golf course where one day he saw Fred Astaire, Clark Gable, Randolph Scott and Cary Grant walk by. Seeing his idols from the silver screen led him into acting - against his father wishes - and a career that began aged 16 as he walked down Sunset Boulevard looking for a job. Mentored by Spencer Tracy and under the wing of studio head Darryl F. Zanuck, he became a star and thoroughly enjoyed himself.I enjoyed this and a lot of that comes from Wagner himself who (along with Scott Eyman) tells the story in a bright and breezy style that never skimps on the darker side of fame (or the harshness of his father), even as it revels in the love, fun and friendships that he enjoyed. I particularly enjoyed his recollections of adventures with stars like Steve McQueen, Sophia Loren, Peter Sellers, Laurence Olivier, Roger Moore, Tony Curtis, Roddy McDowell, Liz Taylor, Joan Collins and David Niven, with whom he was very close. Gleefully candid about his early days as a rising actor, he enjoyed the attention and the ladies, before falling in love with the much older Barbara Stanwyk. After he split from her, he fell in love with rising actress Natalie Wood and they enjoyed a fairytale marriage until the stress of career drove them to divorce (and her into the arms of Warren Beatty). It is clear that Wagner loved her a great deal but unfortunately, his description of her made me think of a spoiled, selfish brat who threw a strop when she didn’t get what she wanted. Her affair with Warren Beatty was devastating to him - and she must have realised it - and in their second marriage, at least some of the issues stemmed from his worries about her fidelity. He married former actress Marion Marshall (and took in her two sons) and with his movie career in decline went to Europe and enjoyed a resurgence. Back in Hollywood, with a new daughter and a crumbling marriage, he was drafted into TV by Universal headman Lew Wasserman and started the next stage of his career. Re-marrying Natalie Wood (gaining her daughter and having another of his own), they appeared to enjoy a wonderful settled life until the events in 1981 onboard their yacht “The Splendour”, where she was drowned at sea. I wasn’t aware of all the details surrounding Wood’s death (I remember it, but I hadn’t seen anything with her at the time and he symbolised “Hart To Hart” for me) but he deals with it well, a straight forward recount of the events with neither of the participants - him or Christopher Walken - shown as hero or villain and he compliments Walken for his gentlemanly conduct after her death. As it was, everything from “The Splendour” was stored but in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, a bridge collapsed and flattened the building. He writes “gone, all gone”, a sad end to a sad chapter.Following this period, he met Jill St. John (who, coincidentally, had been in the same ballet class as a girl as Natalie Wood and Stefanie Powers, his co-star in “Hart To Hart”), got married, raised his children and now appears (at least, up to 2008 when this was published) to enjoy life. Embracing family and friends, he is clearly a much loved man and he reciprocates, with tales of people he’s known and - as life moves on - a melancholic view of those people who leave us. Almost always positive, he is rarely unpleasant but when he doesn’t like someone (for various reasons, usually because they have wronged him or a friend), he is remarkably candid.This is well written but doesn’t go in-depth enough for me (apart from, perhaps, his second marriage to Natalie Wood and its untimely end) and whilst I would have preferred a little more substance it’s an enjoyable, brisk read of a life well lived and closes wonderfully on a hopeful, yet poignant note. Highly recommended.

Denise

October 18, 2014

I really enjoyed this book because I love Hollywood's Golden Age and it's always interesting to read about it form the ones who were part of it, either as witnesses of participants in it. Robert Wagner was focused and he got the career he wanted, he wanted to be in the movies. In this book he talks about his childhood, his youth and the climax of his versatile career. He started in the movies but he also did a couple of plays and made a successful transition into TV. What I enjoyed most was his anecdotes with different actors, actresses, directors and producers from back then. He made profound and lasting friendships with many of them. He also talks about his relationships, his family and the tragic loss of his then wife, Natalie Wood. I already liked him before, but after I read the book I like him a little bit more because he really reflects his human side on these pages. He seems like a well adjusted guy with a well lived life who has had ups and downs like any of us. He has been open to learn from others about his craft and about life, and he's been humble enough to own his mistakes. It was a very entertaining book.

