American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot [Hardcover]

Craig Ferguson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 2009

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: in 1993, the washed-up Ferguson washed up in the United States. Finally sober, Ferguson landed a breakthrough part on the hit sitcom The Drew Carey Show, a success that eventually led to his role as the host of CBS's The 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, just before his command performance for the president at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson talks a red, white, and blue streak about everything our Founding Fathers feared.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“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.” (Dennis Lehane, author of The Given Day )

“A great read . . . almost as good as my memoir.” (Carrie Fisher, author of Wishful Drinking )

“A fine writer, witty, reflective, and candid.... Ferguson is a kinetic cutup teeming with foolishness, brilliance, defiance, and heart. All this is captured in his book as an entertaining connect-the-dots journey.” (Associated Press )

“Ferguson has given us a biographical treatment that is both brutally honest and inspirational…American on Purpose is a book that should be read.” (Chicago Sun-Times )

“Hilariously vivid.” (People )

“Hilarious and revealing...witty and emotional.” (The Daily Beast )

“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.” (Keith Olbermann )

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.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 268 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1 edition (September 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061719544
• ISBN-13: 978-0061719547
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (227 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #142,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Television Performers

More About the Author

Craig Ferguson is the host of The Late Late Show and has worked as a drummer, a bartender, a stand-up comedian, and as an actor on The Drew Carey Show. He is the author of the novel Between the Bridge and the River, and lives in Los Angeles, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

96 of 100 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read...., September 22, 2009

By 

M. Bolton - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot (Hardcover)

I've always loved Craig Ferguson as a comedian, but now I have a newfound respect for him as a person. American on Purpose delivers a funny and touching account of his journey from Glasgow to Hollywood. He is honest about about his alcoholism and drug use, his decision to become a US citizen, and everything in between. This is a surprisingly candid and literate memoir, a refreshing change from the usual celebrity tell-all.

64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What makes Craig Ferguson..., September 23, 2009

By 

Courtney Farrell (NYC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot (Hardcover)

...the funniest, most entertaining and by far the most appealing of all these guys (Letterman & Leno included)--maybe of all the guys I've ever encountered in real life--shines through every page of this unputdownable, occasionally harrowing, tenderly hilarious memoir. It's all here: Ferguson's playful wit, his utter lack of pomposity, his willingness to laugh at his own farty (as he might put it) humanity along with everyone else's, and his endearingly chivalrous streak apparent even when he's at the abyss of bad behavior (which he captures in all its rawness). If you're not a fan yet, you will be. So buy the book and change your bedtime...or at least set your TIVO. In this case, Scotland's loss is most definitely America's gain.

96 of 108 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Wish I Could Write Like He Does ... Or Talk Like He does, September 22, 2009

By 

VoraciousReader "VoraciousReader" (Huntington, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot (Hardcover)

The idea of a little boy growing up far across an ocean and eyeing the gleaming shores of this country has been tarnished of late by our misadventures as a superpower. And now, suddenly and with the power that only a good writer can summon, it's back.

Odd, isn't it, that America never looks so good as through the eyes of someone who wasn't born into the privilege of this particular Democracy?

I read this book in a single sitting; starting the journey with a host who escorts us as easily through his life as he does through an hour of television every night. From the mean streets of a mean childhood, to the gilded halls of Washington, and through the backdoor that led him to television stardom ... with a long and poignant stopover in the haze of alcoholism. What an adventure! If you don't empathize with the man when he shakes his fist at the stars in the middle of the desert and chooses uncertainty just for the hell of it, you're not living right.

WIth the gentle hindsight of a man who has come out the other side of that haze, Ferguson is kind to virtually all the people in this adventure ... and Lord knows, it's uncommon enough for someone who makes their living in Hollywood to act that way.

This is a terrific read. Enjoy it.