Gary Cooper : American Hero

One of the Hollywood greats, Gary Cooper will always be known for his part in classic films like High Noon, A Farewell to Arms, The Fountainhead and Beau Geste. He came to symbolise American ideals of self-reliance, independence and integrity. But his squeaky-clean screen image was often at odds with his turbulent private life. With the full cooperation of Cooper’s daughter as well as interviews with close friends and colleagues, Jeffrey Meyers covers every aspect of Cooper’s life from youth in England and Montana to Hollywood stardom as some of the most quintessential Western characters in movie history. The book chronicles the sophisticated, glamorous Cooper’s tempestuous relationships with Marlene Dietrich, Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly and Patricia Neal (to name but a few). It explores his long friendship with Ernest Hemingway, and his controversial involvement with the House Un-American Activities Committee and the Hollywood blacklist.