Accomplished film writer Ian Nathan’s lavishly illustrated coffee table book is not a biography of the famous filmmaker and actor Clint Eastwood – there are plenty of those – but a reflection of his work over many decades.
From a Western movie star to an award-winning director – with a brief stint in politics in between – this book is sure to be a hit with casual and hardcore fans of Eastwood, providing hours of pleasure to pore over.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

BOOK REVIEW: CLINT EASTWOOD The Iconic Filmmaker and His Work
Unofficial and Unauthorized
Stars: 4 x 5
Author: Ian Nathan @iannathanwriter
Publisher: White Lion Publishing @whitelionpublishing
Thank you @netgalley for this ARC

I decided to read at this book because like most I think Clint Eastwood is fascinating plus I have met him many times. I have met him in Carmel, Reno and in the little town where I live when he was married and his then in-laws ran a coffee and little bakery shop. This was a shop I went to often to read and meet friends. It was always a blast when he would show up.

This is not a book about Clint Eastwood the man but a book about Clint Eastwood the actor, the director and the producer. What an amazing career this man has had. This books delves into how he views acting in films, his style and how he being a films maker brings out a different personality then acting or producing. All of his work tells a story his passion for what his be been doing for such a long time. This is a wonderful book and I am very glad I was able to read it.

I received a free copy of this book from the Author, Publisher, NetGalley for my honest review. This book was amazing. It looks at the many many ‘Hats’ that Clint Eastwood wore. An Actor. A Director. A Musician and a Stateman. Through all he does and all he achieves he stays true to himself and his beliefs. This is definitely a great book for those who Like Clint. The arts and/or the Hollywood Scene.

A wonderful book that goes through this man's life of films in front of the camera and then behind. You see his beginnings with T.V. and then when he had the opportunity to go to Italy and make those westerns he took a chance and those really helped him in acting but also directing. You get to see how he moved along from one set like the Westerns to playing a cop in San Francisco as Dirty Harry, each character though he made his own. Throughout all of that, he later was able to make some jazz movies one about Thelonious Monk which I thought was good, but he was able to take something he was passionate about and was at a point to make the movie himself regardless of Hollywood. Later he would come back to westerns when they said they were dead and make them profitable again and each one told a story. All of his movies told a story which is why you can’t go wrong when you watch one. I found this to be a wonderful book and worth the read.

I picked up this book because I didn't know much about Clint Eastwood other than I liked his movies and I knew he was a figure who is much admired. I just wanted to know more about him.

Description:
Clint Eastwood is Hollywood’s elder statesman and its conscience. He is the standard by which other films and filmmakers are judged. He represents both classical Hollywood and an entirely modern, uncompromising and unfussy directorial presence.

There are those who adore him as a cowboy, a superstar, the rugged, unyielding yet introspective face of American machismo. There are those who read him as a great American auteur fashioning uncompromising, fascinating, intellectual films about his country, about life, about whatever the hell takes his fancy.

No single figure in all of Hollywood, operates so freely outside of the strictures of commercial pressure. And yet, or perhaps that is because, he makes hit after hit.

Separation of actor and director is almost impossible. They are intimately related, cross pollinating, but he has become in the latter half of his career to be view as one of the great American artists. While drawing connections from his wider work as an actor, and those who have influenced him, it is his identity as a director that this book will celebrate.

This is not a career — it is a landscape.

My Thoughts:
This book provided a huge array of information about Clint Eastwood the man, the actor, the director, the musician, and the statesman. I see now why the man is so respected and it certainly increased my respect for him. I really like how he sticks to his beliefs and doesn't succumb to the commercialism of Hollywood. The photographs in the book are awesome. It covered every movie Eastwood acted in as well as everything he directed and gave background information on each of them. I was surprised that many times the movies have used Eastwood's own musical scores as background music. Such a talented man! I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about Eastwood and his career.

Thanks to White Lion Publishing through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on September 12, 2023.

Excellent overview of Clint Eastwood's directing career. Amazing to see what went into making Eastwood one of the most prolific and varied directors of the 20th (and 21st) century.

A fantastic coffee table book that looks at the great actor that is Clint Eastwood. From his early life, the films he starred in and directed. Full of information plus coloured and black and white photographs.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

A useful guide to Clint Eastwood's film career behind the camera, rather than in front of it (even though he also stars in several of the films discussed in this coffee table tome). At only a couple of hundred pages, don't expect an in-depth dissection of his work, although Nathan does go into more detail when discussing "The Outlaw Josey Wales", "Unforgiven" and "Million Dollar Baby".
While I didn't learn a huge amount of new information about Clint Eastwood, this was a great reminder of his life's work, and had me revisiting some of his films.

Wow there was so much I didn’t know about Clint Eastwood. The author did a great job. Now I want to go watch all the movies.

I met Mr. Eastwood years ago, when my son was 2. He sang my son the ABC song. He’s a kind, dedicated, hardworking gentleman with a gruff exterior. Im a fan and this book made me even more of one!

Who doesn’t love Clint Eastwood? This book isn’t about his private life, it’s a fabulous celebration of Clint’s movies!
Anyone who has ever watched a Clint Eastwood creation will appreciate the skill and lifetime of commitment to acting and making movies.
The famous gravel-voice is instantly recognisable in the westerns and masterpieces that have been created! Dirty Harry has been watched more than once in our house and I’m sure that fans will love this book and continue to watch the movies for years to come!

Thanks to Quarto Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book about a Hollywood legend.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is not a biography of Clint Eastwood , but more of a synopsis of his work as a director . The author gives a brief background on Eastwood's rise from an actor on the Western Raw Hide to becoming one of the most powerful and recognized men in Hollywood .

I found it interesting and an quick and enjoyable read . There was some interesting facts - such as the background to the movie Play Misty for Me.

This would be a great additional to any Eastwood fan or movie collector .

I just reviewed Clint Eastwood by Ian Nathan. #ClintEastwood #NetGalley

Being a big Clint fan I was excited to read this book. I found out alot about this icon and although I watch all his films and ones he's directed. A huge talent and at 93 still going strong. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This is pretty much what one would expect from a short (< 200 page) coffee table book summarizing Clint Eastwood's pantheon level career, with a focus on his directorial efforts. Along with the summary, Ian Nathan chose three films for a slightly more in depth treatment: <i>The Outlaw Josey Wales; Unforgiven</i>; and <i>Million Dollar Baby</i>. The author does a good job with reviewing Eastwood's biography and oeuvre (lots of well chosen anecdotes) considering only about 50% of the available real estate is devoted to text. The rest of the material consists of evocative photographs that may be reason enough for some to acquire this book.

I don't normally read these sorts of books all the way through (as I did for this review), rather I enjoy dipping in and out of them and conjuring memories of the movies they describe, or reminding myself that there are films I need to see. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this review of Eastwood's illustrious career. Oddly, I didn't catch any mention of Clint Eastwood's film scores; he is one of the few directors who actually. has scored many of his own movies.

Thanks to netgalley for sending me an egalley of this book. I read it on an ipad, but this is probably best enjoyed in print form.

This isn’t a biography of Clint Eastwood. Rather, it is his filmography of his career in movies as actor and director; often doing both roles on the same film.

Littered with stills from his motion pictures it is a book to delight any fan of Clint Eastwood or aficionado of Hollywood and the studio system.

It doesn’t perhaps tell how films are made so much as how Eastwood makes his films. Often screenplays sit on desks, unmade but once they come into Clint’s orbit he sees a way and gets thing done.

For someone who has followed this actor’s career; from Spaghetti Westerns to the slopes of the Eiger. From Dirty Harry to Heartbreak Ridge I loved this journey through this wonderful book. I often saw these movies in cinemas and looked forward to each new release.

I love Where Eagles Dare and Kelly’s Heroes and rank Eastwood as one of my favourite actors and reason enough to sit down and watch a movie if he is in it or directed it.

This was brought home to me in The Outlaw Josey Wales and Unforgiven where my opinion is reflects in the praise of full-time critics.

What this book demonstrates however is it is a career that never ends and brought to my attention film titles I didn’t even know he was associated with.

A tour de force and a perfect gift for a film buff.