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Duke in His Own Words: John Wayne's Life in Letters, Handwritten Notes and Never-Before-Seen Photos Curated from His Private Archive
Duke In His Own Words gives readers an intimate look into the life of an American legend. But the letters, correspondence and chronicles that fill this 215-page book prove the Wild West's leading man was much more than another face on the silver screen. He was a loving father, a faithful friend and an unparalleled patriot. Read as John Wayne consoles his kids, jokes with celebrity friends, answers his fans and advises America's presidents in this rare collection of letters straight from the John Wayne Family archives. In addition to mail to and from Duke himself, Duke In His Own Words boasts an introduction by Ethan Wayne and exclusive photos from rare family albums. Filled with emotion, honesty and insight into the man beloved by many, this collection of artifacts doubles as a special time capsule and a must-have tribute.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
208 pages, Hardcover
First published October 20, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 11, 2015
What a treasure this book is! Cover to cover it is filled with presents of John Wayne. I rediscovered my love for him as an actor, a hero, a mentor and a human being. He is everything that we should aspire to be. A great American he was, but also a deeply moral and spiritual being. I will cherish this book forever and it will remain on my shelves to be enjoyed many times over.
January 1, 2017
Great photos and words, letter writing has pretty much vanished from our everyday lives, but still a great way to connect with others and reflect!
February 6, 2023
"Let's say I hope that I appeal to the more carefree times in a person's life than to his reasoning adulthood. I'd just like to be an image that reminds someone of joy rather than of the problems of the world." - John Wayne
There has been an enormous number of books written about John Wayne and his influence on American society, the world, and on his Hollywood Career. It is befitting of someone who not only was the most successful actor that Hollywood has ever seen, but of a man 44 years after his death who is still revered and remembered in an age where contemporary peers of his like Clark Gable have been lost to time. While no one could read all of them, I have been able to digest quite a few of them, and of all the books devoted to Duke's life- this is my favorite. I say that because in this one, he speaks for himself and tells you who he was through his own words, and correspondence. It not only takes you inside his life, but it leaves you remarkably moved by the generosity and kindness that he gave to everyone when his astronomical success and the demands on his time would have provided the perfect excuse to wave people away. He did not, and it left me understanding that the real-life man was even better than the myth or even the legend of his life. The legend was created by the magic of Hollywood, but the man was a human being, and the man was even more impressive.
I continue to learn about life, and to be taught new lessons about how to deal with the problems of the world, every time, I pick up anything to read about Duke's life. John Wayne is always teaching me something whether on the screen or from his actual life. This book, once again, produced by John Wayne Enterprises is made of the highest quality paper and the cover is just astounding with the highest gloss finish and his actual signature embossed in it. It's so well done that I have it sitting on my bookshelf and family members walk by it all day and say hello to his picture on the cover, because his face looks like he is in the room with you. I would suggest that John Wayne fans check out everything that John Wayne's son Ethan offers to the public through JWE because whether it's clothes, food, beverages, books, records, collectibles, movies, anything you want, it's really first rate products- it's expensive, but you're getting great items, and I say this not because I want to sell goods for them, but because the Duke's children are making the old man proud with an attention to detail, in keeping his legacy alive, that Duke brought to everything he did in life.
This book is divided into six sections which is letters to family, friends, Washington, troops, Hollywood, and finally letters to fans. It's inspiring, educational, moving, and a time capsule into a simpler, but also more elegant time. Problems were always there, but it's a reminder of how much American society has lost. The wonderful thing about this book, is Duke's words and feelings stand on their own. Readers can see for himself the man he was without hearing about it from people like me who have always held him up as their hero, or people who are jealous of his success, or resent the values he stood for which causes them to spin who he was dishonestly. You cannot walk away from this book without realizing that John Wayne truly did hold this country together with strength, kindness, dignity and the image of American resolve.
His children have grown into fantastic adults, and you see why here, because he was a loving, fun Dad who used to like play tricks on his children. It was he who asked for their attention and not the other way around, and he kept track of everything in their lives, and the dysfunctional Hollywood family that so often is prevalent in everything we hear about- simply did not exist with Duke and his children. You see for yourself that every letter that anyone sent him got an answer, everybody got an autograph, every kindness got a thank you note, every plea for help was answered. Yes, every plea for help was answered. The pictures are huge, first rate and stunning. There is one of Frank Sinatra and Duke at Wayne's Newport Beach home at Christmas that is just a classic, as are photos of him with Lucille Ball, Red Skelton, Joan Crawford, Janet Gaynor, Olivia DeHavilland, Elizabeth Taylor, Jimmy Stewart, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Gerald Ford, Nancy Reagan, and most stunning of all for me to learn was that he had a close, personal, very warm friendship with Grace Kelly and her husband Prince Rainier which I never knew. How much of a legend was John Wayne? Well Marilyn Monroe pursued him romantically and really wanted to be his love interest, but no matter how much she chased him, he wanted no part of her (Thank God) because Duke knew people and was a wise man.
