Product Description
This is a landmark exploration of the life and legend of Hollywood's 'King of Cool', Steve McQueen. Steve McQueen tells the story of a small-town kid from modest means who went on to become one of the biggest icons in Hollywood. Much more than just a simple account of his career highlights, this volume delves deep into what made McQueen one of the most interesting and enigmatic figures of 20th century popular culture. Featuring new research revealing previously unknown and surprising information about his early history; behind-the-scenes stories from some of his greatest films - including The Great Escape, Bullitt, and Papillon; the truth about his larger-than-life exploits; as well as his lesser-known humanitarian work, this volume captures the essence of what made Steve McQueen the ultimate 'King of Cool'. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Michael Manning Book Review: Steve McQueen: The Life and legend of a Hollywood Icon
This book is the culmination of over 20-years of exhaustive research by the celebrated author Marshall Terrill into the unchartered waters of Steve McQueen's life from a historical and emotional perspective that has never been articulated until now. With a rare combination of respect, objectivity, painstaking accuracy (supported by facts) and candor, what emerges is the definitive work of a generation that delivers to the world the most comprehensive treatment of the iconic actors life. Terrill creates a genealogical history of McQueen's ancestry as it relates directly to a troubled life that began in Beach Grove, Indiana and continued through a turmoil-ridden existence on a remote farm in Slater, Missouri. From Slater, we follow McQueen to Los Angeles, California and ultimately to the heartbreak of The Boys Republic, a reform school situated in Chino Hills, California.

In a move that is both provocative and evokative, Terrill enlists the services of psychologist Peter O. Whitmer to deliberately reconstructthe traumatic emotional events and miscuses that formed the basis of McQueen's complicated and tortured existence. Whitmer plumbs the depths of McQueen's emotional psyche with a narrative that allows the reader an unprecedented access into Steve McQueen's long-misunderstood and often mischaracterized conflicts and difficulties resulting in a greater understanding of what drove the actor both in life and on "the big screen". Whitmer's pacing in knowing instinctively when to step forward to speak to the reader and when to step back out of the limelight is undertaken with sensitivity and compassion; this is not a dark expose, but rather an illuminating reconstruction of McQueen's life that fans will welcome and embrace for its authenticity. McQueen's maladaptive personality development is explained with clarity to shed light on the actors decision making, beliefs and the precipitating circumstances of his emotional scarring, tempered with his lesser known humanitarian contributions and ultimately, his desire to beging living life away from the trappings of Hollywood and the claustrophobic pressures of stardom.

Further, this book will stand the test of time for generations of fans, actors and serious film students alike. Inspiring as it is heartfelt, Terrill's book is unbiased as a balanced work that delivers--for the first time--a comprehensive story that separates the myth of McQueen, and reunites the reader with a humanity that the actor modestly withheld from the world. At last, Steve McQueen's story has been told as a poignant homage to the undisputed "King of Cool" with utmost care, respect and accuracy. This achievement will allow fans--old and new--to ponder the multi-dimentional and all too brief life of Steve McQueen 30-years after his passing. I do not state this lightly; this book is an epic event.

Michael Manning
Paradise Valley, AZ.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (11)

steve mcqueen hollywood hype story
Probably written by his press agent.Interesting read for Steve McQueen fans, of which I am one.

Harvey Mushman is the man!
A really nice book.Kinda wordy but full of great info!Enjoy it casue if you like SM you'll like seeing what his life was really like

Revealing the Man Behind the Cool Facade!
As documented in Marshall Terrill's revealing biography, Steve McQueen the man was as fascinating as any of the movie characters he portrayed. Some of the movie people who dealt with McQueen may have used other, less kind terms but, given McQ's god-awful childhood as revealed in Terrill's book, you can see why he behaved the way he did.

It may be premature to label Terrill's book as definitive but he does a damn fine job of revealing McQueen the man and the actor. First off, he interviewed many of the people who knew and/or worked with McQ including those very few who the intensely private McQueen opened up to. As a result, Terrill was able to fashion an insightful, multi-dimensional portrait of one very talented but flawed individual.

Yet, for all the incidents of upstaging his co-actors or playing the star, Terrill documented countless incidents where McQueen was very supportive of others on his films, helped total strangers without seeking recognition, etc. Equally touching were those moments recounted in STEVE MCQUEEN that revealed McQueen's deep insecurity and need for love. One example: After repeatedly complaining about his character's dialogue in TOWERING INFERNO, he confided to the screenwriter (Sterling Silliphant) that the dialogue was fine but that he had trouble speaking it due to his lack of schooling!

McQueen's mother was an alcoholic who ran through several failed marriages; dad bailed out when McQ was six months old. He grew up fatherless, motherless for large chunks of time, friendless and dyslexic with minimum education. It's small wonder he wanted to be top dog, get the big bucks and romance all the beautiful women he could...even if he was married.

STEVE MCQUEEN clocks in at 485 pages. It is one of the most consistently entertaining biographies I have ever read. After reading it though, you wonder if that 'cool dude' was ever really happy. Given the wonderful characters McQueen created - Josh Randall, Buzz Rickson, Virgil Hilts, Frank Bullitt and Jake Holman - I sincerely hope so. Thank you, Mr. McQueen!

AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND
Both my husband and I had the pleasure of spending time with Steve McQueen and we both thoroughly enjoyed reading this well written book by Marshall Terrill! So curl up on your sofa, have a fire going and enter the wild and also touching world of Steve McQueen! He is a big part of Hollywood History!

good one
I like to read biographies and this is probably the best one I read. The research of the author is extraordinary. The language is simple and one gets the feeling the author avoids speculation at all costs. And, although he's obviously a fan, he doesn't portray McQueen the hero, he portrays a 3 dimensional man. He doesn't hold back. Other reviewers claim this is the definite McQueen bio and I agree.
The book is never boring, quite a feat since it's more than 400 pages long. The films get an extensive analysis, and it's fun to know what went on behind the cameras. Terrill writes like he's in a movie theatre, watching a McQueen film and telling what he found about that magnetic actor, just like a fan talking to another fan (the reader). This is very difficult to achieve and Terrill succeeds. It's not pretentious, and it gets to the core. It's not one of those bios set out to demolish the person's reputation but it's not a glorification either. An extremely difficult balance, and Terrill succeeds in spades. If you think McQueen is interesting this is worth your while.
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Customer Reviews (9)

So Cool the King of Cool Himself Would Be Proud!
What an amazing tribute to an amazing man written and produced in such an amazing way!
Everything about this book is top notch!I loved reading what others thought of Steve and their experiences with him.I really admired that they didn't hold back and told their stories, warts and all.Steve was not a saint but he was an awesome actor, a man's man and as has been quoted, a ladies man too!
What a treasure this book is.For any fan of Steve McQueen and the Hollywood stars of yore!
This book is a MUST for every actor and every fan of acting.Actors are people and this let's us see the man behind the actor!
Marshall Terrill has done Steve Proud!!!

