George Arliss is almost forgotten today, but he was a huge star of stage and screen in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and I'm a big fan of the portion of his work that survives on screen. This is the first volume of his autobiography, and it is splendidly written in a style that sounds exactly what I'd have imagined he would write like after having seen him in films. It's also a fascinating look at a transitional period in theatre, the shift from the grand, almost operatic performance to the subtler work that has become, in general, the norm. A wonderful book. I look forward to the second volume, which covers his film career. ( )