Lenka S. reviewed on 3/18/2023 + 819 more book reviews

There were a couple of issues with the book that kept it from the highest rating. First, I just couldn't get interested much in Trumbo's early life and that took the first third of the book. Second, instead of writing in a strictly chronological fashion Cook make side trips into the present (well his present) to report on his interviews with his sources, almost like a magazine article.

But once the book got to what I consider the meat of the matter, Trumbo's time as a radical and screenwriter and under the black list the story took over. Either the writing got tighter and better or the story itself was so compelling that it just took over. The latter two thirds of the book was so well written I could hardly put it down.

I got the book because I had seen the movie and wanted to know more about Trumbo. I'd known quite a bit about the Hollywood Ten and those times through other histories of the time. So I started out interested. Then when it came out I read Kirk Douglas book about the making of Spartacus. One of the Biggest movie hits of the big screen after Cleopatra. But it is important to point out that the actual Mr. Trumbo must be turning in his grave knowing that despite the brilliant performance of the actor in the movie, he is played by a man who is essentially is a miniature McCarthy. A staunch campaigner for jailing and black-listing people with dissenting ideas, calling for Stalin style re-education camps for Trump supporters. And worse for deniers of the 5yr global death mark called by "scientists" and somehow never achieved. Irony I think....

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