Rating: 
Summary: THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT
Review: David Stenn did two wonderful things with this book. He put Clara Bow back on the cultural map, and he told the true story of her life. That he told it in lucid, economic and evocative prose makes it all the better. This is one of the finest Hollywood biographies ever written.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: David Stenn has done a remarkable job of giving life to the story of silent screen star Clara Bow. From her humble beginnings in the Brooklyn slums, to being the most popular movie star of the day, to her lonely death - this book covers it all, yet it is not a trashy gossip book. To many, Clara Bow is associated with lurid sex scandals, stealing womens husbands etc. Through extensive research of documents, letters and interviews of her comtemporaries Stenn presents the tragic figure behind the flapper image, and debunks many of the myths surrounding her. Without employing rank sentimentality or hero-worship, he allows her to shine through in all her human, rebellious, vulgarity. Stenn's writing is clear and quick paced. Written in almost novel form, Stenn reserves a few surprises for the end. I couldn't put this one down and am now of the search for her movies, and Stenn's book on Jean Harlow. A+
Rating:
Summary: Brilliantly researched and touchingly written
Review: David Stenn has managed to make Clara Bow come alive in this poignant biography. Through meticulous research, he retraces her development into one of the most fascinating, talented and complex film actresses in history. The reader is subtly drawn into Clara Bow's life and psyche through Stenn's descriptive and non-invasive prose. The author does not choose to demystify Clara Bow, but rather relays relevant and touching information which serves to deftly humanize an icon. At times, I was so caught up in the story that I forgot I was actually reading a book. I strongly recommend Runnin' Wild to anyone over 16, regardless of your literary leanings. This book has been a staple in my gift-giving repertoire, and I am so pleased to once again find it available. Runnin' Wild is a remarkable book about a remarkable life that begs to be experienced and shared.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Biography!
Review: David Stenn has managed to weave impeccable scholarship into compelling prose. But even more than a beautiful writing style, Stenn has given us a sophisticated, subtle, and compassionate analysis of Bow's character. The result is that he does what good biography should do: deliver more than the life of one fascinating woman and enrich our understanding of human nature in general. A really fine biography.
Rating:
Summary: Nostalgie de la Bow
Review: David Stenn is that rarity--a resourceful reporter and skillful wordsmith who doesn't need tinsel to adorn a Hollywood biography. "Running Wild"'s recreation of Hollywood's Jazz Age is so evocative you can taste the hooch. This book made me certain I was born too late. Today's world would be a more honest place if our silver-screen icons were as grittily glamorous as Clara Bow. With her, what you saw was what you got. Bow's strength of character should be a lesson to today's stars, whose armies of spin only hope to obscure their out-of-control lives. Clara Bow was and is the real thing--a blazing, first-magnitude star through and through. I recommend "Running Wild" to readers with a passion for Hollywood, the Twenties, or strong broads. Or to anyone old or wise enough to know that what they call "history" is the story of us.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best film biographies you'll ever read
Review: David Stenn makes his subject come alive; he writes about her fairly yet with compassion.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining & Scholarly!
Review: David Stenn's bio of Clara Bow is bar none the best movie star bio ever written. Stenn's research is impeccable and detailed; his evocation of the period and Clara's personality are exciting and vibrant; and most importantly, his prose is very readable! The book is compact, streamlined and entertaining-- not a reference tome one must suffer through, like Neal Gabler's epic "Winchell". Stenn does not fall prey to the overuse of footnotes and hyper-scholarly presentation which so many biographers think is the way to present a subject. Yet his notes indicate he has done extensive research, catching Clara's confidantes just before they all passed away. I have special praise for his courage in holding important childhood information for the end of the book, putting it in the chronology of when it was revealed to him and to her family. This choice helps bring satisfying closure to Clara's story (don't want to reveal it here!). Yet there is no fawning. In the best of bios, the subject is treated objectively yet sympathetically. Here Stenn makes you fall in love with Clara, yet still shake your head at her poor choices. He strikes a delicate but brilliant balance. Modern feminists should add this jazz baby's misadventures in Hollywood to their reading list.
Rating:
Summary: Back in print and better than ever!
Review: David Stenn's engaging and literate portrait of Clara Bow is a scrupulously researched, sensitively written portrait of "The 'It' Girl," one of the greatest natural talents in movie history. I was thrilled to see that this new edition contains the most comprehensive Filmography ever, an invaluable addition since many of Clara's movies are lost. Thank you, David Stenn, for making a brilliant book even better!
Rating: 
Summary: The Myth and Mystery of the It Girl
Review: David Stenn's engaging and lively biography of Clara Bow is one of the most interesting and well-researched pieces I've read about this larger than life megastar of the glamourous and louche world that was Hollywood in the 20's and 30's. S
Rating: 
Summary: horribly written, but nevertheless entertaining
Review: Film biographies often leave a lot to be desired as far as the writing is concerned, but this one may be the worst I've read. Apart from the clumsy, romance novel/gossip column style, there are numerous inconsistencies. The author will make a sweeping statement about Clara's personality --- turning her into a somewhat shallow, if cloyingly sweet person --- and then contradict himself a few pages later with a quote from Clara, herself. She seems to have been quite a complex and interesting woman, deserving of a less sugar-coated portrait. And then there's the strange mixture of prissiness and homophobicness in certain passages... And perhaps strangest of all is his bizarre defensiveness regarding embezzler and blackmailer Daisy Devoe (whom he thanks profusely at the beginning of the book). Nevertheless, the subject matter is so fascinating, the book remains enjoyable and interesting throughout.
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