There is of course a large section on his relationship with John Ford and you understand why the movies that they made together have never lost their ability to capture the imaginations of film fans and enthusiasts through the years. The respect and admiration that they had for each other is shown through their personal correspondence, and why Duke simply always called Ford "Coach" when he wrote to him. You will be amused as Duke stands his ground against Barry Goldwater and lets him know he will not be disrespected by him, and you also realize that politics hasn't changed so much over the years, but there is more media which distorts the debate and has corrupted the process with dishonest agendas on the left and right sides of the aisle. In one letter back to Duke, I was surprised to see that Goldwater didn't have a great deal of respect for Ronald Reagan or William F. Buckley, but that is the way politics has always been- where everybody dislikes everybody it seems.
The moving section to me was his letters to and from soldiers in Vietnam where every request for aid he provided. Many asked for money, and he sent them checks for the whole amount they asked for. He shook every hand when he went to Vietnam, survived an assassination attempt against him by saying he didn't even know the enemy was firing at him, and he wrote letters to the fathers of the soldiers who were serving in Vietnam- just to let them know how they were and how proud they should be of them. There is no author telling you this- you actually see the letters and can read them yourself. It's personal, it's intimate, and it reveals more than an outsider could describe.
There is of course much time devoted to his Hollywood career and you see him warn in Variety magazine in 1965 that he was worried that the movie industry was going to slide into being careless and unimaginative, which he was right about. He implored the industry that year to put out a positive product and that being negative towards the American public to make a quick buck or to become an overnight "controversial" personality was the easiest way to destroy the hopes and wishes of the audience and to tear down the images that built hope in the nation. Sadly, he foresaw what the industry has become, and why it is failing now, and also, he foresaw why the country that he loved so much, the USA, has lost its way.
He hung out with his beloved boy scouts, kept tabs on fans who were very ill in the hospital, sponsored and coached a little league baseball team, confronted the Communists at Harvard, judged beauty pageants, and never failed to give back to every person who wanted to let him know how important he was to their lives. I think, his family sums up their father, his life, and this book in the most meaningful way when he his son Ethan says, "My father was someone who came from humble beginnings.... he understood the fans allowed him to live his life and do his work, and he was forever grateful to them."
America was blessed to have John Wayne for as long as we did, and the country has never been the same since he died. I miss his presence, his spirit, his resolve every day, but this book gave him back to me, and if you miss him too, it will give him back to you as well. God Bless.
There has been an enormous number of books written about John Wayne and his influence on American society, the world, and on his Hollywood Career. It is befitting of someone who not only was the most successful actor that Hollywood has ever seen, but of a man 44 years after his death who is still revered and remembered in an age where contemporary peers of his like Clark Gable have been lost to time. While no one could read all of them, I have been able to digest quite a few of them, and of all the books devoted to Duke's life- this is my favorite. I say that because in this one, he speaks for himself and tells you who he was through his own words, and correspondence. It not only takes you inside his life, but it leaves you remarkably moved by the generosity and kindness that he gave to everyone when his astronomical success and the demands on his time would have provided the perfect excuse to wave people away. He did not, and it left me understanding that the real-life man was even better than the myth or even the legend of his life. The legend was created by the magic of Hollywood, but the man was a human being, and the man was even more impressive.
I continue to learn about life, and to be taught new lessons about how to deal with the problems of the world, every time, I pick up anything to read about Duke's life. John Wayne is always teaching me something whether on the screen or from his actual life. This book, once again, produced by John Wayne Enterprises is made of the highest quality paper and the cover is just astounding with the highest gloss finish and his actual signature embossed in it. It's so well done that I have it sitting on my bookshelf and family members walk by it all day and say hello to his picture on the cover, because his face looks like he is in the room with you. I would suggest that John Wayne fans check out everything that John Wayne's son Ethan offers to the public through JWE because whether it's clothes, food, beverages, books, records, collectibles, movies, anything you want, it's really first rate products- it's expensive, but you're getting great items, and I say this not because I want to sell goods for them, but because the Duke's children are making the old man proud with an attention to detail, in keeping his legacy alive, that Duke brought to everything he did in life.