Julie

June 16, 2009

I enjoyed this book. Old Hollywood and old actors - the greats - filled Mr. Wagner's life. Interesting stories - and again, made me wonder where people who do not have our faith get their moral compass. Mr. Wagner's moral compass - though somewhat different from mine - is one of decency in the world he lives in, loyalty, honesty, hard work and he knows how to live in a real world of family and friends, nature and the beauty of the earth and appreciates and values it, and at the same time loves the attention and life of a movie star with all it's trappings. He has survived heart ache, loss and has come through it, loving his family and enjoying life. Hat's off to Mr. Wagner! ... and hat's off to Jill St. John who loves him, has given his life meaning but who will always be second in line to Mr. Wagner's beloved Natalie. Interesting read ....

Sherri

January 10, 2014

This is my second time reading Mr. Wagner's book and I enjoyed even more the second time. I have been a fan of his since I was a child. The first time I ever saw him was in a movie called The Pink Panther. If you have never seen it I would recommend it highly. So when he talks about how he got the part and his long friendship with the amazing David Niven I was mesmerized. I have been a fan of David Niven forever as well. Who wouldn't feel that way he was such a wonderful, funny and talented man. Robert Wagner lets you know that is very real and that he was also a great friend and mentor. The first TV show I saw Mr. Wagner in was It Takes A Thief. This show is not shown anymore. Such a pity because it is one of the most fun and stylish shows. It is about a thief who is taken out of prison and recruited to work for the a CIA like organization. I just loved it because it was fun and exciting. The man who played his Dad was the great Fred Astaire . Of course he was a great dancer but he was also a wonderful actor. Robert Wagner talks about how he became not only a mentor but one of his dearest friends. I loved that.The most touching part of the book was about Natalie Wood. How they met, fell in love and married way too young. And how they came back to each other only to loose Natalie in such a heart tearing devastating way. You could just feel the poor man's heart breaking as he wrote it.I also loved his series, Hart to Hart, he and Stefanie Powers had a wonderful relationship and you could see the friendship on the screen. It was fun to read how that came about how he felt about being a Producer and Actor in a hit series.This is just a touch about his book, I highly recommend it for not only fans of Robert Wagner but fans of movies. It teaches us what the movie system was like, what TV in the 60's and 70's are like and how it all changed as the world changed.

John

October 18, 2008

Though I found it a little conceited at first, I warmed up to this memoir. I had a hard time getting over all the name-dropping, but I realized that he really did know a lot of the Hollywood Elite and it was a way for him to remember his life, have it on paper, and for us to visit. His voice is definitely warm in this book, and it's easy to get caught up in the stories he tells. It was funny and, at times, profoundly touching - his overwhelming love of Natalie was very moving. It's a great story of moving on and learning to live with life's pains, rather than forget them or hide them away. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a easy, quick autobiography, and HIGHLY recommend grabbing Gavin Lambert's "Natalie Wood: A Life," first. These two books go hand-in-hand and are well worth the read.P.S. What's with him thanking Debbie Reynolds twice? Anyone else pick up on that in the Acknowledgments?

John

September 07, 2014

Robert Wagner married Natalie Wood twice. I saw "West Side Story" in early 1962 as a Freshman in college. At that time I didn't know she had been a child actress from the age of four, but her persona struck me to the extent that I tried to see all of her subsequent movies. She seemed to captivate Wagner, who was devastated when they were divorced knowing that he would forever love her. The news of her accidental death when she was just 43 was horrifying. The book covers his life as an actor--it was published before his role on television as Agent Dinozo's father on NCIS, in his early 80s. It was an interesting read, and includes his association with many of the stars of the film industry. I share his love of golf, and liked his first encounter with four famous actors on the course when he was just 11 years old.

