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Fantastic book and adventure story. Vic Armstrong takes us from the Queen's stables to the Oscars in the most amazing adventure ride that touches on some of the greatest cinematic stunts in movie history over the past 40 years. This is a must read for any film student or film class, as it takes the reader behind the scenes into the world of filmmaking, and problem solving. The book is interspersed with quotes from some of the famous names in cinema history, Lucas, Spielberg, Angelina, all putting in their two cents about working with the legendary Vic Armstrong. I had the pleasure of working with him on a film ("Salt") and had no clue that he had done so much in his lifetime. I knew he was the famous stuntman of the Indiana Jones and Bond films, but had no idea the amazing scope of the adventure he's been on. I was fascinated by these stories of his family, the stories of his love of horses, and the journey he takes us on. He once gave me great advice; no matter how far your job takes you from your family, spend a least one weekend a month with them however you can find a way to do that. I'm grateful for the advice. This book is a rare glimpse into the rarefied world of stunts and behind the scenes making of epic films, iconic stunts, but it's also an excellent memoir from a man who is universally loved by everyone who has come across his path. Required reading for any serious cinephile, student of film history or lover of cinema.

I enjoyed the book, some areas more than others. Each movie that Vic worked on is like a small chapter in the book where he gives his details, and memories of the work he did on each film. He's honest too which is cool cause you get to hear about the beef he had with certain directors and actors and to be honest, this is my favorite stuff to read. You realize some directors don't have a clue about the business as they were fired during production. Vic Armstrong was the go to guy for all major movies. Vic is frank, funny and a joy to read. You really root for him when times got tuff. He seems like a guy you could have a beer with and tell old stories. Vic talks about two of my favorite movies also, the Indiana Jones series and Superman The Movie. He also reveals the special fx tricks and rigs they used with great detail, though I still can't figure them out in my head technically without a visual. But, it's nice he took the time to explain them. He tells some funny/dangerous tales throughout while working on sets. A good read if your a fan of behind the scenes work in movies.

I think what I liked about the book is that it almost read like a diary. This is both a weakness and a strength. A strength is that it feels like there is a constant narrative going on with one event leading into the other, where you can measurably follow his career path. The weakness being is that this book could have been tightened up a bit to help with the pacing and flow. This is not necessarily bad because it felt like one of those instances where you are listening to someone tell a tale.I would be very interested if this title is ever revised to add more background stories, particularly the shenanigans of the stuntmen. Yes we are told that this happened, but we were never given too many details in some cases. I am going to assume this is to protect the innocent :). That and I would be interested in more Raiders stories, but hey, that's just me.On a personal note, Vic, if I ever get the chance to meet you, I would love to shake your hand and get your autograph because I never realized how many of the movies you worked on were a part of my childhood, and for that, I thank you sir.

Mildlly entertaining, but if you are looking for a lot of Indiana Jones behind-the-scenes action, you won't get your money's worth.

Love this book dealing with the life of one of the greatest stunt artists of all time. From his beginning in the business to doubling for Harrison Ford in his movies..such a rich life he's lived..glad I found this book.5 stars!!

Deeply entertaining series of anecdotes about a deeply entertaining life. Armstrong is exactly the kind of dude you want to sit down and have a beer with just to listen to all his stories, and the ghostwriter managed to capture the feeling of doing exactly that. This isn't a technical manual for how they do movie stunts (although there is some of that in places as Armstrong describes various setups he's particularly proud of) -- it's a string of "no sh!t, no sh!t, there I was" stories that will leave you appreciating the men and women who work behind the scenes (and occasionally in front of the camera) to make movies look good and action stars look invincible.

Fun, breezy tales of his life as a stuntman/stunt coordinator. Taught me loads about second unit direction and the life of a stuntman, which is exactly what I wanted to read about. It's pretty clear this is a collection of Vic talking to the writer, but it works just fine. If anything, I wanted it to be more up to date (as I think Vic's still working).

An autobiographical book about the life and career of stuntman Vic Armstrong. The man who doubled for James Bond, Superman and Indiana Jones.