Why Sinatra Matters

Book Description

As products of the same urban landscape, Pete Hamill and Frank Sinatra have both been credited with giving the American city a voice. In this widely acclaimed and bestselling appreciation-now available in paperback for the first time-Hamill draws on his intimate experience of the man and the music to evoke the essence of Sinatra, illuminating the singer's art and his legend from the point of view of a confidant and a fan. - May 2003 marks the fifth anniversary of Sinatra's death. - The hardcover edition of Why Sinatra Matters (Little, Brown and Company, 1998), published five months after Sinatra's death, became a national bestseller.

Customer Reviews:

Applauds for Sinatra and Hamill.......2007-09-15

Another masterpiece by Hamill. This work reveals the humanity of Sinatra. It is short, but oh soooooo good! If you are interested in Sinatra, read this book. It is sophisicated and loaded with the nuances of the man who did it his way, faults, bruises, and all.

Sinatra to the point.......2006-10-02

This is a small book. Short and sweet. Mr. Hamill gets right to the point . There isnt a lot of fluff in this book. A few pictures and so anecdotes to start some of the chapters. It written well and the layout is succint. This is a must read for any Sinatra fan.

Consider The Source.......2006-06-18

Ironic that Pete Hamill should write this book. To my ears and eyes, Pete Hamill has never written a sincere or honest word in his life.

The irony is that when Sinatra was asked how he wanted to be remembered, he said he would want people to think of him as an honest singer.

The book is good, but read it with a grain of salt due to the author.

The man and his music.......2006-04-19

I like this book because it isn't like all the other Sinatra biographies out there. In fact, it isn't really appropriate to call "Why Sinatra Matters" a biography at all. Author Pete Hamill was an acquaintance of Sinatra's and much of the book is built around conversations that the two men had together, which is very interesting. This book gives a general overview of Sinatra's upbringing and rise to stardom. Hamill explains how Sinatra's childhood and Italian American background contributed to the development of his music. Sinatra's "fall from grace" is also examined, but Hamill is quick to point out that the only thing that really matters is that Sinatra was able to overcome his obstacles and make an incredible comeback. There has never been another singer like Frank Sinatra and there never will be again. Sinatra continues to represent so many things to so many people, which is why his music will live on forever.

Some Outstanding Ideas, But Just a Touch too Much Gossip! .......2005-05-24

Many of the basic,well known aspects of FS's life are mentioned here, starting with the Genoan and Sicilian branches of his family history, his quiet father and brash, Democratic Ward Leader mother. The segment on Bing Crosby's huge influence on 1930's popular culture, especially in the new radio-centered family (like TV today) is great, and perhaps not known too much today. FS as an icon for immigrant Italians, along with LaGuardia and DiMaggio, is also a high point. The days with James and Dorsey are also well done, if rehashes, like much of this otherwise excellent book. And much is written about FS's legendary "Fall" and 2nd Rise, the Fall being among the most overdone of FS's incredible life.(Many would love to fall from such Olympian heights!). Mr. Hamill says that the music is what matters. Obviously, he's right! Only Frank could sing so well about the depths of anguish and despair, as well as the thrill of triumph! The author also gives a nice summation of the great work of FS with Nelson Riddle. Unfortunately, short shrift is given to Billy May, and a short paragraph mocks the "sugary" work of Gordon Jenkins. Oddly, the most famous pairing of Jenkins and FS, "September of My Years" is listed in the appendix as among Mr. Hamill's favorite albums! It would have been nice if a CD was included,since this book does not really mine the golden depths of FS's best recordings. Still, all in all, a fine and succinct presentation of The Man and His Music.

The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin'

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Frank rules...........
The Way You Wear Your Hat:Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin'
The Man!
If You Don't Want to Hear Any More About Sinatra...
Stop Complaining

The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin'
Bill Zehme
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060931752

Book Description

Within is a masterful assembly of the most personal details and gorgeous minutiae of Frank Sinatra's way of living--matters of the heart and heartbreak, friendship and leadership, drinking and cavorting, brawling and wooing, tuxedos and snap-brims--all crafted from rare interviews with Sinatra himself as well as many other intimates, including Tony Bennett, Don Rickles, Angie Dickinson, Tony Curtis, and Robert Wagner, in addition to daughters Nancy and Tina Sinatra. Illustrated with scores of photos, The Way You Wear Your Hat captures the timeless romance and classic style of the fifties and the loose sixties and is a stunning exploration of the Sinatra mystique.

Customer Reviews:

Frank rules..................2007-01-10

I bought this book for my boyfriend. He loves Frank Sinatra. I gave it to him at Christmas along with a fedora (like Frank wears on the cover of the book). He read the whole book on Christmas. He said it was great!

"Cock your hat- angles are attitudes"~Frank Sinatra

The Way You Wear Your Hat:Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin'.......2006-11-10

The pictures are black and white, I would have preferred colored photos.

