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Title: John Wayne: American by Randy Roberts, James S. Olson, James Stuart Olson ISBN: 0-8032-8970-7 Publisher: Bison Pub. Date: 01 January, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.62 (8 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Outstanding book... the most enjoyable read ever.
Comment: I've read a lot of biographies and without a doubt, this was the most enjoyable one I've ever read. The authors did an outstanding job of melding the Duke's personal and professional life together into an easy-to-read, chronological breakdown of what many Americans - including me - consider to be one of the greatest Americans ever.
Since I was a kid watching John Wayne movies with my dad, I wanted to know more about the man behind the walkin and talkin and this book really filled in all the blanks. The best part about this book was that Duke turned out to be everything I wanted him to be. He was flawed... he was a womanizer and a bit of a drinker and he probably didn't make the best decision when it came time to fight in WWII. But, one thing is for sure. The man was not a coward and he was a patriotic and moral soul that struggled with his own demons just like the rest of us, but truly always sought to do the right thing.
The authors did an outstanding job of pointing out when the Duke may have made a mistake or had a lapse in judgement because the guy was human. But, they also documented some of the times when the Duke stood up for what he believed in, like when he stood up for U.S. soldiers repeatedly during the Vietnam war.
I had this image of who John Wayne was in my mind. He was a flawed giant that believed in a chilvarous code to country, family and God and that is exactly the image that was portrayed in this book.
Wonderfully written book that is really worth your time...!!
Rating: 4
Summary: The Greatest Movie Star Who Ever Lived?
Comment: I've seen a lot of John Wayne movies, but knew little about the man until I read this book. This is a thorough, well-researched, and well-written book about his life. I don't think you can help liking the big lug, despite his many faults. He was loyal to his friends, honest, well-meaning, and a hard worker at his craft of acting.
The biggest negative about Wayne is that he didn't serve in the military during World War II. The authors go into the reasons and don't spare him criticism. Wayne was undoubtedly more important to the war effort as a maker of patriotic movies than he would have been carrying a rifle - but that doesn't excuse him. He was the original chicken-hawk - a species that is proliferating these days.
I also found the material interesting about the ideological struggle in Hollywood between right and left in the late 1940s and 1950s. We hear a lot a criticism about "black lists" and Hollywood types boycotted because they were leftists; this book points out that the leftists also had their fangs out to bring down the rightists like Wayne. That he came out on top, despite his unpopular political stances, is a tribute to his honesty and stubborn inflexibility - similar to the characters he played.
I doubt that any other movie star is so distinctive in walk and talk - or more deserving of a good biography. I enjoyed the book - and I look forward to reading more about John Wayne someday in a book which will probe even deeper into his life, career, and psyche. Wayne was an American original.
Rating: 4
Summary: Good read, enlightening
Comment: A book well worth your time. The film giant was apparently cursed by a harpy of a mother whom he could never please. It goes into his guilt over leaving his first wife, the complex (or not?) reasons he didn't join the service in WWII, and his health problems at the end. I liked him before, and his made him more human and 3 dimensional.
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Title: Duke, We're Glad We Knew You: John Wayne's Friends and Colleagues Remember His Remarkable Life by Herb Fagen ISBN: 0806520566 Publisher: Citadel Press Pub. Date: 01 December, 1998 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Duke: The Life and Times of John Wayne by Donald Shepherd, Robert Slatzer, Dave Grayson ISBN: 0806523409 Publisher: Citadel Press Pub. Date: 01 February, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The John Wayne Scrapbook by Lee Pfeiffer ISBN: 0806522305 Publisher: Citadel Press Pub. Date: 01 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: John Wayne, My Father by Aissa Wayne, Steve Delsohn ISBN: 0878339590 Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing Pub. Date: 01 March, 1998 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: The Complete Films of John Wayne by Mark Ricci, Boris Zmijewsky, Steve Zmijewsky ISBN: 0806509457 Publisher: Citadel Trade Pub. Date: 01 April, 1985 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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