Wanderer: Lyons Press Maritime Classics

I rarely ever read autobiographies; most are essentially auto-hagiographies which probably don't reflect anything like the actual life experiences of the author.... or, they whitewash essential elements of their lives, providing a distorted and biased picture of what they are all about.So, what prompted me to read an autobiography of an actor, long dead, written nearly 50 years ago?I got interested in Sterling Hayden by chance, after reviewing some historical stuff about the early 50's, the 'Red scare', and McCarthyism. Sterming Hayden was somewhat involved in this, as someone who was compelled to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee... and who named names... although he later said it was the greatest regret of his life.Unbeknown to most people, Sterling Hayden was a lifelong sailor, committed to, and loving of, boats and the sea. His upbringing was not a happy one; after his father died when he was 9, his mother remarried, to a man who proved to be a grifter and con-artist, and the family was constantly on the move, living in boarding houses, one step ahead of creditors after leaving debt in their wake. He shipped out on a freighter at the age of 16, and throughout his life, had a nautical wanderlust which dominated his life. He hated acting, resorting to it only in order to make enough money to indulge his love of sailing, although he was indeed a good actor. He served in the Marines, and in WWII, served heroically in the OSS, helping the partisans in the Balkans oppose fascism.This is really not a typical biography, at all. While lacking in an education beyond the tenth grade, Hayden was a remarkably gifted writer. While he wrote only two books in his life (this one, plus a novel called 'Voyage', which I read some years ago, and was a gripping tale of the voyage of a coal freighter), his writing was remarkably literary in style, and his autobiography reads at a vastly higher level than one would expect. Hayden attributed his education to the more than 500 books, many of them literary classics, which he kept aboard his various vessels.The 'ruse' of the autobiography begins in 1959, when in the midst of a bitter, acrimoneous divorce, he ignores a court ruling and takes his four young children, plus another half dozen adventurers, on a voyage from Santa Barbara, California, to Tahiti. In the context of this rebellion, he details the story of his life, his adventures, the times he turned down significant money to star in numerous pictures, and the times he was bankrupt, or nearly so.I'd recommend this book, for no other reason, than the nautical tales, although Hayden was a complex and fascinating character, in his own right.

I only knew Sterling Hayden as General Jack D. Ripper in the old classic movie Dr. Strangelove. This book blew me away. He writes with a tactile immediacy that puts you right there in the scene. Hayden's literary skills are up there with Kerouac and Hemingway, even better imo. He brings passion, introspection, brutally honest self-assessment and impressionistic sketches to his brilliant storytelling, but always keeps the story moving.This is a terrific book that engages your emotions and your five senses, beautifully written, impressionistic but to the point. If you love books about adventure, tinged with pathos, this is it. I wanted this book to go on forever.

This is for the Kindle Version.The book is definitely controversial still, and I have to be careful not to reflect my judgement on the man here. This is a book review, not a character review.Sterling Hayden was *definitely* a man of contrasts, which makes his life story very interesting to read - even if you don't much like him.The writing is unlike anything you see today, which is more the pity. Hayden is actually a talented writer. Not a genius, but talented. The reviews at the time compare him to many people, but not Hemingway which is odd to me, for that is what I saw as I read it. Regardless, it's a pleasant and engaging style.His stories of life at sea are where the book truly shines. He was a born sailor, for sure. It was his calling and his vocation and his only peace. I don't believe that the ocean was the magic, however - Sterling Hayden was a danger-addict. He adored his time at war - at least when he was deployed - as much as he adored his life at sea. He was a risk taker extraordinaire, which makes for a great read.In all other ways his life is a mixture of tragedy, moral cowardice, and a host of other less than ideal character traits, but this is what makes the book an interesting read.There are a few transcrption errors in the kindle version, but no big deal.

If you like watching No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain- especially his narrative- then this book is for you. It's salty, true, and brilliantly honest.Years ago, when I was working as a line cook in San Francisco, CA, I was given a passage from Wanderer by the woman I was dating at the time. She saw the passage on a wall in a bar in Sausalito, CA, and asked the barman if he could make a copy of it for me to read since I had voiced aspirations of cooking around the world.It was from the message in the passage (page 24, oddly enough, my favorite number) that confirmed I needed to go on an adventure. So I did.What I thought was only going to be six or eight months turned into five years in Italy and France. While I was doing internships in restaurants, during the summers, I cooked on a private classic sailing yacht owned by an Italian family.Years after my return to the United States, while I was finally reading Wanderer, I discovered that Mr. Hayden was the original captain of the yacht I worked on- sixty-five years later!From that original passage, in addition to taking what turned out to be a life changing adventure, I also had no idea I'd have a chance to write about my wandering experiences now featured in my book, Mediterranean Summer.I am sharing this not as a plug for my book, but as a testiment that after having connected with Mr. Hayden's feelings and actions, his story can be a very stimulating and powerful opportunity for you.[...]

Facinating read. Hayden was a master sailor and I trully enjoyed this biography of an unconventional man, his candide depiction of his personal conflict and description of America in the depression, his hate of the Hollywood star system, World War 2, the race with Schooner Bluenose and his maritime adventures around the world.

I knew of Hayden via so so westerns and thought little of him, just another Hollywood fraud!But, having read a quote taken from this book, and a shared fascination with the sea and sailing, I bought it, and I'm pleased I did. I don't think I have ever read such a painfully honest biography, not to mention a life which ploughed its path via adventure, doubt and bewilderment in such a brutally honest and self effacing way. He most definitely was not the boorish ham I suspected that he was. Complex, contradictory and a dreamer certainly, but capable of writing a fascinating tale in his own, authentic style. A great book.

Livre conforme à la description, livraison rapide, parfait!

I came across a documentary about the man, filmed on a river barge-type houseboat when the man was 65 or so, and was utterly fascinantes by this fascinating, charismatic personality, and Saw the documentary again the day after, having googled him thoroughly in the neantine, thus becoming aware of his book, the Wanderer. And what a page-turner It is. The man can really write, and having just finished the book, I feel him under my skin, and like with all the best books, it feels like a good friend that I'll sorely miss, warts and all .

A real Hollywood renegade and his crazy story. Mesmerizing.