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Steve Mcqueen: Living on the Edge
An insider tells the fascinating story of McQueen, from boyhood to American superstar
In the summer of 1970 Steve McQueen and author Michael Munn took a road trip in England while the actor's film Le Mans was on hold. McQueen told stories of being a kid on the street, petty theft, rolling drunks, gangs, and losing his virginity to a prostitute who took cakes in exchange for sexual favors. Munn met McQueen on other occasions, last speaking with him in 1980, and in this poignant, personal account, recalls the story of one of the greatest American anti-heroes of all time. Dubbed the King of Cool, his life was anything but. As Munn describes, his childhood was hard—he rarely attended school and didn't like to sleep at home where his mother entertained men. Full of anger, the young McQueen suffered trying to control it—indeed, it became part of his acting persona. He once stole a knife from a butcher's store and went home to kill his mother and stepfather. McQueen spent time in a school for wayward children and joined the merchant navy, escaping to become a towel boy in a brothel in the Dominican Republic, before returning to the U.S. to steal cars and break into stores and houses. He joined the Marines before finally falling into acting. The author has interviewed a host of stars and directors to get closer to the true character of this extraordinary man.
In the summer of 1970 Steve McQueen and author Michael Munn took a road trip in England while the actor's film Le Mans was on hold. McQueen told stories of being a kid on the street, petty theft, rolling drunks, gangs, and losing his virginity to a prostitute who took cakes in exchange for sexual favors. Munn met McQueen on other occasions, last speaking with him in 1980, and in this poignant, personal account, recalls the story of one of the greatest American anti-heroes of all time. Dubbed the King of Cool, his life was anything but. As Munn describes, his childhood was hard—he rarely attended school and didn't like to sleep at home where his mother entertained men. Full of anger, the young McQueen suffered trying to control it—indeed, it became part of his acting persona. He once stole a knife from a butcher's store and went home to kill his mother and stepfather. McQueen spent time in a school for wayward children and joined the merchant navy, escaping to become a towel boy in a brothel in the Dominican Republic, before returning to the U.S. to steal cars and break into stores and houses. He joined the Marines before finally falling into acting. The author has interviewed a host of stars and directors to get closer to the true character of this extraordinary man.
- GenresBiography
296 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 10, 2013
The subject matter is good how can it fail
March 27, 2024
A good biography,written by first hand conversations with friends and I use the term loosely knowing mcqueens character,and fellow actors.nothing new to be learnt here.it pogniently comes into it's own in the last couple of chapters dealing kindly rather than luridly with the actors death.one of the better bios.
June 12, 2014
Very interesting story of his life. I remember Steve McQueen particularly while growing up in the '70's. I did not realize he had such a difficult childhood. Also, his other demons. The book talks about his generous side, especially towards young people. He died much too young. Talented guy. The only problem I had with the book was that there were grammatical as well as type written errors scattered throughout. Publishers should know better.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews