{"product_id":"a-bird-of-passage-the-story-of-my-life-9781575100265","title":"A Bird of Passage: The Story of My Life","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"Among the great names in the world of alpine skiing  that of Otto Lang ranks high. And not just a great sportsman  Lang was to become an important contributor to the world of American filmmaking as well. In this compelling and richly anecdotal autobiography  Lang tells his fascinating life story. \"Born in Bosnia in 1908 and raised in Salzburg  Austria  Lang came to the United States in 1935 to introduce fellow Austrian Hannes Schneiders revolutionary Arlberg method of ski instruction to the New World. \"During his early years in the U.S.  Lang founded ski schools on Mounts Rainier  Baker  and Hood in the Pacific Northwest and eventually succeeded Friedl Pfeifer as director of the famed Sun Valley Ski School. \"At Sun Valley  Lang taught many of Hollywoods elite to ski  among them the legendary Darryl F. Zanuck of Twentieth Century Fox. Through Zanuck  Lang found an introduction to the world of American cinema. From acting in and later producing ski films  he graduated to feature films  eventually directing and producing dozens of films and over 100 television programs. \"His screen credits include Call Nourished 777  starring Jimmy Stewart; the 1952 James Mason thriller Five Fingers; and the Japanese sequences of Tora! Tora! Tora! Lang received four Academy Award nominations during his distinguished career. \"As ski instructor and filmmaker  Otto Lang made many remarkable friends  and in these pages  he recalls in vivid detail his relationships with an international cast of characters  among them the great Austrian writer Stefan Zweig  Mohammed Reza Pahlavi (the Shah of Iran)  Russian operatic star Feodor Chaliapin  ski filmmaker Warren Miller  documentarian Lowell Thomas  plus Darryl Zanuck and a host of Hollywood notables. \"With A Bird of Passage  Otto Lang offers readers a spell-binding and beautifully written tale: the riveting (and often moving) story of a life lived with courage  passion  and style....\" Rick Newby  author of Old Friends Walking in the Mountains\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45276623667253,"sku":"ByrdShop_1575100266","price":98.64,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781575100265.jpg?v=1780558327","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/a-bird-of-passage-the-story-of-my-life-9781575100265","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}