The Man!.......2006-09-15

If I could trade places with anyone in history in would be Frank Sinatra.
This book shows you the man and his unmatched charm,wit,and his overwelliming appeal,not just to beautiful woman but to everyone he met.
I opened it and read it it one sitting.
If you are a Sinatra fan,you gotta read this,and then read it again.
However,it does help if you have some background of Sinatra to appreciate it fully.
Loved it!!!

If You Don't Want to Hear Any More About Sinatra..........2005-08-18

...don't read the dang book!

Sinatra's place in our cultural history is so much admired, to the point of worship, that one group tolerates no criticism of him at all. And there are those just as happy to see anything which demolishes his legend, taking him down to the petty, nasty, egomaniacal person he was.

This book fits much more into the first category, for sure. Lots of pictures. A whole chapter titled "Broads."

So, what's not to like? Sinatra was not as nasty a father as, say, Bing Crosby, but he is quoted in the book as saying this:

"You've got to hug your kids. Kids ought to be hugged and kissed and all that good stuff. You have to stay close to them closer than ever. You must give them affection and love, or they break away."

Some swinger, eh?

Stop Complaining.......2005-06-05

There are obviously a lot of people out there who love hating Frank Sinatra.Kitty Kelly writes a filthy book thousands of Sinatra-haters swoon over,and Bill Zehme writes a fabulous book for the FANS that everyone complains about.Maybe Zehme's stories aren't all true.At least HE puts in the "alledgedly."
In any case-it's a beautiful book.It's an appreciation of an undeniably tremendous life and way of life,and on those grounds,it succeeds all the way.Yes,it does tend to gloss over the Mob relations and those legends of cruelty that have persisted so long.His Way glossed over the innumerable charitable acts and legends of kindness that have persisted so long.What do YOU want to believe?
Even if you're one of those idiot Sinatra haters,you gotta admit this is one entertaining book.Many of the anecdotes are hilarious(Rat Pack) and the sadder ones(Ava,ect.)are seemingly truthful and well-written.I do admit,I've heard most of these stories from a different source,and often in a different and darker light than taken here,but they're still the same facts,and VERY entertaingly recounted.
If you start this book prejudiced by that sad,monstrous image many of those dish-the-dirt biographies have painted of Sinatra,sure,you're gonna complain just like the rest-you want the TRUTH.What,may I ask,IS the truth?Like I said before,too many people love to hate their idols.Biographers have tried to tear down Marilyn Monroe,Elizabeth Taylor,the Kennedys,Rock Hudson,James Dean,Ava Gardner,Cary Grant,Joan Crawford,Judy Garland,Betty Davis, and are probably working on inventing a juicy scandal for Jimmy Stewart,but Frank Sinatra has been these rats' favorite target since he socked Lee Mortimer in 1947.There were not two Sinatras.You can either believe the scandal sheets and gossippy headlines that made the authors a ton of money and made Frank Sinatra the Monster that sells papers,or,you can belive this.A human,funny,admiring portrait of a VERY human man.The Frank Sinatra here is not the vicious loser described so cruelly by Kitty Kelly,but he's not an angel either.He's a person, who's supreme talent and famous controversy made a Legend.A generous,thoughtful,intelligent individual,who undoubtedly made more than his share of mistakes,but more than made up for them.Bill Zehme's miraculous book may not tell the WHOLE story,but it comes closer than anything I've ever read.I guess no one ever knew or will know exactly WHO Sinatra was.I suppose the only chance of that died when Sinatra did.But the world has its pick of possible Sinatras.And this is the best one of them all.A truly magnificent book.

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Frank Sinatra
Great Inside View of the #1 Megastar of them all!!
A must for anyone who loves Ole Blue Eyes

The Frank Sinatra Reader

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0195113896

Amazon.com

The Chairman of the Board has inspired a great many emotions--from hero-worship to withering contempt--and you'll find most of them documented in this intelligent compendium. The editors have dredged up some wonderful relics, like Bruce Bliven's 1944 rumination on what makes the Voice so magical in the first place ("Undoubtedly, just plain sex has a great deal to do with the whole matter"). But the essays, reviews, and memoirs cover every segment of Sinatra's career, including the end-game triumph (or travesty) of the best-selling "Duets."

