His is an unauthorised biography, the flip side of Richard Schickel's cautious official survey.

ECONOMIST: Hollywood

Mr. Eastwood's biographers, including Mr. Schickel, typically cite directors Sergio Leone ("A Fistful of Dollars") and Don Siegel ("Dirty Harry") as his primary mentors.

WSJ: Conserving the Horse He Rode in On

In the 2011 book "Conversations with Scorsese" by Richard Schickel, the legendary filmmaker talked about his affection for the characters in "Goodfellas, " many of whom were just like people he knew growing up.

CNN: Still obsessed with 'Goodfellas,' 25 years later