Product Description
As an actor, he seduces us with his tough-guy charm. As a director and producer, he amazes us with his artistry and technical savvy. As a Hollywood icon, Clint Eastwood, one of film's greatest living legends, represents some of the finest cinematic achievements in the history of American cinema.

In American Rebel, bestselling author and acclaimed film historian Marc Eliot examines the ever-exciting, often-tumultuous arc of Clint Eastwood's life and career. Unlike past biographers, Eliot writes with unflinching candor about Eastwood's highs and lows, his artistic successes and failures, and the fascinating, complex relationship between his life and his craft. Eliot's prodigious research reveals how a college dropout and unambitious playboy rose to fame as Hollywood' s "sexy rebel," eventually and against all odds becoming a star in the Academy pantheon as a multiple Oscar winner. Spanning decades, American Rebel covers the best of Eastwood' s oeuvre, films that have fast become American classics–Fistful of Dollars, Dirty Harry, Unforgiven, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, and Gran Torino.

Filled with remarkable insights into Eastwood's personal life and public work, American Rebel is highly entertaining and the most complete biography of one of Hollywood's truly respected and beloved stars–an actor who, despite being the Man with No Name, has left his indelible mark on the world of motion pictures.



From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Entertaining biography
This is an enjoyable read about one of the biggest stars in Hollywood history.

Clint Eastwood is an icon as a result of his movie acting and director roles. This book details Eastwood's life from the young man through the glory years of his movie making to the latter years of being a director. It is definitely not a book lavishly praising Eastwood, the author makes no bones about Clint being a ladies man, being cold to people who have outlived their usefulness to him and for being tough on fellow actors.

The result is an even-handed biography of an interesting and complex man, well worth your time in reading it.

Fun & Informative
The author takes you on a journey following one of the greatest Actor/Director/Producers in American Cinema. You see a side of him beyond the "Tight-Lipped Smile", learn about his past present and get a better than fair estimation of his future as well. Marc Eliot did his job with this I felt, he gave me much to learn, took me on a journey through time and left me wanting more. This is not simply a story of being discovered in the local soda fountain. No, this is so much more. You're given a look into a nortiously private man's life and his trials throughout development of his own production company, family life, and generally doing things his way. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Clint Eastwood. In my humble opinion, the only thing better than this book would be sitting down with Clint for an afternoon. -MW

Uninspiring and Impersonal
As a big Eastwood fan I was looking forward to reading this book.

The book is divided into three parts:
Part 1 - From Aimless to Actor - which follows Eastwood from birth until 1979
Part 2 - From Actor to Auteur - which takes place from 1979 to 1990
Part 3 - From Auteur to Oscar - which takes place from 1990 to 2009

The Good:
This book was a fascinating read and reminded me of Mr. Eastwood's body of work in-front and behind the camera.I knew that Eastwood is a cinematic genius and the book cemented that opinion.The book emphasizes the struggle which Clint Eastwood fights everyday during his life to maintain his independence and individuality from the Hollywood studios as well as society in general.

The Bad:
There is nothing new in this uninspiring book.Nothing which is not available on public record.Reading "American Rebel" was like reading a 330 page magazine article.There are no, or very little, anecdotes which make a biography worth reading and gain new insight into the Eastwood persona.The author doesn't make any new revelations, gives us any new insights and some of his commentary (the ones not quoted from other magazines) I found misguided.

The Ugly:
I don't really care how Eastwood acts in his personal life and the Entertainment Tonight (TMZ for you younger folks) style of "news" doesn't appeal to me, yet the author seems to thrive on this sort of gossip, sordid rumors and "he said - she said" court room dramas.
I know this type of information is part of any biography but does the reader really wants to spend reading pages of soap opera type public-record nuances which doesn't give us any insight into the subject's personality?

If you are an Eastwood fan you'd enjoy this book - if nothing else to remind you of the vast body of work he has done over the years.
Clint Eastwood's rags to riches lifelong adventure is an amazing American success story and he deserves a better book - maybe in his own words (I hope).

My Idol Clint - Warts and All
I grew up with Clint Eastwood movies and especially remember his spaghetti westerns as a teen.This is the first bio of Clint that I have read.(Many have already gone into detail about the book's contents so I won't repeat all that.)Surprisingly, this bio was a page turner.The author did a great job of sharing facts in a way that wasn't dry but instead a good satisfying read.The book was well balanced in covering Clint's career and personal life.Clint's personal life with numerous women was a reality and needed to be included.I didn't feel however that Eliot went overboard in this area.Clint is who he is.(Really, is he that much different from other Hollywood stars when it comes to relationships?!)

I found the stories behind each movie's making extremely interesting and have to admit that as I read through the book, I went and re-watched each movie that I could get my hands on.I was disappointed though that there was little coverage of Grand Torino which I feel was Clint's absolute best movie as Director and Actor.Yet I was pleased to read Eliot's comments on it not being nominated for any Oscars: "...to the surprise of many and shock of some, both Clint films [GT and Changeling] were all but ignored....there was nothing for Clint's direction of either film, or even more outrageous, for his performance in Grand Torino...neither of [the nominated films] held either the resonance or the grand career summation that Clint's Grand Torino did."

Clint was my untarnished idol going into this read, but by the end of the read my idol was tarnished.So no he's not perfect (what Hollywood icon is), but he is still one of film's greatest legends and he is still my American Rebel.

My biggest complaint about the book is the copious number of footnotes - some which could have easily been integrated into the book.Don't neglect to read the "Author's Note and Acknowledgements" at the end of the book for good insight into why the book was written.Actually, I'd recommend reading it first.

If you're a Clint fan, this book needs to be part of your Clint collection!Now if Clint would just write an autobiography and give us HIS insight into his movies.....