Book Description

From the time he made hordes of hysterical fans swoon at the Paramount in 1942 up until the present day, Frank Sinatra has never been out of the public spotlight. With some 1,800 recordings, 60 film credits, two Oscars, numerous Grammys and a Grammy Legends Award, and the undying loyalty of millions of fans around the world, Sinatra has become an American hero. Songs sung by the Italian-American phenomenon, such as "New York, New York," "My Way,""Fly Me to the Moon," and "That's Life" are now among the undisputed classics of American popular music. In The Frank Sinatra Reader, Leonard Mustazza and Steven Petkov have brought together for the first time a singular selection of writings about the famous singer that focuses on his music and his legendary voice. A unique anthology of reviews, photographs, and memoirs, many of them back in print for the first time in decades, this collection tells the story of Sinatra's extraordinary musical career from its inception to the present. We see Sinatra as a teen phenomenon and follow his rise and fall as a solo performer, his comeback as a mature recording artist with Capitol Records, and his reign as a powerful and influential personality in the '60s. Lastly, the book contemplates Sinatra's ability to endure and triumph in a changing musical world. Included among the prominent writers, musicians, and journalists that recount and applaud the star's progress through the twentieth century are Henry Pleasants, Arnold Shaw, Stephen Holden, Gay Talese, Whitney Balliet, Gene Lees, Bill Boggs, Will Friedwald, and William Kennedy. Readers will also find intimate recollections by writers who knew not only the musician but the man himself, such as those by Pete Hamill, Jonathan Schwartz, and Rosalind Russell. The editors provide introductions to each section, a selected discography, a complete filmography, as well as a biographical chronology of the author's life and a selected bibliography. In The Frank Sinatra Reader, the man and his music become inseparable as the reader develops a greater understanding and appreciation of both. Mustazza and Petkov have created an invaluable collection that both illuminates and reflects Sinatra's incredible impact on the American cultural landscape. It is a must read for all Sinatra fans and for anyone interested in popular music and culture.

Customer Reviews:

Frank Sinatra.......2006-04-16

Here's a collection of articles and book excerpts dealing with Frank Sinatra - the man, his music, his career. A vast majority of the pieces were written after 1965, and most are fairly long and substantial. It's amazing how similar in approach many of the personal reminiscences are: I knew Sinatra a long time, though we're not close friend; his personality is volatile - up one minute, demonic the next; he's performed magically at times and also in a mediocre fashion - are typical remarks. The ambiguity that those who know the man share is fascinating. Just about everyone acknowledges a magnetism about Sinatra - even bigger than his talent, said Billy Wilder - and many who have come to know him almost fear being sucked in by that magnetism - so they purposely keep the man at arm's length (at least in their writings about him). Just about every author who writes about keeping an appointment, for example, with Ol' Blue Eyes relates it with a marked tentativeness, some (notably Pete Hamill) as if they were going to their doom. I guess that was the power of Sinatra.

Guy Talese's "Sinatra Has a Cold" 1966 Esquire article (an early example of the New Journalism) is included, and it's a highlight of the book. Also of special interest are Pete Hamill's "The Legend Lives," Sinatra fanatic Jonathan Schwartz's "In the Wee Small Hours," and Petkov's own essay on Sinatra's greatest years when recording for Capitol records. But all the pieces are worthwhile and together build a well-rounded, critical (as opposed to mere adulation) view of perhaps the greatest male pop singer of all time. Worth checking out.

Great Inside View of the #1 Megastar of them all!!.......2001-12-23

From Bobby Sox fave to Sultan of Swoon to the Fall and Great Comeback, it is just about all here, except for the very last years from the mid-1990's to the end. This volume is a collection of essays surveying the vast realm of an incredible career. The clear links between his peerless Capitol recordings,and his own life are explained,as are the demanding sessions themselves, his always being in charge with a lot of help from his friends. Every piece here is worthwhile, my favorite being Gay Talese's FRANK SINATRA HAS A COLD (1966)To quote:"Sinatra with a cold is Picasso without paint,Ferrari without fuel..A Sinatra with a cold can, in a small way,send vibrations through the entertainment industry and beyond as surely as a President can, suddenly sick, shake the national economy." A great fun of a read! Not for Frank fanatics only.

A must for anyone who loves Ole Blue Eyes.......2000-09-19

This book is like an almanac of information on Frankie. I had the pleasure of reading it at a friends house, and it was just great. I highly recommend it. Another good one, is "Why Sinatra Matters." Both give a glimpse into a man that we all love.

Average customer rating:

I am Speechless, A Man of True Genius and Class
Best photographic Sinatra book, ever.
Superbly illustrated profile of Sinatra

Sinatra:: The Artist and the Man
John Lahr
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375501444
Release Date: 1997-12-08

Book Description

"I am a symmetrical man, almost to a fault," Frank Sinatra once said. It is a peculiar statement, because Sinatra is precisely asymmetrical. How to reconcile the enchanting crooner and the explosive bully? What to make of the smooth tones of his voice and the rough edges of his persona? To find the true correspondence between the public and the private Sinatra, the artist and the man, is no easy task. John Lahr, drama critic for The New Yorker and one of the finest writers on the performing arts working today, has done just this in Sinatra: The Artist and the Man

Lahr traces the trajectory of the "solitary latchkey kid" from Hoboken, New Jersey, into the stratosphere of fame. Sinatra kept company with presidents and mobsters; he kept up the front of a happy family life for as long as he could and then took up with the most desired women in the world--Ava Gardner, Lauren Bacall, Anita Ekberg, Marilyn Monroe, and many, many more. He led a life of manic gregariousness, yet spoke to the romance and loneliness of the "wee small hours of the morning." He desperately needed to exist within the gaze of the audience but at the same time would express aloofness toward his fans, saying he was happiest "when I'm onstage all by myself with an orchestra and nobody to bug me."

