At age thirty-two, there was still no sign of Russell's talent as a movie director--until all these disjointed efforts of his youth fell into place after an unnerving but ultimately successful interview with the BBC for a position with the ground-breaking television film program Monitor. The show made Russell's career. Thirty years and fifty films later, Ken Russell looks back on a life filled with more than its share of highs and lows--a direct consequence of his inability to do anything in moderation. Written in the flowing, intercutting style of his films, this autobiography peels back the layers to explore the core Ken Russell. This is a man not instantly known on the streets as the director of the latest action sequel...but as a playful, sometimes serious, always inventive expander of the cinematic realm.