Michael Manning Review: Steve McQueen: A Tribute To The King of Cool by Marshall Terrill
At the outset, let me say in all fairness that I contributed to this book. I've been a fan of Steve McQueen since I was nine years-old, and I have produced "The Annual Steve McQueen Film Festival" using the blog medium for over five-years. With this in mind, I was enormously privileged to find myself in the company of many actors who knew Steve and worked with him on films that you will immediately recognize. In addition, many of Steve's personal friends add a wonderful dimension to this book. Carefully compiled by author Marshall Terrill with a foreword by Steve's widow, Barbara McQueen, this hard bound book is truly a keepsake that you will want to pass along to your children and grandchildren--it is that precious! Each of the tributes are written with an uncommon candor, accompanied by wonderful photography (including rare shots of Steve on film locations)that provides the reader with an enjoyable journey through the life and career of one of the most celebrated actors and American icons of our time. If you hurry, I suggest purchasing the Limited Edition with a hardbound case that houses the book and a rare audio CD of Steve McQueen's sole appearance as a guest speaker in 1978 at a Loyola Marymount University film class in Los Angeles, California following Steve's film release of Ibsen's classic, "An Enemy of the People". In that CD, students participate in a lively Question and Answer exchange with McQueen that is at once endearing and insightful. The reader will marvel at the scope of writers who shared so completely about their personal memories of Steve McQueen. What emerges is a truly rich experience, a journey through Steve's childhood into adulthood and along his formidable film career. This book is unmatched in its authenticity. Sadly, some of the actors who participated in this noble project have recently passed away. But what remains in these pages is poignant and unforgettable. Sit back and enjoy a delightful and exciting reading experience about a beloved actor who is today dearly missed--thirty-years after his untimely passing.

I simply love this book!
Hi,

I simply looove this book!!

This book gives you the INSIDE information from people that knew Steve best. It shows how fans see and saw him.

Buy it and you will learn why Steve McQueen is, was and always will be the biggest movie star of all time! :-)

... but not only just a movie star !!! :)

> It gets you the closes to knowing who he really was.

Fantastic
I have this book and its great,full of stories from people who worked with McQueen,friends and even fans,its a must for any McQueen fan.Marshall Terrill proves that he really is the no1 when its comes to McQueen.Buy it you won't be sorry.

Extremely Well Researched and Detailed McQueen Biography
Terrill has written one of the most detailed biographies I have ever had the pleasure to read.As a fan of McQueen myself, I felt that I was reading this a book written not merely a tribute McQueen but material that also covers all of McQueen's personal history (good, bad, and otherwise).The information in the biography goes into very deep coverage of the period's of McQueen's life and experience both on screen and in his personal life.I had the opportunity to meet the author and he further explained the extent of his research and how far he went to conduct personal interviews.Many top movie stars opened up their homes to Mr. Terrill and spent hours and days with him to discuss their experience with Steve McQueen.I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the life of Steve McQueen. ... Read more

Product Description
MY HUSBAND, MY FRIENDTHE REAL STEVE McQUEEN - FROM ABANDONED CHILD TO GLITTERINGSUPERSTAR TO HAUNTED MAN. . . . Now his wife of 15 and a half years, Neile, who rode the dazzling Hollywood roller coaster with him, reveals A Steve McQueen no one knew - his good side, his crazy side, his dark side. . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

If you've liked even one McQueen movie, you'll like this book
Steve McQueen has been gone for 30 years and the number of people that remember when he was A Famous Movie Star are naturally diminishing. However, his story is so compelling that familiarity with just one of his movies will make this book worth your time. Any bikers or car racing enthusiasts will find much to enjoy as well. My suggestions are Bullitt, On any Sunday, or The Great Escape - all of which feature impressive car or bike sequences.

Steve grew up in what now seems like another age. His father abandoned the family quickly, and his mother apparently felt that she was unable to earn a living and raise Steve also. He was left with a kindly uncle, who helped him learn some measure of discipline as a child. Reunited as a teen with his mother, he drifted into minor crime, reform school, and a few years floating around the world drinking and let's say 'dating actively'- before trying to make his way as an actor in New York.

Neile Adams was far more successful than Steve when they fell in love and married - in just four months. She subordinated her career to his as soon as possible, because he wouldn't have it any other way. He was willful, stubborn, hopelessly self centered yet kind and generous, a gamboling boy inside a big tough guy. He had to be the center of all attention, and Neile's attention especially.

Steve was relentlessly unfaithful and a committed drug user from well before their marriage. His bad habits were fueled rather than calmed by his success. The debacles and humiliations related to women and drugs steadily escalated over the years to the point that Neile could no longer tolerate it. She remained his best friend and closest adviser until his death by all accounts. This book relates the story, from Boy meets Girl to the ugly end and back to friendship in a warm, honest and loving way. Neile managed somehow keep her exasperation from becoming bitterness, her disappointment from becoming defeat. She was the love of Steve's life, as he's stated elsewhere, and the reason why is clear in this story. I became a fan of hers during the course of the book.

She is a one time author, and should be heartily commended for her organization, style and ability to tell a story, and her publisher as well for brilliantly allowing her to do so. A critical edit would have resulted in a few different terms and possibly a bit more streamlining, but it wouldn't have been the same story.

An Intimate Look at an Epic Hollywood Career and Marriage
The beautiful, talented, and incredibly loyal Neile (pronounced like "kneel") McQueen Toffel has written an intelligent, intimate account of an epic Hollywood career and marriage.

I have read many McQueen books, and this is tied for best with Marshall Terrill's "McQueen, Portrait of an American Rebel."

She takes you through her childhood in the Philippines and that of Steve in the Midwest.Neither grows up with a father figure.She is raised by her mother, a beautiful, unconventional, and precocious Asian woman.Steve is raised at times by his mom, at times by his tough but loving Great Uncle Claude, and at times he is on the streets of Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and New York.Neile studies dance and gets educated in quality schools.Steve gets educated in brothels and carnivals, then enters the Marines.Her beauty and talent land her leading roles on Broadway and in Hollywood.After leaving the Marines, Steve goes back to New York where he becomes fascinated by fast motorcycles and cars.His desire to make easy money and meet lots of "chicks" leads him to acting school, and eventually he also lands a leading role on Broadway.He is an ultra-macho dude living at over 100 miles per hour.She is a delicate, sensitive beauty rising up the entertainment ladder.They both don't have a solid family life.They are two beautiful physical specimens.They meet.The chemistry is off the charts.They fill each other's emptiness.They fall in love.They marry and have two children.

Neile gradually switches her focus from her career to her family, and helping Steve build his career.With Neile's intelligent, tactful guidance, Steve's career steadily accelerates and eventually blasts into the stratosphere.And so do all of his demons.In spite of Neile's superhuman efforts to stand by him, Steve destroys their relationship.

There's an old quote originated by Lord Acton:"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."Steve's power in Hollywood became much more than he could handle.But speaking honestly, could you have handled it?I doubt that I could have.

To his credit, within this context, Steve was a wonderful father.

And, happily, Neile not only survives after her life with Steve, she thrives!She is a living study in the survival of anything!

I very strongly recommend that you buy this book.You will not be able to put it down.The end will tear your heart out.I was left remembering that life is a painful, beautiful, priceless thing.It is truly a mystery and a miracle.Now that's a great book!

Congratulations Neile, you're a natural-born winner!

