Wanderer
By Sterling Hayden
448 pp. 1998. Paperback. $17.95
ISBN 1 57409 048 8
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“They never taught wandering in any school I attended. They never taught the art of sailing a vessel, either. Or that of writing a book. It's all so mysterious and – yes – enchanting. And that is what I suppose this book is all about.”
Since its first publication in 1963, controversy has surrounded Wanderer, the autobiography of Sterling Hayden. Just as he approached the peak of his career as a movie star, Hayden suddenly abandoned Hollywood, walked out on a shattered marriage, defied the courts, and set sail with his four children aboard the schooner WANDERER. A broke outlaw, he escaped to the South Seas.
Wanderer is the inspirational story of a complex and contradictory man; a rebel and a seeker, undefeated by failure to find himself in love, adventure, drink, or escape.
“An impressive writer. Like Fitzgerald, Hayden is a romantic. His writing about the sea evokes echoes of Conrad and McFee, of London and Galsworthy… Beautifully done.” —Los Angeles Times
“A superb piece of writing… Echoes from Poe and Melville to Steinbeck and Mailer. A work of fascination on every level.” —New York Post
“Wanderer is a timeless tale of a man, ships and the sea that is thoroughly good reading from the top of the mast to the bottom of the soul.” —Dockside
“One unforgettable voyage…under a captain whose words may echo in your mind and whose attitude may inform your spirit for the rest of your life.” —The Times
“It's mighty nice of Sheridan House to reprint Wanderer for a new generation. Many may have missed this treasure its first time around in 1963, and its second printing in ‘77. The author, Hayden, was a hero to many sailors worldwide, as well as to workaday malcontents ‘living lives of quiet desperation.’ His searching autobiography reads like a novel; indeed, in today's vanilla world, with horizons shrinking for Everyman, Hayden's story seems a fantasy. Rest assured, it's not.” —WoodenBoat
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About the Author:
Sterling Hayden served as mate and captain aboard a number of sailing ships, and was a Grand Banks fisherman when Hollywood offered him a screen test. His most famous role was that of Captain McCluskey in The Godfather. He died in 1986.
Also by Sterling Hayden:
- Voyage
A Novel of 1896
ISBN 1 57409 048 8