Kindle Price: $9.95

Save $18.05 (64%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Audiobook Price: $21.83

Save: $14.34 (66%)

eBook features:
  • Highlight, take notes, and search in the book
Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Rod Taylor: An Aussie in Hollywood Kindle Edition

by Stephen Vagg (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 53 ratings
See all formats and editions
For over 20 years Rod Taylor was the biggest Australian movie name in Hollywood, starring in such films as The Time Machine, The Birds and The VIPs. Best known for his action roles, he was equally adept at romantic comedies and dramas, working with the A-list of the 60s and 70s: Doris Day, John Wayne, Hitchcock, Elizabeth Taylor, Disney, Jane Fonda, Antonioni - and many more. At a time when Australians could rarely see or hear themselves on screen, Rod Taylor helped keep his country in the public eye, and paved the way for the Aussie actors who followed him.

Rod Taylor: An Aussie in Hollywood is the first full-length biography of this pioneering Australian film star. It's the thrilling story of a working-class Sydney boy who went to Hollywood, took on the Americans at their own game on their own turf in one of the toughest industries there is - and won. It's also the story of a talented actor who was almost brought down by the demons of alcohol and ego, but who ultimately overcame them to triumph. A must for all Rod Taylor fans.
Previous page
  1. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  2. Publication date
    February 7, 2012
  3. Language
    English
  4. File size
    2156 KB
  5. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0076ZGVNC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ BearManor Media (February 7, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 7, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2156 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 306 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 53 ratings

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
3.8 out of 5
53 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Delight
5.0 out of 5 stars A Priceless Reading for Anyone who loved Rod Taylor
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2015
Verified Purchase
Rod Taylor was my favorite actor and I have DVD's of almost all his movies. If you admired this actor, buy the book. I really enjoyed knowing more about him. He was a very real person and a wonderful actor. I agree with the book, he did not pick the best roles. He preferred action roles when he really delighted in romantic comedy. My favorite movie was Sunday in New York. My favorite TV program was Hong Kong. My mother actually discovered Rod when Hong Kong was put on TV. This was the era of detective programs - 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, etc. with handsome male stars. The night Hong Kong aired, my mother called me into the room and said, "Wait till you see this guy." I took one look, sat down and he became my favorite ever since. I did follow his career but this book really brought out details of his daily progression from childhood in Australia through each and every movie/TV show. Low emphasis was put on his private life. He basically worked almost continually going between movies to TV and the author provided comments from his fellow actors and movie/TV staff of just about every one he acted in. He also performed in movies all over the world, half of which I was not aware of. Readers will enjoy some of the stories about when he filmed in Tucson, AZ and he and some of the crew got drunk and ended up in jail. Movie staff had to go get them the next day to continue filming. Rod also had a trailer stocked with food and margaritas, which was always open to the movie crew. He was a very happy person who enjoyed living his life to the fullest - sometimes a bit too full, but nevertheless, he lived till 84 and I suspect enjoyed every moment of his life. God bless Rod Taylor and many thanks to the author of this book, Steven Vagg, for giving us this wonderful story.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Richard Masloski
4.0 out of 5 stars It's about TIME!!!
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2011
Verified Purchase
Yes, about time indeed - which naturally makes me think of "The Time Machine" - the first time I ever saw Rod Taylor. The movie was powerful and poetic, thrilling and thought-provoking - and if a lesser actor was given the lead role, the entire fantasy of George Pal's classic film of H.G. Wells' classic novel might well have fallen flat on its face. Rod Taylor is completely believable in each and every frame of film - and it is through the conviction of his acting, his belief in the role he embodied that we - the audience - are likewise carried throughout the film. Not carried along as spectators, but as fellow passengers in the exquisite Victorian-styled Time Machine of the film's title - and this was possible due to Rod Taylor's acting.