Michael Manning's Review of "My Husband, My Friend" by Neile Adams
Neile Adams is a remarkable and beautiful woman who is as relevant today as she was as a dancer and actress in such movies as "The Pajama Game" and "This Could Be The Night". Her candid recollections of her private life with Steve McQueen is heart-rendering and courageous as it is honest. This is no sugar-coated book. Adams reveals her own short comings, as well as her suffering as a result of Steve's childhood trauma and it's life-long effects throughout adulthood with his destructive behavior. I write this as a huge fan of Steve McQueen and with the greatest of respect. The book is very well written and is frankly, hard to put down. Anyone who has suffered multiple losses will relate to Adams and hopefully be inspired that she is a survivor who continues to record as a singer to this day. A "must read"!

GOOD READING
GOT THE BOOK VERY QUICKLY AND IN NEAR MINT CONDITION AS PROMISED BUT AT A DISCOUNT PRICE.VERY PLEASED.

Painfully honest about a super cool man yet a horrible husband
I have always been a fan of Steve Mcqueen ever since I can remember. I always had a certain image of my idols and unfourtunately once you read about them and how they were as parents and partners or as a human being then it shatters that image not that I only like bad boys. I am glad I read this book because it just shows you bad is cool and to be honest its probably more interesting reading about what they did, in Steve Mcqueen's case sleeping with whomever came to him while married telling his wife that he only loves her and just F**** the others, how understanding of her to stay with him as long as she did.
She writes very honestly and I enjoyed the book alot, I had heard things about this cool man but to read it first hand from his first wife and certain details it was a surprize. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Not about Steve McQueen
If you are expecting a book about Steve McQueen this is not it. Although he is mentioned, it is nothing more than a vanity book about his last wife. I'm tired of everyone ripping McQueen off after his death.If you are interested in a book about an unknown model who hit the jackpot when she married Steve McQueen, then this is your book.

STEVEMCQUEEN BOOK
Having been a great fan of Steve and extremely disappointed when he passed, I looked all over for this book.
Borders, Barnes & Noble, everywhere, finally ordering it from Amazon. Great picture book. Little disappointed
in the text, it truly dealt with his final years. I would have liked to know more about his many film roles, his shunning the Hollywood limelight and his fame for being "Mr. Cool" as perfectly personified in the original
"Thomas Crown Affair". Why they remade that film I'll never know. Pierce Brosnan is simply no Steve McQueen.
Good Book. Not a great book. Great can be applied to Steve McQueen. Many times over!

Ride On Steve !
Nice coffee table picture book with an intimate edge provided by McQueen's last wife. Lots of insider pix which give the book the extra oomph it needs to put it above the others. Bittersweet read though as Steve passed so soon after. Sad to see all his rides being auctioned off these days. So few celebs trumpet motorcycles, even though he's been gone since 1980 he is still one of the biggest icons of the sport of motorcycling, especially the classic rides of yore. Great book with the just enough of an intimate portrait perfectly mated to great pix of Steve, his bikes, and his passion for motor vehicles.

Steve McQueen: The Last Mile: A Review from a Fan!
It is easy to see why Steve McQueen fell in love with Barbara, and each of the massive collection of photos here reveals the private side of Steve coming to terms with his life in a positive way. The photos are lovingly captioned to reveal a metamorphosis in Steve's life while allowing us to see the fun side of this truly American icon whose passing is 28 years ago has not diminished his popularity. Steve McQueen is beloved by millions of fans worldwide, and this is a must-have coffee table book keepsake. Buy it! You won't be sorry.

MICHAEL MANNING

Exclusive photos taken during McQueen's reclusive period
I know a lot of people have ripped on Barbara for writing this book- but it's not like she came out with this book 6 months after Steve passed; it has been 27 years since he lost his fight against cancer. Anyways, that being said, I loved this book and Amazon's price makes it that much easier to love! I know people are saying the written parts of the book suck- but I bought the book mainly for the photos of Steve w/ his airplanes, old toys, VonDutch items etc. Photos from Steve's last few years are very hard to find and Barbara's photos are beautiful. I also can appreciate her simple words about Steve throughout the book. I felt like she was talking to me one-on-one about how her parents felt about Steve, the age difference and the marriage etc. If you're a Steve McQueen fan you will not be disappointed with this book. Barbara is so adorable too... and there's photos of her in the front of the book as well. I think she and Marshall did a great job! ... Read more

Product Description
Live fast, die young.Sharing a passion for fast cars, Steve McQueen (1930-1980) and William Claxton became friends early in McQueen's career and remained close until his premature death. Claxton frequented McQueen throughout his many incarnations (daredevil, dirt biker, movie star, sports car driver, ladies man, family man, etc.), capturing at every turn another side of McQueen's enigmatic tough-guy/nice-guy personality. As this photo album demonstrates, Claxton's photographic talent and sensibilities were perfectly attuned to the actor's multifaceted character. This is the real Steve McQueen, immortalized by Claxton's empathetic lens. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Really well put togeather but its mainly photo's not reading.
I am still enjoying the Book but was a little disapointed it was mostly photo's of Steve and not what he was like,hence the price it was still worth buying by any Fan of Steve's.

Gift for Boyfriend
My boyfriends a huge fan, and he loved the book! The pictures are beautifully done and an awesome addition to any fans collection

Awesome!!!
I recently got this book and could not be happier. The pictures in it are incredible. You really get to see the real Steve Mcqueen, lots of expression in his eyes. If you are looking for a good pics book for a Mcqueen fan, get this one. This book and Paul Newman: A Life In Pictures, and James Dean: Fifty Years Ago are great gifts for somebody that appreciates the legendary guys of the Actors Studio. ... Read more

Product Description
The poster-child victim of a dysfunctional family from Beech Grove, Indiana, Steve McQueen experienced an unsettled early life with a rebellious and alcoholic mother. McQueen channeled his difficult childhood into a masterful career on screen portraying tough, self-sufficient characters in such iconic films as The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Great Escape (1963), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Bullitt (1968), and Papillon (1973).Nationally Known film historian Wes D. Gehring explores how McQueen rose from his days as a troubled youth into one of Hollywood's top box-office stars of the 1960s and 1970s, and how he attempted to ease the lives of other troubled youth. Along the way, Gehring delves into McQueen's early success as a television star on the hit Western Wanted: Dead or Alive, his sometimes rocky relationships with women, his sardonic sense of humor, the actor's love of fast cars and motorcycles, and McQueen's often neglected acting in such films as The Reivers (1969) and Junior Bonner (1972), which Gehring labels as "arguably his greatest performance." McQueen ironically saw the title of one of his best films, The Great Escape, as a veiled reference to what his life might have been like without the movies: "If I hadn't made it as an actor, I might have wound up a hood."McQueen died from cancer on November 7, 1980, at the age of fifty. Reflecting on the Hoosier actor's career, Gehring notes that "McQueen's often unorthodox life was always lived on his own terms, but with the underlying insecurity of the lost child he perceived himself to be." ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (10)

An Elegy to the Young Steve McQueen
William Claxton's book of photographs of Steve McQueen seems to sell primarily to men, especially automobile and motorcycle enthusiasts who consider McQueen the epitome of 60s cool.I think one factor in the actor's lasting appeal may be that he resisted the urge to "go hippie" in the 1960s.Instead of growing his hair long and going to India to find himself, McQueen remained in California, where he rode motorcycles, collected bikes and cars, drank beer, smoked a little hemp and bedded some of the world's most desirable women, including Barbara Leigh and Ali McGraw.

Perhaps part ofMcQueen's enduring popularity is due to the fact that his image stands in vivid contrast to the "emo boys" of our era, where we seem to uncomfortable with a healthy masculinity.It has become so bad that we have to actually import boorish Aussies in order to play roles that call for an American man rather than the 30, 40, or 50 year old (see almost any current comedy for examples) Hollywood teenager.While McQueen was always uncomfortable with fame - other than the steady stream of women it brought him - the blue-eyed actor didn't drop out until he hit middle age.After a series of divorces, McQueen spent his final years holed up in Santa Paula, preferring to spend time with his growing collection of antique motorcycles than his adoring public.

William Claxton is well known in photography circles for his photographs of the trumpeter Chet Baker, the doomed star of West Coast "Cool Jazz" with the matinee idol looks and heavy drug habit.He shot fashion spreads and created "Basic Black", the first fashion film, which starred his wife Peggy Moffitt, designer Rudy Genreich's favorite model.Claxton was also a popular magazine photographer, shooting assignments for Paris Match and Life.On one such assignment, he met Steve McQueen, who was then shooting Love With a Perfect Stranger with Natalie Wood. It was 1962 and in the wake of the films "The Magnificent Seven," "The War Lover" and "The Great Escape", the young actor was just starting to experience the white hot light of incandescent fame.Claxton and McQueen hit it off, even though the photographer was a sophisticate and McQueen was a rough around the edges reform school kid who became an unlikely movie star.

Claxton found McQueen an ideal subject because he was not self-conscious and he had an appeal for both men and women.Women seemed to be drawn to his unconventional good looks and intensity, while men found his combination of coolness, masculinity and self-confidence appealing.McQueen didn't have a large frame, or conventional leading man looks, but he was healthy and athletic and there seemed to be a sense of menace behind his steel blue eyes.As an actor, he was not a scenery chewer. He "re-acted" rather than acted and was able to convey a great deal with his face and body language rather than the histrionic approach favored by some of our modern New York actors.

After their initial meeting in New York, Claxton and his wife began spending time with McQueen and his wife Nellie in California, so the photographer had the opportunity to shoot the actor spontaneously, always using available light. Because the actor trusted Claxton, whom he called "Clax" he was able to capture McQueen in unguarded moments.The photos in this book are well framed for the photographer knew when to make the actor the center of attention and when the context was most important.Thankfully, virtually all of them were in luminous black and white.There are photographs of McQueen at work, at play with the Jaguars, Ferraris, Cobras and Triumph motorcycles that he loved and just hanging out, which is mostly what McQueen seemed to do between shoots. The book is brief and there is not a great deal of text, just notes to introduce where the shots were taken, so its not even a short biography. At times, it is still insightful. When you read in other books of how much time McQueen spent just hanging out, you wonder whether acting is simply the type of career, that, even in a more masculine age keeps men perpetual teenagers.Traditionally, men go to work each day, to grow or build things, to contribute.Do the actors search for some sort of relevance, for political significance because deep inside they feel their life is all about playing dress-up? No matter how much we enjoy film and the social significance some movies have, the fame, the yes men, the enablers, the people blowing smoke up every reality "star" or minor actor's golden ass makes it a strange career and lifestyle. That seems to eventually take a toll on many actors, even those who start out better adjusted.The friendship between McQueen and his favorite shooter did not last more than a few years as both lived busy lives, the photographer traveling to far-flung assignments and the actor to film shoots, so they gradually lost touch.So, Claxton's photographs cover a fairly brief period, but one where the actor while incredibly famous, was still able to enjoy himself among his friends.

This Taschen book, so its reasonably priced, but still beautifully produced with excellent photographic reproductions. If you are enjoy photography, are a McQueen fan, or someone who just wants to get a sense of what things were like in a particular time and place, this book is an excellent choice.

A Cool book about a Cool guy
I didn't know much about this actor. He died when I was young and it wasn't until I was older that I discovered his work on my own. I didn't learn until later that he died of complications following experimental surgery in Mexico for mesothelioma (asbestos-caused cancer).

McQueen was cool, but he was also not one to make a big deal of himself. One of my favorite photos is of him in the back of a truck after a motorcycle race, filthy (yet happy) and enjoying a beer. But there are many, many sweet and sincere photos in this book. Yes, it is a finite and relatively short segment of his life that has been captured on film, but it is an important time.

Published by Taschen and printed in Italy. A high quality coffee table book for $14.99 (I paid $19.99!). In fact, its description as a paperback is almost misleading, since it's a "hard" (reinforced) paperback. Claxton, probably better known in jazz circles, passed away in October 2008.

Cliche photos, some interesting details
The book contains some details about mcQueen's life that only the writer knew , that give a hint about how mcQueen viewed life, danger, and speed.
but the photos are mainly advertising ones and not real life.
i would expect more on the life of mcqueen as a person and not only as an actor

I agree with the other review: "Leaves you begging for more".
A great book, considering it is of a short period in Steve McQueen's life. This is him in his prime captured by a great photographer.

McQueen fan
Very comprehensive. Show's a different side of the rough and tumble character known as Steve McQueen. Very entertaining. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (19)

Very good
Very good book if your a McQueen fan and a fan of sports cars. Nice photos of a lot of McQueens cars, and motorcycles, some of their history, and where they are now.Also gives some interesting information behind the scenes of some of the cars used in his movies.

Steve McQueen the man and the machines a must have!!!
I recently bought this book and it is a very good insight to the life of an American icon.
Steve McQueen was a great actor, but more than that he was a even better giver. Steve gave to charities in secret and it was not until his untimely death, that is was revealed just how much of a charitable person he was, to include him asking for gobs of items like shoes and food etc. to give to local needy peoples.

The cars,motorcycles,airplanes,that Steve McQueen acquired would be a dream for any car enthusiast.

If you like Steve, or automobiles, this book is a must have for any aficionado.R.I.P. Steve McQueen

great book for a motorhead!
Great pictures of bikes and cars, as well as McQueen, who, in my opinion, is one of the coolest guys around.Got the book for my husband, but I liked it, too.

