American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot

American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot

by Craig Ferguson
American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot

American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot

by Craig Ferguson

Paperback

$14.99 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
    Choose Expedited Shipping at checkout for delivery by Thursday, April 4
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson delivers a moving and achingly funny memoir of living the American dream as he journeys from the mean streets of Glasgow, Scotland, to the comedic promised land of Hollywood. Along the way he stumbles through several attempts to make his mark-as a punk rock musician, a construction worker, a bouncer, and, tragically, a modern dancer.

To numb the pain of failure, Ferguson found comfort in drugs and alcohol, addictions that eventually led to an aborted suicide attempt. (He forgot to do it when someone offered him a glass of sherry.) But his story has a happy ending: success on the hit sitcom The Drew Carey Show, and later as the host of CBS's Late Late Show. By far Ferguson's greatest triumph was his decision to become a U.S. citizen, a milestone he achieved in early 2008.

In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson talks a red, white, and blue streak about everything our Founding Fathers feared.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780061998492
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 05/11/2010
Pages: 268
Sales rank: 318,605
Product dimensions: 5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

About The Author
Craig Ferguson is the host of The Late Late Show. He is the author of the novel Between the Bridge and the River and lives in Los Angeles, California.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

1 A Seat at the Table 1

2 Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor 8

3 The Attic 14

4 Astronaut 19

5 James the First 25

6 Brick House 31

7 Satori in Long Island 35

8 Running the Gauntlet 43

9 Eldorado 52

10 The Filth and the Fury 59

11 The Real World 66

12 Love and Sex 72

13 Dreamboy 77

14 Art School 81

15 A Clever and Patient Monster 89

16 Tripping 94

17 Anne 101

18 New York 107

19 Adventures in the Big City 114

20 Setting the Tone 122

21 The Gong Show 129

22 The Rise of (Bing) Hitler 135

23 Edinburgh, 1986 140

24 On the Train 146

25 Jimmy's Wedding 154

26 The Aspirations of a Phony Englishman 158

27 The End of Daze 167

28 Rehab 173

29 Reboot 179

30 Buying a Knife 185

31 Providence 190

32 Scottish Women 195

33 Dudley and Jadis 202

34 The Aspirations of a Phony Frenchman 207

35 The Fat Man, the Gay Man, Vampires, and Marriage 213

36 America the Beautiful 219

37 Success and Failure 224

38 Father 229

39 Crash 233

40 Between the Bridge and the River 237

41 Latecomer 242

42 Riding the Pass 250

43 Feeding the Beast 254

44 Settling Down 260

45 American on Purpose 263

What People are Saying About This

Keith Olbermann

“Funny and poignant and inspirational and brilliant. Nowhere in his story of emigration and redemption does Craig Ferguson realize that as lucky as he thinks he is to be ‘American on Purpose,’ we are luckier still to have him.”

Carrie Fisher

“A great read . . . almost as good as my memoir.”

Dennis Lehane

“With American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson somehow manages to avoid the pitfalls of self-indulgence and self-importance that plague most (okay, all) Hollywood autobiographies. He has, instead, written a book that is hilarious and irrepressibly daft, yet also kind, poignant, and undeniably wise. It was a joy to read.”

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews