Paul and Me

Fifty-three Years of Adventures and Misadventures with My Pal Paul Newman

By: A. E. Hotchner

Narrated by: A. E. Hotchner

Bestselling author A. E. Hotchner's intimate account of his 53-year friendship with his pal Paul Newman.

A. E. Hotchner first met Paul Newman in 1955 when the virtually unknown actor assumed the lead role in Hotchner’s first television play, based on an Ernest Hemingway story. The project elevated both men from relative obscurity to recognition and began a close and trusted friendship that lasted until Newman’s death in 2008.

In Paul and Me, Hotchner depicts a complicated, unpredictable, fun-loving, talented man, and takes the listener along on their adventures. The pair traveled extensively, skippered a succession of bizarre boats, confounded the business world, scored triumphs on the stage, and sustained their friendship through good times and bad. Most notably, they started Newman’s Own as a prank and watched it morph into a major enterprise that so far has donated all its $300 million in profit to charities including the Hole in the Wall Camps worldwide, dedicated to helping thousands of children with life-threatening illnesses.

Paul and Me is the story of a freewheeling friendship and a tribute to the acclaimed actor who gave to the world as much as the world gave him.

©2010 A E Hotchner (P)2010 Random House

Critic reviews

"A tribute to Newman’s fun-loving spirit and fiscal generosity . . . . There’s not a self-righteous moment in Mr. Hotchner’s jokey, anecdotal account of their camaraderie . . . . They clearly shared a lot of good times over Budweisers and burgers, and Mr. Hotchner has the quotes and photos to prove it all . . . . The fun they had is unmistakable in these pages.”
—The New York Times

"Hotchner's portrait of his pal is breezy and heartfelt. He obviously adored him. And reading his anecdotes of their high jinks together, it's easy to see why . . . . The actor's last words to him perfectly sum up their times together: 'It's been a hell of a ride.'" —Entertainment Weekly

Great book on Paul Newman's personal life

I enjoyed listening to this book, and was fascinated with their close relationship. The author reading it made it more personal, although his voice was sometimes distracting. A great audiobook on how Newman's Own and the Whole in the Wall camp was created.

A Special Friendship

Great fun adventures between best friends. I laughed and cried my way through this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

The Color of Friendship

A.E. Hotchner's memoir of Paul Newman is an eloquent tribute to the man and artist, written with grace, modesty, and wit. Decades ago, Hotchner wrote "Papa Hemingway," one of my all-time favorite memoirs. While “Papa Hemingway” traced an ominous arc--you knew Hemingway was headed for self-destruction-- “Paul and Me” follows an almost joyous trajectory, from Newman’s ascent in Hollywood to his unlikely successes as champion race car driver, food icon, and philanthropist. (The glaring exception is the tragic death of Newman’s son, Scott.)

The book is packed with anecdotes that portray Newman as feisty, fun-loving, and complex. As he did with Hemingway, Hotchner personifies for Newman both Sancho Panza (the sidekick) and Boswell (the memorist). But he goes them one better—he plays a vital role in helping Newman turn popcorn dreams into business and philanthropy realities.

Although Hotchner never states it, his friendship seems to represent an anchor to Newman’s sail--a needed stabling influence. It’s easy to think how lucky Hotchner has been to pal around with Hemingway and Newman, but one ends “Paul and Me” thinking this as well—how lucky they were to have him as a friend.

If only we all had a friend like A.E. Hotchner

I'd been wondering if I'd ever get to hear a bunch of "Paul" stories from an unbiased source. I feared that had such a book been written by someone close to Paul (like Joanne), it wouldn't have offered the detailed insight from observations. Paul had the perfect best friend to document some of his best moments. I felt like what I'd missed hearing about Paul was finally captured. I've not seen all his movies but I always was a fan of the person Paul seemed to be.

Endearing story

A nice follow-up to "Paul Newman - A Life". A true tribute by a very close friend.

Poor Sound Quality, Needs Editing.

I am halfway through this title. It's worthwhile for fans who very much want to know more, for it does deliver insights heretofore unknown. But it sounds as if the narrator (the author) is reading through a few folds of a blanket. Sounds, like S and Sh, and also subtle sounds, like Ps and Th's do not come through. My brain has to work overtime to understand about every tenth word.

Nice storytelling, except the author is overly wordy. He could have omitted many paragraphs, and spent less time between "money shots." If you are enough of a Newman fan, it's a worthy selection. If you're only tangentially interested... well then... You know what to do.