Very uncomprehensive, but good for start learning on McQ's cars
I was expecting more than a quick "run through the specs" book and then a relatively short note on McQueens relation with each car. I looked forward to more in both quantity and comprehensiveness of stories and anecdotes concerning each particular car in McQueen's life, such as the races that he and the late James Coburn did with McQueen's Ferrari Lusso and Coburn's Ferrari California (recently sold at an auction for a world record 10 million bucks, if memory serves) around Solar Drive in Los Angeles, where McQ lived.
I think that this was a great oportunity to do a more well-researched and detailed book, specially, since it had the blessing with a foreword, many pictures and cars lent by McQueen's own son, Chad.
We barely have a few and very overlooked and uncomprehensive paragraphs dedicated to some very special cars and their related stories, such as the Bullitt Mustang or the Le Mans 917s, in which more than two years of production gave for another full book for itself (A French Kiss With Death, highly recommended, by the way).
Also, most of the pictures shown have already been seen on other books, like Taschen's "Steve McQueen" by William Claxton (a close friend and photographer of McQ) or are easily found on the internet, making this book for a very poor effort on research.
In all of the above mentioned books and in McQ's biography by Chris Sandford you will find more of what this book lacks: stories with McQ at the set in the Great Escape, Bullitt, Le Mans,... also racing with cars and bikes with his friends, etc. And most important of all, giving the stories some personality, which this book clearly lacks, as if other than getting a mediocre job done was all that was required.
Both the pictures and the content of the book seem to have been done by a person not really used to do proper research and make stories interesting, being some parts even heavy to read due to the lack of anecdotes told on each car and bike.
Maybe I'm being a bit harsh on this book, which is not all that bad, and has some before unseen info on some less well known cars on McQ, but again in very brief form. It could and should have been a lot better only by adding maybe 10-20 pages of more great stories that are out there waiting to be told on the cooler king at the wheel of the cars he had and drove like a maniac on most cases.
This book will appeal to any McQueen fan (as I consider myself) who want to get a very general view of his life with cars (if you like McQ it'd be odd if you don't already knew about 90% of the cars in the book, anyway) or, particularly, to those who are starting to learn about his cars and bikes, it will give a starting point on listing the most significant ones he had.

Great Read
I bought this book for my husband. He is a car nut and likes anything McQueen. The book exceeded my expectations. A great read with ample photos. ... Read more

Product Description
Bentley Publishers announces the publication and availability of ex-racer and acclaimed motor sports photographer and author Michael Keyser's "A French Kiss with Death: Steve McQueen and the Making of LeMans: The Man, The Race, The Cars, The Movie." This exciting new hardcover book from Bentley is part celebrity biography, part motor sports and part movie making.

This spine-tingling title and the "King of Cool's" intense headshot telegraph the excitement to be found under the book cover. Keyser's observant and engaging storytelling weaves together screen legend Steve McQueen's rugged, individualistic life, his love affairs with motorcycles, cars, racing, partying and women, along with a story of exceptional filmmaking, including the breakthrough, Oscar-winning cinematographic techniques used to capture the visceral essence of racing's most famous event for the silver screen.

Throughout 464 highly charged pages, "A French Kiss with Death" dazzles the reader with the "King of Cool's" roller-coaster life of adventure and accomplishment. The book contains more than 725 photographs and illustrations, most seen for the first time and many shot during the actual "24 Hours of Le Mans." Providing an unforgettable ride, "A French Kiss with Death" pulls readers rapidly into the exotic, heady, cutthroat world of international sports car racing. Keyser's longtime friend and ex-racer Jonathan Williams also contributed to the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

fantastic
If your a fan of lemans the race or the movie , buy this for a indepth look behind the movie

Very interresting Book
Very nice book. Many Thanks to Mickael Keyser to have writen this book !
Very interresting photos.

A fantastic look into the world of movie making!
First of all, this book is a great and easy read. I read it within one week. The photos are fantastic. The stories about Steve are wonderful. In saying that, the book is not just about the making of the movie. That's only part of the story. This book gives you a brief history of the following:movies about racing; a small history of the Le Mans race itself; a history of the teams involved in the film - Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lola, Matra, and Porsche; followed by a brief history of the Daytona and Sebring races (featuring Steve); and finally it all comes together in the making of the movie. The personal anecdotes of the drivers involved are quite interesting. For lovers of the movie, the race, and the man himself, this book won't let you down. The photos themselves are worth the purchase price. Plus, this book will look great on your coffee table!

Interesting companion to the movie
This book covers the making of the movie, "LeMans" as well as could be done. It is an intermediate sized paperback with photos in black and white. The descriptions of the details and characters is informative and very interesting for a fan of the 24 hour race or of Steve McQueen the actor, producer and racer.

Illuminating Insight into Steve McQueen
LeMans was and is a great racing movie but the real insight of this book is into the character of Steve McQueen. You may judge for yourself; in my opinion he comes off as extremely insecure and childish beneath his famous "cool". ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

A McQueen Fan Must
Great rare pictures and insight into the personal life of McQueen. Family photos show another side of the so-called Hollywood wild bad-boy. Neile and his children were his legacy. Nice to see the intimate side of one of the great actors and screen legends of all time. Super photography and some of the most handsome pictures of the star. Totally a keeper; shared it with my Father, one of McQueen's most dedicated fans of all time.

Nice Photos, but it could be better
'A Life in Pictures' is a bit misleading as the title. Yes, there are several photos spanning McQueen's acting career, but it is hardly comprehensive. For every rare photo (or color version), there is a familiar one (some published a few years ago in the excellent book of McQueen photos by William Claxton). For some reason, the photos are not in chronological order which can be a bit jarring when jumping from the family pictures of McQueen from the 1960s to the longer haired McQueen of the 1970s. This book is filled with quality photos of Steve McQueen. Most are large, and several are in color. This is a book for someone who is a devoted fan or just wants nice pictures of McQueen in one book. ... Read more

Product Description
The actor who first epitomised the Action Hero; a complex man, prone to casual affairs and violence, capable of helping those more unfortunate than him. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Less is often better.
I have been a Steve McQueen fan since watching him interact opposite Paul Newman in a couple of brief scenes in the b&w film "Somebody Up There Likes Me" back in the mid 50's. A year or two later he was racing up the street backward in the cult horror classic, "The Blob". Then came "The Great Escape", "The Magnificent Seven", "Bullitt", and my personal favorite, "LeMans".
Through it all McQueen remained the coolest cat in town. Watching Steve McQueen is a lesson in 'economical' acting - less is always better.
Unfortunately the same is true about the man himself. The less I know about Steve McQueen, the better I like it.I don't want to know he was petty and insecure. That he wasted years of his life brooding over some imagined insults. If you like your Steve McQueen with warts and all, this is the book for you. I prefer to remember him fondly as the 'every man' he so elequently portrayed on film.

skip the book in my opinion
The best bet you have is to read Neile McQueen's book My Husband My Friend. I'm halfway done with this book "McQueen the Biography" and I must say it is rehashing the story you get first hand from Steve's first wife.Overall the writer is very impressed with his own ad libbing of Steve-like phrases. It comes off reading almost like a script for a Steve McQueen bio drama movie, not a really factual biography. My advice is to skip it. Go with Neile.

McQueen Bio
Good in-depth biography of one of Hollywood's most misunderstood bad boys. McQueen broke the mold on action heroes being the forerunner of most of the gendre today. His influence on such stars as Chuck Norris, Arnold, and Slyvester Stallone is undeniable. He raised the bar when it came to acting, action and salary. Always demanding more of himself as well as others.

An Interesting Life, but...
I found the first few chapters of this book really holdling my attention, but as his career became more solid it all seemed less interesting.I guess it's the early McQueen that is most enjoyable to read about - the way he establishd his "cool" and muscled his way through the film industry to become a major star.The aging of the actor and his diminishing roles and vigor caused me to lose interest and simply didn't feel like finishing it.

Not Bad For A Limey Hack
If I could give this biography four and a half stars, I would. It is full of facts and anecdotes, and it appears to be (almost) exhaustive. But it's like an over-stuffed fruitcake. It is sometimes hard to enjoy. Christopher Sandford, it must be said, is no prose stylist. He writes like a hack. Buthe is thorough and does his homework. While repetitive about his basic thesis, he is probably right.

