Reviews
"This is like eavesdropping on a dinner party filled with friends and collogues all listening to and talking about the man sitting at the head of the table, Paul Newman. Honest, funny and often painful conversations which were found by his daughters and woven together into a fascinating memoir of their "anything but ordinary" father. I loved the book and adored the man." --Sally Field "Unlike most celebrity self-retrospectives, this is not a "first I did this, then I did that" kind of memoir. It is, rather, a sharp, acerbic, often somber "what was I thinking?" analysis that reveals a level of vulnerability and insecurity surprising for a man who was seen as the epitome of cool...Fans looking for Hollywood gossip will not find it, while those who really want to know the man behind the image and the legend will be compelled by Newman's raw, open, and principled self-portrait...Newman's timeless allure will work its magic on readers." -- Booklist , Starred review "Actor, race car driver, and philanthropist Newman (1925-2008) was a deeply private man living an intensely public life; this posthumous memoir features the Hollywood legend's own voice as he "sets things straight" and "pokes holes in the mythology" that accompanied his celebrity...Newman's story unfolds in a humble, sometimes humorous narrative voice--"I'm aware that in some ways it's my nature to deprecate everything I do"--punctuated with earnest awe of the turns his life has taken, astonishment at the intensity of his passion for wife Joanne Woodward, affection for his children and anguish that he could not shelter them from the vagaries of fame. Newman's voice is interwoven with transcripts from friends, relatives, and colleagues (including Eva Marie Saint, Tom Cruise, Elia Kazan, and more) whose memories shed light on what transformed the summer stock actor into an international sex symbol and what curbed his struggles with alcoholism and grief from veering into tragedy. ...[T]hese collective perspectives do more than offer a prismatic view of film industry glamour and dirty laundry: they elevate the book from a humble autobiography to a more nuanced, human portrait--with the "semblance of truth" that Newman craved when he went on the record. With equal parts grounded authenticity and inviting charm, this candid memoir captures the life of a legend." -- Publishers Weekly "Raw reflections from a movie icon...a revealing memoir of a life marked by pain, grief, and regret...Intimate reflections on an extraordinary life steeped in sadness." -- Kirkus Reviews, "Actor, race car driver, and philanthropist Newman (1925-2008) was a deeply private man living an intensely public life; this posthumous memoir features the Hollywood legend's own voice as he "sets things straight" and "pokes holes in the mythology" that accompanied his celebrity...Newman's story unfolds in a humble, sometimes humorous narrative voice--"I'm aware that in some ways it's my nature to deprecate everything I do"--punctuated with earnest awe of the turns his life has taken, astonishment at the intensity of his passion for wife Joanne Woodward, affection for his children and anguish that he could not shelter them from the vagaries of fame. Newman's voice is interwoven with transcripts from friends, relatives, and colleagues (including Eva Marie Saint, Tom Cruise, Elia Kazan, and more) whose memories shed light on what transformed the summer stock actor into an international sex symbol and what curbed his struggles with alcoholism and grief from veering into tragedy. ...[T]hese collective perspectives do more than offer a prismatic view of film industry glamour and dirty laundry: they elevate the book from a humble autobiography to a more nuanced, human portrait--with the "semblance of truth" that Newman craved when he went on the record. With equal parts grounded authenticity and inviting charm, this candid memoir captures the life of a legend." -- Publishers Weekly, "This is like eavesdropping on a dinner party filled with friends and colleagues all listening to and talking about the man sitting at the head of the table, Paul Newman. Honest, funny and often painful conversations which were found by his daughters and woven together into a fascinating memoir of their "anything but ordinary" father. I loved the book and adored the man." --Sally Field "''The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man'' is all voice--which is to say, it is Newman at his best... [It] is twice the book one could have dared to hope for, a narrative that is astute, introspective and surprisingly graceful...When we meet our heroes on the page, we want them to have something thoughtful to say--to make good on the admiration their outsize performances have won. Newman always seemed likely to pass that test, with his self-aware persona, storied marriage and generous charitable activities. Still, to see it come true in this rich book somehow imbues his characters'' pain and joy with fresh technicolor." --Michael O''Donnell, The Wall Street Journal "Raw, honest and revealing. Through his own reminisces and those of his contemporaries, including Elia Kazan, Stuart Rosenberg, Eva Marie Saint and Tom Cruise, the book provides a firsthand glimpse of Newman''s life and how his choices affected those around him. His upbringing, military service in World War II, first marriage to Jackie Witt, second marriage to actor Joanne Woodward, six children and professional and personal endeavors are all laid out on the table... The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man is a humble and candid look into the life of a celebrated but often misunderstood man." --Becky Libourel Diamond, BookPage "Unlike most celebrity self-retrospectives, this is not a "first I did this, then I did that" kind of memoir. It is, rather, a sharp, acerbic, often somber "what was I thinking?" analysis that reveals a level of vulnerability and insecurity surprising for a man who was seen as the epitome of cool...Fans looking for Hollywood gossip will not find it, while those who really want to know the man behind the image and the legend will be compelled by Newman''s raw, open, and principled self-portrait...Newman''s timeless allure will work its magic on readers." -- Booklist , Starred review "Actor, race car driver, and philanthropist Newman (1925-2008) was a deeply private man living an intensely public life; this posthumous memoir features the Hollywood legend''s own voice as he "sets things straight" and "pokes holes in the mythology" that accompanied his celebrity...Newman''s story unfolds in a humble, sometimes humorous narrative voice--"I''m aware that in some ways it''s my nature to deprecate everything I do"--punctuated with earnest awe of the turns his life has taken, astonishment at the intensity of his passion for wife Joanne Woodward, affection for his children and anguish that he could not shelter them from the vagaries of fame. Newman''s voice is interwoven with transcripts from friends, relatives, and colleagues (including Eva Marie Saint, Tom Cruise, Elia Kazan, and more) whose memories shed light on what transformed the summer stock actor into an international sex symbol and what curbed his struggles with alcoholism and grief from veering into tragedy. ...[T]hese collective perspectives do more than offer a prismatic view of film industry glamour and dirty laundry: they elevate the book from a humble autobiography to a more nuanced, human portrait--with the "semblance of truth" that Newman craved when he went on the record. With equal parts grounded authenticity and inviting charm, this candid memoir captures the life of a legend." -- Publishers Weekly "Raw reflections from a movie icon...a revealing memoir of a life marked by pain, grief, and regret...Intimate reflections on an extraordinary life steeped in sadness." -- Kirkus Reviews