Paul Newman : A Celebration

Already a success on Broadway, in 1954 Newman began his film career - disastrously - as Basil the slave in "The Silver Chalice".

Yet before long he was considered not only a fine actor but also the sexiest man in films.

Determined to control his career, he broke away from the studio system that dictated what roles he could take and, with astute choices of scripts and directors, established a screen presence that has remained both popular and respected.

From "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "The Hustler" to "The Sting" and "Slap Shot", and on to "The Colour of Money", "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge" and "Nobody's Fool", Paul Newman has demonstrated his versatility as an actor.The films he has directed and that star Joanne Woodward, his wife of 38 years - such as "Rachel, Rachel" and "Harry and Son" - are concerned with ordinary people attempting to make sense of their lives.Besides his achievements on the stage and in cinema, Newman has won four national amateur race car titles, devoted himself to political activism and started Newman's Own, the non profit gourmet food business that has so far given away nearly $70 million to worthy causes.

Drawing on interviews with Newman and others who have worked with him, and with the help of over 100 photographs, this book looks at Newman's life and reveals the man behind the screen image.