Sterling Hayden was at the peak of his earning power as a star when he suddenly quit. He walked out on Hollywood, walked out of a shattered marriage, defied the courts, and, broke and an outlaw, set sail with his four children in the schooner Wanderer--bound for the South Seas. Long before he was an actor, Hayden was a seaman. He had sailed before the mast and as mate and captain in sailing ships. He had been a Grand Banks fisherman. Then Hollywood offered him a screen test. Pushed to stardom, he became the leading man to ...
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Sterling Hayden was at the peak of his earning power as a star when he suddenly quit. He walked out on Hollywood, walked out of a shattered marriage, defied the courts, and, broke and an outlaw, set sail with his four children in the schooner Wanderer--bound for the South Seas. Long before he was an actor, Hayden was a seaman. He had sailed before the mast and as mate and captain in sailing ships. He had been a Grand Banks fisherman. Then Hollywood offered him a screen test. Pushed to stardom, he became the leading man to one of the screen's most beautiful women, and the money began to flow. With money and fame, however, came a gnawing dissatisfaction with his life. His attempt to escape launches this autobiography. It is the candid, sometimes painfully revealing confession of a man who scrutinizes his every self-defeat and self-betrayal in the unblinking light of conscience. It is also the triumph of a complex and contradictory man, still a rebel and a seeker, undefeated by his failure to find himself in love, adventure, drink, or escape to the South Seas. It is, as Eugene Burdick said of it, "utterly fascinating, written by a man who has been able to achieve an honesty about himself which is almost unique."
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New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 480 p. Contains: Unspecified. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 480 p. Contains: Unspecified. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
This book is a wonderful biography of a Hollywood star with all the ups and downs of life in Hollywood and his personal pleasures and agonies he has to live. In addition, this is a wonderful book to read for any sailor as Sterling Hayden was an ardent sailor and describes his sailing adventures in detail.
A great reading experience for anybody!
crankycello
Nov 14, 2009
Wanderer Malcontent!
Part of Sterling Hayden's appeal as an actor is his crusty ruggedness. He came from an era of "self made men", so discovering him as an author rounded out the easy authority he brought to his screen roles. He apparently wrote Wanderer without a ghost writer, and whoever edited his writing left plenty of his self-schooled flavor in the text. Hayden makes up words and phrases that drive you into his gruff nature as a man who disdains any authority but his own. This is not the most technically beautiful writing. This is the writer who drove his family and his crew hard and never stopped to worry about whether or not he did it right.
fastwriterdave@gmail.com
Jan 10, 2008
A memorable book by a memorable man
Wanderer is a fine narrative of the life of one of Hollywood's top stars of the 1940s to 70s. Sterling Hayden details his life in frank honesty: his difficult childhood during the Great Depression, how he fell in love with sailing as a near-homeless boy in New England, and his subsequent "discovery" by Hollywood. He talks frankly about his disdain for acting, and his complete lack of financial skills. I'm not a sailing person at all, but this book helps me understand how men have given their lives in pursuit of their love for the sea. It's beautifully written. It is reported that Hayden wrote this alone, without a ghostwriter or co-writer. That is amazing, because his writing skills are superb. He truly missed his calling, as he should have been a novelist rather than an actor. One interesting element is that Hayden provides a detailed glimpse of what Hollywood was really like in those days, pulling back the covers to reveal a sometimes unseemly world. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.
