Century is to posthumously publish the “raw and candid” memoir of the late Hollywood actor Paul Newman, entitled The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man.

Ben Brusey, publishing director, bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Suzanne Smith, vice-president and director of foreign rights at Knopf Doubleday, for publication on 27th October. Knopf will simultaneously publish in the US.

The publisher describes The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man as the “insightful, revealing and surprising memoir of perhaps the greatest movie star of the past 75 years”.

Its synopsis reads: “Before he died in 2008, Newman had been at work on the project for five years. Newman recounts in brilliant detail his often traumatic childhood, his teenage insecurities, his youthful failures with women, his rise to stardom, his early rivals – Marlon Brando and James Dean – his first marriage, his greatest film roles from ‘Cool Hand Luke’ to ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’, his drinking, his philanthropy, his professional racing car career, the death of his son, Scott, and his desire for his daughters to understand the truth about their father. 

“Perhaps the most moving material in the book centres on Newman’s relationship with Joanne Woodward and their deep love for each other. Additional voices that run throughout the book include Newman’s childhood friends, Navy buddies, family members and film and theater collaborators including Tom Cruise and ’Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ director George Roy Hill.

“The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man provides a new understanding of a man many admired but few really knew – from the perspective of the man himself. Paul Newman’s daughters will promote the book in the UK on behalf of their late father.”