Why this book: I’ve read several of MacDonald’s popular Travis McGee series and really liked them – and wanted to know more about the author whose views are expressed through his character McGee.

Summary in 4 Sentences: A relatively short biography of the popular mystery- detective novel writer beginning with his childhood and parental relationships to his early jobs as he tried out various options, went to college then joined the Army just prior to WW2. While serving with the OSS in the Burma-China-India theater, he sent s couple of short stories home to his wife, which unbeknownst to him, she submitted for publication, were accepted and received a check. Upon learning this after the war, he chose to become a writer rather than work for a large organization. Over the next 4 decades the biography recounts how he became initially a hack paperback detective novelist and how he who evolved into a highly respected mystery and suspense novelist and author well into the 1980s, authoring 22 Travis McGee novels as well as a number of other highly regarded non-serial novels, each with an iconoclastic message against mass and depersonalized culture.

My impressions. This is not a long nor detailed biography – only about 190 pages which outlines the highlights and key events and periods of MacDonalds life, concluding with a long interview with him, and a list of one scholar’s favorite MacDonald stand alone novels – NOT of the Travis McGee series.

I learned of John D. MacDonald from a podcast interview by Tim Ferriss with Mike Rowe – both of whom had loved JDM and had read most or all of the Travis McGee novels. So I gave him a try, and have since read a mere four of the more of the 22 in the series. I’ve talked to friends who have read all of the Travis McGee novels, some of them twice. After reading the last one, I realized how I really liked the views expressed through the character of Travis McGee – so I wanted to know more about the author. After looking him up and seeing that he had served with the OSS in Burma-China-India I was intrigued, so found and bought this book.

JDM was a man of his era – but more a writer and introverted author and less the easy going sail-boat-bum and risk taking adventurer of his character Travis McGee. I read somewhere that JDM built his Travis McGee character based on his ideal independent man of character and courage, who had the freedom to live his life without obligations to the ordinary constraints of modern urban living – such as a corporate job, a boss, a mortgage, a wife and family.

Where JDM’s and McGee’s characters converge are that they are both men of their times – each solidly “a man’s man” of the 1940 and 50s – proud, independent, each enjoyed their alcohol but didn’t get drunk, didn’t worry much about health or fitness – just depended on their natural fitness and health, ate and drank what they liked. They each respected and were attracted to women, but still with something of a 1940s/50s patronizing approach to them. They are both committed to honesty, moral courage, living their values and being fair and respectful to others – even toward those “bad guys” who McGee tracks down to bring to justice. But neither are saints – both prudent in applying their sense of morality to the practical needs of their clients and their own survival.

He was an extremely prolific writer publishing 78 books in his lifetime, and receiving numerous awards – the most prestigious being the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award and the National Book Award for the Travis McGee novel The Green Ripper (wh I haven’t read yet – but will.)

The book gave insights into the subculture of mystery/crime writers, their relationships to publishers and editors – a very important relationship for writers who want to get paid to get their et their books printed, and to have them printed as they choose to write them – which involves the back-and-forth negotiations to change the plot, the title, the characters from what the author originally wrote. JDM had at least one of his original story lines “stolen” and used by another author in a different setting – JDM threatened to sue, but withdrew the suit when the perpetrator and his publisher agreed to take all the copies out of circulation and register a public apology.

JDM was very dedicated to his writing – churned out sometimes several books in just a few months, writing alone in his office regularly for 8 hours a day, putting his ideas for great stories and mysteries to print. He was devoted to Doros his wife of nearly 50 years and their son Maynard. At the end of their lives, both were in ill health at the end, until he died of cardiac issues at age 70 in 1986, and she died 2 years later.

I believe there are longer biographies of JDM available, but this one served me well – and I’d recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed the Travis McGee series and would like to know more about the author. Also the brief summaries it offered at the end of his best “stand alone” novels (not Travis McGee) inspired me to read one or two of these highly regarded works – I’d lean toward beginning with Slam the Big Door.