Sanford pushes the line that Terence Steven McQueen's life-long obsession was to avoid being, and being seen as, a "candyass". Since acting is all but intrinsically a "candyass" profession (think: men in face-paint and tights), McQueen tried to make sure that what he did was authentic and gritty enough to rise above that. His point was that acting could be something that real men did. And I think we all have to agree that McQueen proved his point. He was brilliant at faking being real. Today, watching his films, the other actors often look like they are on stage. McQueen looks totally natural.

But all the while (because he had contempt for the movie business? because he had a nagging fear about what he did for a living?) he rode dirt-bikes, raced cars in competition, did his own stunt work (when they would let him), drank, smoked, did all sorts of drugs, and had sex with hundreds upon hundreds of actresses, extras, fans, hangers-on, hippies... anyone who was female and who had a "bubble-ass". While he was married, of course. He hated the studios and men in suits in general, and enjoyed squeezing as much money out of them as possible. Because, again, making "bread" was a man thing. His obsession was to be taken seriously by other real men. He valued his award from the Stuntmen's Association more than any acting award. He did weights all the time. He never cooked. He trained as a black-belt in karate. He sought the approval of mechanics and drivers and martial arts experts. Tough guys. And he was obsessed with making it big, like a real provider, alpha-male type.

Like any typical macho superstar, he beat his first wife Neile Adamswhen he discovered that she had eventually had an affair with Maximilian Schell. His second wife, Ali McGraw, whom he started sleeping with on the set of "The Getaway", while she was still married, became/was an "alcoholic/male dependent" (p. 451). His third wife, Barbara Minty, who could easily be mistaken for MacGraw, became little short of a hausfrau.

Everybody knows, I am sure, about the billing war over whose name went first -- McQueen's or Paul Newman's - in the publicity for "The Towering Inferno" in 1974. What this biography makes clear is that McQueen's first billing -- at a lower height -- was the culmination of a lifelong pissing match (entirely, it seems, one-sided) with Paul Newman to be top man. McQueen was obsessively competitive. I honestly cannot recall any passage in this book where he is quoted as complimenting another living actor's work, other than James Dean, who died young. Great stuntmen, yes. Car drivers, yes. Friends of his who acted in his films, yes. But other major actors? No. Not Newman, not Yul Brynner, not Brando (McQueen painted "The Mild One" on one of his Triumph motorcycles). No one.

In spite of his colossal egoism-cum-paranoia, or at least, in any case, the McQueen legend has only gone from strength to strength since his death in 1980, aged 50, from cancer. His major films are now considered classics -- are now cult -- and he is considered to be the best thing in them. I speak here of, at least, "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), "The Great Escape"(1963), "The Cinncinnati Kid" (1965), "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1968), "Bullitt" (1968), and "The Getaway" (1972). Some of his other, more intimate films are also being rediscovered, especially "Junior Bonner" (1972) and "Tom Horn" (1980).

Perhaps because he is dead and we can go back to the screen legend, Steve McQueen has become the Ultimate Man's-Man -- an embodiment of cool toughness. He beats Clint Eastwood and Paul Newman in that department, and is an inspiration in some sense to contemporary bad-boy, wanna-be-authentic, f***-Hollywood types like Mickey Rourke and Sean Penn. I think McQueen would be happy about that. But this biography does provide us with a wealth of detail about the juvenile-delinquent-Marine-turned-multi-millionaire-tough-guy-actor that lies behind the Tag Heuer watch and Ford car advertisements.

If this biography is to be faulted in terms of content (apart fromrepetition), it is, in the end, for its account of the films. Sandford fares a bit better with "Bullitt" than with the rest. But this book never departs from being about McQueen to being about his films. For film analysis, consult other books. Also, and this is a much smaller point, perhaps even a matter of taste, there is little interest shown in McQueen's cars or motorcycles. Given how much McQueen himself was interested in them, and given how much interest his fans generally have in them, this is a bit of a let-down. Finally, and it is not clear at all if this is Sandford's fault, the book is remarkably thin on good photos. There is one single small pic, occupying a third of a page, from "Bullitt". And that's it. There isn't a single pic of him in or near a sportscar, for example. No pic of his beautiful green Jag XK-SS. It looks like, for pictures, and for cars, you will have to search elsewhere.


... Read more

Product Description
"Steve McQueen, The Last Mile" documents Barbara McQueen's three-and-a-half year relationship with the movie icon, and includes candid shots from 1977 to 1980 - McQueen's years out of the spotlight. It chronicles Barbara's early history and modeling career; her years with McQueen at Trancas Beach and Santa Paula as well as behind-the-scene photographs on the sets of "Tom Horn" and "The Hunter". The book is written in passage form, weaving Barbara McQueen's personal history, her relationship with her famous husband and the stories behind the hundreds of candid pictures she took. It will also include a special foreword by Pat Johnson, McQueen's close friend and karate instructor. The November 2006 release date for "Steve McQueen -The Last Mile" coincides with the 26th anniversary of the actor's death. The special edition includes a slip case and a CD of Steve McQueen reviewing his script notes for the movie "Tom Horn". Each copy is signed by Barbara McQueen and her co-author, Marshall Terrill. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Side Not Seen....
Great insight, untold stories, and unseen photographs about an extremely private man. It was quite refreshing from the self-serving tomes that celebrities have put out and continue to put out about themselves. The one thing I've always admired about McQueen (besides his obvious acting talent) was his disdain for celebrity and the fact that he remained true to himself. This book drives that home.
Excellent.

A Must for McQueen Fans
Wow, the photographs are beautiful and highly personal. It's like seeing a private photo album from this marriage. Plus the text is informative and revealing. I'm so glad this part of Steve's life is now so well documented.

It goes perfectly on my coffee table.

The Real Steve McQueen
Intimate, touching, insightful, sometimes hilarious passages into the life of The King of Cool, Steve McQueen.We live in such a visual, media oriented world that we tend to get preconceived notions of who movie stars are, based on what we see. The world saw Steve McQueen as the ultimate man- handsome, macho, cool, someone they could spend their hard-earned bucks on back in the day and get their money's worth at the theater.Barbara McQueen, his widow, saw the real Steve McQueen.She got to know Steve, the family man; Steve, the man who loved the great outdoors and his morning constitutional; Steve, the great mashed potato guru, airplane and motorcycle enthusiast. "The Last Mile" shows how little we all knew of his kindness and philanthropy; how little we knew of his yearning for happiness and how he ultimately found it.The photos in this book will enchant you, leave you wanting more. One of my favorites is one where Barbara embraces Steve from behind.That photo alone is worth the book to me.Beautiful model, handsome superstar, real people worn out from what life has dealt them.You can see it in their faces.It makes me sigh everytime I see it because there's not one person I know who hasn't been to that point and had nothing left but an embrace.You will love this book and you will want more.I guarantee you.

Steve McQueen:The Last Mile
This book takes you into the very intimate and private world of Steve McQueen between 1977 and 1980.

Consisting of approximately 150 color photos (most of which were taken by his wife Barbara McQueen) and accompanied by Barbara's recollections of their time together.

