Author Donald Dewey deliveres a very detailed description of James Stewart, but the book is not pure-it has a spin. Particular events in Mr. Stewarts life are amplified and opinionated with the author's twist. After reading the first 2 chapters of this book, it is clear to see that we are seeing the life of James Stewart through the eyes of Donald Dewey.

The memory of Jimmy Stewart suffers not at all in this well-researched biography. A nice touch is the brief summary and review of each movie in which Stewart appeared over the course of his lifetime, and the impact, for better or worse, that each had on his career. However, the author's prose style is dry as toast and lacking in any humor whatsoever. What could have been an outstanding work is, in the end, only a competent treatment of his subject.

I have read many books about the life of Jimmy Stewart and found that this one is the most thorough and balanced. Mr. Dewey details Jimmy Stewart's life from all angles but never resorts to smarmy or tabloid-like tactics. While he does not sugar coat Stewart, he doesn't blast him either; he leaves the reader to draw his/her own conclusions. This is the book I would recommend to anyone who wished to find out as much as possible about one of the greatest actors and intriguing personalities of the 20th century.