The poster-child victim of a dysfunctional family from Beech Grove, Indiana, Steve McQueen experienced an unsettled early life with a rebellious and alcoholic mother. McQueen channeled his difficult childhood into a masterful career on screen portraying tough, self-sufficient characters in such iconic films as The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Great Escape (1963), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Bullitt (1968). Gehring explores how McQueen rose from his days as a troubled youth into one of Hollywood’s top box-office stars, and how he attempted to ease the lives of other troubled youth. Gehring delves into McQueen’s early success, his rocky relationships with women, his sense of humor, his love of fast cars and motorcycles, and his often neglected acting.

Wes D. Gehring is a professor of film at Ball State University and an associated media editor and columnist for USA Today magazine. Gehring has written biographies of such screen legends as Charlie Chaplin, Carole Lombard, James Dean and Red Skelton.