For countless millions, Humphrey Bogart's screen performances and real-life persona merged to make him one of the world's most fabled figures - a legend of mythic proportions. Or, as his Sam Spade would have put it - the stuff that dreams are made of.

But for his only son, Stephen, eight years old in 1957 when his father died of lung cancer, Humphrey Bogart's giant shadow was a burden he carried until he finally came to understand the private man behind his father's public face. And now, in this candid and insightful biography, Stephen Bogart explores and illuminates Humphrey Bogart's life, work, and relationships as they never have been before.

Writing with the encouragement of his famous mother, Lauren Bacall, Stephen calls on his memories, and takes full advantage of the extraordinary access he has had to friends and colleagues of his father. The result is an intimate and personal profile of an enigmatic man whose tough image contrasted with very human ambitions and vulnerabilities.

It is also a vastly entertaining book, filled with fascinating stories involving Frank Sinatra, Katharine Hepburn, "Swifty" Lazar, John Huston, Stephen Bogart's stepfather, Jason Robards, and many others.