Charles Leerhsen is a former executive editor at Sports Illustrated. He has written for Rolling Stone, Esquire, and The New York Times. His books include Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty; Crazy Good: The Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America; Blood and Smoke: A True Tale of Mystery, Mayhem, and the Birth of the Indy 500; and Butch Cassidy: The True Story of an American Outlaw. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Sarah Saffian. Visit him at Leerhsen.com.
"A candid new book explores Anthony Bourdain's trials. . . . [A]
gritty, well-researched new biography."-- "The Economist"
"Seeing what the chef, writer and TV host saw on his last day alive
in 2018 is only part of Leerhsen's exhaustive research for the
book. . . . The impressionistic portrait that emerges is of a
complex man who combined swagger and spiky cool with deep
insecurity, neediness and image-consciousness. . . . [An]
unvarnished biography."--Mark Kennedy "Associated Press"
"This isn't an official Bourdain product or a hagiography. . . .
This one is thoroughly researched and painstakingly
detailed."--Kara Baskin "Boston Globe"
"An unvarnished account of a turbulent life. . . . Grittier than
anything we've read about him before. . . . [Leerhsen] is not here,
though, to discredit or dismiss his subject. His admiration for
Bourdain is nearly always apparent. . . .[Bourdain] would have
admired the author's guts."--Dwight Garner "The New York Times"
"Filled with fresh, intimate details, including raw, anguished
texts from the days before Mr. Bourdain's death. . . . Drawing on
more than 80 interviews, and files, texts and emails from Mr.
Bourdain's phone and laptop, the journalist Charles Leerhsen traces
Mr. Bourdain's metamorphosis from a sullen teenager in a New Jersey
suburb . . . [to] a uniquely talented interpreter of the world
through his travels."--Kim Severson "The New York Times"
"Peels back the veneer of the Bourdain brand. . . . Leerhsen shares
salacious details, but with an air of respect toward his
much-beloved subject. . . . Bourdain's life reads like a cautionary
tale of a man who wished for something--and got it. . . . The world
is better for his work, but at such a devastating price."--
"Booklist"
"[A] well-researched, thoughtful examination of the late Bourdain.
. . . Leerhsen's page-turner provides a well-rounded portrait of
Bourdain, acknowledging his many faults as well as his empathy,
work ethic, and creativity."-- "Library Journal"
"A three-dimensional view of a man who cultivated authenticity
while he was alive, relayed with similarly frank humor."--
"Publishers Weekly"
"Since Anthony Bourdain's death in 2018, there have been a handful
of books by and about him. . . . But there has yet to be a true
biography of the late chef. The first one, carefully researched but
'definitely unauthorized, ' [comes] from Leerhsen. . . . Based on
interviews with those who knew Bourdain best, Leerhsen will
contextualize Bourdain's on-screen charisma and off-screen despair
by revealing childhood traumas that shaped the man who was revered
by some, feared by others and loved by all."-- "BookPage"
"With zesty verve and material from more than 80 interviews, the
author dramatically unfolds an entertaining, ultimately tragic
tale. . . A chatty, quick-witted portrait of a complicated,
tormented man."-- "Kirkus Reviews"
Ask a Question About this Product More... |