Tough Without a Gun

“A swift, smart, scrupulous book. It brims with insights.” —Tom Shone, Slate

“Terrific. . . . Kanfer is particularly good in sketching [Bogart’s] lasting influence.” —Los Angeles Times
 
“Evocative. . . . Gives the reader a palpable sense of the sadly truncated arc of [Bogart’s] life.” —Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
 
“Insightful. . . . The value of this book lies in Kanfer’s insights into and analysis of the way that Bogart worked ” —Chicago Sun-Times

“There may be no better analysis of Bogart’s mysterious and enduring appeal.” —The Daily Beast
 
“Gracefully written. . . . [Kanfer] approaches the complicated and difficult man Katharine Hepburn called ‘one of the biggest guys I ever met’ with a fair, discerning eye. . . . Both sensitive and agile. . . . An insightful, compassionate portrait of a man who cared about his craft and, close friends said, camouflaged a kind and generous heart with a sardonic wit and snarl.” —Dallas Morning News
 
“Excellent. . . . A moving, psychologically intimate portrait of an icon that leaves some of the mystique intact.” —A.V. Club
 
“A readable and entertaining biography that reflects the author’s delight in his subject and the world in which Bogart thrived.” —Denver Post
 
“If you, like most of us, think of Bogart in Casablanca, The African Queen, and perhaps The Maltese Falcon, and you’ve always wondered what was behind the cool guy in the trench coat and the fedora, this book will tell you—in spades.” —Providence Journal
 
“Numerous…apt descriptions of Bogart’s film persona flow through Kanfer’s [book].” —Courier-Journal
 
“Kanfer does a thorough job of taking us on a journey through the making of Bogart’s other films. . . . Kanfer is at his best when framing Bogie’s career against the social and cultural mood of each era, and exploring Bogie’s flourishing cult status since his death in 1957.” —Newsday
 
“[Kanfer’s] skill with words is as smooth as the Scotch Bogart loved. . . . With this biography, just sit back and savour. Kanfer takes you enjoyably through stories.” —Vancouver Sun
 
“It’s the afterlife that matters, and the best part of Mr. Kanfer’s account is his analysis of Bogart’s role as what cultural historians call a “modal personality” of his time—and what a long time it has been.” —The Wall Street Journal