starts his memoir in the middle of a car crash. He is 17 and in the passenger seat when he and two friends go airborne in his mom含羞草研究社檚 red Chevy Corvair, tumbling off Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles. Everyone would be eventually fine, but it含羞草研究社檚 a harrowing moment and a unique way to kick off a look back.

含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 an unusual way to start,含羞草研究社� the 含羞草研究社淢agnum, P.I.含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淏lue Bloods含羞草研究社� star admits in an interview. 含羞草研究社淚t seemed like the perfect way to go back a little bit and talk about my upbringing through the bad accident and the ramifications.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淵ou Never Know含羞草研究社� takes readers through Selleck含羞草研究社檚 years at the University of Southern California, in the Army, being bachelor No. 2 on 含羞草研究社淭he Dating Game含羞草研究社� and small roles and commercials before earning an Emmy and lasting fame as Thomas Magnum.

含羞草研究社淚 didn含羞草研究社檛 have one of those headline-grabbing lives,含羞草研究社� the 79-year-old actor tells The Associated Press. 含羞草研究社淭he only way I could make the book entertaining 含羞草研究社� and I think my primary job and goal in this book is to entertain 含羞草研究社� was to get into these stories in a way that the reader got inside my head.含羞草研究社�

Selleck spent four years writing the book longhand on yellow legal pads, quoting from George Will and Raymond Chandler along the way. He would write in the afternoon and read what he含羞草研究社檇 written to his wife at dinner.

The self-portrait that emerges is of an actor who put his head down and worked at his craft 含羞草研究社� he did six unsold pilots and his first big movie was in the unfortunate 含羞草研究社淒aughters of Satan含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� until hitting the big time in his mid-30s.

含羞草研究社淚f Selleck has one thing to sell its authenticity,含羞草研究社� says 含羞草研究社淗e is a guy who knows who he is. He has managed to make a very successful career in a rough business over many decades by finding a way to be himself.含羞草研究社�

Selleck says he had no intentions of writing a tell-all or sharing salacious details of his life, though he does reveal details about his secret marriage to his second wife, Jillie Mack, who he first spotted onstage in 含羞草研究社淐ats.含羞草研究社� (Yes, he fell in love with Rumpleteazer.)

含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 plenty of stuff I have not talked, about and there含羞草研究社檚 plenty of stuff that everybody else has talked about and it isn含羞草研究社檛 really accurate,含羞草研究社� he says.

Readers will learn that Selleck 含羞草研究社� known for his 6-foot-4 matinee-idol looks and build, sense of humor and effortless style 含羞草研究社� was often racked by insecurity and doubts, writing, 含羞草研究社淭hat critic on your shoulder is a formidable opponent.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淚 wanted to speak the language of our business to young actors,含羞草研究社� he says. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 not an easy road. The product you含羞草研究社檙e selling 含羞草研究社� when somebody says no, which is 99% of the time 含羞草研究社� is you.含羞草研究社�

Famously, his shooting schedule for 含羞草研究社淢agnum, P.I.含羞草研究社� forced him to decline an offer to play Indiana Jones in 含羞草研究社淩aiders of the Lost Ark,含羞草研究社� a part which went to A Hollywood strike actually made it possible to do both, but Selleck is at peace, writing 含羞草研究社渕y only regret was that the what-if was there from time to time.含羞草研究社�

The role of Magnum 含羞草研究社� a Vietnam war veteran-turned easygoing detective who zipped around Hawaii in a red Ferrari 含羞草研究社� aired from 1980-1988.

Selleck earned an Emmy in 1984 for the episode 含羞草研究社淗ome from the Sea,含羞草研究社� in which Magnum treads water alone in the Pacific Ocean until he is rescued, talking to figures in his past. 含羞草研究社淚 made it, Dad. Why didn含羞草研究社檛 you?,含羞草研究社� the character deliriously asks his father, who was shot down over Korea in 1951. He was thrust into hosting the Emmys on the year he won one.

含羞草研究社淎 part of me was still in host mode. I grabbed my Emmy and ran across the stage to my host podium. I put down my Emmy and looked out at the applauding audience for the first time. When I did, I gotta say, the applause grew louder and stayed that way for quite a bit longer than I expected,含羞草研究社� he writes.

Selleck bet on himself throughout his career, turning down a steady gig on 含羞草研究社淵oung and the Restless含羞草研究社� and showing up for work on the 1979 TV miniseries 含羞草研究社淭he Sacketts含羞草研究社� even though the director made a point of saying he didn含羞草研究社檛 want him.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 most proud that I, as a person, was willing to take risks. They didn含羞草研究社檛 always pay off, but many times they did,含羞草研究社� he says. 含羞草研究社淩isk is the price you pay for opportunity itself.含羞草研究社�

Portraits of other stars also make appearances, like Carol Burnett, Princess Diana and Frank Sinatra, whose last acting job was on 含羞草研究社淢agnum, P.I.含羞草研究社� and who showed off his temper as well as his acting chops while navigating a colostomy bag.

Fans of 含羞草研究社淏lue Bloods含羞草研究社� have to wait for the last few pages to discover that Selleck initially fought for it to be a character-driven show and not a procedural, as the pilot had been. He won and the show is in its 14th season. He writes 含羞草研究社淚 can含羞草研究社檛 be that lucky twice.含羞草研究社�

Selleck writes that he approached his career as a bricklayer, making sure each role was done with the highest quality and then moving on to the next. If that meant pushing back on scripts or budgets, so be it.

含羞草研究社淛ust showing up and getting a paycheck wasn含羞草研究社檛 my idea of the work,含羞草研究社� he says. 含羞草研究社淚 tried to always do it in a businesslike way. You know, not throw tantrums and throw scripts against the wall.含羞草研究社�

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Mark Kennedy is at

Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press