This book is divided into six sections which is letters to family, friends, Washington, troops, Hollywood, and finally letters to fans. It's inspiring, educational, moving, and a time capsule into a simpler, but also more elegant time. Problems were always there, but it's a reminder of how much American society has lost. The wonderful thing about this book, is Duke's words and feelings stand on their own. Readers can see for himself the man he was without hearing about it from people like me who have always held him up as their hero, or people who are jealous of his success, or resent the values he stood for which causes them to spin who he was dishonestly. You cannot walk away from this book without realizing that John Wayne truly did hold this country together with strength, kindness, dignity and the image of American resolve.
His children have grown into fantastic adults, and you see why here, because he was a loving, fun Dad who used to like play tricks on his children. It was he who asked for their attention and not the other way around, and he kept track of everything in their lives, and the dysfunctional Hollywood family that so often is prevalent in everything we hear about- simply did not exist with Duke and his children. You see for yourself that every letter that anyone sent him got an answer, everybody got an autograph, every kindness got a thank you note, every plea for help was answered. Yes, every plea for help was answered. The pictures are huge, first rate and stunning. There is one of Frank Sinatra and Duke at Wayne's Newport Beach home at Christmas that is just a classic, as are photos of him with Lucille Ball, Red Skelton, Joan Crawford, Janet Gaynor, Olivia DeHavilland, Elizabeth Taylor, Jimmy Stewart, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Gerald Ford, Nancy Reagan, and most stunning of all for me to learn was that he had a close, personal, very warm friendship with Grace Kelly and her husband Prince Rainier which I never knew. How much of a legend was John Wayne? Well Marilyn Monroe pursued him romantically and really wanted to be his love interest, but no matter how much she chased him, he wanted no part of her (Thank God) because Duke knew people and was a wise man.
There is of course a large section on his relationship with John Ford and you understand why the movies that they made together have never lost their ability to capture the imaginations of film fans and enthusiasts through the years. The respect and admiration that they had for each other is shown through their personal correspondence, and why Duke simply always called Ford "Coach" when he wrote to him. You will be amused as Duke stands his ground against Barry Goldwater and lets him know he will not be disrespected by him, and you also realize that politics hasn't changed so much over the years, but there is more media which distorts the debate and has corrupted the process with dishonest agendas on the left and right sides of the aisle. In one letter back to Duke, I was surprised to see that Goldwater didn't have a great deal of respect for Ronald Reagan or William F. Buckley, but that is the way politics has always been- where everybody dislikes everybody it seems.
The moving section to me was his letters to and from soldiers in Vietnam where every request for aid he provided. Many asked for money, and he sent them checks for the whole amount they asked for. He shook every hand when he went to Vietnam, survived an assassination attempt against him by saying he didn't even know the enemy was firing at him, and he wrote letters to the fathers of the soldiers who were serving in Vietnam- just to let them know how they were and how proud they should be of them. There is no author telling you this- you actually see the letters and can read them yourself. It's personal, it's intimate, and it reveals more than an outsider could describe.
There is of course much time devoted to his Hollywood career and you see him warn in Variety magazine in 1965 that he was worried that the movie industry was going to slide into being careless and unimaginative, which he was right about. He implored the industry that year to put out a positive product and that being negative towards the American public to make a quick buck or to become an overnight "controversial" personality was the easiest way to destroy the hopes and wishes of the audience and to tear down the images that built hope in the nation. Sadly, he foresaw what the industry has become, and why it is failing now, and also, he foresaw why the country that he loved so much, the USA, has lost its way.
He hung out with his beloved boy scouts, kept tabs on fans who were very ill in the hospital, sponsored and coached a little league baseball team, confronted the Communists at Harvard, judged beauty pageants, and never failed to give back to every person who wanted to let him know how important he was to their lives. I think, his family sums up their father, his life, and this book in the most meaningful way when he his son Ethan says, "My father was someone who came from humble beginnings.... he understood the fans allowed him to live his life and do his work, and he was forever grateful to them."
America was blessed to have John Wayne for as long as we did, and the country has never been the same since he died. I miss his presence, his spirit, his resolve every day, but this book gave him back to me, and if you miss him too, it will give him back to you as well. God Bless.
February 16, 2021
Duke In His Own Words was a rare and charming look into the larger than life celebrity, John Wayne. This book was put together so perfectly with color photos of John and his actual correspondence to a variety of people, all of which provided a unique biography.
Each section was devoted to a different aspect or his life or passion, including Hollywood, friends, family, and politics. I thought it was interesting to read congratulatory communications to him from notable names such as their Serene Highnesses of Monaco when he won the academy award or had a hit movie. I also liked seeing how he worded his own letters, which showed a humble side of him. The thank you letters he wrote in response to fan letters also showed his true appreciation for his admirers.
