Bogart

Now in paperback, the definitive biography of an American icon.

Humphrey Bogart was not just the most popular American actor of the twentieth century but also a larger-than-life icon, whose reputation and influence have, if anything, only grown since his death. Bogart dominated the golden years of Hollywood with his stoic tough-guy image. But behind Bogey the hard-boiled cult hero was a consummate actor, a courageous artist who stood up to tyrannical studio bosses and defied the heavy hand of McCarthyism. The scion of a socially prominent New York family, Bogart played dozens of roles in Broadway plays until he broke through to film stardom after he teamed up with John Huston in The Maltese Falcon and then took his place in the Hollywood firmament with the legendary acting ensemble of Casablanca. He lived a tempestuous private life off the screen, but carefully guarded his privacy from the prying eyes of the press.