Cool, at Full Throttle

An absolute icon of timeless cool. On screen, there was always a depth and mysteriousness to Steve McQueen, kind of a steel to him, but never an overbearing machismo. He portrayed the kind of toughness you need to be a man living in this world, or that world, and the way he lived his life was really no different. Go hard, don’t take shit, give a crap, make it an adventure, laugh, cry, pick people up. He was a remarkable man, actor, and father who simply made the most of it.

This may be one of my favorite coffee table books because it captures the spirit of Steve McQueen in a way that feels and speaks honestly about the man living in a world of fame but also living in a real life. The photography spans scenes from his acting career, but in a way that reveals how he was on set and with his partners, captures his passion for racing and opening up the throttle, lots of clouds of dust, and balances it with sincere moments of family life and fatherhood, still surrounded in an era and aura of Hollywood glamour.

There is an image of him tying his daughter’s dress with a cigarette in his mouth that speaks a thousand words, and captures the caring of a father. It’s followed by scenes at a race track, and dirt bike races, cars, cars, cars. He loved going fast, and was most at peace with himself in a fast car, and says as much. Every quote in the book is remarkably honest, an opening through the blinds of McQueen’s psyche, e.g. “Stardom equals freedom. It’s the only equation that matters.” Isn’t it always astounding to meet people who know themselves so well?

All in all, the book and Steve McQueen represent the quest for freedom, and we get a real taste of it through the book. Not in a jealous manner, but rather as an admiration that one of us was able to achieve it and live it fully and truly — through fame, fortune, folly, fun, and family — a true icon of an artist and a spirit.