Living Dangerously: The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper, Creator of King Kong - a Book Review

Although the title of this book, as well as the cover, contains King Kong, this biography is about so much more than that. Yes, much space is dedicated to the movie monster, but the life of it's creator is as interesting, if not more, than the creation of the titular monster.

Beginning with his childhood and his fascination with going places that the "white man" had not been before, this text details the many adventures of Merian C. Cooper well before he became an adventurous film maker. Many of the early chapters discuss his services in World War I, including being shot down, captured, imprisoned and being reported dead to his family on more than one occasion. This is more than a mere "man behind a movie" biography. It is unfortunate that so few people today know about the exploits of this man. Cooper's life would make three or four spectacular films, because there is too much to tell in just one movie. The author, through interviews, journal entries, and contemporary stories gives the reader the feeling of looking over Mr. Cooper's shoulder and being with him in the particular time period of each chapter in his life. The reader begins to feel this man's thirst for adventure. His disdain for "civilization" and all things soft is from a bygone era. Here was a man whose motto was "Keep it distant, difficult, and dangerous". He thrived on danger, hence the title of the book.

The book spends as much time on Cooper's World War I service as it does on the films that he created. This really helped the reader gain a sense of respect and awe for the simple raw courage that Cooper had. Flying planes when they were not yet perfected, Cooper thought nothing of getting into the cockpit of one of these flying machines and leading his troops into battle. Shot down more than once, the book also details Cooper's harrowing escape from a prison camp, during which time his family was informed that he had been killed in action.

Mark Cotta Vaz writes in a very engaging style and fast pace. Each story that he tells has a tempo that encourages the reader to continue in order to see how the particular adventure pans out. Vaz also, when telling these stories, conveys his own theory that as the story was retold through the journal entries or interviews that it may have been exaggerated slightly in order to seem even more spectacular than it actually was. This does not detract from the stories, however. If anything, it gives the reader a window into the way that not only others viewed Cooper, but how he viewed himself.

This is a book about someone who should not be known simply as "the man who created King Kong." He was so much more than that. His life was one long adventure story.