In a dramatic change of role, the noted television and film star has written a vivid and incisive account of the House Committee on Un-American Activities' probe of the entertainment industry from 1938 to 1958. Formed to investigate alleged subversives, by the late fifties the committee had succeeded in ruining the careers and sometimes the lives of many of Hollywood and Broadway's top writers and performers. Quoting generously from transcripts of its hearings, Vaughn shows how the committee's primary purpose was punitive rather than legislative, and concludes that its most serious damage to American theatre and film is not easily documented: the loss of all the words never written or spoken because of the impact - and the fear - of the committee's misdeeds.

A remarkable and delightful memoir of a life spent in the uppermost circles of acting, politics, and the world Robert Vaughn was born an actor. His family worked in the theater for generations, and he knew from the very start that he would join them. In his fifty-year career, Vaughn has made his mark in roles on stage, in film, and on television the world over. In A Fortunate Life, he describes some of the one-of-a-kind experiences he's enjoyed in his celebrated career. A Fortunate Life reveals the details of his early years in Hollywood, when he found himself appearing as often in the gossip magazines as on screen, and he recounts insider stories about such legendary figures as Judy Garland, Bette Davis, Charlton Heston, Oliver Reed, Jason Robards, Richard Harris, Yul Brynner, Elizabeth Taylor, and many more. Vaughn's work in The Young Philadelphians, The Magnificent Seven, Superman III, and many other films won kudos from critics and peers alike. Worldwide recognition came when he starred in the smash hit series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and he vividly describes the extraordinary experience of becoming, quite suddenly, one of the world's brightest stars. Vaughn warmly recalls his romances with stars like Natalie Wood and his adventures with friends like Steve McQueen and James Coburn, but equally important was his involvement in the politics of the 1960s. The first actor to publicly speak out against the war in Vietnam, he served as national chairman of Dissenting Democrats, the largest antiwar organization in the U.S. He gave hundreds of speeches denouncing the war, debated William F. Buckley on national TV, and helped persuade his friend Robert F. Kennedy to run for president in 1968---only to see the race end in tragedy. With a wealth of moving, wonderfully entertaining and often jaw-dropping stories from the worlds of acting and politics, A Fortunate Life is a must-read for fans of Robert Vaughn and anyone who wants a glimpse behind the scenes of classic Hollywood.

At the height of his television fame on The Man From UNCLE, Robert Vaughn was one of HollywoodÕ s most eligible bachelors, with countless adoring female fans. His affairs with famous celebrities, including Natalie Wood, made front-page news. But Vaughn is not just a handsome face, Ð he is a talented stage, television and film actor with strong political convictions and literary interests. In this fascinating biography Vaughn recounts his memories of a golden era in Hollywood and the highs and lows of life as a successful actor, from hot dates with starlets, to having an FBI file because of his anti-Vietnam stance, to being caught up in the Russian invasion of Prague in 1968 while filming. Vaughn befriended such luminaries as Bobby Kennedy, met Presidents at parties, and had many adventures with stars such as Jack Nicholson, Elvis Presley, Judy Garland, Bette Davis, Charlton Heston, Oliver Reed, Steve McQueen and Elizabeth Taylor. Most recently, Vaughn has been working on his TV series, Hustle, airing in January 2009. This is his revealing and captivating story Robert Vaughn is an Emmy-winning actor who has portrayed five US Presidents and currently stars in Hustle on BBC 1. He has appeared in many films, including The Magnificent Seven, Bullitt and The Towering Inferno, and several classic TV series, including The Protectors and The Man From UNCLE.

In 1971, the world was introduced to Brandywines War, a brilliant satiric novel of army life in the midst of battle. That book was peopled by a kooky collection of characters who managed to turn the Vietnam War into a stage for bizarre events. Now a generation later, the author of that novel revisits the picaresque protagonist, Chief Warrant Officer W. W. Brandywine who is Back in Country to fulfill an involuntary six-month extension. Brandywines War: Back in Country is a sequel to the highly-acclaimed, bestselling Brandywines War, regarded as the best iconoclastic novel to come from the Vietnam era. No matter how you felt about that tumultuous time in American history, this new book will touch your emotions. You will laugh out loud; you will weep silently, but in the end, you will be proud.