Brilliant, stubborn, witty, rebellious, irascible and contradictory, John Ford remains an enduring symbol of Hollywood's Golden Age and one of its most respected directors. Through a career that spanned decades and 140 films - among them such American masterpieces as "The Searchers", "The Grapes of Wrath", "Stagecoach" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" - John Ford left a cinematic legacy that few filmmakers will ever equal. Yet Ford himself was famously reticent about his personal life, often fabricating details and events. In this exploration of the life and career of one of America's greatest directors, Scott Eyman offers a portrait of the man behind the legend. He reveals how a saloon keeper's son from Maine helped to shape Hollywood's idea of America.