Sinatra: The Artist and the Man also examines the miracle of Sinatra's return--much of what is marvelous about Sinatra today is that we know who he is at all, so far did he fall in the late forties. Sinatra came back with a vengeance as Angelo Maggio in From Here to Eternity, a heartfelt and brilliantly comic performance that won him an Academy Award. At the same time, he reclaimed control of the recording studio and, with the help of an ingenious arranger named Nelson Riddle, perfected the swinging sound of his mature years. Sinatra then proceeded to build a media empire that has been the standard by which all other stars have measured their success. The artist and the man: Sinatra epitomized control and he raged uncontrollably, destroying friendships, love affairs, and a plate-glass window or two; he won fans around the world across three generations, created an unparalleled body of recorded work, and almost single-handedly invented the postwar American swagger and "the image," Lahr writes, "of perfect individualism."

Sinatra's life and art happen to be extremely well documented in photographs--from Weegee's hilarious pictures of bobby-soxer hysteria at New York's Paramount Theatre to William Read Woodfield's definitive and rare "Chairman of the Board" images. Sinatra: The Artist and the Man collects one hundred of the best photographs ever taken of Sinatra (some never before published)--representing his film work, the special intensity of his recording sessions, and the many swinging nights of this complex and fascinating man.

Customer Reviews:

I am Speechless, A Man of True Genius and Class.......2005-04-25

I love this book, the more I learn about Mr. Sinatra the more I fall in love with him...He was the epitome of class and of someone who lived life "his way". He set the bar high for other performing actors/singers and I think no other can match his genious aside from Lucianno Pavarotti....Excellent read!!

Best photographic Sinatra book, ever........2000-01-04

This is the best-looking coffee table book on Sinatra, with most of the first half based on an excellent essay by John Lahr. For a thorough look at the music, you want Will Friedwald's book, but this one is a classic photo tour of Sinatra's career from Hoboken to the world. I could spend a 1000 words on the pictures, but you can travel back to the 1950s with this one. The large format photos bring home the personality of the subjects, who include Nat Cole, Ava Gardner, Dean Martin, Count Basie and other music icons of the last century. Very enjoyable evening read, also.

Superbly illustrated profile of Sinatra.......1998-08-24

Of the plethora of books on Frank Sinatra that have been fighting for space on the shelves since his death, this is the best.

A wonderful essay by John Lahr chronicles his life, from the tough streets of Hoboken to a room in Beverly Hills shortly before his 80th birthday. A now well chronicled life, but captured by Mr Lahr in all its complexity and contradiction.

At the heart of this life was his great gift - singing. At the very end, in the Beverly Hills room, surrounded by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan (what were they doing there?) Steve Lawrence and others, he insisted on singing the solo. It was his right then, as it had been his right throughout his life. And he was undeniable.

A beautifully designed and produced book, it is adorned with a perfect selection of photographs to complement the essay. Look at the faces on page 102, completely transfixed by "The Voice" and see what James Agee called "an erotic dream".

Book Description

This is the book Frank Sinatra failed to stop, the unauthorized biography of one of the most elusive public figures of our time. Celebrated journalist Kitty Kelley spent three years researching government documents (Mafia-related material, wiretaps and secret testimony) and interviewing more than 800 people in Sinatra's life (family, colleagues, law-enforcement officers, personal friends). Fully documented, highly detailed and filled with revealing anecdotes, here is the penetrating story of the explosively controversial and undeniably multi-talented legend who ruled the entertainment industry for more than fifty years.

Customer Reviews:

A walk on the sinister side..........2007-05-02

This is a lengthy look at the shadows in Sinatra's personality, and is not the one to read if you are interested in how he developed his approach to singing so well. Frank appears to have been a victim of what we now call bipolar disorder, back in the days when no effective medications existed for it except alcohol and nicotine. He sank into scary depressions, and soared into wild bouts of manic activity, exhibited both grandiosity and generosity in excess, supported violence against his enemies and often uncritical acceptance of his friends. He grew up with a passive dad and a forceful but not likable mom, was a spoiled child who sometimes was a victim of discrimination due to his Italian heritage, and developed such an intense drive to be successful that he frequently drove away the people who might have been best for him. Upon finishing this gossipy yet apparently truthful biography, I didn't want Frank as a friend, but I didn't give away any of my dozen CD's, either. Sometimes one has to divorce the artist from the person in order to remain a fan.