I next saw Rod Taylor in the Twilight Zone episode "And When the Sky Was Opened." A great, frightening episode - on its surface a sci-fi mystery, but on its deepest level it is the story of all of us - of how we are here one minute, and "yanked out of here" the next. It is - on its profoundest level - about the mystery of life and death. And in the episode's 26 minutes or so, Rod Taylor covers with total conviction every human emotion under the stars and sun and those to be found only in the Twilight Zone - love, anger, sorrow, shock, disbelief, fear, horror - and we believe in this episode largely because its central character as portrayed by Rod Taylor implicitly believes in every moment of his character's existential plight. It is a tour-de-force. "The Twilight Zone" won many an Emmy. It is a pity that Rod Taylor was not nominated for this acting-class of a powerhorse performance.

Rod Taylor next "flew" into my life on the wings of "The Birds." Though the birds themselves are the centerpiece of the film, it is once again Rod Taylor's conviction in his part that helps hugely in making the unbelievable believable. He is thoroughly believable as lawyer, loyal son, loving brother, lusty lover, macho bird-battler. When his character's rationality is confronted by the utterly irrational events happening in his lawyerly-logical world, we once again believe every moment of his gradual realization that the world no longer makes the sense he once felt it did. Kudos to the birds, themselves - wonderful acting from every fine-feathered flock of them featured in the film - but Rod Taylor as Everyman helps enormously in carrying the unbelievable on his broad, Australian shoulders.

All of this is a long preamble to simply say that Stephen Vagg's book is not merely long over-due, but well worth the wait. For some weird reason there are certain actors who are never given the honor of having a book written about them. Albert Finney pops immediately into mind. (Has a great actor ever been more neglected, as has been Finney? No Oscar (despite nominations), no biographies, apparently no huge fan following - yet he is, in my estimation, one of the 10 best actors of all time.) Laird Cregar is another. Even James Cagney has yet to be paid due homage in a much-needed, in depth biography. (Cagney wrote his own autobiography, and as great as it is to hear the story from the horse's mouth, readers looking for the full picture need to hear from as many horses in the pasture as possible. The same with Kirk Douglas: he wrote his own story, but there is yet to be an in-depth biography of the man and actor.) Rod Taylor was also in the book shelf shadows for the longest time...until now! It makes me think of the scene in "The Time Machine" where George the Time Traveler, is encased in a lava-cooled prison until centuries pass and the prison breaks down and the open air and light are once more there for the film's hero to enjoy.

Vagg's book is akin to that scene: his book breaks his subject free of the rock prison of neglect and is a refreshing breath of fresh air as far as actor's biographies go - and it casts a bright enough light on its subject to reveal a truly three-dimensional man. (Four dimensional - mustn't forget Time!) Vagg's book is extremely readable and as enjoyable and as-thorough-as-one-may-be without its subject's direct imput. In the acknowledgments, our author mentions that Rod Taylor was originally intersted in co-operating on the book but then later changed his mind. I wish we were told more as to why he, indeed, changed his mind. Perhaps Rod Taylor is contemplating his own biography - as Ben Gazarra did with his own memoirs of a few years ago. Ben Gazarra is another one of those actors who deserved a biography, never got one, so wrote it himself.

This book covers the entire arc of its subject's life and art, from the beginning in Australia to the present in California. Through a microscopic examination of this one actor's career, we are furnished with the macroscopic picture of the world of films and television as it was in the last half of the twentieth century unto this day. Vagg's emphasis on Rod Taylor's enormous help in paving the way for future Aussie actors is extremely on-target and of considerable interest. His reasoning as to why the promise of the actor was never completely fulfilled is also on-the-money. Vagg knows his subject - and his sharing of that knowing makes this book the bravura performance-of-the-pen that it is.

My only drawback is the cover illustration and the inside photograph section. The cover - at a quick glance - made me think of Orson Welles, as Welles wore a similar slouch hat in his later years. A better cover might have been a collage: a center picture of Rod as the Time Traveler and a circle of cameo pictures of him throughout the years and throughout his roles, each cameo suggestive of the markings on a clock. Afterall, a biography is a journey through Time. As to the pictures inside I would have loved to see Rod as a kid, his parents, his wives, even a more current picture than one taken in 1998. Perhaps a still from "Inglorious Bastards,' which came out in 2009, would have been nice. (As an interesting aside, one reporter - in writing about Rod Taylor in the early days - said he resembled Popeye. This somewhat surprised me - as I always thought that the young Robin Williams somewhat resembled Rod Taylor...and, of course, Robin Williams eventually gave human dimension to the comic character of Popeye in Altman's film.)

One last thing: unless I missed something, I always like to know something about the author of the book I am reading. I could find no information as to who Stephen Vagg is. But - whoever he is and whatever his history and other credits - he is to be applauded for writing a wonderful biography about a wonderful actor!
14 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
D. M. BLACK
3.0 out of 5 stars Good - but lacking
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
The biographer admits he never spoke to Rod Taylor - and that’s what’s lacking - the subject’s personal input. You can learn a lot more about the man by watching his on camera interviews on YouTube.
Helpful
 Report
Bayard
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2016
Verified Purchase
Very good reading, quite informative, highly recommended.
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars Kindle version very poor
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2012
Verified Purchase
Still in the process of reading the kindle version, but so far (10% into it) the transfer is very poor. Shoddy gramatical errors, sentences and lines missing etc. Am enjoying the writing, but this is the worse kindle version book I've read so far.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Garry Stewart
4.0 out of 5 stars My favourite Hot Rod .
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2010
Verified Purchase
An excellent book on one of my favourite actors. A clear, detailed account of a much under rated performer, and considering the lack of co operation from the man himself,a very entertaining and clear eyed view of a movie career that ran out of steam way too early. Hubris and indiscriminate choice of material, possibly due to constant financial pressure, did him in, but with the" Time Machine", "The Birds" , a personal favoutite, " Darker than Amber " ,and the" Hong Kong" TV series he has left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry . Warts and all, this is a well researched book and well worth a read . Garry Stewart .
12 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
James F. McEnaney
5.0 out of 5 stars darker than amber best fight ever
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2013
Verified Purchase
rod taylor is one of few actors that really was a tough guy,
check out dark of the sun(congo merceneries) and Darker than Amber,
Bill Smith& Rud Taylor,not that clint eastwood very which way you can garbage,the real thing,
best movie fight ever!! best Jimmy Mack
Helpful
 Report
sheree taylor
3.0 out of 5 stars Good actor , slow book
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
This book was more a review of his work history, going over every job he had than a personal one. I would have enjoyed it more if it was more personal.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
ste
3.0 out of 5 stars Rod Taylor merita di più
Reviewed in Italy on June 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
L'unica biografia riguardante Rod Taylor che ho trovato disponibile sul mercato italiano. Il libro si presenta bene , con la copertina rigida cartonata. È in inglese, stampa americana. Nonostante sia stato una star del cinema americano , con film di grande successo accanto a nomi come Doris Day e Alfred Hitchcock , per tutto il libro, a partire dalla presentazione in quarta di copertina , ci si premura di ricordarci che Rod Taylor è stato ai suoi tempi un sex symbol come i moderni Mel Gibson e Russell Crowe. Trovo questa scelta riduttiva e inoltre mi sembra inutile portarlo ad esempio come sex symbol se per i nostri tempi non lo è più. Molto meglio sarebbe stato puntare sul fatto che ancora oggi film come The Birds, The Time Machine, The Glass Bottom Boat , Zabriskie Point o Giant sono dei veri cult di genere .
Essendo l'unica biografia mi sono dovuto felicemente accontentare, non avendo altra scelta . Certo è che se si vuole raccontare un attore pubblicando una biografia per il grande pubblico, ci si aspetterebbe , come minimo , molte foto di scena e di vita, magari con gli attori accanto ai quali ha recitato. Invece niente: 9 foto di numero ( di cui una già vista perché è la copertina del volume ) nemmeno su carta lucida e per giunta di scarsa qualità. Sotto questo aspetto davvero deludente. Per una star dello spettacolo le foto di scena e fuori scena per me hanno lo stesso peso delle parole perché
hanno il potere di raccontare. Questione di costi, suppongo.
Nessuna concorrenza = nessuno stimolo ad essere i migliori.
Rod Taylor è un attore interessante e merita sicuramente di più.
Customer image
ste
3.0 out of 5 stars Rod Taylor merita di più
Reviewed in Italy on June 23, 2023
L'unica biografia riguardante Rod Taylor che ho trovato disponibile sul mercato italiano. Il libro si presenta bene , con la copertina rigida cartonata. È in inglese, stampa americana. Nonostante sia stato una star del cinema americano , con film di grande successo accanto a nomi come Doris Day e Alfred Hitchcock , per tutto il libro, a partire dalla presentazione in quarta di copertina , ci si premura di ricordarci che Rod Taylor è stato ai suoi tempi un sex symbol come i moderni Mel Gibson e Russell Crowe. Trovo questa scelta riduttiva e inoltre mi sembra inutile portarlo ad esempio come sex symbol se per i nostri tempi non lo è più. Molto meglio sarebbe stato puntare sul fatto che ancora oggi film come The Birds, The Time Machine, The Glass Bottom Boat , Zabriskie Point o Giant sono dei veri cult di genere .
Essendo l'unica biografia mi sono dovuto felicemente accontentare, non avendo altra scelta . Certo è che se si vuole raccontare un attore pubblicando una biografia per il grande pubblico, ci si aspetterebbe , come minimo , molte foto di scena e di vita, magari con gli attori accanto ai quali ha recitato. Invece niente: 9 foto di numero ( di cui una già vista perché è la copertina del volume ) nemmeno su carta lucida e per giunta di scarsa qualità. Sotto questo aspetto davvero deludente. Per una star dello spettacolo le foto di scena e fuori scena per me hanno lo stesso peso delle parole perché
hanno il potere di raccontare. Questione di costi, suppongo.
Nessuna concorrenza = nessuno stimolo ad essere i migliori.
Rod Taylor è un attore interessante e merita sicuramente di più.
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
Report
john wilkyAmazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Rod Taylor top Aussie actor
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2018
Verified Purchase
A book of another actor who was underrated.Can't comment as I haven't read it. There are a few photos in it but would have liked a few more stills from my favourite films of Rod's.Still happy overall.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
manny rothman
5.0 out of 5 stars Rod Taylor
Reviewed in Australia on February 13, 2019
Verified Purchase
Was a excellent book with great characters and great story with a great ending looking forward to the next book thanks
Report
healthysean
4.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Book on the Aussie Actor !
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2017
Verified Purchase
Great to have a collection of autobiographies and biographies for Christmas, brought by Santa !

