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John Wayne Speaks: The Ultimate John Wayne Quote Book

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With more than 1,100 impeccably sourced quotes from throughout John Wayne's 172-film career, John Wayne The Ultimate John Wayne Quote Book provides what has often been missing from other Duke Wayne reference accuracy, context, and comprehensiveness.

These quotations offer a deep dive into Wayne’s films and acting persona―the iconic American man of action whose sense of values and decency are a veneer covering a boiling pot of determination, courage, outrage, and even violence. The quotes in John Wayne Speaks are at once inspirational, humorous, touching, and revealing.

Author and veteran journalist Mark Orwoll has created an overlay of categories into which each quote fits, making the manuscript easy for readers to find the type of quote―or even the exact quote, footnoted to identify its film―they may be searching for. But John Wayne Speaks is more than just a collection of the actor's movie lines. Orwoll has researched and written an in-depth introduction to Wayne's film career to put the quotes in a broader context. Movie-lovers will also appreciate the author's opinionated capsule reviews and production notes from Wayne's complete filmography.

John Wayne Speaks is the quote book that every fan of the Duke needs and a delightful addition to any cinephile’s library.

304 pages, Hardcover

Published November 9, 2021

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2158 people want to read

About the author

Mark Orwoll

3 books2 followers
Mark Orwoll is a veteran journalist and the author of three books: "Cross Purposes" (Pleasant Villain Press), "John Wayne Speaks" (St. Martin's Griffin), and "SAMS Teach Yourself e-Travel Today" (Macmillan), one of the first books on planning travel using the Internet, back in 1999.

For 30 years, he was on the editorial staff of Travel + Leisure magazine, and for half of that tenure served as the magazine's first International Editor. (He has been to 85 countries and counting.) As a freelance writer, Orwoll now publishes his travel features in such magazines and online sites as Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, United's inflight Hemispheres, the Saturday Evening Post, East-West News Service, Go World Travel, and numerous other outlets.

In his travel writing, Orwoll focuses on personal narratives filed from the world's far-flung destinations, including Burma, Georgia, eastern Anatolia, Vietnam, Macchu Pichu Cambodia, Madeira, and the Central Highlands of New Jersey. "If you want to make your last vacation sound more adventurous," Orwoll advises, "just add the phrase 'the Central Highlands' to your destination.")

Orwoll was born and raised in California, which he still considers his spiritual home. These days, he lives in the leafy Lower Hudson Valley of New York with his wife Kathy and their scrappy bordoodle Penny.

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5 stars
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10 (29%)
3 stars
4 (11%)
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for Bonnye Reed.
4,697 reviews110 followers
December 1, 2021
I received a free electronic ARC of this excellent biography from Netgalley, Mark Orwoll, and St. Martin's Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read John Wayne Speaks of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.

My husband and I are both pushing mid-70's so we are the second generation of moviegoers that hold many fond memories of the Duke. And both of our parents used John Wayne's quotes and actions as learning tools and templates of acceptable behavior in a world gone frantically mad.

Thinking back, we did the same with our kids. Often, the very same quotes. "'Sorry' don't get it done, Dude. You call the tune, you pay the piper. My church has been the mountains and solitude - No doors at all. There is no word in the Apache language for 'lie'. Whippersnappers! It's not a threat, it's a promise. Whoa, take 'er easy there, pilgrim." And the most impressive expression of disappointment of all -Would John Wayne DO THAT?

It has worked out well as a teaching tool for our generation of parents. Our kids are still whippersnappers, but they live by the cowboy code, as expressed by The Duke. As do their kids. And their grandkids. Parents, be sure you add a few of these 178 Duke movies to your family time in front of the tube. We could do with more Americans learning the proper way to cowboy up.

pub date November 9, 2021
Profile Image for Abibliofob.
1,589 reviews103 followers
October 6, 2021
John Wayne Speaks by Mark Orwoll is a fun book for fans of the "Duke" the author must have had fun rewatching an amazing amount of films to gather the quotations for this book. Sometimes reading it I remember the movies and scenes and had a few laughs as well. Some quotes are epic. I must thank @this _is_edelweiss @macmillanusa #stmartinsgriffin for giving me this advance copy and #MarkOrwoll for writing #JohnWayneSpeaks
445 reviews3 followers
August 19, 2021
I was so excited to see this book. Reading through this book brought so many memories of Saturday afternoons watching the "Duke" with my dad. It really didn't matter which of the movies we watched it was the time spent together. So seeing this film quotes really takes me back to those days. I can hear his voice in my head when I read these quotes. The author does a good job of categorizing the different quotes. There was also a lot of research that went into finding and choosing the quotes. One of my favorite categories is the warnings, insults, intimidation and ultimatums. This is where you find the quotes you remember the most. Share this book with the John Wayne fan in your life and maybe watch one or two of the movies and find the quotes.
Profile Image for Mark.
Author 1 book
November 16, 2021
I love old movies from Hollywood's golden era, and though Westerns aren’t my favorite genre, how can one resist a classic John Ford movie starring the one and only John Wayne! From 1939’s "Stagecoach" to 1962’s "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence", and a dozen films in between, these two men dominated and defined the genre. The image most of us have of the vast Western frontier was etched into our minds eye by John Ford’s beautiful location shots, but the sound and voice of that frontier is undeniably that of John Wayne.

