{"product_id":"9781496816979","title":"Sterling Hayden's Wars","description":"\u003cp\u003eA master sailor when he was barely in his twenties, Sterling Hayden (1916-1986) became an overnight film star despite having no training in acting. After starring in two major films, he quit Hollywood and trained as a commando in Europe. Hayden joined the OSS and fought in the Balkans and Mediterranean, earning a Silver Star for his distinguished service. Hayden's wartime admiration for the Yugoslavian Partisans led to a brief membership in the Communist Party after the war, and this would come back to haunt him when he was called to testify in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) where he became the first star to name names.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter returning to Hollywood, Hayden's film career flourished as he starred in several films including \u003ci\u003eThe Asphalt Jungle\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDenver and Rio Grande\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Killing\u003c\/i\u003e. His personal life, however, descended into chaos. His bitter custody battle with his second wife led to his well-publicized and controversial kidnapping of their four children for a voyage to Tahiti. Increasing alcohol and substance abuse would take its toll, but Hayden's career would be revived as a character actor in such classics as \u003ci\u003eDr. Strangelove\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Godfather\u003c\/i\u003e. In addition, he proved to be an excellent author, penning two international bestsellers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite these achievements, his later years were characterized by depression, self-doubt, alcoholism, and substance abuse. His life was metaphorically a series of wars, including the most difficult of them all—the war that Sterling Hayden fought with himself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"University Press of Mississippi","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47063383802096,"sku":"9781496816979","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781496816979_p0.jpg?v=1763667024","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781496816979","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}