Courtesy photo

Calling all fans of the legendary actor/musician/filmmaker Clint Eastwood. The new book “Clint Eastwood: The Iconic Filmmaker and his Work” by Ian Nathan (unofficial and unauthorized) is the quintessential look at all things Clint Eastwood.

The hardback book comes in a nice box to showcase on your shelf. The book itself takes readers through Eastwood’s professional work and how his films have made an impact on society, moviegoers and the man himself. It also takes a brief detour to Eastwood as the mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Many people think of the man as simply someone who makes movies, either in front of or behind the camera. But he has a strong moral compass and that led him to run for and win the job of the mayor of Carmel.

Having become frustrated with the politics and red tape in the town, Eastwood threw his hat into the ring. He said in his acceptance speech, “I would like to think that we can now take the community out of the hands of the few and put it in the hands of the many, the people of Carmel.” He didn’t want to be called “mayor.” He said just to call him “Clint.”

The book includes picture after picture of stills from Eastwood’s many films, which make it a good coffee table book to set down and flip through the pages to look at the photos. But besides the images, there is an interesting and enlightening narrative that takes readers into the life and work of the iconic movie star.

Reading through the pages, it is clear this man knows his job and does it brilliantly. He isn’t one for fussing around. He gets right into it and gives it everything he has.

Francine Brokaw, Special to the Daily Herald

Besides looking at the various roles Eastwood undertook and directed (as of this writing he has officially retired), there are some great insights and tidbits about how he came to be as big a star as he is. Few people know that Frank Sinatra was originally tapped to play Dirty Harry. Can you imaging him saying, “Make my day”? If it hadn’t been for Sinatra encountering an injury on “The Manchurian Candidate,” he would have been “Dirty Harry” wielding the most powerful handgun in the world. Wow, the fates were looking down on Eastwood at that time. Harry Callahan sent him into the stratosphere of iconic characters.

As a director, he is hands-on and even has the cameras rolling while rehearsing. Sometimes he sees a special aspect during rehearsal that he uses in the film.

Without an inflated ego, Eastwood, for the most part, doesn’t surround himself with guards or drivers. He has driven himself to the airport, doesn’t take an entourage with him, and regards himself as a normal human being (which is what we all are, actors included). But unlike others in the industry, Eastwood is too down-to-earth to fall into the trap of creating a fuss about himself. (Personal note: I was at an event where Eastwood was and he did not have people fending off other people. As a matter of fact, he stood right in the middle of a group and talked with them without hesitation.)

Music is very important to the actor, and having the right score for his films was a top priority. The music of Eastwood films is an important element to the movies and to the actor. He made sure every aspect of his films was perfect, and that included the music.

Nathan wrote in the book, “Why does one star endure and another fade?” Well, readers of the book will undoubtedly uncover the answer to that. Eastwood has no inflated ego, has plenty of talent as an actor, knows what works best as a producer, and is affable to both men and women as an actor and a man. He has the qualities that have led him to the peak of success and a moral compass that comes through on and off the screen.

From his iconic Westerns to his romantic leads (“The Bridges of Madison County”) to his adventurist characters (“Space Cowboys”) and more, Eastwood always played his age. Unlike many actors who refuse to age in films, Eastwood deserves credit for creating characters that reflect his age. And when he was solely behind the camera, the films he directed always had compelling characters of various ages (“Breezy”).

Any fan of Eastwood’s films and the man himself will be better informed about all things Eastwood with this book. And with the holidays right around the corner, this would be a great gift idea for any movie buff or Eastwood follower. It is eye-opening to see all the films in which this one man made his mark in front of or behind the camera. To say he has talent is a major understatement. The book goes into detail about so many of his films that it is the essential book about all aspects of his career.

The book hit the shelves Sept. 12.

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