So it was with much pleasure that I discovered this book, an exhaustive compilation of the many quotable lines from the Duke's movies, cleverly categorized and organized so you know which movie each is from. You can hear his voice delivering them as you read them, from the famous lines (“Never apologize, mister, it’s a sign of weakness”) to the less famous but still fantastic (“I ain't had a drink since breakfast”).

Any true fan of the Duke will enjoy this book! Now excuse me, I'm gonna saddle up and make my way to Rio Bravo, or maybe Red River.
Profile Image for Gloria.
2,034 reviews12 followers
November 8, 2021
Good read with tons of John Wayne movie quotes. And also his biography. Good reference book. A must have for John Wayne fans
353 reviews9 followers
November 13, 2021
Really enjoyed this free book that I received from Goodreads in exchange for a honest review.Lots of quotes from movies that will make you laugh.Great for a movie aficionado.
Profile Image for Lovely Loveday.
2,862 reviews
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November 7, 2021
John Wayne Speaks by Mark Orwoll is where you find the quotes fans remember the most. This would make a great gift for the John Wayne fan in your life.
Profile Image for Rebecca Hill.
Author 1 book66 followers
February 12, 2022
"That'll be the day.." - John Wayne

Some of my best memories from growing up center around John Wayne. My grandfather loved his movies, and he passed that down to my father, and me. I grew up on his movies, and I am now passing that on to my children. You know you have a parenting win when you hear your kids using some of his quotes from movies, and you just know you are doing something right,
In "John Wayne Speaks" we get the iconic quotes, a bit of background, and fleshing out the man himself. As I was reading this book, I laughed, I remembered scenes from the movies, laughed some more - then finally had to turn the movie on to watch. So between bouncing through the book and the movies, it took me a bit to finish this one - because I didn't want it to end!

Mark Orwoll did a fabulous job - and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read it and share my thoughts on the book. For John Wayne fans, you are going to love this one. For those who are not sure who John Wayne is (blasphemy), this is a great starter into the larger-than-life actor.
115 reviews
November 2, 2021
"John Wayne Speaks" is for the true John Wayne fan. This is a book of organized quotes for any and every situation. It covers everything from wooing a gal to judging a man's character. A nice nostalgic read.
Profile Image for Rose and Mike Mccarthy.
44 reviews7 followers
December 22, 2021
I won “John Wayne Speaks - The Ultimate John Wayne Quote Book” by Mark Orwoll in a Goodreads Giveaway.

I didn’t think I needed this book, but now it’s in my hands, I can’t put it down. Quotes from the 173 different John Wayne movies and many from the Duke when he was on TV appearances. Many of the quotes are in context with the lines found around the ones John Wayne speak so you know why he said the line. Quotes are divided through the book by themes that are easy to follow. Fully researched with detailed appendixes which cover all the movies in alphabetical order that contain production notes and reviews of the films.

Very fun book to look through. I suggest it for every John Wayne fan or fans of any of the movies he was in. Five stars.
58 reviews
January 15, 2022
I enjoyed the book. It was fun reading the John Wayne's quotes and remembering the movies.
Profile Image for Bianca.
320 reviews1 follower
March 2, 2022
(Disclaimer: Won on Goodreads). I love this book - it's fun to read quotes from a Wonderful man and to read the situations where the quotes came from.
1,224 reviews11 followers
March 22, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. It has so many quotes from John Wayne's movie some that have not really seen the light of day for many years. Now I known some people will say but these are not quotes by John Wayne, but are the work of Hollywood screenwriters and that is true. However when you read these quotes and remember the movies that they came from you have to ask yourself one question would they have sound as good if somebody else had said them. My answer is no they won't have. John took these quotes and made them bigger than life. So if you liked the movie of the Duke and still do then this is a book for you.
Profile Image for carolintallahassee .
227 reviews38 followers
June 14, 2022
I love John Wayne, he is an old fashioned kind of guy, knew what his fans wanted, and he delivered! I was young when his last films were made, but I grew up with his movies on Cable, he never grows boring! These sayings are not all of his best quotes, I prefer when someone who respects him, his patriotism, his love of country, family, his loyalty to friends, who knew him best, I prefer hearing from them.
Thank you Netgalley,
carolintallahassee.blog
Profile Image for Michelle.
26 reviews
November 30, 2021
When I saw this book, I was reminded of my aunt. She has all kinds of John Wayne stuff such as a full collection of plates. The day that I received the book in the mail my aunt was visiting my mother and absolutely loved getting this book to add to her collection. Thank you for making my aunt very happy.
Profile Image for Joshua Friesen.
3,217 reviews3 followers
May 13, 2025
Entertaining look through John's best quotes through his movies.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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