Paul Newman [Hardcover]

Lawrence J. Quirk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1997

Film historian and author Lawrence Quirk takes a comprehensive look at one of the more enduring Hollywood legends of our time. PAUL NEWMAN examines all aspects of the great actor/director's life, his characterfair or foulboth on and off screen, from his early career and first marriage to his long union with current wife Joanne Woodward to his battle with the bottle and tragic suicide of his son Scott. photo insert.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Paul Newman is considered by many to be one of the world's greatest actors, and certainly he is a world-famous celebrity. Surprisingly, he has managed to keep his private life out of the tabloids, and relatively few biographies have been written about him. Quirk, long a celebrity biographer and the author of The Films of Paul Newman (Citadel, 1986), here turns his attention to Newman's private life. In a no-nonsense style, Quirk shares the results of his interviews with Newman and his friends and his research of published material. He reveals little-known facts about Newman's first marriage, his heavy drinking, and his son's suicide and its aftermath. The end result is as engaging and revealing as Quirk's biography of Bette Davis (Fasten Your Seat Belts, LJ 2/1/90)?not an easy feat when one's subject is such a private man. Recommended.?Rosellen Brewer, Monterey Bay Area Cooperative Lib. System, Cal.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

This biography takes a comprehensive approach to this great actor/director's life, examining all aspects of his character, fair or foul, both on and off the screen. An earnest, and sometimes painfully honest biography, Paul Newman explores not only the enigmatic private life of the world-famous star, but also reevaluates many of his most famous films and roles. Incorporating comments made to him personally over 40 years as an entertainment writer, biographer Lawrence Quirk also includes material from his own private interviews with Newman and fresh, new interviews with many who know and/or have worked with Newman. A superb biography. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Pub (April 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878339620
• ISBN-13: 978-0878339624
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,759,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Superficial and patronizing, July 6, 2000

By 

Elizabeth Marsh "Cowgirl" (Summit, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paul Newman (Hardcover)

This man obviously doesn't like Paul Newman and feels superior to him. But that is no excuse for Lawrence Quirk to pretend to know Newman's inmost thoughts and motivations with little or no clue to the reader as to where this information is coming from. Example: "He was saddened but not devastated by the loss of his mother". Where is the authority for this? Newman has given many people great pleasure and he will be long remembered and revered whatever Quirk's opinion.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Slanderous, February 7, 2001

By 

chris metzger (los angeles, ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paul Newman (Hardcover)

If you are looking for an objective account of Paul Newman's life and work stay far away from this book. Quirk takes every chance to discredit Newman's acting ability and personality. At the begining of each paragraph, you begin to anticipate another stab at Newman and without fail it would come in one form or another. Quirk over and over again reveals his disdain for the actor when he should of been more concerned with the facts and the story.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Avoid this book at all cost!, March 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Paul Newman (Hardcover)

What is the matter with this man? If he dislikes Paul Newman so much, why did he even bother to spend time and energy to write this book? Perhaps he should just take out an ad in the newspaper to show the world his disdain for the actor. This biography is by far the worst, most subjective of all the biographies I have ever read. Please stay away from this book, whether you're a Paul Newman fan or not. If you're a fan, you will most likely want to call up the author and demand an explaination and perhaps moeny back for the crap you've just read. If you're not Paul's fan, you shouldn't even read this book because it is full of personal prejudice and thin evidence.