I now have a collection of great books, not the massive stars the legends but some where there are few books or information written about them.

Here is a prime example, Rod Taylor.

The book is very well written, each chapter to different areas and years in his career, the highlights and the not so good years.

Very interesting details, the problem with drink through most of his life, his aggressive personality, often known for his brawling and drinking more than his acting, gaining a bad reputation.

The author has done an enormous amount of research and interviewed many actor and actress's, who give very different opinions on his work and his character.

Rod Taylor had times where stardom really took over his personality, having two bodyguards all the time, driving in a Rolls Royce and really becoming to big for his boots.

Making some great films but then saying yes to some awful films, especially in the late 60's and early 70's.

Amazing how through his career he often announced many films he was going to make, but they never seem to happen.

His life and personality changed so much with his third wife, and he seemed to calm down and enjoy his later years in semi-retirement.

A very entertaining book
3 people found this helpful
 Report
P. Jerrard
3.0 out of 5 stars Rather thin book with few photos (printed on paper ie not glossy)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
This hardback book was first published in 2010 and is hard to find so I bought it for £15.25 when the opportunity arose. On first impressions, this is not like the usual biographies sold in stores. It has been printed in USA and the quality is adequate but not a pleasure to hold or touch. Has that mass produced economy feel and the type is small to save paper. Photos were few, in black and white and printed on the paper. Such a book deserves to include good glossy colour photos from his films, TV, childhood etc. On the plus side, the book is readable and contains a lot of information. Stephen Vagg gets the 'big tick', Publication house gets the 'could do better'.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report