Tough Guy: The Life of Norman Mailer

Norman Mailer was a brash writer who never met a fight he couldn’t instigate. His brilliant work was often sidelined by his self-destructive tendencies. Norman Kingsley Mailer was born on January 31, 1923 to Barney and Fan Mailer. Mailer was doted on by his mother, but his relationship with his father was more enigmatic. Mailer rose to prominence with the publishing of his World War II novel, The Naked and the Dead. The celebrity that accompanied the accolades for his first book went to Norman’s head and led to the destruction of his first marriage. The size of Mailer’s ego was only comparable to the size of his libido, both of legendary proportions. Both would factor heavily into Mailer’s rise and fall in literature.

Tough Guy: The Life of Norman Mailer brings the life of an epic personality down to earth for a modern-day re-evaluation. Author Richard Bradford writes of Mailer’s storied life in a fair and objective manner, leaving the reader to judge Mailer’s words and actions. Bradford saves his critique for the body of work that Mailer contributed during his eighty-four-year life, whether it be praise or condemnation. Bradford’s book is as fascinating and awe-inspiring as his subject.