Best in Hollywood: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful

"In this autobiographical Best in Hollywood, you can share with me the golden age of Hollywood when she had unequaled world class. Now solidly in my eighties, I'm one of the few living actors who can hope to tell of the past glory and glamour of Hollywood as she really was way back when.

This was the Hollywood where I lived, loved, and worked during the time when she was the ruling queen. This was the time of a wonderful movie industry where genuine actors and actresses created truly entertaining musicals, comedies, dramas, and action for an eager movie-going public.

Even in those glorious golden days of Hollywood, my attempt to be a big winner was never all sunglasses and autographs. I tell here how I survived in a sometimes cruel town where a lifelong dream can be fulfilled or broken in a heartbeat. I didn't escape without my share of scars.

I've written this book for those who might enjoy reading about the experiences of a very lucky ragtag orphan from Kentucky. I thank God for the opportunities given me. I was blessed to be adopted and to be given both a desire to work hard and, just as important, a love of fishing. I've been in a few scraps along the way, but I've done my level best to become a successful actor and to grow as a person.

If you're curious about the good, the bad, and the beautiful of Hollywood-including The Dukes of Hazzard and many other adventures-it's all in this book. I simply tell my story as I've lived it. I hope you enjoy it."

-James Best.