Journey Without a Map

This book was written journal form not really story form of Gardner McKays life. The chapters very short and to the point, but emotional at the same time. He wrote of his childhood and how much he ended up disliking the woman who thought of him and his brother as nothing more than pests who got in her way while she climbed the social ladder, his mother and his father who worked hard to get her there. His only escape being boarding school and sailing. His life as a struggling artist. He did not hide his intense dislike of Hollywood or of his life as a television star. He was an extremely handsome man and I do not think he cared that he was. When he finished Adventures in Paradise he got as far away from everything associated with it as soon as he could. He described his two years in the South America and the Amazon, raising his big cats. He tells us a little of the shock of finding out he had a son, of meeting his wife and finally, of the cancer that eventually took his life.

Once or twice in a lifetime, someone comes along who "shines" - and Garner McKay was clearly such a man. I had only believed that to be true up until the day Journey Without a Map arrived in the mail, and I began to see that everything I had HOPED to be true about him... actually was. Most of the time, we weave fantasies about celebrities - what we would want them to be, how we would imagine their lives might unfold, but rarely do we get a glimpse into the inner sanctum of the person themselves. Journey Without a Map gives us not only a glimpse, but a wondrous travelogue of a life lived without compromise, without regret, without apology.I found the anecdotes in this book to be raw, poignant, and brutally honest - a rare look at the heart and soul of an extraordinary human being who first influenced my life at the age of 6, when I was in the living room and caught a glance at this handsome and enigmatic "Captain Adam Troy," from the old television series, ADVENTURES IN PARADISE. I can't say what it was that so deeply captured my attention, but suffice it to say, I recognized something in this man that transcended the character entirely.With that said - Journey Without a Map reads like a stunning narrative of the incredible, and gives the reader insights into what can happen when someone makes the decision to walk away from "civilized" society and take the world by the horns. His recounting of watching the Andrea Doria as she sank is somehow stunning in its simplicity - to realize this intrepid traveler was actually THERE at this moment in history. It's interesting to me as a writer of spiritual books that McKay's approach to life was so casual, yet so filled with those profound moments one may only recognize in hindsight. He writes in one section of the book about his decision to leave the Hollywood scene:"It was easy. Oh, how I longed to be a has-been."And so it went. I was leaving. I didn't know where I was going. It didn't matter, of course. I'd been well underpaid for 'Paradise', but, still, I had some money, enough to float me for a while. The movie offers from 20th Century Fox were generous enough and they were exactly what I didn't want. Stories about fictional men."I'm not sure where I got that vain, glorious idea that my life was worth more than a million dollars, but there it was..."I realized that the only way I'd ever change, would to be CHANGE. That I'd have to snap something in me, nothing else was going to do the snapping. Of course, it might; tragedy's a great snapper of habits. But you can't count on tragedy; it's never there when you want it."The ultimate joy of this book is impossible to express - the insights and inspirations are a reminder of what is possible when we let go of the programs and embrace Life in all its mystery, mysticism and in all its possibilities. Gardner McKay is a man who achieved what I personally consider to be one of the greatest tasks any human being faces: instead of just going through the motions like a writer putting words down on paper, McKay BECAME the character on a magnificent adventure, the star in the never-ending Journey Without a Map.

Gardner McKay was a man without equal in many ways. Anyone who ever worked with him as an actor or read any of his work as a writer or heard any of his "Stories on the Wind" series on Hawaii Public Radio knows that already. But to read fascinating, pertinent parts of his life of adventure and creativity (not to mention romance), in his own words, set down in what were to be his last days, is its own kind of peak experience. It will stay with you for a long time. I can't recommend it too highly.

I've read about a quarter oof this book. I was a fan of Adventures in Paradise years ago, always wondered what happened to Gardner McKay. . He was an intelligent and sensitive person, walked away from Hollywood, was a sculptor and led a long interesting life. The book is apparently in his own words, based on journals he kept all his life, and supplemented with plenty of personal photos. Thank you to his widow for persuing this book. I intend to keep reading and expect to enjoy the rest of this book. i'd call it a good read. Recommended.

What a stupid question “what did I use this product for?” This lovely book continues on where “Adventures in Paradise” ended. I often wondered what happened to Gardner McKay when the tv series finished, and now I know. He continued on in his own inimitable way until his very untimely death. A book worth having in your collection.