Do Not Read This Book.......2006-05-31

This was evidently meant to be a commentary on the life and hates of Frank Sinatra. It was probably meant to be quite a character study - connect the dots between all the revolting facts coldly listed here and you find a revolting human being. If the dots don't quite come together, as they didn't for me, you find a rather different connotation. The solemn quote at the beginning delineates the difference between reputation and character. Ms.Kelley, being the all-knowing Author, gets right into her examination into Mr. Sinatra's character behind the reputation with a cold first chapter related in frankly impossible detail. From then on Sinatra is shown to be callous, pathetic, weak, vicious, brutal, abusive, crude, egomaniacal, vindictive, and quite possibly crazy in an overwhelming documentary that seems very fond of the two words "Sinatra screamed" and any reference to any weakness known to man that Sinatra allegedly possessed. In a cold, stark, very nearly cruel style interviews with disgruntled former employees, wives of friends, gangsters, yes-men, Hoboken tattle-tales, discarded girlfriends, two-bit comics, technicians, and the slimy Peter Lawford are all displayed in 633 pages of rot. The skeletal overview of Mr. Sinatra's life is almost frighteningly calculated - any unscrupulous writer can pick and choose to their heart's content while still remaining truthful, and Ms. Kelley could write a book about her inimitable art of relating only the least flattering information and blaming her digustingly biased view on outraged virtue.
Every character in this organized assasination, as a matter of fact, appears to be a good little human being, abused and cruelly rejected by Frank Sinatra, doing their sad duty to let the world know Sinatra done 'em wrong. Appears. Ms. Kelley apparentely agrees with them. Their sympathetically related tales are the backbone of the biography.
I have no idea how Kitty Kelley and several other Sinatra biographers are so blind that they have never been able to locate one positive Sinatra review in their life. In this book, if no bad review exists for a movie, record, concert, TV show, ect., it is either ignored or used to promote another example of bad behavior backstage. I know all the good reviews exist. I've read them, and it always surprised me because according to Kelley and other pick-and-choosers the perfomance was lousy. But this is not about a career, it's said; it's about a life. Then why mention any reviews at all?
If all the names mentioned in here actually said Sinatra was an awful person, I just might believe it. But they didn't. The uncomplimentary comments used are in any other source buried in an avalanche of rave reviews and praise. Ms.Kelley, of coure, the St. Bernard of literature, sniffed them out. Ava Gardner's autobiography paints a very different portrait of what she felt about Mr.Sinatra than the few harsh statements here. Lauren Bacall's "By Myself" is so often negatively interpreted it's ridiculous, and Ms. Kelley joins the long line of misinterpreters. Rare comments by Frank Sinatra Jr., Sammy Davis and others are gleefully repeated, despite the fact that their opinions about Mr.Sinatra are almost always positive to the extreme. No famous friends of his were interviewed, simply because people who genuinely loved him went as high as the summit of upper-class Hollywood, nobility, and the White House, and that was the type of thing Kelley wanted least. I read an interview in which Ms. Kelley supposedly said she didn't find Sinatra appealing because he had no sense of humor. Ha. There has never been anyone with as little humor about them as Ms.Kitty Kelley, executioner of reputation, fabricater of character. The sense of smug gloating, the nasty smirking of the authoress over Mr.Sinatra's discomfort at having so many people read this trash and BELIEVE it, is the only humor evident, and that makes me sick. Even if every statement were true, I'd still have a certain sympathy for Frank Sinatra, because, as it eventually becomes clear, you learn less than nothing about what Sinatra was really like, but you learn a great deal about the writer. The Sinatra story displayed is all probably untrue reputation, but Ms.Kelley's scheme for hurting him backfired - her character is evident. The preface says,''Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us." True.

On Sinatra: This Is Not The Book To Read.......2006-04-13

I read this bound piece of trash twenty years ago. I thought it was nothing but a steaming, stinking pile of lies and over-the-top exaggerations. Time has shown that the author, Kitty Kelley, is a hateful smear mistress lacking the least bit of integrity and decency.

All you will get from this book besides the outright lies are hearsay and rumors.
According to Kelley, Sinatra was nothing but a spoiled brat and bullying coward who relied on thugs to get what he wanted.
She tells us he brought home prostitutes and tried to force his first wife, Nancy, into threesomes with them. We read about a mafia hit on a smalltown sheriff whose wife was being screwed by Ol' Blue Eyes. Then there is the tale of a hot pot of fresh coffee which Sinatra launched at his longtime valet's face. Do you get the idea of what this book is all about?
HIS WAY is typical Kitty Kelley, epitomizing her level and ability as a writer and a human being.

Sinatra had many faults but they were vastly outnumbered by his virtues.

"The Next Time You Run Into Dorothy Kilgallen, Make Sure You're In Your Car." .......2006-03-25

Kitty Kelley is famous for her tell-all unauthorized biographies of celebrities. This is the one that put her on the map. The target of a "prior restraint" suit by Sinatra that tried to block its publication (fortunately for the First Amendment he failed), the resulting uproar made this book an instant best-seller.

