by Jon Winokur
First published 2011
James Garner opens his story in Depression-era Oklahoma, where poverty and an abusive stepmother drive him from home at fourteen. The future star becomes Oklahoma's first Korean War draftee, earning two Purple Hearts before returning to Los Angeles broke and jobless. Reluctantly trying acting, Garner discovers unexpected talent that launches a six-decade career. He works alongside Julie Andrews, Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen, and Clint Eastwood while creating iconic characters like Bret Maverick and Jim Rockford. Behind the scenes, Garner battles stage fright, depression, chronic pain, and Hollywood executives who try to control him. Co-written with Jon Winokur, this memoir captures Garner's wry humor and self-deprecating honesty as he chronicles both triumphs and struggles. The book reveals how a wounded boy from Oklahoma became one of America's most beloved actors while never losing his down-to-earth perspective on fame and success.
Genres: biography, drama, abuse, 20th-century, autobiography, memoir, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: overcoming-adversity, rags-to-riches
Setting: Los Angeles, Oklahoma
Period: Depression Era, Korean War
288 pages · Kindle Edition · Simon Schuster
Content warnings: abuse, depression