John Wayne's America

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author ofLincoln at Gettysburgbrings his eloquence, wit, and on-target perceptions of American life and politics to this fascinating, well-drawn protrait of a twentieth-century hero. In this work of great originality--the biography of an idea--Garry Wills shows how John Wayne came to embody Amercian values and influenced our cultoure to a degree unmatched by any other public figure of his time. In Wills's hands, Waynes story is tranformed into a compelling narrative about the intersection of popular entertainment and political realities in mid-twentieth-century America.

Garry Wills, the author of eighteen books, lives in Evanston, Illinois, and teaches at Northwestern University.