If you are only interested in reading about old science fiction movies, then this book is not for you. For this book contains a lot of dull stuff about a man who touched the beating heart of another, stepped into the cold of outer space, witnessed the horrors of Dachau, directed some of the first TV shows, called one of the most famous opera singers of the century "father", became a war hero, was knighted, had himself arrested for drunk driving, worked with laser beams, jumped out of airplanes, "infiltrated" an American city, broke a 400 year-old cipher, wrestled lions, had the fangs of a leopard at his throat, picked up a prostitute, learned how to kill with a pencil, rode an African elephant, sorted 50, 000 beetles, stage-managed ice shows, worked with rockets and the Rockettes. A man who was a spy and counterspy, an actor, stage manager, singer, set designer. He speaks six languages, is a novelist and has been a gourmet chef, helped sail a tall ship and... and-incidentally-wrote or directed a bunch of science fiction movies that many of us have enjoyed! Several of which have become both cult movies and earned a respectable place among mainstream viewers. So perhaps you'll want to read this book after all.