C. Bertelsmann To Publish Sylvester Stallone Memoir
The iconic American actor’s memoir “The Steps” will be published worldwide on October 23.
On October 23, “The Steps” by famous U.S. actor Sylvester Stallone, will be published worldwide. C. Bertelsmann, a Penguin Random House Verlagsgruppe imprint, has secured the German-language rights, and will publish the memoir under the title “The Steps. Die Geschichte meines Lebens.” Its fellow Verlagsgruppe imprint Hörverlag group, will simultaneously publish the German-language audiobook.
Sylvester Stallone is one of the most popular and well-known actors of recent decades, with a life story as dramatic and spectacular as his movies. The title of his memoir refers to the famous 72 steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which the actor repeatedly climbs during his training as the boxer Rocky in the first “Rocky” film from 1976, and which serve as a narrative framework for the book. Stallone’s success is the result of decades of personal development since the 12-year-old Sly first sat on those very steps and dreamed of becoming a hero.
‘This book is my testament’
Besides being immensely entertaining, Sylvester Stallone’s life story also testifies to a tremendous fighting spirit. He tells of his difficult childhood, in which he was bullied and abused, shot at and thrown into prison, and struggled to discover who he really was, and to see his potential. But although Stallone took many hits, his story didn’t end with the tough times – they were merely a starting point. His real story, writes the publisher in a statement, “is about facing, embracing, and ultimately overcoming life’s challenges, one step at a time.”
“I’ve proven myself as an actor, a writer, a director,” commented Stallone when his book was announced. “But this book is my testament. It is an expression of what I want my legacy to be. And I am going to dust off that shabby blue hat of felt and cardboard and pour everything I know about life onto the page again – and I’ve got a hell of a lot more years now. What have I learned about life? About the fight? About the Steps? Simple. The thrill of it, of climbing, of going the distance and still be standing when the bell rings. That’s why I am writing this book.”
In North America, “The Steps” is published by William Morrow/HarperCollins; the rights for the U.K. and the Commonwealth countries were secured by Seven Dials/Orion Publishing Group. The rights have also already been sold to 17 other countries and regions.