Clint Never Rebelled Against Hard Work To Get Where He Is Today...
There was a book published by Ominbus Press in 1977 called Clint Eastwood: All American Anti-HeroClint Eastwood, All-American Anti-Hero: A Critical Appraisal of the World's Top Box Office Star and His Films. This fan book traces Eastwood's career up to the Gauntlet in 1977. Although Marc Eliot's book American Rebel takes Eastwood up to present date, we as fans and readers, don't really glean any more insight into Clint Eastwood `the man.'
In fact, Clint Eastwood: All American Anti-Hero offers more social commentary on his work and the cultural impact of his films.
Marc Eliot paints a philandering, narcissistic portrait that Evelyn Draper (Jessica Walter's Borderline character in Play Misty For MePlay Misty for Me) would love to carve up.Do I personally want to know all the sordid, acrimonious details of Clint's split with Sandra Locke? No... leave that grist for TMZ gossip mill. Many times throughout the book Eliot glosses over an Eastwood film and then returns back to Clint's philandering, and after all the tumultuous affairs, the book ends with a "and they all lived happily ever after ending." If this were a screenplay, there would be many major plot holes. It's like the opening scene in High Plains DrifterHigh Plains Drifterwhere Eastwood dissolves into the scene on horseback, only American Rebel never fully pulls focus and leaves so much of Eastwood's life a blur.
Is Clint Eastwood an American Rebel? Sure, he lives his life on his own terms and his life personifies the all American dream, the Horatio Alger, rags to riches story... He has worked hard and once said that his father told him that "you don't get anything for nothing," and although Clint said he rebelled, he never rebelled against that.
He has an amazing story to tell... I only hope Clint Eastwood tells it in his own words one day...
... Read more

Product Description
Clint Eastwood's popularity is at an all-time highwith his recent successes as an Oscar-winning director building upon his fame as the consummate tough-guy movie star. This volume offers an intimate view into the life of a Hollywood greatmixingcelebrity photographs with casual snapshots to span Eastwood's varied career. From early beefcake photosto his Spaghetti Western and macho cop rolesto his work behind the camerathis stylish collection forms a portrait like no other. This latest volume in the beloved A Life in Pictures series includes a biographical introduction by renowned Hollywoodwriter and director Peter Bogdanovich. Visually arresting throughoutthis is the quintessential volume on the life of a legendboth onscreen and off. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Clint Eastwood forever
This book is fantastic it has great sharp pictures.I love that it has so many non-movie pictures in it.It was great to see him in relaxing everyday shots.I would recommend this to any Eastwood fan.

For every man's coffee table
Great pictures, great narrative. One forgets how broad Clint's body of work really is. Man up and buy this for yourself and someone else.

AWESOME!!!!!
Any Clint Eastwood fan will love this pictorial collection!Photos are not just movie stills.Most are not commonly seen in public.All are wonderful images of one of Hollywood's last living icons!A must own for any Clint Eastwood fan!

Eastwood, books
This is a great book.I would recommend it to anyone who is a Clint Eastwood fan. ... Read more

Product Description
"Authoritative . . . highly nuanced . . . gives the reader a palpable sense of Mr. Eastwood's career."
--The New York Times

From the moment The Man With No Name first fixed the screen with his murderous squint, from the first time audiences heard Dirty Harry Callahan growl "Make my day," Clint Eastwood has been an icon of American manhood in all its coolness and ferocity. But that icon is also an actor of surprising subtlety, a filmmaker of vast intelligence and originality--and an intensely private man who eludes the stereotypes with which his fans and critics try to label him.

In this in-depth biography, the distinguished film critic Richard Schickel talks with Eastwood's family, friends, and colleagues--and, above all, with his notoriously reticent subject--to produce a portrait more astute and revealing than any we have ever had.

Following Eastwood from his unstable childhood through his turbulent love affairs, assessing films from A Fistful of Dollars to the Oscar-winning The Unforgiven, and locating the subversive streak of rage and solitude that runs through all his work, Clint Eastwood is candid and endlessly fascinating, an unerring closeup of one of our brightest stars.

"Exhilarating . . . substantial, insightful, and right."
--NewsdayAmazon.com Review
Schickel, a movie critic for Time magazine, surveys thelife and career of Hollywood's laconic macho superstar. Eastwood'scareer has slowly developed: television success inRawhide; his icon-defining role as the namelessgunslinger in Sergio Leone's spaghetti Westerns; movie superstardomwith the Dirty Harry series; then a softening, and even someintellectual respectability, with his Oscar for directingUnforgiven. Shickel chronicles Eastwood's middle-class upbringingin Oakland, California, details a personal life that included a driveto bed many women, and recasts Eastwood from his role as themale equivalent of the "dumb blonde" to that of "one ofthe great ironists of the age." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Art Does not Imitate Life
I was very interested in reading a biography of Clint Eastwood and this one was the most popular but I have to agree with the overall poor ratings.The parts about Clint's early life was very interesting and well done but when Schickel describes in detail the plot of each movie I began to lose interest and somewhat upset to know too much about the movies I had not seen yet.Hopefully a better biography will be written in the future.

Too much time spent on critics.
Richard Schickel is a friend of Clint Eastwood. That itself shouldn't disqualify him from writing this book.
The problem with the book is that it is very biased, he spends an absurd portion of the book defending Eastwood from an assortment of negative movie critiques, predominantly those of Pauline Kael.
I am a fan of most of Clint Eastwood's films and movie critics have never been a factor in formulating my opinion of any particular movie. And I don't see why Clint Eastwood's work needs defending!

"Clint Eastwood-a Biography" is otherwise loaded with some fascinating facts about Eastwood's life and career.

Schickel describes how Eastwood obtained various scripts for movies that he was involved in as an actor, director, and sometimes both.
The details include his relationship with other stars, directors, and producers.

Who proposed the forming of Malpaso and how monumental that company became is another topic in the book.

I found it interesting that Clint turned down the part of "Harmonica" in "Once Upon a Time in the West". That's the role that Charles Bronson accepted in a movie that eventually came to be regarded as one of the best westerns of all time and a personal favorite of mine.

The book details Eastwood's inherited musical talent and how deeply jazz has influenced the actor both musically and in film.

Clint solves the mystery of the identity of his character in "High Plains Drifter".

Another aspect of Eastwood as a director is the location of shoots for the "Eiger Sanction" and "Unforgiven". His sense of realism can be extreme, but admirable.

Overall "Clint Eastwood-a Biography" has a lot of trivia-type information and can be entertaining. What downgrades the book considerably is the seemingly endless ranting about the negative reviews from movie critics.

A Fistful of Delights
It is obvious that Mr. Schickel is a movie critic, a good friend of Mr. Eastwood and an apologist of practically everything the film icon has done that is questionable. The book is a sympathetic portrayal and does a fine job explaining the movie star's rise in the entertainment field. Thankfully, this is not a slimy celebrity biography in the likes of Kitty Kelly's works. Instead, Mr. Schickel spends a great deal of time explaining many of Mr. Eastwood's films and how his choices are related to his growth as an individual. A fascinating subject matter who has endured in an industry that usually makes cannon fodder of most celebrities' having long-term careers. Elements of luck, intelligence and perseverance enabled Mr. Eastwood to remain an entertainment force for over four decades. Well-written and informative. If you've ever had a keen interest in how this man became an American movie icon, you'll probably enjoy the book.

Very informative Book
Several folks here have given this book a bad review simply because the author and subject are friends.So what?Clint will not write an autobiography so this is the next best thing.He simply chose to focus on the film making process that Clint uses and stay on the positive side of his personal life.He admits in the book that he cheated on his wife numerous times but doesn't go into great detail about it.We all know this anyway, why should we hear the details?Reading this book gave me great insight on Clint's life growing up, his family, his Army days, behind the scenes of "Rawhide" and all his greatest movies.I know Clint was not a saint in his personal life but that's not what I want to read about anyways.I want to read about his work which is why I'm a fan to begin with.If you want to read the gossip which may or may not be true, read the enquirer or Pat McGilligan's book which paints Clint as just a step above Hitler!

Fawning and ridiculous
Eastwood has always been one of my favorite action stars. Generally a stiff and unsurprising actor, he has played virtually the same character in all his movies. Which is not a problem (for me). My problem is biographies like this one written by Schickel, a usually intelligent and perceptive critic.I'm assuming he had to kiss up to Eastwood in order to get certain information in this book, and his writing reflects this position. Toadish and lacking in objectivity, Schickel finds nothing wrong with Eastwood's constant cheating on his first wife, his inability to work with other directors (he is a control freak), and his hiring of sycophants who would not question his motives--and if they did, they never worked for him again. A major disappointment for anyone seeking an honest evaluation of Eastwood's film career. However, if you worship the ground he walks on--as Schickel obviously does--then this is the book for you! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (8)

An absolute "must-have" for dedicated Eastwood fans
Clint Eastwood Icon: The Essential Film Art Collection is an extraordinary coffee-table book packed cover to cover with vintage, full-color photographs of art (especially movie flyers and posters) pertaining to Clint Eastwood's legendary Hollywood career. From rugged gunman to dashing, gun-toting mercenary to heartthrob icon, Clint Eastwood and the essence of his advertised films is depicted in timeless, vivid detail. Some of the flyers and posters portrayed are from nations around the world, revealing how Eastwood's movies were advertised and depicted in other nations. Brief essays and descriptive captions accompany the cornucopia of classic imagery, in this absolute "must-have" for dedicated Eastwood fans.

Beautiful Collection
What a fun book! Any Clint Eastwood fan would love this for the inclusivness of his career; any poster art lover would love this for its documentation of film history. The minimal commentary lets the posters speak for themselves--film archival meets art history.

huge EASTWOOD Fan....not so much of this book..
Here's what you get...
a series of reproductions of posters of his movies from various countries. Many of these you already have if you have the DVDs as they utilize nearly the same graphics. I guess I just can't see myself looking at this more than the onetime I did at BORDERS today....and I had a big discount coupon and just couldn't pull the trigger. I'm holdingout more hope for the Shickel book to be released March 2nd...but this was really dull and redundant most of the foreign posters are simple language changes.Seriously, If I ad an art book to my collection I'd rather it be one with more substance and originality than this....the same shot of Eastwood used a half dozen different ways may be your cup of heavily sugared Joe, but it didn't make my day.

A Must for Clint Eastwood Fans!!
I was very pleased after receiving my copy from Amazon, the book was much larger than i expected. Any Clint Eastwood Fan would be impressed by the content, page after page of big glossy movie art. The Artwork is not just in English, but Japanese, Italian, Spanish etc, many variations of each of Clint's movies concluding with Gran Torino (2008) This copy was a gift for a friend, i will be ordering another copy for myself, @ $26.00, this book is a bargain.

Impressive and nostalgic collection
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2IUAZ2CQ6FU55 The author David Frangioni is a passionate collector of all things Clint Eastwood. He has amassed an amazing collection of posters and memorabilia, dating way back to the 1964's A Fistful of Dollars to the 2008's Gran Torino. They are all in this book, properly labeled and arranged chronologically. There are not only English posters, but also in Japanese, Spanish and other languages. Thomas Schatz writes the biography.

This is an oversized art book and the posters are printed large -- closeups feature almost life-size heads. Movies are made in a time where posters are still painted traditionally. There are many of those in this book. If you're a Clint Eastwood fan, you'll probably be transported back in time.

This is a great book for all fans of Clint Eastwood.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.) ... Read more

Product Description
In this risk-taking book, a major feminist philosopher engages the work of the actor and director who has progressed from being the stereotypical "man's man" to pushing the boundaries of the very genres--the Western, the police thriller, the war or boxing movie--most associated with American masculinity. Cornell's highly appreciative encounter with the films directed by Clint Eastwood revolve around the questions "What is it to be a good man?" and "What is it to be, not just an ethical person, but specifically an ethical man?" Focusing on Eastwood as a director rather than as an actor or cultural icon, she studies Eastwood in relation to major philosophical and ethical themes that have been articulated in her own life's work.In her fresh and revealing readings of the films, Cornell takes up pressing issues of masculinity as it is caught up in the very definition of ideas of revenge, violence, moral repair, and justice. Eastwood grapples with this involvement of masculinity in and through many of the great symbols of American life, including cowboys, boxing, police dramas, and ultimately war--perhaps the single greatest symbol of what it means (or is supposed to mean) to be a man. Cornell discusses films from across Eastwood's career, from his directorial debut with Play Misty for Me to Million Dollar Baby.Cornell's book is not a traditional book of film criticism or a cinematographic biography. Rather, it is a work of social commentary and ethical philosophy. In a world in which we seem to be losing our grip on shared symbols, along with community itself, Eastwood's films work with the fragmented symbols that remain to us in order to engage masculinity with the most profound moral and ethical issues facing us today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A fascinating read, highly recommended
If you ask someone to name ten icons of manliness, there's a high chance that Clint Eastwood would be on that list. "Clint Eastwood and Issues of American Masculinity" is a study of what is viewed as manly in today's society using the film work of Clint Eastwood as a case study. Eastwood's career is decades long and as such, his career shifts the trending attitudes of manliness from the gun slinging cowboy to the grizzled grandfather. "Clint Eastwood and Issues of American Masculinity" is a fascinating read, highly recommended. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Please, make my day!
The peculiar artistic journey of Clint Eastwood has been signed by twovery distinctive features. His undeniable passion for jazz and his indeclinable attractions poles: the thriller and the Western genre (which has been the true North American mythology) under Sergio Leone direction. Those spaghetti Westerns began to shape in his mind and febrile creativity three important periods. The first one belongs to the seventies as the renegade detective who works without rules according his own basic instincts ( we should not forget the self made personal justice begins probably with Sam Peckinpah's "Straw dogs" and two cult movies of John Borman, the almost forgotten "Point blank" and the classic "Deliverance") then would come the unforgettable saga offour films in which Charles Bronson starred - Harry Callahan typified as no one else the merciless and relentless detective in those out of control and desperate early seventies. The second period is perhaps the most introspective, searching by the unconscious roots of the antihero that concludes with "Bird" . The third period meant for him the concretion of a wider spectre of livings, happenings and situations in which an existential revisiting to the Western genre "Unforgiving") political affairs, corruption, love story, intense personal drama "Mystic river" and clever War episodes have become a sort of living gallery of deconstructions, memories, obsessions, little personal triumphs and disillusions of people who evidently don't occupy the main front pages.

His influences are so vast and multiple that forcefully leads us to realize ourselves he has become what Fassbinder meant for the German nation, or Jean Luc Goddard for France, the embodiment of the repressed feelings of anonymous human beings, the not desired mirror image of the social body, it's to say the ethical voice of the nation. Names of his most visible influences? Samuel Fuller, Mike Nichols, Sam Peckinpah, Billy Wilder, Sergio Leone, Martin Ritt, John Casavettes, John Ford, Otto Preminger, Reinhard Hauff and David Lean.

This is a very smart attempt to decipher and explore the basic clues of the famous artistic trajectory of one of the most important and lucid ethical voices of a nation.

An anthology of essays by learned authors discussing Hollywood star Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood, Actor and Director: New Perspectives is an anthology of essays by learned authors discussing Hollywood star Clint Eastwood, who has made a stand-out name for himself as a top-notch director through films such as "Unforgiven" and "Million Dollar Baby". Individual essays include "Mocking Success in 'Every Which Way but Loose'", "Irony as Absolution", "Mystic Moral Miasma in 'Mystic River'", and much more. The essays have a scholarly tone and a perceptive eye toward meticulous analysis of theme; Clint Eastwood, Actor and Director is especially recommended for film studies students and professionals who would learn from Eastwood's work, as well as cerebral Clint Eastwood fans. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (9)

Excellent Piece
If you are an Clint Eastwood fan, you will love this book. It was full of great information on the life and work of Eastwood, examining each of his films and where he was in life during each film.It gives you a behind-the-scenes look at this successful actor.The photographs were amazing and they really added to the book.It makes a great coffee table book and conversation piece.I was pleased.

Clint Eastwood: A Retrospective.
Clint Eastwood: A Retrospective is a must have for a fan of Mr. Eastwoods. I purchased this for my Father's birthday present directly from Amazon. It arrived in perfect condition just 3 days after shipment. Thank you Amazon for another perfect purchase.

My Father is a man of very simple pleasures, and gets harder to buy for each passing year. One can only buy so many tools and baseball hats, so when I seen this advertised at the beginning of "Invictus," I immediatly took a mental note, I knew I would find it on Amazon. And I did! My brother is named Clint, and my Father is not ashamed to say it is after Mr. Eastwood, I knew I could not go wrong here.

It arrived today two weeks before his birthday. When I opened it up I found that it was full of more information than just simple movie flash backs. The book examines each of his films and the man he was during the film. It has very stunningly detailed behind the scenes pictures and movie poster reproductions. I read the first few pages, and was captivated. I called my Father up, to tell him to come get his early birthday present... I didn't want to give him a used book, but I couldn't stop looking at it!

He loved it! He put on his glasses and started scimming through it... he set it down, went outside, too a smoke, came back in, and began again... JACKPOT! My parents do not have a coffee table because my Father does not like them in the middle of the floor, a few pages into the book, he said him and my Mother needed to a buy a coffee table now :-)

He is pleased and so am I. This is a great piece of history. Buy it and enjoy it, it is worth every penny. This is a gift worth giving.

A Clint celebration no Eastwood fan - or film library - should be without
Clint: A Retrospective tells of a leading actor who has made a successful career and has earned five Academy Awards for his efforts. A coffee-table-sized retrospective packed with photos and history provides a chronological tribute to Eastwood's works from his earliest work in Rawhide in 1959 to his later role in Invictus in 2009. From movie stills to hundreds of photos from publicity releases, this is a Clint celebration no Eastwood fan - or film library - should be without.

Shelter from the storm
Even a coffee table-sized book such as film critic Richard Schickel's CLINT: A RETROSPECTIVE may not be big enough to recount the career of an artist like Clint Eastwood.Prolific as an actor and director, Eastwood has served as one or both in no fewer than 65 films as well as a seven-year television series (more than 200 episodes) as I write this in June 2010.Those hoping to know what really happened in Clint Eastwood's relationship with Sondra Locke or other aspects of his personal life can look elsewhere.CLINT: A RETROSPECTIVE has its hands full just trying to keep up with the actor-director's work.

