Mostly a good biography. He was very complicated but mostly a good and giving person. ( )

Greatly detailed book about one of my favourite actors and Birthday sharer. A bit slow in parts, but the interesting parts made up for it. I loved all the detail about his early life. His dad seemed like a workaholic to the max, something that definitely rubbed off on his youngest son. ( )

A fuller life than Paul Newman led takes some doing and it is all here with great detail on his many ventures from acting, to business, to racing. The author clearly a big fan and it really is hagiography on full display. But it cannot be denied Newman did such great things especially in his philanthropy in particular the "Hole in the Wall" foundation.

His marriage to Joanne Woodward was pretty remarkable also and so rare in longevity for the Hollywood crowd, but even there some cracks were exposed. He really did what he want when he wanted and his racing life diversified and all ready diverse life. So after reading this I look to revisit many of those great movies and characters that he was. ( )

Paul Newman was mainly known to the world as a movie star – an icon, really – with a beautiful face, mesmerising blue eyes, and a air of rascality about him. His long marriage to Joanne Woodward was revered in a profession where marriages often seem to break up almost as soon as the vows are read. This book is a journey through Newman’s life, from his happy childhood as the son of the owner of a successful sporting goods business, to the start of his acting career, and of course, his Hollywood stardom. However, just as interesting are the details of Paul’s passion for motor racing, his political activism, and his philanthropy. The book also covers darker periods of his life, such as the tragic death of his son Scott, and a period when he and Joanne briefly separated.

The book was written in a respectful, but not fawning fashion, and painted a picture of a man who was sometimes uncomfortable with his stardom, who was almost obsessive about details regarding his characters and the settings of films, and whose greatest love in life was his wife. Shawn Levy has taken a huge number of interviews that Paul Newman gave, and put them into chronological order; in this way, although Newman did not participate in any way with the writing of this book, we are still able to see his thoughts on certain times in his life, certain films that he made, etc. The book does not portray Newman as a saint, but he is treated with the warmth and respect that such a man would deserve.

One of the most fascinating parts of the book for me was when Newman set up the Hole In The Wall camps – places where sick children could go to simply have fun, play games, forget about their illnesses for a while. Newman was determined that no child’s family should have to pay for their child to go to the camp, and importantly, as well as giving his money to the project, he also gave his time – he would often pop into the camps on spec, and play games or chat with the children. I knew that Newman was a generous man, but I was surprised to learn of some of the things that he did, at no benfit to himself.

The book is very readable, and not at all dry – it’s a fascinating read from start to finish. I actually found myself with a lump in my throat at the end, when reading about the death of this mercurial, precise, rogueish, handsome, kind, intelligent and funny man. I would urge fans of Paul Newman to read this book. ( )

Paul Newman referred collectively to his acting roles as “the child of our time.” Shawn Levy puts it this way in his new biography, Paul Newman: A Life:

Taken as a whole, Newman’s body of work nicely encapsulated the history of an in-between generation of American men who helped their fathers and uncles conquer the world in war and commerce but who could only watch—likely with some jealousy—as their younger siblings and their own children acted out on the native rebellious impulse to overturn everything. . . . Torn by the conflicting impulses to rule and rebel, his was arguably the pivotal generation of the twentieth century, and Newman, almost unconsciously, was its actor laureate.

It is this “big picture” approach that gives depth to Levy’s book and holds the attention of readers not usually taken with celebrity biographies. Levy examines Newman’s life as a whole and in connection with cultural changes.

Levy gathered every Newman interview that he could get his hands on, in print or on camera, and studied them in chronological order. He used these interviews—Newman’s own words—for the core of the biography. While his method did not allow Levy to plow new ground, he wrings a lot out of his material. Readers who know Newman’s movies, but have only a passing interest in other details of his life, will learn a great deal about an interesting man. Dedicated Newman fans and celebrity gossip aficionados will likely know the basic story, but should find plenty of details to savor.

Full review posted on the Internet Review of Books and Rose City Reader. ( )