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Rating: 
Summary: "There's no `there' there ..."
Review: McCarthy's reach far exceeds his critical grasp in this one-dimensional biography of a Hollywood icon. Like the famous description of 1930s Los Angeles - "there's no `there' there" - McCarthy's superficial account of Hawks' life, times and work is a sprawling, unfocussed mess. Clumsily written and sprinkled with the tongue-twisting Varietyese McCarthy employs at his day job (he's the uber critic at the Hollywood trade paper, usually a very perceptive one), this book is a difficult read as well as a shallow one. The definitive biography of Hawks, whose life was every bit as complex and multi-layered as his films, remains to be written. Whatever his other talents, Mr. McCarthy is no Boswell.
Rating: 
Summary: That Others May Live
Review: This is a true life adventure about the Air Force's para jumpers, a group of heroes I've never heard about. In fact almost no one realizes that they are the ones on tv doing all those splashy things.They are the ones that dove out of the helicopters looking for John F. Kennedy Jr. They are the ones who are out there to save floundering people in the ocean. They are the ones who help with NASA and the space program to dive in the ocean and rescue or support the astronauts and equipment. I always though that those people who did this were the Coast Guard or Navy--no as I have learned.What this book does is tell the real life story of a local Long Island boy Jack Brehm, who winds up trying to make it in life by entering into this elite outfit, this fraternity of men even tougher than the Navy Seals or the Army Rangers, and does it. It tells the story of their training and the danger of each mission and how regardless of how good you are, regardless of what excellent shape you are in, any mission can be your last. The scenario for this real life adventure is supported by a cast that is Jack Brehm's family. A group of normal rambunctious kids who turn into teenagers and then adults while their father goes to work each day at the base and jumps into danger to save others. Then its home to the kids and wife. The contrast of a cold calculating job where a mistake can easily cause loss of life, and the warmth of the family make a juxtaposition that is really fascinating. I loved the book because it was a about a real hero. Someone who risks his life that others may live-and then he goes home and plays with the kids. Real life! Only for a very few whom we never hear about unless tragedy strikes. If you like real life adventure, I recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: "Good Enough"
Review: This is a very good book. Hawks apparently left no papers, and some aspects of his life are undocumented. (For example, McCarthy keeps mentioning Hawks' great friendship with Gary Cooper, but because of both men being dead and no documentation, Cooper remains a very shadowy presence in this book. Hawks' friendship with William Faulkner gets far more space, since Faulkner left papers.) So there is not a lot about "the inner Hawks." However, there is a lot about Hawks' films. Once the talkies begin, there is a chapter on practically every film Hawks made. I was fascinated by the stories behind the films, how long it took some films to get made (Hatari began as an idea for a movie with Cooper), the films Hawks never made (apparently a very traditional vampire film), and his frequent tangles with Howard Hughes. McCarthy did a lot of research, and he does not uncritically accept the stories Hawks told (frequently told) about his work. So if you like the films of Howard Hawks and are familiar with books such as Hawks on Hawks and Howard Hawks Storyteller, this is a book that you will still get a lot out of. To use a term from Hawks' films: "This book is good enough."
Rating:
Summary: "Good Enough"
Review: This is a very good book. Hawks apparently left no papers, and some aspects of his life are undocumented. (For example, McCarthy keeps mentioning Hawks' great friendship with Gary Cooper, but because of both men being dead and no documentation, Cooper remains a very shadowy presence in this book. Hawks' friendship with William Faulkner gets far more space, since Faulkner left papers.) So there is not a lot about "the inner Hawks." However, there is a lot about Hawks' films. Once the talkies begin, there is a chapter on practically every film Hawks made. I was fascinated by the stories behind the films, how long it took some films to get made (Hatari began as an idea for a movie with Cooper), the films Hawks never made (apparently a very traditional vampire film), and his frequent tangles with Howard Hughes. McCarthy did a lot of research, and he does not uncritically accept the stories Hawks told (frequently told) about his work. So if you like the films of Howard Hawks and are familiar with books such as Hawks on Hawks and Howard Hawks Storyteller, this is a book that you will still get a lot out of. To use a term from Hawks' films: "This book is good enough."
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