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Paul Newman, A Life, by Shawn Levy.

Paul Newman is one of my all-time favorite actors. Anybody who can pull off The Sting in such fabulous fashion (and look so good doing it) is a-okay in my book. [this caveat also encompasses Robert Redford, btw.]

and this isn't even getting into his wonderful philanthropy [see previous book review].

but with all that, I didn't really know all that much about the guy.
for example, had no idea he was 50 miles off-shore on a submarine when the US bombed Hiroshima. or that he was colorblind (which was why he was on a sub and not flying a plane like he wanted to).

I also had no idea that he had cheated on his wife.

biographies are tricky things. you usually read them about people you are interested in. most often, people you like or admire. and you don't always find out things that you wanna know. the not so nice things that alter your perception of them.

sometimes you come out of a biography having lost respect for the person you were reading about.

but sometimes that person comes out just fine. cause even though they may have made a few mistakes, done a few things you don't quite agree with and were bummed about when you initially read them, how they made up for those things or the good they did with the rest of their life far outweighs those few unsavory things.

Paul Newman comes out just fine.

this was an excellent biography.

[plus, check out that cover. why hello there.]

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