Gary Burghoff: To M*A*S*H and Back

By Gary Burghoff

Book Overview

To millions of faithful television viewers, Gary Burghoff will always be Walter "Radar" O'Reilly, the lovable telepathic assistant to Colonel Potter on M*A*S*H. But the man behind the bespectacled TV... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1593933436
• ISBN13: 9781593933432
• Release Date: June 2009
• Publisher: BearManor Media
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

a classic in every way.

In 2008 I was in a car accident and ended up with an open right femur fracture which landed me in the hospital for a month. Since I couldn't exactly walk around or be active I ended up watching a lot of TV, which in turn introduced me to M*A*S*H. That introduced me to Mr. Burghoff. The very first episode I watched was one called "The Sniper", I was hooked at that time by Radar. He kept me watching and after he left the show what kept me watching was David Ogden Stiers. Since then I have read and watched everything I could concerning Mr. Burghoff and when his book came out, my mom bought it for me. I sat down and read the whole thing from front to back in one sitting. I only wish it could have been longer...Harry Potter length still would have had me asking for more. This book is open, honest and gives the reader a look inside the life of a great man and a very talented actor, musician and artist. I laughed many times while reading and other times I was blown away by how candid he was on certain topics. He leads you on a very personal walk through his childhood, through the years he struggled to find success, his journey before, during and after M*A*S*H, his two marriages and also his life as a single father. But most importantly, at least to me, he takes you on his road to find God. His relationship with God and his quest to find the deeper meaning in his life takes up a lot of this book and you learn what really makes up the man. Now, I am re-reading the book just in case I missed anything and I am getting just as much from it the second time through. That never happens. You have to buy and read this book. It is a book you will keep easily available because it really is that excellent. I honestly hope Mr. Burghoff is working on "Part 2". I'll be first in line to buy it. Again, my only compaint is that this biography isn't longer.

Full if surprises

Filled with some really interesting information and photos as well as his wildlife art work. He is very honest from sharing his life growing up, and struggles in the entertainment industry, including being on the verge of bankruptcy. Was surprised to read he was a Jehovah Witness. And I never knew that in 1993 the U S Department of Interior asked him to be a judge for the Federal Duck Stamp Competition.

A great actor and a good man

Who would have guessed that Gary Burghoff who played Radar on MASH was such a talented guy? His autobiography includes a whole photo gallery at the end of this book showing some amazingly good paintings of animals and wildlife. He's a very talented and award winning artist. Along with the paintings shown in his book there are lots of old photos of him, his family, friends, and some of the other acting pursuits in his life. His poetry is interspersed throughout the book. When he found an injured Brown Pelican on his dock one day he picked it up and took it home and contacted a wildlife vet who showed him how to care for it. He ended up caring for many other Brown Pelicans that were hit with some type of virus as well as many other species of birds and other animals including opossums, gray squirrels, raccoons and abandoned creatures needing special attention. He had a whole set-up on his property to care for them and even learned to do things like setting broken wings. The state of California ended up licensing him to care for wounded animals. Reading about the things he did for these animals just touched my heart. I admire him for more than just his acting. I bet you'll be as surprised as I was at some of his other pursuits over the years; there are a lot more that you'll just have to get the book and read about. Although he suffered from bouts of depression, he would just pull himself up and bounce back every time into a new interest or venture. He was very successful at most and seemed to get a kick out of trying new and completely different things. There is so much more than I've mentioned here. And now with this book, he's an author. The book really held my interest although I wish it had been a little longer and that he had gone into more details about some of the things he did. He has had such an interesting life up to this point that I can't wait to see what he'll be up to next.

Much More Than Radar

What a fantastic biography this is! As it turns out, Radar was just one of Gary Burghoff's creations. Until now, I didn't realize how talented he was. He's not only a fine actor, but also a very gifted artist, inventor, musician, and the most clever poet and songwriter I've ever encountered. My favorite of his poems (which precede each chapter) is "Hair." That one made me laugh aloud and is worth the price of the book all by itself. Much of Burghoff's beautiful nature-art is pictured on both the back cover and in a photo spread. His life, though full of many triumphs, hasn't been easy. Eventually, though, he came to learn the secret to true happiness and lovingly shares it with us, his readers. Thank you, Gary!