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You are here: Home / Gift Guide 2019 / The Young Duke: The Early Life of John Wayne

The Young Duke: The Early Life of John Wayne

October 30, 2019 By Joi

The Young Duke: A John Wayne Biography

The Young Duke: The Early Life of John Wayne

As I’ve often said on Hollywood Yesterday, I collect Old Hollywood biographies and autobiographies like it’s my job. I’m content with one or two biographies of some stars, while others are such favorites, I collect anything and everything written about them. John Wayne is one of these “give me one of everything” stars. He’s a favorite and has been since I watched him on television with my day. That may be part of the reason I love The Duke so much.  The Young Duke: The Early Life of John Wayne by Howard Kazanjian and Chris Enss is the newest addition to my John Wayne collection and I was anxious to tell you about it.

This book would make a great gift idea for anyone in your life who loves John Wayne. It’s a “fast read” with plenty of pictures, so even those “old cowboys” you love will enjoy it!

In addition to the wonderful content and pictures (lots of things even I didn’t know and quite a few pictures I’d never seen), the book includes great quotes about John Wayne and his influence on family and co-stars. I love these quotes so much because what people say about us is one of the strongest blocks in the building of our legacy.

Quote About Stagecoach

From the Back Cover:

By the time Stagecoach made John Wayne a silver-screen star in 1939, the thirty-one-year-old was already a veteran of more than sixty films, having twirled six-guns and foiled cattle rustlers in B Westerns for five studios. By the 1950s he was Hollywood’s most popular actor—an Academy Award nominee destined to become an American icon.

Through rare photographs and revealing family anecdotes, The Young Duke offers an unflinching look at how Marion Morrison became the legend known as John Wayne—from his boyhood in Winterset, Iowa, and his days as a college football star, to his stunning box-office success in Westerns and war movies in the 1930s and 1940s. Shedding new light on Wayne’s formative years and early Hollywood roles and influences, this stirring biography uncovers the true stories behind the screen legend’s public and private lives.

About the Authors:

Chris Enss is an award-winning screenwriter and the author or coauthor of more than two dozen books.

Howard Kazanjian is an award-winning producer and entertainment executive who for three decades has been producing television programs and feature films, including two of the highest grossing films of all time, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

Great Addition to a Collection

There are, of course, more detailed biographies of John Wayne – many delve into his life and you can spend glorious weeks reading every detail. This book is a much different book from other biographies. Would it provide a complete picture of John Wayne, the actor or the man? No – certainly not. This book was intended more for a “quick read” or for collectors, like me, who simply must have everything related to their favorite stars!

This is a great addition to any biography collection and a very fun read. Whereas some biographies are “heavy” with filmographies, research, quotes, and information, this one is “light.”

When you want a fast-paced overview of a star’s life, sometimes that’s just what you’re looking for!

Find The Young Duke: The Early Life of John Wayne  on Amazon or in your favorite second-hand bookstore.

Filed Under: Gift Guide 2019, John Wayne, Old Hollywood Book Reviews Tagged With: John Wayne, Old Hollywood Biographies, Old Hollywood Biography Reviews



I try to keep my posts, book reviews, and classic movie reviews as short as possible. I want to share my thoughts and (more importantly) shine a spotlight on the stars that mean so much to us, however I don't want to take up too much of your precious time. My goal is to give you information, trivia, and photos that will put a smile on both your face and your day! ~ Thank you for being here, you honor me with your presence, Joi ("Joy")

Welcome to Hollywood Yesterday!

Ann Sheridan, It All Came True

Ann Sheridan
My name is Joi (“Joy”) and I created Hollywood Yesterday as my personal tribute to Old Hollywood. It’s my effort to help keep the stars from Old Hollywood, Classic Television, and Old Radio Shows alive and shining forever. Old Hollywood was positively magical and I see no reason for the magic to ever die.

Be warned, I am (by nature) overtly positive, I never take anything too seriously, I say extraordinary so often you’d think I invented the word, and I overuse exclamation points to distraction. I’m perpetually over-caffeinated.. we’ll blame that.

Read more about Hollywood Yesterday (and see my personal favorites) here!

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I love reading old Hollywood biographies and memoirs as much as I love watching classic movies, and that’s truly saying something!

To see my Old Hollywood book reviews, please see the index listed here: Book Reviews.

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Priorities, y’all.

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Thank you so much for visiting Hollywood Yesterday! You truly HONOR me with your presence. ~ Joi (“Joy”)

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Also, please know that I try to keep my posts (except for book reviews) short and to the point, so you can enjoy the pictures, grab the information, and get back to your life. I don’t appreciate anything that’s overly wordy, so I don’t want to do that to others. For better or worse, I write as I talk, so if you ever feel like you’re reading the words of someone who’s a cross between Lucy Ricardo, Daisy Duck, and a Jerry Lewis character, that’s just because you are!

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Legalities…

Aside from pictures of books I review, I do not claim to have taken any of the pictures on this website, nor do I own the pictures – the ones of the stars or the affiliate (product) pictures.  Other, far more talented photographers than me have the credit for the beautiful photos you see. If you would like credit for a photograph or would like one removed, please e-mail me (joitsigers@gmail.com).

Movie posters and promotional photos are used in the belief that they qualify for the Fair Use law. Fair use is a doctrine in the law of the United States that permits limited use of copyrighted material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder. Fair use is one of the limitations to copyright intended to balance the interests of copyright holders with the public interest in the wider distribution and use of creative works by allowing as a defense to copyright infringement claims certain limited uses that might otherwise be considered infringement.

When you click through an affiliate (product, book, dvds..) link, I earn a small portion of the money you spend IF you purchase anything. This does not cost you any extra money, of course. This is how I am able to work from home and support my cats! – Joi (“Joy”)

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