BookTowne Welcomes Christopher Shaw Myers author of new book "Robert Shaw"

A ticket includes a signed copy of the book.

ABOUT THE BOOK

ROBERT SHAW: An Actor’s Life on the Set of JAWS and Beyond is the first narrative biography of Robert Shaw, written by his nephew, Christopher Shaw Myers, who brings fresh insight into the life of the celebrated actor of stage and screen.

A true Renaissance man, Robert Shaw’s professional success on the screen, stage, and page are just one part of his multifaceted story. Since his childhood as a Brit in Orkney, Robert was a natural leader who had a penchant for performing. Despite stacked successes both on and off the stage—he was one of the few people to receive both

an Oscar nomination for acting and a Tony nomination for writing—international fame eluded him until the breakout of JAWS.

Meyers also offers a revealing look at the forces that shaped such a dynamic individual, including Shaw’s childhood during World War II, his indomitable mother, his activist sister, and the traumatic events of their childhood that led to Shaw’s lifelong battle with alcohol addiction.

Shaw cut his teeth in the London theatre, acting alongside such legendary Shakespearian stalwarts as Sir John Gielgud, Sir Alec Guinness, and Sir Michael Redgrave. He was nominated for an Oscar (A Man for All Seasons) and dyed his hair blond as James Bond’s nemesis in To Russia With Love. He developed his craft moving between stage, screen, and television. He helped Paul Newman and Robert Redford turn The Sting into Academy Award gold.

But it was Shaw’s unforgettable role in the astounding success of JAWS, the groundbreaking film that became the first “summer blockbuster” which transformed American film forever. With genre-bending innovation and revolutionary revenue as the first movie to exceed $100 million in the U.S. box office, JAWS was, and remains, a legendary touchstone in pop culture. The film’s iconic USS Indianapolis monologue was written by Shaw himself and had fans scrambling to their history books to learn more about this gruesome moment in military history. “Anyway, we delivered the bomb....”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christopher Shaw Myers (Bridgeport, CT) 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.