Duke: The Life and Times of John Wayne [Hardcover]

Donald Shepherd (Author), Robert Slatzer (Author), Dave Grayson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1985

He was born Marion Morrison: the son of a failed Iowa druggist, a sensitive boy who moved to California with his family and made his way first as a football player in college, then as a studio prop man and bit player in dozens of B movies. He was a man whose word was his bond, an out-spoken man, often wasteful of his money and his time. He needed the security of a family and adored his children, but failed three times at marriage. He feared poverty, though he died a multimillionaire. Obsessed with work, he almost ruined himself financially making a movie he believed in. In his fifties, he battled with cancer - and won. Now, in this rich and compelling biography, authors Donald Shepher and Robert Slatzer, together with Dave Grayson (the Duke's longtime personal makeup artist) tread a fine line between reverence and revelation to disclose the gentle, trusting, contrary, hard-drinking, womanizing man behind the myth. Meticulously researched and brimming with many rare photographs, fascinating anecdotes, and famous personalities from Hollywood's greatest days, Duke gives us the superstar who. to some, became a symbol for the nation itself: the proud American who epitomized patriotism, right or wrong, the strong, vulnerable, unforgettable man who grew to be a legend in his own time -- and for time to come. This is the man they called John Wayne.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 372 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1st edition (August 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038517893X
• ISBN-13: 978-0385178938
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,881,943 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love the Duke, December 19, 2010

By 

Lorraine Szustowski (Hillside, Illinois, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Duke: Life and Times: The Life and Times of John Wayne (Paperback)

Saw this item in a catalogue and thought it might be more reasonable on Amazon,
and I was correct. Even with shipping it was less than the cost of the book in
the catalogue. My friend has been a John Wayne fan for many years, and I know he
will enjoy this book, as I enjoyed looking through it before he gets it at
Christmas.

7 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars John Wayne, March 17, 2003

By 

K Hall (Billings, MT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Duke: Life and Times: The Life and Times of John Wayne (Paperback)

The Life and Times Of John Wayne by David Hanna is a pretty good book. I liked this book because it listed all of the movies and shows John Wayne has ever appeared in. I also liked this book because it did a time line of his life and showed all of the obstacles he had to overcome.
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy western shows and movies. I also think farmers,ranchers and cow tenders would enjoy this book.
The book has a section listing quotes,and one of my favorites is,"I'm 53 years old and 6'4,I've had three wives,five children and three grandchildren.I love good whisky.I still don't understand women, and i don't think there is any man who does."