Almost any reader will be titillated by the "Unauthorized" in the title, and HIS WAY does have some merit in the Guilty Pleasures department; but Kelley is so unrelentingly negative about Frank Sinatra that this two-and-a-half star effort becomes too easy to put down.

A reader coming here for a glimpse of Ol' Blue Eyes meets a skinny, histrionic bully who was fascinated by gangsters, lived by threats alone, was alternately the most generous and the most vituperative of men, and who never dropped his torch for Ava Gardner, for whom he had turned his life upside-down.

Kelley, however, chirps past most of his actual career in favor of juicy bedroom gossip, and never acknowledges that the twenty-five year old Sinatra was not the fifty year old Sinatra. Instead, The Chairman of The Board seems to have sprung fully grown and unflatteringly from Hoboken, New Jersey, much as Athena did from the head of Zeus.

Kelley moves from sordid story to sordid story with glee and with barely a breath, clearly not understanding (or wishing to understand) the inner motivations of her incredibly complex subject. HIS WAY is catty, enjoyable tabloid trash. But it's not "biography."

Sinatra had a lifelong feud with the Media (even though he lived and died in its eye). Kelley, a yellow journalist, clearly takes sides with her fellow journalists.

Intriguing Biography.......2005-04-14

I agree that Kelley has emphasized the negative in Sinatra's life. But Sinatra had scared so many people away from telling the truth about him that this volume was much-needed addition to the Sinatra literature. Kelley does not completely neglect Sinatra's music, but precisely because he was already well known as a great singer, this book was a corrective to the longstanding hagiography surrounding him. "His Way" is the perfect title for the book. While Sinatra was a great singer, he was a rather selfish person. One minor note, which is not confined to this biography in particular: Whatever anyone can say about Illinois in the 1960 presidential election, it was not critical to Kennedy's election. Even without Illinois's electoral votes that year, Kennedy still would have been elected president. So to say that Sinatra somehow influenced the election is sheer nonsense, at least in regard to that state.

The Rat Pack: The Hey-Hey Days of Frank and the Boys

Average customer rating:

Out-ratting the Rats
fuhgettaboutit
Save your dough
CLIFF "RAT" NOTES
Ratty

The Rat Pack: The Hey-Hey Days of Frank and the Boys
Lawrence J. Quirk
Manufacturer: Taylor Trade Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0878339922

Amazon.com

Quirk and Schoell's rehashing of the biographical details of Frank Sinatra and the rest of his crew is only intermittently able to disguise its contempt for their personal and professional lives. If there's an opportunity for a pot shot, rest assured this book will take it, from the admittedly deserved (Cannonball Run II, anyone?) to the probably uncalled for (a charity performance for a halfway house for ex-convicts is dismissed with snide comments about Sinatra the wannabe gangster). Much of the source material is drawn from Quirk's footwork as an entertainment reporter in the 1960s; interviews that he conducted with Peter Lawford over the years also provide some juicy tales of sex and drugs, as well as the inside scoop on his ouster from "the Clan" after brother-in-law President Kennedy backed out of his planned Palm Springs vacation at Frank Sinatra's home. (The same stories, with much less venom and some more pizazz, can be found in Shawn Levy's Rat Pack Confidential.)

Book Description

The Rat Pack -- Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop -- had talent, money, and power to burn. They also had something else even more important.

They had fun.

Customer Reviews:

Out-ratting the Rats.......2007-07-16

The back cover suggests that the main reason for the Rat Pack's appeal was the fun they seemed to be having. The contents, however, seem to be intended to deconstruct this premise. One by one, in numbing detail, the five men (and "mascot" Shirley Maclaine) are subjected to jaundiced, gossipy biographies that portray them as pathetic characters. Very little of the information is original - many of the anecdotes related here are familiar and seem selectively drawn from more in-depth biographies. The tone is consistently vulgar and deprecating. There are also tedious reviews of all the films of every Pack member, including critiques of seemingly every cast member's performance, prolonging an already unpleasant read. It is as if the authors wished to undermine the undeniable talent and charm these performers had, and which remains their legacy. This cheap anthology simply exploits that legacy.

fuhgettaboutit.......2006-12-14

I'm going to throw away my copy, too. Perhaps the most annoying aspect, for a film buff, is how the authors add insult to injury with their "film reviews." It's bad enough that they get facts wrong -- most of the score to ON THE TOWN was NOT written by Leonard Bernstein, for example -- but then these ignoramuses presume to pass negative judgment on classics like ON THE TOWN and FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, a right they clearly haven't earned with their "research."

Save your dough.......2004-01-28

The only reason I give this book one star is because zero stars wasn't an option. It took two guys to write this tripe? One monkey could have done a better job. This book is lazy and poorly written and I am ticked off that I wasted my money on it. The definitive book on the Rat Pack has got to be Shawn Levy's. After reading the first two pages of Levy's book I was hooked. The difference between a real writer and a couple of hacks.

