My Stroke of Luck

In the six decades since he took to the stage and screen, Kirk Douglas has starred in eighty-three films and nine plays, written seven books, and made a remarkable commitment to humanitarian causes throughout the world. Known internationally and across generations for playing the indomitable Spartacus, topping international bestseller lists, and building parks and schools in troubled communities, Kirk Douglas is a legend in his own time and serves as an inspiration to us all.

Now, in My Stroke of Luck , his vivid and very personal reflection upon his extraordinary life, Kirk Douglas finally completes his story by offering a candid and heartfelt memoir of where it all went right. Written in his own words, Douglas offers tender vignettes in tribute to the childhood that shaped him, the wife and devoted family who supported him, and the life-changing event that helped him to appreciate the gifts given to him over his eightythree years.

Revealing for the first time not only the incredible physical and emotional toll of his debilitating stroke, but how it has changed his life for the better, Douglas offers the lessons that saved him and helped him to heal. Alongside his heartfelt advice and insight, he also shares warm memories involving some of the most famous figures of our time -- including Burt Lancaster, Michael J. Fox, and Gary Cooper -- as well as others who have soared to greatness in the face of adversity.

Touching and funny, inspiring and uplifting, Kirk Douglas traces how his greatest setback became a source of strength and renewal -- leading him to find the eighth decade of his life the most fulfilling yet. Charming, soulful, and filled with personal insights and never-before-seen personal photographs, My Stroke of Luck is an intimate look at the real person behind the fabulous talent -- and at a life lived to its very fullest.