The Finest Crew in the Fleet: The Next Generation Cast on Screen and Off

by Adam Shrager

The most loyal fans in this or any other galaxy have made Star Trek: The Next Generation the most successful first-run syndicated show in history (still on the air in every major U.S. market). Now,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1888149035
• ISBN13: 9781888149036
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Wolf Valley Books
• Length: 274 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Every Star Trek fan should own this book!

Being a lifelong Star Trek fan, I'm used to reading about Trek. A great many of the biographies and "histories" of Trek are boring and poorly written. Finally, here's a book that not only gives you interesting details about the crew we know and love (Yes, the Next Generation crew), but it's well written. This book gives us intimate portraits of the Star Trek actors, the actors who seem so much a part of their roles it's a shock to see them out of uniform. The book reads like a breeze, and confidently exposes the lives and loves of the actors we feel we know so well. Some of the details Shrager elicits are moving; for example, learning of Patrick Stewart's unhappy childhood makes one feels all the more satisfied that he has hit it big. Of course, the browsing reader will enjoy the spectacular photographs, which create a kind of dizziness when you first see them (Jean-Luc with hair! Worf on "CHiPs"!), but the more careful reader will note the way ! Shrager blends intimate details of the actors with the nature of the characters they play. This is good stuff. On a comic note, the great cover you're looking at caused the hacks at Paramount no end of worry; they had the same cover slated for a book they released months later. Of course it flopped; it was nowhere near as good as this one. Buy it, read it, love it.

I can't get enough of this cast!

I received the book yesterday in the mail, and I'm really enjoying it! I have read so much about the different characters, but there are always aspects we don't know. I loved the Brent Spiner chapter, I didn't know his make-up had been removed with a kerosene based remover! It was the little things like that, that have made the book highly enjoyable. The pictures are great too, I love the one on the back cover. I think the cast of TNG consits of an exceptional group of actors, who are highly talented and very enjoyable to watch and read about! I'm very passionate about the series, and consider it to be one of my favorite shows. Thanks for writing a book where I can read more about the cast when I need to. They are truly wonderful. Thank you! LJB

Combines all the facts into one condensed version- excellent

This is a necessary book for any Next Generation fan. It takes the rumors we know and the facts we never heard and combines them into one useful text. I learned more about the actors from the series than I had anywhere else. I truly hope another one comes along. Great pictures too

The Finest Book on the Fleet

By far the most readable and informative of all the Star Trek-related books.While I am a very ordinary viewer (I don't go to conventions, don't own any novelties, and don't recite whole scenes from memory,) I found myself reading this book late into the night, missing meals, and generally having a great time until I had read every word. (The layout of the book makes it easy to jump from one section to another, as your whim dictates. I was a little bit sad when I realized that I had read all of them--wait, I thought, there just have to be more!!) The book is broken up into several sections, and each of the lead roles gets major coverage. This is where you can find out all about Patrick Stewart's years on the stage, Gates McFadden's many artistic outlets (dancing and choreography are just the beginning), and the truth about Marina Sirtis's B-flicks from before she became a star. In addition, this book has lots of information about people who other writers might neglect: for example, we hear about the long and distinguished acting career of John DeLancey (the popular, all-powerful "Q"). Here we learn that Brian Bonsall--Worf's son Alexander--also played Andrew Keaton on "Family Ties" (I sure didn't recognize him). Unlike many books in this area, which give only a shallow portrait of peoples' lives outside of the studio,"The Finest Crew in the Fleet" gave me a strong sense of who these actors are, how Star Trek fits into their lives, why they enjoy it so much, and what they want to do in the future. As the first book to cover the lives of all of the Next Generation cast, this rare treat was well worth the wait.

A must have for Trek fans

There are only a handfull of books that true trekkers must possess. The Star Fleet Technical Manual, The Star Trek Concordance, Nitpickers Guide, etc. Ranking right up top with these classics is the soon-to-be-released The Finest Crew in the Fleet. Do you want to know where the actors get their inspiration from? Need to know where the people behind the unforgettable personae of Picard, Riker, Data, Warf, Troi get their impulses? Want to see some unbelievable photos and get the best trivia on you favorite characters. THIS IS THE BOOK. Great reading, great learning, GREAT TREKKING. Two Vulcan Hand Salutes Up