CLIFF "RAT" NOTES.......2002-05-15

Here is the deal. If you are just starting to get into the Rat Pack or any of the players individually. Then this book is a good start. I would call it the Cliff notes of the individuals and their movies. If you have seen all the movies including the Matt Helm movies or if you have already read books on Dean, Frank, Sammy's biography then you are way ahead of this book and pass it by.

But if you have not seen the movies and want to learn the basics of each man and then from there search into each one of them seperatly then this is a good starter. There are some great books on all the guys but you will finded Sammy's Biography to be the most fun. Remember to check out deanmartinfancenter.com for more info on the Rat Pack. For the guys who wrote this you could have given us some fun facts or answered some questions, instead they read everyone else book and put together their own version.

Ratty.......2002-01-28

The blurb on the cover of THE RAT PACK says "They had fun" but there's precious little fun to be found here. This book is a tedious listing of (mostly negative) events. It lacks any sparkle and vigor, and if I believed half of it, I'd have to wonder just what the appeal of this group of overgrown adolescents could be. There had to be more.

The Chairman of The Board is the centerpiece as an egomaniacal bully who uses his star power to make the world feel indebted to him. His reported temper tantrums seem utterly absurd. Anyone who used his fists or threats of mob violence as much as the authors claim Sinatra did, should have and would have been locked up, "different era" or no. The Frank Sinatra in these pages wouldn't be a "King of Cool". He wouldn't be anything much.

The rest of the boys orbit around Frank like some kind of an inebriated solar system. The boozing and skirt-chasing is leaden, so where's the thrill? Where are the laughs? If this book is at all accurate (and it isn't, listing Dean Martin's date of death incorrectly), it means that this group of supremely talented entertainers valued nothing, not even themselves.

The bulk of the book is made up of mostly scathing summaries of the Rat Pack movies. Nary a word is said about either Frank or Dean's musical careers. Sammy Davis Jr. is dismissed as little more than the Rat Pack houseboy. Peter Lawford is depicted as a sexually confused drug addict craving the attention of the others. Joey Bishop is virtually forgotten. The Rat Pack Mascots (Shirley MacLaine and Angie Dickinson) get barely honorable mentions (MacLaine far more than Dickinson). One has to wonder why Shirley MacLaine would continue to associate with The Rat Pack after being assaulted by mobster Sam Giancana twice in their company. The book begs an answer. MacLaine is no slouch, so obviously more and better was happening with the "Clan" than this sordid book deigns to tell us.

To really appreciate the Rat Pack give a listen to The Rat Pack Live at the Sands or The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection: Live & Swingin (CD & DVD).

Frank Sinatra: History, Identity, and Italian American Culture (Italian & Italian American Studies)

Average customer rating:

A New Look at Old Blue Eyes
The best of both worlds: Frank Sinatra & Italy

Frank Sinatra: History, Identity, and Italian American Culture (Italian & Italian American Studies)

Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1403966559
Release Date: 2004-09-23

Book Description

No one represents the Italian American journey from undesirable outsiders to embraced citizens better than Frank Sinatra. From impoverished beginnings in an immigrant, single-parent household to world renown as "Chairman of the Board," he beat the odds to become one of the most influential and best-loved artists of the twentieth century. Sinatra's symbolic role to the millions of Italian American immigrants who looked up to him as proof of the American dream was far-reaching. From teenage crooner to civil rights activist to Reagan Republican, his shifting identity resonated deeply in Italian American culture. Now, a gathering of distinguished historians, journalists and critics explore Sinatra's impact on American culture, from questions of politics and civil rights to Italian mothering, morality, and ethnic stereotyping. These insights place Sinatra at the fulcrum of many controversial and timely issues that lend his influence a new depth and power, not only musically but in a broad historical context.

Customer Reviews:

A New Look at Old Blue Eyes.......2007-04-10

Stan Pugliese's book is outstanding. It outlines the way Italian American culture was shaped and influenced by Frank Sinatra by putting together a series of scholarly articles dealing with the history, politics, identity, and representation of Sinatra's life. It is an entirely new perspective on an old story. The book was written in order to cast a scholarly light on some hazy issues that have been overlooked in the past. All of the articles are written by collegiate historians (all of whom have impressive working bibliographies).

This is an excellent source for anyone interested in researching Sinatra because it is written with a modern perspective (c. 1994). This is not intended to be a biography, and reading it with a background knowledge of Sinatra is helpful. This book is only really meant to be geared toward historians or scholars that are familiar with Sinatra's life.

The book is extremely well-written and well-researched, and I would recommend it to anyone who is familiar with Sinatra and his life (which also means being familiar with the context of his life). For researching purposes, the book was extremely helpful.