Amy

May 21, 2014

I learned a lot about Robert Wagner from this book. For example, did you know that he will be 80 in 2010? His closest friends were often those older than him -- David Niven, Spencer Tracy, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Gregory Peck, Bette Davis and "Larry" Olivier!I discovered more about his relationships, especially with Natalie Wood and her family.The only thing missing was an index. I would have loved to turn to the index, find what I was looking for and then go retrace my steps this way instead of having to flip through all of the pages already read to locate those few snippets that I wanted to go back and reread.

Cherie

July 16, 2013

I have always admired RJ and his book did not make me change my mind one bit. I felt that it was honest and well written and easy to read. I learned a lot about him and his life and his family and his friends. I loved reading the names of many of the older generation of actors and people that he knew and worked with and was friends with. I compiled a good list of books that I want to read and have added to my TBR.

Kym

February 17, 2018

I enjoyed this book more than i was expecting. It covers sympathetically the women in his life. I was reading a Barbara Stanwyck bio when I read this and it did add a different dimension to my understanding of who Barbara Stanwyck was.

LaurieH118

July 01, 2012

I admit it -- I picked this book up again because of all the news coverage and renewed speculation about the death of Natalie Wood. While he does give his version of events (and no, I don't think he tossed her overboard), there's much more to the book than that.I had no idea that as a young man he'd had an affair with Barbara Stanwyck, a woman more than 20 years his senior. The passages about their affair were tender and sexy, and if I was her, I'd be thrilled that an ex-lover remembered me this passionately decades after the fact.Loved the parts about Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, two of my all-time favorites, as well as Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. His love of the business of film-making is contagious.And the sections about Natalie are so lovely and so sad. He loved her, loved their life, loved their daughters (and raised Natasha, from her first marriage) and lost her ... twice. He seems to believe it was a stupid accident fueled by too much alcohol and I agree. And, as with Princess Diana, it's so hard to accept that someone so special could perish in a stupid accident fueled by too much alcohol, and that's why so many conspiracy theories flourish. (And because I suspect some people want to make one last buck and enjoy Natalie's reflected starlight one more time.)I was never a fan of his before, though I do enjoy his appearances as Tony's father on NCIS. I still won't watch Hart to Hart reruns. But I did get a kick out of the time I spent with RJ as I read his memoir.

Marcia

May 08, 2014

I grew up loving Robert Wagner so this autobiography totally appealed to me. His writing style is a bit choppy as he jumped from one topic to another, sometimes every other paragraph but soon I got used to his style. His true voice shone through and it felt like sitting in his living room as he related all the events of his life. It was fun peeking in on the off-stage lives of well-loved actors and directors. Many secrets revealed. RJ. Takes the reader on his personal journey where we learn about his failures and successes and just how honest, pragmatic and loyal he is. His personality and outlook on life garnered many long time friendships, such as with Fred Astaire and David Niven. Director Darryl Zanuck adored RJ Wagner as did most people. The account of Natalie Wood's death brought me to tears, for her life cut short and RJ's profound sadness at losing the love of his life. The biography ends with hi fabulous marriage to Jill St. John , how his children are doing in their lives and his take on modern show business and the myriad changes he's seen in the business over six decades. If you love movies, you'll love his stories about directors, actors and people on the show crews. RJ is still working today at 84 years old, but only when he wants to. He's one of the most prolific actors alive and a stellar man who is his true self on and off the stage. Highly recommended read.

Becky

March 12, 2015

This was a good book. I listened to it while sewing and it was very pleasant listening. Robert Wagner has a good rhythm when speaking and his life story was interesting. It was wonderful to hear how much he and Natlie Wood loved each other, despite their differences, divorce, and then their remarriage to each other. Losing her was unbelievable for him, and you can hear it in the retelling of this story. He has led a charmed life and doesn't take it for granted. I enjoyed this book very much.

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