Last Action Heroes - Nick de Semlyen

'The Last Action Heroes' by Nick de Semlyen (Picador 352 page paperback)

This wildly entertaining account of the golden age of the action movie reveals fascinating untold stories of the colourful characters who ascended in the wake of the likes of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger – high-kickers Chuck Norris and Jackie Chan, glowering tough guys Dolph Lundgren and Steven Seagal, and quipping troublemakers Jean-Claude Van Damme and Bruce Willis.

Drawing on candid interviews with the action stars themselves, plus their collaborators, friends and foes, The Last Action Heroes is a no-holds-barred account of a period in Hollywood history when there were no limits to the heights of fame these men achieved, or to the mayhem they wrought, on-screen and off.