The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man 

A memoir by Paul Newman

Published Oct. 18, 2022

320 pages

I don’t know why, but this book was published 14 years after Paul Newman’s death in 2008 at the age of 83. Like just about every other person in the world that watched American movies, I was a big fan of his. He was in so many good and great movies, including The Hustler, Hud, Harper, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid… I could go on and on.

And he did have an extraordinary life. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Oscar, a BAFTA, three Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Primetime Emmy Award… again, I could go on and on. More important than his awards as an actor, he won the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his efforts in raising and donating nearly $1 billion to many charities.

Critical Reception 

* “The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man is all voice – which is to say, it is Newman at his best… [It] is twice the book one could hope for, a narrative that is astute, introspective, and surprisingly graceful.” (Michael O’Donnell, The Wall Street Journal)

* “The book is an extraordinary glimpse into the psyche of one of Hollywood’s greatest icons…. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another star willing to share half as much.” (Julie Miller, Vanity Fair)

* “Raw, honest, and revealing.” (Becky Libourel Diamond, BookPage)

You can read an excerpt from the book (from Literary Hub) here.