Coming with a short D.V.D. documentary and presenting more than 300 photographs, CLINT: A RETROSPECTIVE does its best to pack it all in, with individual essays on every Eastwood film from 1964's A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS through 2009's INVICTUS.Abody of work such as Clint Eastwood's is probably too much for one book to cover, but if author Schickel's aim is to make you want to watch some of these movies again and catch up on those you missed, he hits the bull's-eye.

I happened to spot CLINT: A RETROSPECTIVE a couple of days before Clint Eastwood's 80th birthday and just after having finally watched the gripping LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, so I am on a Clint roll!With the exception of Woody Allen, no actor or director has made more good movies that I've seen than Clint Eastwood.Richard Schickel makes a point to name three of my favorites - BRONCO BILLY; HONKYTONK MAN; and A PERFECT WORLD - as Eastwood gems either the public missed or the critics misjudged.The author notes that with 1992's UNFORGIVEN, Clint Eastwood, then age 62, hit a critical & commercial career high he was still riding as recently as his 2008 smash GRAN TORINO.Some of the other films he made in those sixteen years: MILLION DOLLAR BABY; BLOOD WORK; THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY; SPACE COWBOYS; and MYSTIC RIVER.I don't know how many other actors or directors did as much impressive work in their 60s and 70s, but the only one I can name is the aforementioned Woody Allen.

Has Clint Eastwood ever lost a fight in a movie?Unless you count the young, strapping Russian fellow who pushes past Mr. Eastwood's aging retired detective Terry McCaleb in BLOOD WORK, I believe he is undefeated.

And from A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS through GRAN TORINO, did Clint Eastwood ever take second billing, let alone a small part?I have seen Eastwood act in no fewer than 25 movies and can't recall him in anything less than a co-starring role.Hetakes top billing even when opposite fellow star Burt Reynolds.As CLINT: A RETROSPECTIVE author Schickel says, whether in front of the camera or behind it, Clint Eastwood meets our need to feel protected. Bit players need not apply.

Long live the films of Clint Eastwood.Read CLINT: A RETROSPECTIVE.

Great gift
I bought this for my Dad for Father's Day so I haven't given it to him yet but I flipped through it and for an Eastwood fanatic it's the perfect gift. Has every movie he was ever involved in including any films he was the writer/director of. Great pictures throughout and a very large book for the price! ... Read more

Product Description
Ranging over three decades of Eastwood's directorial career, the interviews in this collection have an emphasis on practical filmmaking issues and on Eastwood's philosophy of the craft. 10 photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Dull, dull, dull
As this collection of interviews shows, Eastwood has basically said the same thing to many different interviewers over & over during the past four decades. If nothing else the man is at least consistent. It isn't that Eastwood is an uninteresting interview subject but when the same questions - 'how do you approach directing?', 'why do you film so quickly?', 'how do you work with actors?' etc, etc - crop up time & time again the book can't help but get dull very, very quickly. The sad thing is that Eastwood has such a huge & varied body of work that there is an immense amount of productive analysis & discussion that could be done (especially his recent run of work which also happens to be his best). Unfortunately the authors weren't up to that so they settled for this dull tome instead.

Avoid!!
Overpriced and dull, the Authors do not share an insightful thought between them. Better biographies available from McGilligan or Shickel.

Great look at a still underrated filmmaker
The focus of this volume is Mr. Eastwood the director, and this book collects a good variety of American and international interviews with him discussing his process, from PLAY MISTY FOR ME and THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES to BIRD and UNFORGIVEN and up through MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD & EVIL (the book was published in '99, so of course it does not feature any of his works from this new century). If after MILLION DOLLAR BABY you're finally starting to come around and see Eastwood the artist, this book is a great negotiation of his career in the director's chair, in his own, laconic, well-chosen, unpretentious and to-the-point voice. Highly recommended for any budding or hardcore Clint Eastwood fans alike. Or any serious filmfan, for that matter.

DOA from boredom.
I had to read this book for an English class. It's just a collection of articles of people interviewing Clint Eastwood through the years.Want to know how he makes movies?He shoots the first take, moves fast and comes in under budget.His history is told over, and over, and over, and over.Nice to read if you run out of sleeping pills.

Boring
These interviews are dull and repetitive.Just buy the Schickel book. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Great description of Eastwood's films
"Aim for the Heart" is a great book that describes all the films of Clint Eastwood.It is not a biography on Eastwood himself.

I like how the book separates each of Eastwoods films into genre, so when your reading the book, you read about all his western films, and then all of his films where he plays the role of a cop ect.

If you are a fan of Clint Eastwood and are courious about the facts behind each of his films, you will enjoy this book.

Happy with service
Book arrived in excellent condition and quickly.Very pleased with service.Thank you. ... Read more

Product Description
Like The Man With No Name, one of his most famous roles, Clint Eastwood has always had an aura of tight-lipped mystery. He has long been an internationally famous star, first of television and then of the movies, and he has more recently joined a select group of Oscar-winning actor-directors, including Orson Welles, Charlie Chaplin and Woody Allen.

But the real Clint has always been an enigma-until now. With this gripping and scrupulously researched biography, Patrick McGilligan, one of America's top film writers, has revealed the man behind the indelible image.

Throughout his remarkable near-half century career, Eastwood has tended to play characters who are cold, hard and morally ambiguous-from Sergio Leone's "spaghetti westerns" through Hang Em High and Dirty Harry to In the Line of Fire and Unforgiven. No star is more the hero to his audience: a symbol of simple solutions, law & order, and rebellion against bureaucracy. But offscreen, Clint Eastwood has always been an arch manipulator: of women, friends and colleagues, publicity and finance.

Always even-handed, managing to steer clear of both fawning over and unfair excoriation of its fascinating subject, this biography sheds definitive light on Clint as actor, director and human being.
Amazon.com Review
As celebrity biographer McGilligan tells it in Clint, Eastwood's career is the classic tale of power and fame corrupting: a small-town boy (who actually grew up in San Francisco) comes to L.A. with a wide grin and an easy manner; is remade by agents and directors (Sergio Leone said, that at first, "Eastwood had only two expressions: with or without a hat"); becomes one of the richest stars in Hollywood; and stops smiling--except wolfishly. McGilligan depicts him as a master of betrayal, casually discarded friendships, and alleged extramarital affairs (which seem to shock the author), complete with alleged children out of wedlock.

Readable though kiss-and-tell breathless, McGilligan's book sometimes overlooks Clint's full significance as a crafter of classics. He should remember the sage words of the French critic who observed, "If you love the films, nothing else matters." --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

an interesting read
This book is an apparently balqanced review.But is Clint different than what he appears to be in his publicity?An interesting read.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

A faux idol as a person
This is the best and no contemplative biography of Eastwood I had never read. No kisses in his ass. No sucking the dust. They're sources that talk whit care in prewing a possible menace. All of his girls-in-love were used as prostitutes in his films. Scripts that Eastwood realized whithout kowning them. A man of usura. And etc. It's not the artistic but the real man in his every day life what is narrated. Of course, american people don't like to see one of his idols cut down to earth as a man. I knew before the kind of Clint.

Dragging Clint Eastwood through literary mud seems to be the author's objective
I am a big Clint Eastwood fan, starting from a young age (my dad watched Clint's spaghetti westerns).I knew very little about Clint other than his movie characters until watching him being interviewed on "Inside the Actors Studio", which I truly enjoyed and would highly recommend. This motivated me to learn more about Clint, which is why I picked up this book.And then put it down and donated it after the first 20 pages. This book reminded me of the grocery store rags you find in the checkout aisle, full of speculation biased on what seems to be a determined effort on the author's behalf to drag Clint in literary mud.This book is so much about what the author thinks of Clint or imagines what might have happened. I'm giving Robert Schnickel's version a try, and while I'm not crazy about the writing style (paragraph-long sentences peppered with preposition phrases), it is undoubtedly a better biography.

A debunking bio of an American icon
This book reads like a National Enquirer book on Clint Eastwood which left me quite disqusted at the author rather than the subject himself.Regardless of what one thinks of Eastwood in private, he is a human being not a saint with flaws like the rest of us. I would rather trust someone who has worked with him rather than this author's account of Eastwood.His loyalty to his crew is legendary and the true story goes that one had to leave suddenly because of a death in the family. Did you know what the actor/director/producer said?"Don't worry about your job, it'll be here when you return"Fellow actor Daryl Hickman stated that a contract with Clint is basically a handshake, no documents, and his word--that says a lot about the man ("a salt of the earth"--Hickman says).Too much of this preposterous crap is dedicated to his womanizing and his so called double crossing of former associates like the writer who brought the original script which became "The Unforgiven" to Clint's attention.I question this chapter in this book and I quit reading it.This book is as bad as the one on Marlon Brando.

The Only 'True' Eastwood Biography
It's ironic that this biography received such poor ratings when it is the only true Eatwood biography among Eastwood books. The reality is that most people interested in Eastwood don't want to accept or consider that one of their favorite cinimatic personalities might actually be human with human failings. After reading 'Clint' I had a detailed picture of Eastwood the man and his career.

The author goes to painstaking detail to capture Eastwood while painting a fascinating portrait of the Hollywood landscape. For such an encompassing biography 'Clint' is suprisingly well paced. Both times I've read 'Clint' I couldn't put it down. I first read 'Clint' 6 years ago when it came out and recently reread it it was so engrossing and enjoyable.

If you want to keep thinking of Eastwood as a 'good guy' don't buy 'Clint.' If you want a clear picture of the man this is a fantastic read and book. 'Clint' is a must for those willing to look beyong the vail of the Hollywood PR machine. ... Read more

Product Description

Now a two-time Academy Award winner for best director, twice winner of the Directors Guild of America Award for best director, and recipient of countless other critics prizes and nominations in multiple capacities, Clint Eastwood stands alongside Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg as one of the finest directors working in modern cinema. Here, John Foote examines the long, impressive, and unlikely film career of a man who fought against expectations to forge his own way and become one of this generation's finest filmmakers. Each chapter examines a different film, beginning with Play Misty for Me (1971) and High Plains Drifter (1973) and extending to his 21st-century films Space Cowboys (2000), Blood Work (2002), Mystic River (2003), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), and Changeling (2008). This book is, in the author's own words, a study of how Eastwood managed to quietly get to this level—and a celebration of his gifts as an artist. Eastwood has evolved not only as a director, but also as an actor, a screenwriter, a producer, and a score composer, to become one of the most revered figures in Hollywood.

Perhaps it is because he started out in Hollywood with such little influence on the final product that he now demonstrates such a strong desire to collaborate with others and provide help wherever he can. In addition to casting off his reputation as a hack and accumulating two Oscar nominations for Best Actor over the past 15 years, he has guided other actors to no less than three Academy Award wins. The executives love him because he has made them money over the years—occasionally even making one for them in exchange for financial backing on other projects. Critics love him because of the care he takes in creating his films. Audiences love him because he has never lost his sense of entertainment, even as his artistry has matured.

Customer Reviews (1)

Not well edited
Uneven in the writing and the editing, this book is somewhat a disappointment. Besides the many mistakes, redundancies, and non sequitars, the writer's claim that Clint is one of the three best directors makes the book unbelievable. A more objective approach would have worked better. ... Read more

Product Description
Movie celebrity Clint Eastwood fights an access lawsuit. Christopher Reeve insists what's needed is cure. Those who argue for civil-rights protections for disabled people -- rights guaranteed by federal law for over a decade - are all but silent.

The Americans with Disabilities Act "defies logic and common sense," The New York Times once editorialized. Salon.com dismissed it as "a surreal ideology." Why are disability rights so disliked? Why do detractors insist nobody knows about it, even as thousands of articles have been devoted to it? Why do they claim it's a bad law?

In "Make Them Go Away: Clint Eastwood, Christopher Reeve & The Case Against Disability Rights," longtime disability-rights journalist Mary Johnson sheds rare light on this issue by examining the case against disability rights in depth. What are its main arguments? Where do they come from? And what is the other side? Can a valid -- strong -- case be made FOR disability rights? It can, says Johnson, who makes a compelling argument that, since the disabled minority is the one minority any of us can suddenly and unexpectedly join, the nation ignores disability rights at its peril. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

This should be required reading!
At the risk of sounding dramatic, I can honestly say that this book
changed the way I see the world. It was my first formal introduction
to the disability rights movement, and more profoundly, to the social
model of disability.

I consider myself a liberal, and civil rights have always been at the
top of the list of issues important to me. Unsurprisingly (but still
appallingly), I'd never really thought about disability rights. I had
always just believed the medical model, because that's how disability
had always been presented to me. I ran across this book by chance, and
more or less decided to read it because the title intrigued me. The
case against disability rights? Who's against the disabled?

Chapter by chapter, Make Them Go Away reversed the way I think.
Mary Johnson combines history, anecdotes, and quotes from other people
to weave several convincing arguments that broke down everything I
thought I knew about disability. I started it knowingnothing about
disability rights, and by the time I finished it I had resolved to
become an advocate for the issue. I have been trying to tell other
people what I learned from it, but the book is so well-crafted, so
effective, that I just can't put it into my own words. I can only
recommend that people read it for themselves.

Despite being an excellent introduction to disability rights, Make
Them Go Away is not a textbook, and is definitely biased in the
direction of the social model. But I don't think that's bad at all. On
the contrary, I think it's exactly what the average person needs in
order to wake up to the reality of the marginalization of millions of
people.

I Won't Go Away!
Quick! Who made the following comment:

"I think it's important to realize that treating all disabled
people as equal--with equal rights and responsibilities--is absurd.
Many of the patients that come through any rehab hospital are there
because of their own ignorance, negligence, stupidity or criminal activities."

A member of a supremacist group? Nope. It was Dr. Kenneth Lefebre
at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. How about this?

"The legal requirement that 'the handicapped' be 'mainstreamed'
is damaging to 'the normal child'."

That was written by Eileen Gardner, appointee to the Reagan
Education Department, in one of her policy papers.

One more, and this one is the real shocker because the
commentator has a disability herself:

"Deny as we may want to, at the point when a person can not be
totally independent physically from others, one is no longer
equal in body. I do not want to be treated equally. I can still
think, but for the life of me I can't think of a way to get rid
of the wheelchair. Therefore, I am not on the same ground I used
to be on. To me that makes my way not equal...How can we bury our
heads so deep and say we are equal to the able bodies around us?
We are not. That's why it is called a handicap, because it is."

Comments like these only bolster the viewpoint Mary Johnson is
fighting against in her perception-shattering book, "Make Them
Go Away: The Case Against Disability Rights". She argues that
people with disabilities are a minority just as women and people
of color are nowadays. Disability, she posits, is a social and
cultural idea, and not merely a "medical problem".

Because people are perceived to be disabled, they are perceived
by society to be unable, incapable of doing much for themselves
or others. Johnson theorizes that the case against disability
rights is strong right now because of this philosophy. It is
also strong because "a disabled person's role in society was
not to criticize it from a minority perspective--for they were
not a true minority--but to work at becoming normal, to be
rehabilitated if not cured."

That, and there have been several lawsuits about the ADA, or
Americans with Disabilities Act. Nobody likes lawsuits, so...

...no wonder most of society still thinks, "Make Them Go Away"!

God Bless America the Ignorance lives on
This book describes what has been happening for years centuries.As an EEO specialist I know my rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 should protect my rights at the Federal Level.The ADA Act is suppose to protect me at the local level and it does not.I do believe that EVERYONE has rights in this country our rights are comprised every day.As I read the other reviews I noticed Tomthumbguy believes the Civil Rights Moment 60s is not the same I beg to differ. Disabled people like African Americans in the 1960's are still not allowed to eat , shop, go to the movies, travel and live in certain places because there is limited accessibility or people just don't want us there.If I am not mistaken does that not sound like the segregated south from the 1700s until maybe 30 years ago.Also, let's keep in mind disabled people come from all walks of life and ethnicities.That included African Americans.

Glad this book makes people think.
I have not completely read this book.But I am glad that it is making people think.To the reviewer who is up set with this book...I am white so I have no reference for what it is like for African Americans.However, I am disabled and I too would like to be able to go to the same places that everyone else does.

Good book with some serious questions
I too personally have experienced what Mary Johnson documents in her well-researched work.

Social antipathy against people with disabilities is so mainstreamed in America that progressive activists who rush to condemn other forms of bigotry, engage in bigotry against people with disabilities. We are time and/or money consuming entities that are still honestly not perceived as contributing anything to society let alone being recognized as social equals.

This inequality then leads people to interpret the ADA as a burden on them as opposed to considering the greater burdens which unjust discrimination places on both the recipient and the nation.

However, I have one minor suggestion to ensure that this book gets to those most needing to read it.

Change the title to more accurately reflect that this book is a critique of how society handles disability instead of something itself which opposes the disability rights movement. Because the disability rights movement is acknowledged as seeking liberation of stereotypical attitudes and laws, it aids Mary Johnson's case.
... Read more

Product Description
At 75, Clint Eastwood appears to be at the top of his game. His latest film, Million Dollar Baby, garnered four Oscars, including Best Director and Best Motion Picture—reprising his triumph with Unforgiven. Now, drawing on exclusive interviews with Eastwood, biographer Douglas Thompson looks at the life and artistry of one of Hollywood’s most revered stars.

Over four decades, Clint Eastwood has become a Hollywood legend, his success on both sides of the camera assuring him his place in cinema history. Born the son of a steel worker in 1930, Eastwood’s drive for success led him to his first break, in 1959, on the TV series Rawhide. Eastwood broke from television in 1964 with A Fistful of Dollars—his steely gaze and strong, silent screen presence made the film a surprise box-office smash. In 1971, his performance in Dirty Harry cemented his reputation as an electrifying talent, and he has since gone on to star in and direct some of the most memorable films in Hollywood history. Now, drawing on exclusive interviews with the star, Douglas Thompson gives us a definitive portrait. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

HANGING OUT AND CHATTING WITH CLINT
I have read several Eastwood Biographies over the years. Clint Eastwood: Billion Dollar Man by Douglas Thompson, has got to be one of the best interview/bios I have read by far.Thompson composes his book insuch a way that "you" the reader feels you've actually sat down in a long conversation with Clint himself.Observing Eastwood process of setting up the next scene on the set location.Or maybe you got together for a beer or two after dinner?Clint Eastwood is well known for being a very private person. This book gives you some insight into the life of one the World's Most Talented Actor/Director this century.And yet there still is a mystery that probably only the closest of his family might ever know.

Clint is a visionary and a legend
UNDERCOVER - My Story by Greg Quesnelle

Mr. Eastwood has been around a long time.His passion and dedication to the film industry is legendary.A role model for aspiring authors, actors and film makers.A good insight to the man. ... Read more

Product Description
Clint Eastwood (USA, b. 1930) is a veteran among the grand masters of contemporary American cinema, whose rise through the system took a highly unusual form. After playing iconic roles in Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns of the 1960s, he returned to Hollywood and underwent a controversial reincarnation as the ultraviolent cop Harry. In the 1970s Eastwood began to direct and,in the style of the great directors of the past, made masterpieces in genres ranging from the western ("Unforgiven", 1992) to film noir ("Mystic River", 2003), a war epic ("Letters from Iwo Jima", 2006), a jazz bio-pic ("Bird", 1988), a melodrama ("The Bridges of Madison County", 1995) and a sports picture ("Million Dollar Baby", 2004). His most recent film, "Invictus", takes Eastwood to South Africa and the historic figure of Nelson Mandela, as he continues to explore the question underlying all his films: can human beings overcome experiences of violence and evil? ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

A Must Read For Serious Fans Of Western Movies
"Horizons West" is subtitled "Directing The Western From John Ford To Clint Eastwood" and it reads as a powerful primer on creating, directing, and dissecting the Western movie genre.It is an excellent revision of the original 1969 book that includes newer perspectives as well as adds the work of Ford, Leone, and Eastwood.It is a scholarly effort that is well researched, annotated, and footnoted with an excellent bibliography and filmography included.

After opening with generic comments regarding the practice and theory of directing the Western and an overview of the history and development of the genre, Kitses explores in some depth the westerns of six acknowledged masters of the Western movie.He uses the great John Ford as his stepping stone to future Western movie directors including Anthony Mann, Budd Boetticher, Sam Peckinpah, Sergio Leone, and, lastly, Clint Eastwood.

"Horizons West" reads like a college text which it likely is in some places.Students of the Western movie genre or just plain fans of Westerns should enjoy the rich detail provided by Kitses as he dissects each of the major efforts of the six directors in search of recurring themes, perspectives, controversies, and, in general, the stories behind the story.It is illuminating to explore how Ford matured and changed his perspectives over his career, how Peckinpah's career was constantly a battle with studio bosses, and how and why Leone and Eastwood drifted apart over the years.I always find it intriguing to discover which actors had originally been offered and rejected roles that later made someone else famous (such as James Coburn and Charles Bronson turning down Leone's Man-With-No-Name trilogy that skyrocketed Eastwood to fame).

This is a fact filled text filled with detail and perspective on many of the most famous Western movies made. A number of photos of actors and sets are included as is information on who wrote, starred in, and produced most of them.I heartily recommend this effort to fans and students of the Western movie and its place in American cinema history.

A CLASSIC STUDY RE-WORKED AND REISSUED
Back in the late 1960s Jim Kitses wrote an enjoyable study of three western directors who at the time were not nearly as highly regarded as they are today. His chapters on Anthony Mann and Budd Boetticher were marvelous because both directors had pretty much completed their contibutions to the western genre. The chapter on Sam Peckinpah left something to be desired since, at the time, Peckinpah had only three feature films--all of them westerns--under his belt. This new edition addresses that problem by providing a career-length reassessment of Peckinpah's contributions to the western. The other new material--mainly on John Ford and Clint Eastwood--is certainly readable, but I'm not certain that it was essential. Nevertheless it is good to have this volume back in print once more.

Magnificent Expansion
This is a magnificent expansion of Kitses' 1970 book, which looked at the Westerns of Anthony Mann, Budd Boetticher and Sam Peckinpah.It is fine reading for anyone interested in the Western.

Kitses has added a marvelous chapter on John Ford, which examines all Ford's westerns from Stagecoach (1939) to Cheyenne Autumn (1964).Kitses' comments are sensible and to the point.His discussion of The Searchers is very well done, and he raises excellent points about The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.Also, he has written good analysis of Sergeant Rutledge and Two Rode Together, two late Westerns that few critics pay attention to.

Kitses has left the text of his original work alone, except for adding some to the Peckinpah chapter.While his comments on Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid are perceptive, the Peckinpah chapter is probably the weakest in the book.I am not sure if Kitses dislikes Peckinpah or if he disliked critics who like Peckinpah.

Kitses then adds two chapters, one of Sergio Leone and one on Clint Eastwood.The Leone chapter is okay but is far colder than the rest of the book.However, the chapter on Eastwood is terrific, one that strikes a fine balance between praise for his achievements and an awareness of the flaws in those achievements.This is perhaps some of the best serious analysis of Eastwood as a director that I have read.

Strongly recommended for all readers interested in Westerns. ... Read more

Product Description
Designed to entertain evern the most diehard aficionado, these challenging questions will keep fans guessing and reliving great screen moments. The Ultimate Clint Eastwood Trivia Book features 501 questions based on every film in which Clint has starred since A Fistfull of Dollars in 1964. Photos. ... Read more