Rin Tin Tin

The Life and the Legend

From Susan Orlean—acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Orchid Thief and The Library Book—Rin Tin Tin is “an unforgettable book about the mutual devotion between one man and one dog” (The Wall Street Journal).

He believed the dog was immortal.

So begins Susan Orlean’s sweeping, powerfully moving account of Rin Tin Tin’s journey from abandoned puppy to international movie-star dog who appeared in twenty-seven films throughout the 1920s. Spanning almost one hundred years of history, from the dog’s improbable discovery on a battlefield in 1918 by an American soldier to his tumultuous rise through Hollywood and beyond, Rin Tin Tin is a love story and "a masterpiece" (Chicago Tribune) that is also a quintessentially American story of reinvention, a captivating exploration of our spiritual bond with animals, and a stirring meditation on mortality and immortality.

Entertaining and provocative

Very accurately conveyed the passion and intricacies of screenwriting, storytelling, the emotional highs and lows of working tirelessly on behalf of stories you believe in, and the small miracles that emerge from living the storytelling craft that has been with us since the beginning of time.
Well done!

Loved it

A wonderful story that combines the history of film and television with the tale of Rin Tin Tin and his descendents. I thought it got a little slow toward the end, but otherwise, I couldn't put it down. I love dogs, but I don't think you need to be a dog-lover to enjoy this book.

The best story I ever listened to On Audible.

I loved the story of just how
Much children adored the puppies
And the real Rin Tin Tin.

Needed a Real Narrator

Please save me from authors who think they will be the best narrators for their books. Susan Orlean is clearly a very good author but her nasal voice and flat delivery detracted from her writing and the story of this otherwise enjoyable book. I had to listen with a split mind since her voice drove me a bit batty. Please, Ms Orlean, stick to writing.

Monotone narration.

Just because you can write the story doesn’t mean you can read it in an exciting fashion. The mediocre narration took away from the story for me.