Customer Reviews

JOHN WAYNE: AMERICAN

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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...!!

His friends & fans simply call him Duke. More than 20 yrs. after his death he is still coming in 1st or 2nd in polls askings Americans who their favorite actor is. Why is this? Come on, he's dead already!

Beginning in 1930 with THE BIG TRAIL & ending in 1976 with THE SHOOTIST, DUKE has been bigger than life, a symbol to the world of the ruggedness, tough independence, personal conviction, & courage that make up the American character.

I love him not just because he was a great actor, but because he played roles that showed us an America to be proud of. He was the type of guy you wouldn't mind sitting with in a bar for a few drinks &, definitely, you'd love him at your back in a fight!

The authors of this book tell you everything you need to know to understand & appreciate John Wayne the way I & millions the world over do.

This meticulously researched, & well thought out story of the life of DUKE is a must. From his childhood to his college years, from his first job in Hollywood thru the incredible career he led as an actor, from one marriage to the next & his political views & activism all the way thru to his battle with the Big C this book is a gold mine.

An added plus are the extensive notes & bibliography sections & a complete chronological Filmography.

You will never look at John Wayne, the actor & the man, in the same way ever again.

Olson and Roberts, take the myth of John Wayne and place it (him) into the proper historical context and create a vivid, complete, fascinating and ultimately revealing portrait of one of film's most famous and enduring stars.

John Wayne: American, is not only about Marion Micheal Morrison, the gangly Iowa kid who grew up to become an Icon, but also about the American myth machine. Olson and Roberts include intriguing insights into the Hollywood dream factories, politics and the craft of acting.

Wayne comes off here as a suprisingly complex man who not only proved to be a fine actor but an astute business man who willingly allowed himself to be co-opted as a profitable commodity by not only the Hollywood system but by the political arena as well as the American cult of personality. Whether for well or ill, Wayne came to rdefine not only entire generations of men but also a national identity as well.

The book does honestly deal with the fact that Wayne cocooned himself within the sanctity of the manufactured image and took great pains to maintain that carefully constructed product. But what a product it was.

Olson and Roberts are reverant to their subject while managing to lend the critical eye a terrible aspect. This book is refreshing in its honesty. Admirable for its respectful treatment. And thoroughly entertaining and enlightening in its detail. Watch Wayne's films and enjoy this book.

John Wayne (1907-1979) was a man of more complexity than many folks would suppose. Consider:
1. He portrayed macho cowboys and military leaders in the movies but never served in World War II (which caused him a good deal of guilt in later years.)
2. He was an advocate for strong family life (including strong
male bonding with his friends) but was wed three times and
had several affairs.
3. He enjoyed drink, good food and profane activities with his buddies Ward Bond and director John Ford but was noted for his
strong he-man appearance (he was 6'4' tall and at one time weighed over 260 pounds.)
4. He was at one time a member of the John Birch Society and
supported the right wing during the McCarthy era but could also
express individuality in politics (he supported LBJ and was a
friend of Jimmy Carter). He resigned from the Birchers and was
a man who valued America freedom. He was constantly having money troubles with the IRS and disdained (loathed!) big government.
5. He believed in God but did not become a member of an organized religion until converting to Roman Catholicism on his deathbed),
6. He was a good but often absent father to his seven children.
7. He was well read and memorized his lines quickly.
8. He was an excellent actor who finally won his Best Actor Oscar for "True Grit."
Randy Roberts and James Olson have told "Duke's story from
his life in middle class Iowa and Glendale (his parents despised one another and later divorced)to football player at USC to work
in the movies.
Wayne's first film was a flop and for almost ten years he labored in the B Western factory in such minor studios as Republic and Monogram. Only with 1939's turn as the Ringo Kid
in John Ford's classic film did the Wayne star begin to rise.
Wayne will live forever in such classics as "Red River" directed by Howard Hawks in 1948; "The Quiet Man with his best
screen lady Maureen O'Hara" the immortal Cavalry trilogy of John
Ford: "Fort Apache" ; "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" and "Rio Grande:
His best movie was "The Searchers" in which he portrays Ethan
Edward's in the Ford film set in Monument Valley!
Roberts and Olson's book is long; well documented; well written and their hard work has paid off. I found a tear in my eye as I read of Duke's last few months battling cancer which he called "The Red Witch."
Wayne had many faults as a man. He was a chauvinist; did not
understand women and could be rough and rowdy. His positive
traits were many: a generous and loving heart; kindness to others
a respect for his fans and a love for his country the United
States of American. Take him all in all whether you be a liberal or conservative or indifferent to politics we will never see another John Wayne!
I loved this book and recommend it highly. If you do not understand John Wayne you will not understand the America he
loved so deeply, so long and with so much honor through a lengthy and lustrous career in the movies!

I agree with much of what has been said before, this book was the place to start -- books on Wayne seem either to attack him or deify him, and both have their uses, but this does read well, is thorough, offers enough of a view of all sides of the man that the reader can generally reach his or her own opinion on him, even one that might differ with the authors'. Somewhat overlooked, this is a worthwhile read.

This is a wonderful book. I grew up watching a lot of his films and I remember the day he died, stunned by the news. From this book I learned about his politics, although for me that was not as interesting as the anecdotes during filming, or his personal life with his trusted friends. I must say, though, that as I chronologically followed his life I became sadder as I knew how it ended. The last chapter is a harrowing read because this Big man wastes away and he knows it, he fears it. I closed the book feeling depressed and very aware of my own mortality.

Of all the Duke books I have read, this one was perhaps the best at bringing his personal life onto the same level as his professional life. This book was able to combine the two and show the Duke as a hard working professional trying to balance his two different lifes, and the struggles involved. I have always been a Duke fan and this book showed me why.

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.

I enjoyed this book more than I can Say . Being 80 yrs. old ,

I have grown up with John Wayne , more so than any other movie

" STAR ". Buy this book , you will treasure it .

Jack Yannuzzi

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.