Unlike some other photobooks where you sense you are watching the star pose, this book shows you the absolutely unguarded and relaxed side of the man as he goes about his daily life, talking to friends, tinkering on his bikes, dozing in an armchair or washing down the pavement outside his airplane hanger.

These are the sort of photos you would usually never see of a movie star - Steve in the morning before he has showered, looking drowsily over a hot mug of coffee, househunting in Montana with Barbara, or lying asleep on the living room floor with his pet dog lying on top of him.

You really feel like you have stepped into Steve and Barbara's house, it is that personal.

The text accompaniment is also very entertaining and educational as Barbara shares her memories of how Steve wooed her, the initial problems he had to overcome in winning her parents approval of the relationship, his personal lessons to her on how to dismantle and rebuild a motorcycle (sadly unsuccessful) or a gun (successful), how he came to propose, and many other intimate and fun moments. Overall it takes you through their entire relationship and serves as something of an autobiography in itself.

All these photos are beautifully presented in a high gloss large coffee table book format.

Released with the first limited edition run of the book is a 45 minute audio CD of Steve verbally working through the script of the film "Tom Horn". It is fascinating to hear him talk about his vision of the film, rework the script and plan his character. You get a real sense of the epic film he wanted Tom Horn to be (but was denied due to the studio slashing the budget), and you realise just how insightful he was with film and acting. The amount of thought he puts into his role should forever dispel the notion that he just played himself on film.

Steve McQueen - The Last Mile is a very special book and no fans collection will be complete without it.

Fantastic!
A fantastic book on the last years of legend Steve McQueen! Great job by Barbara McQueen and Marshall Terrill! Touching moments! Great photos! ... Read more

Product Description
Can it really be a quarter-century now that Steve McQueen has been gone?Felled in 1980 while undergoing treatments for mesothelioma, the actor whoruled the box office in the 1960s and 70s remains a myth, having been ajuvenile delinquent, Marine, oilfield roughneck, lumberjack, producer,motorcycle racer, sports car driver, and Hollywood King of Cool.
Now, Unforgettable Steve McQueen documents his fascinating life with acollection of rare and stunning images. McQueen is most famous for his workin such films as The Great Escape, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bullitt, and TheTowering Inferno, but was also an avid motor racer, whom the AmericanMotorcyclist Association posthumously added to their Hall of Fame in 1999and hailed for helping the sport overcome its outlaw image. The bookcaptures both life stories in photographs by Sid Avery, William Claxton,Raymond Depardon, Larry Kastendiek, and others, as well as vintageselections from various archives. Featuring a foreword by Brad Pitt,Unforgettable Steve McQueen is the definitive picture book on this legendary icon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Brad Pitt?
Good book, but I did not see a foreword by Brad Pitt as mentioned in the description. ... Read more

Product Description

From the author of The Perfect Play comes a charmingly
romantic–yet very edgy-novel set in the music industry about friendship,
love, growing up, and always following your dreams.

Customer Reviews (11)

GOODNIGHT STEVE MCQUEEN By Louise Wener
Goodnight Steve McQueen is a 2002 novel by British author Louise Wener and it can be described in one word: fabulous. Fans of Nick Hornby's High Fidelity rejoice, this novel, while similar, is every bit as humorous, heartfelt, and fun to read as Hornby's 1995 cult classic.
Wener- stunningly mature with her first novel after fronting British pop band Sleeper in the mid-1990s- uses dry humor like a lethal weapon in this novel about relationships, growing up, and never giving up on our dreams.
The protagonist is Steve "Danny" McQueen, a twenty-nine year old video store clerk with rock star aspirations that he's been harboring since puberty. The events that unfold in the novel are his last effort at stardom, and a thinly veiled message that all men have to grow up sometime.
The story is told through the eyes of Danny, in a way that only a man could tell it. Of course, Wener is a not a man and this further highlights her burgeoning talent. Apart from a sarcastic tone that will induce laughter several times, the real heart of the novel is in the eccentric, yet believable, minor characters. There is Danny's video store boss Kostas, a band mate's art-school girlfriend with a crush, and an older woman with an obsession for kung-fu movies. Throughout the novel Danny is forced to deal with an absent girlfriend, a group of fledgling band mates, and a bad haircut among other things. Danny's problems might seem trivial to some readers, but most will relate to the everyday issues that Danny, and most people everywhere, have to deal with.
Though the heart of the story comes from the supporting cast, the brains are all Danny. Wener does an excellent job of portraying a flawed, yet ultimately good hero in Danny, with his searing one-liners and a few colossal mistakes that he makes.
Readers may wish that the novel could have been longer. At 370 pages it's certainly not an afternoon read, but there are certain times during the novel when Wener skips whole weeks of activities that could have been even enjoyable to read. And while some of the British slang can be a bit hard to follow at times, it adds to the realistic nature of the characters.
Overall, this novel shouldn't be judged as a debut by a pop singer, but rather a near-perfect triumph by a mature author with a bright future. Goodnight Steve McQueen is the rare novel that mixes humor and heart. Though music plays a key role throughout the tale, the novel is really about friends, family, and the little things that culminate to form everyday lives. Even Rob Fleming, the narcissistic hero of Hornby's classic, would be proud.

hmmm...
don't get me wrong, i am a huge sleeper fan and will probably buy all of louise wener's books, but did anyone else notice she begins both "goodnight steve mcqueen" and "the perfect play" with "do you remember the _____?"

huh.

surprising...
no one was a bigger sleeper fan than i, so i was quite surprised (and curious) to discover louis wener had written not one, but two novels.

perhaps comparisons to nick hornby are a bit unfair, but they aren't without warrant.both hornby and wener know more than their fair share about music and the music industry.the only difference, of course, is that wener was actually *in* the music industry, while hornby is but an observer (and a very astute one at that).

what wener does well is capture what it's like to live for the dream.danny mcqueen, the erstwhile steve mcqueen, and his pals have slogged it out for ten years trying to make it big in the music industry, with only infrequent and minor success.it's as though they are little boys terrified of making the leap to adulthood and living an 'adult' life.suprisingly, wener does write the novel from the male perspective and while sometimes her observations are little off the mark (at least in my opinion), she by and captures what it's like to be a nearly-thirty-something male.the relationships between the characters, particularly between danny and his best mates Vince and Matty, and between danny and allison are believable and for the most part well-drawn.as a huge music fan, i also giggle at references to kevin rowland, my bloody valentine, the smiths, frank black, and grandaddy. what i also admired about the novel is that the female characters are, by and large, the least likeable.i admire that because wener's playing against type, being a female author.it would have been much easier, i assume, to glamorize the women and villefy the men. thankfully, the opposite is true.

where the novel suffers, in my opinion, is that it's fairly exclusive to its primary audience.while audiophiles will most likely get a lot of laughs and all the musical references and band name-dropping, those outside indie music circles will probably not enjoy it as much as they otherwise would. i would have a hard time recommending this to anyone unfamiliar with the scene. for those who are a bit squeamish, there's an awful lot of language in the novel--not quite as much as 'high fidelity'--but comparable.there are also a lot of references to porn, backstage shenanigans (especially regarding scarface front-man 'ike'), infidelity, etc.it may not bother everyone, but it may bother some.

as a writer wener has a nice breezy style, just like hornby. it doesn't require too much attention and thought, but it's certainly not boring and banal.you most likely won't get the same rapturous joy out of the prose like you with with a kazuo ishiguro or don delillo, but it will certainly make you smile. it's also pretty easy to identify with wener's main protagonists. unfortunately, wener does try a little bit too hard to make the minor characters 'quirky.' sheila, the 80-something, kung-fu movie fanatic is a prime example.how many 80 year old kung-fu fanatics do you know?be that as it may, wener provides enough levity that you don't mind as much as you otherwise would (i.e. when kate cons danny into posing nude for her art class).

wener obviously has talent and i'm hope she'll continue to write novels. i hope that as she progresses as a novelist she'll dig a little bit deeper, draw out her characters a little bit more. in the meantime, 'goodnight, steve mcqueen' is a nice diversion from a night of television or perfect for a weekend on the beach.

