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The Life and the Legend
by Susan Orlean
He believed the dog was immortal.
So begins Susan Orlean's sweeping, powerfully moving story of Rin Tin Tin's journey from orphaned puppy to movie star and international icon. From the moment in 1918 when Corporal Lee Duncan discovers Rin Tin Tin on a World War I battlefield, he recognizes something in the pup that he needs to share with the world. Rin Tin Tin's improbable introduction to Hollywood leads to the dog's first blockbuster film and over time, the many radio programs, movies, and television shows that follow. The canine hero's legacy is cemented by Duncan and a small group of others who devote their lives to keeping him and his descendants alive.
At its heart, Rin Tin Tin is a poignant exploration of the enduring bond between humans and animals. But it is also a richly textured history of twentieth-century entertainment and entrepreneurship and the changing role of dogs in the American family and society. Almost ten years in the making, Susan Orlean's first original book since The Orchid Thief is a tour de force of history, human interest, and masterful storytelling - the ultimate must-read for anyone who loves great dogs or great yarns.
BookBrowse Review
"I am a fan of Susan Orleans, but this book was not very interesting. I felt like I got a lot of facts about Rin Tin Tin and his owners, producers, etc., but not nearly enough about why he matters or why he was interesting enough to write a book about. I'm disappointed." - Bev Melven
Other Reviewers
"Even readers coming to Rin Tin Tin for the first time will find it difficult to refrain from joining Duncan in his hope that Rin Tin Tin's legacy will 'go on forever.'" - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. Move over Seabiscuit, Rin Tin Tin will be the most-talked-about animal hero of the year and beyond... A spectacularly compelling portrait... Engrossing, dynamic, and affecting." - Booklist
"Starred Review. [Orlean] combines all her skills and passions in this astonishing story ... A terrific dog's tale that will make readers sit up and beg for more." - Kirkus Reviews
"Rin Tin Tin was more than a dog. He embodied the core paradoxes of the American ideal: He was a loner who was also a faithful companion, a brave fighter who was also vulnerable. I was astonished to learn from this delightful book that he has existed for eleven generations over a century. By chronicling his amazing ups and downs, Susan Orlean has produced a hugely entertaining and unforgettable reading experience." - Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin and Einstein
"Not only does Susan Orlean give us a fascinating and big-hearted account of all the many incarnations of Rin Tin Tin, she shows us the ever-changing role of American dogs in times of war and peace. This book is for anyone who has ever had a dog or loved a dog or watched a dog on television or thought their dog could be a movie star. In short - everyone." - Ann Patchett, author of State of Wonder and Bel Canto
"I adored this book. It weaves history, war, show business, humanity, wit, and grace into an incredible story about America, the human-animal bond, and the countless ways we would be lost without dogs by our sides, on our screens, and in our books. This is the story Susan Orlean was born to tell - it's filled with amazing characters, reporting, and writing." - Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
This information about Rin Tin Tin was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Susan Orlean has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1992. She is the author of seven books, including Saturday Night and The Orchid Thief, which was made into the Academy Award–winning film, Adaptation. She lives with her family and her animals in upstate New York and may be reached at www.susanorlean.com.
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