American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood

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.....

Great book. Interesting fact that you may or may not have known. If your a Clint Eastwood fan I would highly recommend this.

American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood tells of a Hollywood icon and comes from a film historian whose biography provides a vivid account of actor Eastwood's life and career. This covers both his highs and lows, artistic successes and failures, and relationships between his life and career and pulls no punches in examining his ups and downs, offering insights into his life and work. A 'must' for any serious film biography collection and many a general interest lending library.

Rebel with a Cause and Warts Does anyone NOT like the iconic Clint Eastwood we see on the screen? The man of few words and plenty of action. The tall rugged man who smites the evil doers and then rides off into the sunset. The John Wayne of the Vietnam generation. But is this the real Clint Eastwood? Marc Eliot examines the man and the legend in his informative American Rebel biography. He cracks the screen persona to let us see the real man of Carmel, California, and what we find is a talented shrewd businessman who is more like Dirty Harry and The Man with No Name than we could have realized. An actor who grew in his trade to become an academy awarded director and producer. All the while building a business empire following his instincts. Still, he is flawed in his own personal life leaving lovers and children in his wake as he stormed through Hollywood to become probably the most famous actor of the last 50 years. Marc Eliot is able to bring all this complexity about Clint Eastwood to the printed page in a format easily read and comprehended. I liked how he followed Mr. Eastwood's life through his movies. How he showed the phenomenal growth of Mr. Eastwood in his trade while at the same time lagging in personal development in regard to family and female friends. How Clint Eastwood took daring chances with his career and almost always came out on top. Mr. Eastwood is more than just a man, he is an American icon. Yet, he is someone to have a beer with while sitting around shooting the breeze. A complex man yes, but a simple man who, like John Wayne, is able to represent what is good and honorable about America. To Clint Eastwood the good guy always wins. Marc Eliot does a good job of presenting Clint Eastwood in toto, warts and all. He does it by following Mr. Eastwood cinematic career starting as a bit player in Hollywood through his grumpy old man heroism in Gran Torino. He examines Eastwood on multiple levels and in the end finds a complex man who has grown not only through his trade but also through his personal life to the man we know today. A great actor, a terrific businessman, and the patriarch of a complex extended family. But best of all, Mr. Eliot points out that Clint Eastwood has no intention of slowing down. He is as busy as ever and intends to stay that way. Strong Recommend. Excellent biography of an American movie icon and business genius. Well written and allows us to see Clint Eastwood on many different levels. Mr. Eastwood is a complex man that Marc Eliot is able to simplify on the written page. Good job Marc Eliot.

Most of the Clint bios out there are either adoring puff pieces or hatchet jobs, but this one was right down the middle. it also includes the period of his recent run of Oscar-recognized excellence (Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, etc)that came long after the other books were published. I found it to be thorough, interesting, totally comprehensive, and remarkably revealing, given that the subject is not known to give many interviews. Eliot is part biographer and part film historian, and he writes about the Clint movies in a way that is more stimulating than the style usually found in these types of books without sacrificing the fun, gossipy angle. This is THE Clint Eastwood book to get!