This was a quick read, but a great addition to any John Wayne fan’s reading list. His involvement in politics was also interesting as he corresponded with presidents of different political parties simply to congratulate them on winning the election. Again, I left this book feeling that John was a true gentleman and great friend. I really liked this.
Each section was devoted to a different aspect or his life or passion, including Hollywood, friends, family, and politics. I thought it was interesting to read congratulatory communications to him from notable names such as their Serene Highnesses of Monaco when he won the academy award or had a hit movie. I also liked seeing how he worded his own letters, which showed a humble side of him. The thank you letters he wrote in response to fan letters also showed his true appreciation for his admirers.
This was a quick read, but a great addition to any John Wayne fan’s reading list. His involvement in politics was also interesting as he corresponded with presidents of different political parties simply to congratulate them on winning the election. Again, I left this book feeling that John was a true gentleman and great friend. I really liked this.
January 2, 2021
As a big fan of John Wayne, I wanted to add this book to my collection. I purchased this in the hardcover edition. If you've read a lot of books about John Wayne, as I have, only a few of the pictures will be new to you but there are some good ones included.
I was a little disappointed in the number of letters/telegrams/etc that were shown. I was hoping for more correspondence & fewer pictures. However, we do get a sampling of correspondence to & from John Wayne between him and family, friends, coworkers, politicians, fans, & service men. There is even a handwriting analysis included in the first few pages. I particularly liked a letter he wrote to his grandchildren & the letter he wrote in response to the Harvard students' challenge. He was obviously a very caring, thoughtful, & intelligent man.
I was a little disappointed in the number of letters/telegrams/etc that were shown. I was hoping for more correspondence & fewer pictures. However, we do get a sampling of correspondence to & from John Wayne between him and family, friends, coworkers, politicians, fans, & service men. There is even a handwriting analysis included in the first few pages. I particularly liked a letter he wrote to his grandchildren & the letter he wrote in response to the Harvard students' challenge. He was obviously a very caring, thoughtful, & intelligent man.
June 11, 2024
You might be a fan when you read this but when you finish it, you feel like you own John Wayne real estate! The man was a one of a kind! This book reflects the Duke for all he’s worth and it’s a wonderful reflection! They say, “don’t meet your heroes” but this book makes you wish you had. It reflects his kindness, strength, thoughtfulness, devotion to family, heart for God, and how great of a friend he was to all!
December 27, 2021
Very interesting book, with a lot of photos and letters
August 26, 2024
Very enjoyable. Great pictures, clearly a loved man
October 9, 2016
This book shows us the real John Wayne, the caring kind family loving man. The guy who went out of his way to please a fan or help charities who endlessly requested his time. You may not have agreed with his politics but this book changed my views of this kind human being.
September 16, 2016
I really enjoyed reading "Duke in His Own Words" by John Wayne. This book really gives you a feel for the life and character of the infamous movie star, Duke Morrison, or otherwise known as John Wayne. Many know him to be a tough, manly character in his various films, however, the man off the screen is a different story. "Duke" was a strong political mind that had a genuine love and appreciation towards everyone around him. "Duke in His Own Words" is a wonderful book that I recommend everyone read. The only thing I wish the book had more of is insight about the early childhood of John Wayne. This would really help the reader to understand his roots and background better, but, nonetheless, 9/10.
April 24, 2016
This book shows a different side of John Wayne, a side none of us expected to see. He's a surprisingly tender, loving man in all of his correspondence, whether it be with his family and friends or his fans or even politicians, up to and including US presidents. Also, this book inspires me, like any collection of a famous person's letters, to take up letter writing again, myself. I don't think John Wayne would have taken well to emails. Writing physical letters is so much more personal and meaningful. Maybe we should all take up that long lost art once more. (Provided, of course, that the price of stamps becomes more reasonable.)
December 28, 2015
This book was a delightful read. It has many pictures of the man who was also known as "John Wayne". A great personal look at the man behind the actor. I recommend it to any John Wayne fan and those who would like to get to know him better.
August 20, 2016
Fun book containing samples of correspondence from legendary actor John Wayne. The letters show a caring man, a family man and a gracious, fun-loving person who rarely received credit for his humor and intelligence as shown in this highly entertaining book.
November 24, 2015
Well, it was interesting, but I enjoyed the Official John Wayne Way to Grill Cookbook much more. Not that ANY John Wayne book is a waste of time!
March 5, 2016
Cool insights into John Wayne. Love the quotes, especially the one about manhood.
April 19, 2017
This is an absolute must have for any Duke fan. I've been a diehard fan since I was 7. This collection of correspondence and photos is truly a treasure and gives fans more insight into this beloved hero's personality and character. :)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews