John Wayne: Made in America - A Review

John Wayne: Made in America was recently released by the Editors of the Official John Wayne Magazine, on May 8th . With a small introduction by John Wayne’s youngest son, Ethan Wayne, the book is a wonderful addition to any fan’s collection. John Wayne: Made in America features photos that span Duke’s life and career, along with pictures of scripts and other memorabilia from Duke’s personal collection. The book also takes the reader through a broad biography of Duke’s life and career.

Most avid fans will have already seen the majority of the photos featured in this book, especially if you’ve read or own both Michael Goldman’s John Wayne: The Genuine Article and John Wayne: The Legend and The Man released by John Wayne Enterprises, and probably won’t learn anything new from the biography information included. That’s not too say this isn’t something you shouldn’t add to your collection.

What John Wayne: Made in America brings to the table, as far as fresh material goes, is its incorporation of historical details. The book brings together Duke’s personal history and that of America’s to showcase the similarities of the two entities. The book is divided into decades for the most part, with each section dedicated to a time period spanning a decade. It then takes each section/ chapter and showcases where Duke was in his life at that time and where America was as far as progress, wars, economy, or another big event.

I found this approach fascinating and illuminating. It’s a unique and fresh take on tackling a biography of John Wayne. The information and details were interesting and helpful, it allows the reader to come out with a better overall understanding of the time periods that shaped Duke’s life and career. I would recommend this to any John Wayne fan. It is definitely a great addition to any fan’s collection.

I give it an 8/10.