From the Publisher
THE GREATEST IMMIGRANT SUCCESS STORY OF OUR TIME
His story is unique, and uniquely entertaining,
and he tells it brilliantly in these pages.
He was born in a year of famine, in a small
Austrian town, the son of an austere police chief. He dreamed of
moving to America to become a bodybuilding champion and a movie
star.
By the age of twenty-one, he was living in Los
Angeles and had been crowned Mr. Universe.
Within five years, he had learned English and
become the greatest bodybuilder in the world.
Within ten years, he had earned his college
degree and was a millionaire from his business enterprises in real
estate, landscaping, and bodybuilding. He was also the winner of a
Golden Globe Award for his debut as a dramatic actor in Stay
Hungry.
Within twenty years, he was the world's biggest
movie star, the husband of Maria Shriver, and an emerging
Republican leader who was part of the Kennedy family.
Thirty-six years after coming to America, the
man once known by fellow bodybuilders as the Austrian Oak was
elected governor of California, the seventh largest economy in the
world.
He led the state through a budget crisis, natural disasters, and
political turmoil, working across party lines for a better
environment, election reforms, and bipartisan solutions.
With Maria Shriver, he raised four fantastic children. In the
wake of a scandal he brought upon himself, he tried to keep his
family together.
Until now, he has never told the full story of
his life, in his own voice.
Here is Arnold, with total recall.
About the Author
Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Austria, in 1947, in a
small village bordering the Styrian capital Graz. Schwarzenegger
served in the Austrian Army in 1965 to fulfill the one year of
service required at the time of all 18-year-old Austrian males.
During his army service, he won the Junior Mr. Europe contest. In
1967, Schwarzenegger won the title of Mr. Universe for the first
time, becoming the youngest ever Mr. Universe at the age of 20. He
would go on to win the title three more times. Schwarzanegger moved
to the U.S. in 1968 at the age of 21. Schwarzenegger soon became
good friends with professional wrestler "Superstar" Billy Graham.
In 1970, at age 23, he captured his first Mr. Olympia title in New
York, and would go on to win the title a total of seven times.
Schwarzenegger is considered among the most important figures in
the history of bodybuilding, and his legacy is commemorated in the
Arnold Classic annual bodybuilding competition. For many years, he
wrote a monthly column for the bodybuilding magazines Muscle &
Fitness and Flex. Shortly after being elected Governor, he was
appointed executive editor of both magazines, in a largely symbolic
capacity. The magazines agreed to donate $250,000 a year to the
Governor's various physical fitness initiatives. The magazine
MuscleMag International has a monthly two-page article on him, and
refers to him as "The King". Aside from bodybuilding,
Schwarzenegger has been a successful actor, businessman, investor,
and politician. He served as the 38th Governor of California from
2003 until 2011. Among his titles are: Arnie": Schwarzenegger and
the Movies, Governor Arnold: A Photodiary of His First 100 Days in
Office, and Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story which
made The New York Times Best Seller List for 2012.
About the Book
One of the most anticipated autobiographies of this generation, Schwarzenegger's "Total Recall" is the candid story by one of the world's most remarkable actors, businessmen, and world leaders. Proud of his accomplishments and honest about his regrets, Schwarzenegger spares nothing in sharing his amazing story.
