John Wayne's America: The Politics of Celebrity (Used Hardcover) - Garry Wills

John Wayne was less an actor than a symbol, the most popular pop icon of the 20th century, and one of the most important political figures in America. People shaped their lives or adopted political stands to conform to him as a template of authentic Americanism. Wayne became the lens which people saw their own & their country's history.

In this groundbreaking study of the relationship between politics and popular culture, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Wills focuses on the manufacture of "John Wayne" from the raw materials of Marion Morrison, the person born in Iowa who became a myth, his own reality swallowed up in his meaning as master directors such as John Ford crafted films that made him a personification of America's frontier myth.

Unlike other actors & actresses with whom we associate political views, Wayne embodied a politics of large meanings--a politics of gender (male), ideology (patriot), character (self-reliant) & personal responsibility. It was a politics of implicit dogmas often transcending his own views & behavior. 

Published 1997 Simon & Schuster

380 pages

6.25" X 9.5"

Condition: This book is in Very Good Condition. The pages are clean and unmarked except for an ink notation on the flyleaf from a previous owner. There is very slight wear on the edges of the dust cover.