Clint - by Shawn Levy (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A New Yorker Best Book of the Year, New York Times "Editors Choice," and Los Angeles Times "Must Read Book"

"This is the biography of Clint Eastwood we've been waiting for." -- Sir Christopher Frayling, author of Sergio Leone

From the acclaimed film critic and New York Times bestselling biographer of Paul Newman, a revelatory portrait of Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood, the most prolific and versatile actor-director in movie history and an imposing icon of American culture for six decades.

"This fine-grained and deeply researched unfolding of Eastwood's life and career . . . reveal[s] fascinating truths about Eastwood's art, and about cinema itself." --Richard Brody, The New Yorker

C-L-I-N-T. That single short, sharp syllable has stood as an emblem of American manhood and morality and sheer bloody-minded will, on-screen and off-screen, for more than sixty years. Whether he's facing down bad guys on a Western street (Old West or new, no matter), staring through the lens of a camera, or accepting one of his movies' thirteen Oscars (including two for Best Picture), he is as blunt, curt, and solid as his name, a star of the old-school stripe and one of the most accomplished directors of his time, a man of rock and iron and brute force: Clint.

To read the story of Clint Eastwood is to understand nearly a century of American culture. No Hollywood figure has so completely and complexly stood inside the changing climates of post-World War II America. At age ninety-five, he has lived a tumultuous century and embodied much of his time and many of its contradictions.

We picture Clint squinting through cigarillo smoke in A Fistful of Dol­lars or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; imposing rough justice at the point of a .44 Magnum in Dirty Harry; sowing vengeance in The Outlaw Josey Wales or Pale Rider or Unforgiven; grudgingly training a woman boxer in Million Dollar Baby; and standing up for his neighbors despite his racism in Gran Torino. Or we feel him present, powerfully, behind the camera, creating complex tales of violence, morality, and humanity, such as Mystic River, Letters from Iwo Jima, and American Sniper. But his roles and his films, however well cast and convincing, are two-dimensional in comparison to his whole life.

As Shawn Levy reveals in this masterful biography--the most com­plete portrait yet of Eastwood--the reality is richer, knottier, and more absorbing. Clint: The Man and the Movies is a saga of cunning, determi­nation, and conquest, a story about a man ascending to the Hollywood pantheon while keeping one foot firmly planted outside its door.

Review Quotes

"Clint Eastwood, who turned 95 in May, is a category unto himself. Hollywood used to be more solidly in the business of minting global stars and world-class auteurs, but nobody else since the advent of sound has succeeded so completely, or lasted so long, in both roles. To contemplate Eastwood's career, with the help of Shawn Levy's brisk and capable new biography, is to marvel anew at the man's uniqueness. . . . An intelligent and energetic chronicle that encompasses high-flown critique, lowdown tabloid gossip and savvy show-business reportage. . . . Amusing and illuminating." - A.O. Scott, New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice selection)

"This fine-grained and deeply researched unfolding of Eastwood's life and career subtly tweaks familiar biographical formulas in a way that parallels what Eastwood has done with typical Hollywood practices, to reveal fascinating truths about Eastwood's art, and about cinema itself." - Richard Brody, The New Yorker

"In the first literary exploration of the 95-year-old actor-director's career, Levy examines Eastwood's cinematic milestones and personal flaws (and his old-school Libertarian beliefs) in equal measure." - The Hollywood Reporter, "The Hollywood Insider's Summer Reading List"

"Shrewd. . . . Eastwood is not an easy person to biographize. The many things that make him a fascinating figure make him both a rich and risky subject. . . . Levy's own assessments are routinely insightful. . . . Levy captures the profound efficacy of Eastwood's 'masterpiece, ' Unforgiven." - Washington Post

"Film critic Levy (King of Comedy) argues in this sharp biography that Clint Eastwood is 'an inkblot in whom we see a variety of opposing ideas at once.' . . . Levy has a knack for memorable phrasing . . . It makes for a solid account of the good, the bad, and the ugly in the life of one of Hollywood's biggest stars." - Publishers Weekly

"This is the biography of Clint Eastwood we've been waiting for, bringing us closer to the man himself, and what makes him tick, than ever before." - Sir Christopher Frayling, author of Sergio Leone

". . . a fascinating, well-researched portrait of a complicated visionary talent." - Library Journal (starred review)

"I loved this book. Shawn Levy tackles the long life and extraordinary 70-year career of the veteran actor and director with such deep knowledge and infectious enthusiasm that it made me want to screen every single one of Eastwood's movies. Go ahead, readers, make your day." - Andy Miller, co-host of Backlisted podcast

"Clint Eastwood, 95, may be one of the most well-known men in America, but Clint author, Shawn Levy, writes with such insight and nuance that it's like getting to know the star of Dirty Harry and Unforgiven all over again." - The Washington Examiner

"Clint Eastwood released his latest film, the legal thriller 'Juror #2, ' last fall, at 94, making his career -- seven decades and counting -- among the longest and most prolific in Hollywood history. In reckoning with his life and work, both behind and in front of the camera, Levy depicts Eastwood as an "inkblot" for a complex American century: a squinting paragon of aggressive masculinity and rough justice whose films showcase his love for the downtrodden, his libertarian politics and his fierce commitment to environmental conservation." - New York Times

"For more than 60 years, audiences have been projecting their own images of and ideas about American masculinity onto Eastwood, obscuring the man himself. Levy digs into Eastwood's upbringing, relationships, and politics to create a three-dimensional portrait of one of our most enduring and enigmatic stars." - A.V. Club

"Levy, whose previous book subjects include Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" and Jerry Lewis, aims for a middle ground between previous Clint Eastwood biographers Richard Schickel (who heaped praise on the star) and Patrick McGilligan (who heaped scorn). Focusing largely on the work, which Eastwood continues as a director at age 94, Levy also explores the personas the subject has cultivated over the years, from tough guy to auteur." - Los Angeles Times, "A Must-Read Book for Summer"

A thrilling record of a monumental career. . . .Clint: The Man and the Movies brings the celebrated actor and director's life and career bang up to date. - Anne Billson, The Times (London)