Nick Lit
This has got to be my least favorite genre of writing, that is, Nick Hornby imitations.Danny works in a rundown video store, how different is that from the record shop from Hornby's HIGH FIDELITY?The difference is, Louise Wener is actually a talented writer and even though she's writing from the perspective of a man, she does a better job of it than Hornby does.I mean, he used to be OK, then he fell in love with himself.Now Louise Wener is the new him.

I wondered about the British artist Steve McQueen and how he felt about having a novel named after him!Then it got me to thinking about the US movie star and how this particular book fit in with the trajectory of his career.At the beginning of Wener's novel, we find out that Danny's mother so idolized her favorite star, Steve McQueen, that she set out to capture any man with that surname so that she could be "Mrs. McQueen."It's stupid, inane and happily isn't representative of the general drift of Wener's writing, which is strongly character-driven, not just propelled by ridiculous "high concepts."It's not as though Danny in later life wants to become an actor like his putative father.The McQueen thing, once introduced, is dropped rapidly, as though Louise realized how silly it was.

From then on in it's a comic triangle of Danny, Alison, versus Danny's dream of becoming a rock star (like Louise Wener herself, who fronted the British pop band Sleeper 15 years ago).And also Danny's low self-image and corresponding bad treatment of longsuffering Alison, who disappears from the book much too early to take a job in Belgium.This leaves the field clear for the avaricious Kate, a glamor type evidently based on received ideas about Kate Moss, who wants to use Danny for her latest boy toy.Since Alison is apparently living happily without him, well, what would you do?Danny's decision, plus a legacy from an accentric elderly friend (one more unlikely development in an otherwise realistic portrait of male crisis), makes the crux of this novel almost as exciting as one of the real Steve McQueen's lesser movies, maybe NEVER SO FEW or THE REIVERS, both of which have their partisans but count me not among them.A happy surprise of a "Nick Lit" variety.

About on a par with Hornby's High Fidelity
I busted out laughing about thirty or forty times reading Goodnight, Steve McQueen. I even know most English slang. The author's experience in a good-to-great pop band (Sleeper - but they didn't get great reviews and played for starvation wages), supporting grotty talentless bands is more believable than Hornby's take on it - he's ONLY a fan and he knows some musicians, but it's not the same.

I love the tawdry details of Danny and Alison's everyday life - hey, we all have been through the same. Ms. Wener's wit is razor-sharp, cruising the dark underbelly of UK pop/rock music. And the dynamics of the band, Vince, Danny, and Matt are so damned funny but melancoholy. And the various hangers-on ring so true, but a bit exaggerated (hey, it's a novel - not real life).

Goodnight, Steve McQueen should be optioned for a film - but it should not be set in the U.S. (like High Fidelity was - it lessened its impact), or the U.S. version of Coupling (it bombed, but to its credit it had decent cast), or Network television (U.S.) lame attempt at "The Office."

I think Louise Wener is as insightful and wry as Carrie Fisher (Postcards From The Edge, etc.) and wittier and more sarcastic than Nick Hornby, she ranks right up there Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting and Porno - both great black comedy novels).

I think for the movie script, Louise Wener ought to have some major input and she should get paid well. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of a popular actor whose achievements in racing equal or surpass those in his first career. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

A Skeptic
I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!I am a huge Steve McQueen fan and automatically buy every book written about him, this book was no exception. I saw it serialised in the Sunday Times and immediately ordered a copy from Amazon.. Started reading it last night and with every page I became more and more skeptical about the authenticity of this book. It just does not add up! Why would Sam Peckinpah invite a 17 yr old kid down to Cornwall to view his 'pre production' for a film? He says he was working for the publicity department of the 'Cinerama' film company at the time, surely his employers would have insisted he take some photos of this unique opportunity? None appear!
How about this chance meeting with Steve McQueen over breakfast, any photos of him and the biggest star of the day? Nope, not a one! My first hint that this could possibly be a work of fantasy was when he describes how McQueen invites him to'take a ride with him' on the back of a bike: "if you do this he'll be your friend for life. If you don't, you'll lose face" (says Peckinpah apparently) McQueen "disappeared from the house, and returned an hour later with the biggest motorbike I have ever seen" Oh really? So you want me to believe McQueen went off to who knows where in deepest Cornwall and manages to locate a motorcycle dealer and purchase the 'biggest bike I have ever seen' and return in an hour? Hmm suspicious!
(You would have thought any local bike dealer would have some recollection of selling the great Steve McQueen a motorbike and be able to verify this story? Apparently not...)
He then goes on to describe how they start a spontaneous road trip which lasts four days which is both on road and off road, tearing through woods frightening geese and swans into a river ( on 'the biggest bike I have ever seen'- to any experienced 'off roader ' that just doesn't add up ). They then pull into a country pub where theyspent their first night, with McQueen putting in a call to Frank Sinatra (must have had his number I guess!) to check out if this kid was 'ok'? Apparently Sinatra must known this kid well as the next morningMcQueen confirmed: "Frank said you're ok". Boy, this kid must have been very well connected! By the time I read this I could not suspend my disbelief any longer, I'm now convinced I'm reading a work more akin with a Barbara Cartland novel than an actual account of time spent with McQueen , does he back up his claims with any facts or photos or anything believable? No, not one thing!
As a result I looked a bit further into this author, apparently he knew virtually every major Hollywood movie star at the time on first name terms and even had an affair with Ava Gardner! All at the age of 17?! I rest my case and want my money back! Steve McQueen: Living on the Edge

One Half of a Great Bio!
First the good news: Being a big fan, I've read pretty much everything out there that's been available on Steve McQueen and I can say unequivocally state that the first third or so of this tome is the BEST version ever of Steve McQueen's early years. It's not easy reading since it's pretty graphic in describing how harrowing those years were for him but it really does explain a lot that others have missed.
Now the bad news: Once McQueen is established as an actor, the book not only has nothing new to do say about those years, it gets a lot of obvious facts, blatantly wrong. For instance, Yul Brynner did NOT make his screen debut in the King & I (it was a full 7 years earlier in Port of New York); Dustin Hoffman was NOT nominated for an Oscar for Papillon; Several of the McQueen film plot summaries are incorrect; Typos and misspelled names run amok throughout the text;The chronology of McQueen almost making Butch Cassidy is placed after Le Mans which is also incorrect. And so it goes. My advice, read those early years and get the better version of McQueen's success in Marshall Terrill's book, Portrait of a Rebel. ... Read more