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| Pete Duel: A Biography | 
 enlarge | Author: Paul Green
Creator: Pamela Deuel Johnson
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Category: Book
List Price: £23.95
Buy New: £22.75
You Save: £1.20 (5%)
New (10) from £19.03
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 121466
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 229
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.7
ISBN: 0786430621
Dewey Decimal Number: 791.43028092
EAN: 9780786430628
ASIN: 0786430621
Publication Date: June 15, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Good but not great July 5, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
As a huge Pete Duel fan in the 70's, finding this book was fantastic but after reading it I was a little disappointed. Whilst, no doubt, documenting the facts behind his life, and death, it jumps around date-wise so that sometimes you don't know where you are. I also found the inconsistent use of his name throughout quite distracting. Sometimes the author uses 'Peter', sometimes 'Peter Deuel', sometimes 'Deuel' - often in the same sentence as if he believes we'll have forgotten who he is talking about! A consistent 'Peter' would have sufficed. The reference to American political history was a little drawn out and although relevant to Pete's life, I think it could have benefited from some editing.
Overall it was an interesting but ultimately sad tale of a fabulous talent, who was clearly a sensitive, intelligent, man sadly lost before he really had a chance to prove what a wonderful actor he was.
Which truth to believe? April 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a fascinating and thought provoking book.
Although obviously extensively researched and providing many facts previously unknown to me, it somehow leaves a definitive answer to both Peter's complicated life and terrible death tantalizingly out of reach.
Whilst some topics are explained fully and in great detail others are only touched upon or hinted at so that the reader is left asking "what?" and backtracking to see if they missed a vital clue to this or that puzzling statement a few pages back. They didn't.
Perhaps the author got too close to his subject and forgot that his reader was not privvy to the background on certain pieces of information. Perhaps he kept us guessing for other reasons. I don't know.
A lot of the testimonials in the book contradict each other. Admittedly these people are talking about someone they knew over 35 years ago and time could have edited their memories, yet I was left with the distinct impression that not every account was how things really happened. Perhaps that is entirely due to my suspicious mind. Again, I just don't know.
Overall, I am left wanting to find out more and frustrated because I can't.
Don't let that stop you reading the book. No matter what negativity comes over about Peter it is negated by an overwhelming sense of love. The one truth that shines through in every page of this book is that he was a very special man. He cared deeply about this world and desparately wanted to save it. I wish so much that someone could have saved him.
Peace and ecology now.
 A Great Book! August 27, 2007
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I really enjoyed this book. I read it in 3 days!
I think that the Author Paul Green has done an excellent job of capturing the complex character that was Pete Duel. This book is a very tender tribute to his short life. It's a very honest book sharing heartfelt memories from those who clearly loved him.
Someone commented that they would have liked more of 'Alias Smith and Jones' in the book, but, having read the book, I don't think that Pete himself would have wanted that! Although everyone loved the series here in the U.K. I just don't think that Pete realised just how great he was in it!
It was a shame that Ben Murphy didn't contribute, but the fact that he didn't adds authenticity to this books story. Before I read this book, I knew very little about Pete Duel. I came away thinking "I would have really liked the guy!"
This book also unveils the cynical side of Hollywood. The side that Pete didn't like. You get a 'behind the scenes' look at the decision making processes that went on in the studios.
A Great book! Well researched & well written.
Pete Duel: A Biography August 18, 2007
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
Pete Duel: A Biography
This book for me was a real eye opener. It is told by members of his family, his friends and colleagues. The material included cannot be disputed. They are memories of people that knew Peter best. I did not know him or claim to know him and for me, any information regarding his life and tragic death was something that I was truly grateful for.
Not hearing about his death back in 1971, I found out the hard way. I had tuned in to Alias Smith and Jones and discovered that Peter's character, Hannibal Heyes, aka Joshua Smith had been replaced by another actor. Very upset, I went searching for any and all information that I could find on the subject. I had come up empty handed except for a few television review books described what had happened in a few short sentences. Well, I wanted to learn more and I couldn't find anything to help me. I did discover in 2005, two Internet sites that helped me solve the mystery, but it still left me wanting more. Paul Green's book was both a revelation and a Godsend for me. I can describe the book as everything you always wanted to know about Peter but were afraid to ask. It is well written and concise.
It is authorized by his sister Pamela and is not a scathing unauthorized mess of negative stories and ideas. Paul has included the good and the bad of Peter's life, if people just took the time to read these pages and understand a little of what is being presented.I cannot understand what some fans are saying about the author and this book. Is it possible that we were reading the same information? Is it possible for fans to contradict what family and friends who have been close to him are saying? I don't understand.
I'll admit that I have no experience with an alcoholic relative, boyfriend or husband and those that do should have a clear picture of what was happening with this man instead of trying to put him down or analyze just what the author is saying here. I have however, had experiences with depression and epilepsy and seen firsthand what they can do. In this way I can empathize with Peter's situation and can finally put him in a positive light after all these years. The book is final closure for me as I'm sure for a lot of others who feel as I do.
This book hasn't changed the way I feel about Peter Duel, in fact this information has given me the respect that he has deserved and never received, even to this day. He is still a talented handsome man and a brilliant actor whose work I'd admire and enjoy. Thank you, Paul, for writing an excellent book and a job well done. Please know that it is appreciated.
Unanswered Questions August 18, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The release of the Alias Smith and Jones Series 1 DVD rekindled my bittersweet memories of the show and its stars. Like many others in their teens or twenties at the time of his death, I was very upset at what seemed to be the senseless passing of such a charismatic icon. Thus I decided to read Pete's biography.
What the book tells about his life is fascinating, although sometimes seemingly contradictory (concern for the environment but penchant for fast cars/ really sweet sensitive guy - well sometimes, anyway - that sort of stuff). I found interesting the fact that, even after all these years, the various parties that had been close to him still seem to be squabbling over the relationships they had with him, and with each other. Having myself relatively recently lost a brother through alcoholism, I felt a great deal of empathy with the frustration expressed by his close friends as his drinking worsened.
Where I think the book fell down was in what it left out. I never knew that Pete had an actor brother, Geoffrey. Whilst much mention is made of Geoffrey throughout the book by others, there are no quotes from him personally. Indeed, with many references made to Geoffrey in the past tense, I was expecting to learn that he too was dead, although subsequent internet searches show this not to be the case. Now I can imagine that Geoffrey might not have wanted to contribute to the book, but I feel that the lack of explanation by the author leaves questions that should have been answered. Similarly, we were not told whether or not the senior Deuels are still living. I know that I bought the book because of my interest in Pete, not his in family, but sometimes I felt it left too many loose ends. Nonetheless, extremely interesting reading.
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