The best of both worlds: Frank Sinatra & Italy.......2007-01-09

This book wasn't actually for me, it was for my father-in-law, who is 100% Italian, and probablly Frank Sinatra's biggest fan! So for Christmas I was on a mission to bring his 2 favorite things together... Although I didn't read the book, he was very excited about the book, and has told us that he enjoyed it very much :o)

Sinatra! the Song is You: A Singer's Art

Average customer rating:

That beautiful rhapsody of love and youth and spring
This Book is About the Music
Author's style irritates me no end , but worth it for the writing
Preaching to the Choir
no gossip or garbage-it's about the music!

Sinatra! the Song is You: A Singer's Art
Will Friedwald
Manufacturer: Da Capo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0306807424

Amazon.com

Not surprisingly, most of Frank Sinatra's biographers have raked through the muck of the singer's marriages, divorces, mob connections, and outbursts of foul-mouthed misogyny. Will Friedwald takes a different tack. Oh, the biographical facts are there, but Friedwald is mostly interested in the Voice--that irresistible, inimitable instrument, the absence of which would punch a major hole in the soundtrack of life. This is certainly the best book ever written on Sinatra's music, which means that it sheds a great deal of light on American pop music in general. And while Friedwald gets downright rhapsodic when it comes to the career highlights, he's not afraid to tweak Ol' Blue Eyes when he comes up with a dud.

Book Description

As Frank Sinatra approaches his eightieth year, he remains the greatest entertainer of our age. However, recent biographers, emphasizing the singer's celebrity at the expense of his artistry, have obscured the truth that it was Sinatra's art -- the way he used his voice to invigorate American popular music with innovative phrasing and a mastery of range and emotion -- that won him a lasting place in popular culture.

Sinatra! The Song Is You is the first full-length work to document the musical life of Frank Sinatra. Drawing upon recent interviews with Sinatra collaborators, arrangers, and musicians -- as well as previously unpublished conversations with "The Voice" himself -- author Will Friedwald chronicles this five-decade career, tracing the evolution of his vocal style from such early influences as Harry James (the bandleader who in the late thirties "discovered" Sinatra in New Jersey's Rustic Cabin), Tommy Dorsey,and Axel Stordahl, with whom Sinatra recorded his first string of solo hits. With the orchestrations of Nelson Riddle in the fifties came a more hard-swinging, uptempo Sinatra; the creation of his own label, Reprise Records, in the sixties gave him the venue to experiment with such unexpected forms as soft rock and psychedelia. Friedwald argues that Sinatra's recordings in the two decades following his 1971 to 1973 retirement weren't as prolific or as consistent as his earlier work, despite a startling comeback that culminated in the 1990s with the platinum-selling Duets discs.

Dubbed "the Poet Laureate of vintage pop music," Will Friedwald brings to this compelling history his astute critical analysis of all the classic and less familiar songs, presented here with the passion and wit that won him raves for Jazz Singing. Featuring an authoritative compact discography and eight pages of rare photos of recording sessions and performances, Sinatra! The Song Is You is an invaluable resource for Sinatra enthusiasts and the definitive print companion to his vast musical legacy.

Customer Reviews:

That beautiful rhapsody of love and youth and spring.......2007-09-04

I loved this book, this beautiful rhapsody of love and youth and spring, which focuses on Sinatra's music. I gave it to my dad, who is also a musician, but he felt it dwelled on the subject too long. I agree that it did over indulge at points, but just as Frank was such a perfectionist and so particular about his music, it took the subject very seriously, and gave it the attention it deserved. Personally, I found it fascinating, like I find Sinatra's music fascinating. I listen to his phrasing, marvel at his breath control, and most of all, wonder just how it is that he manages to convey so much emotion with only his voice.

Frank Sinatra is larger than life, a character that embodies the paradox and contradictions of the 20th Century in the United States of America like no other person before or since. As Kitty Kelley said in the preface to her trashy biography of the man, His Way: An Unauthorized Biography Of Frank Sinatra, he is the touchstone of our times. Sometimes his legend looms so large that we forget that what made him famous--why he matters--is his music. Will Friedland's book shines the spotlight right where it belongs.

One anonymous reviewer, `A Reader,' gave it only 2 stars, and titled his review: The Chairman deserves better. He gives the book a failing grade, and complains that Friedwald is not a true critic. He is a mere fan posing as a critic, says `A Reader,' whose opinions are no more valuable than yours or mine.

I beg to differ with `A Reader' here, because I feel that the exhaustive research Friedwald has put into the book, and the work he has done in writing it, elevates him far above the level of a mere fan. Most Sinatraphiles agree that his work with Nelson Riddle was the apex of his career, which is why so-called Nelson Riddle worship is, as you unwittingly admit, so typical. That you would prefer "a work of high critical quality by a critic with a PhD in cultural history" speaks volumes--about your snobbery (Actually, I will have to check out John Rockwell's Frank Sinatra: An American Classic. Thanks for the recommendation).

Another reviewer, who gave it 3 stars titled his review: Preaching to the Choir. He gives the author some credit, but then calls him a Bobby Soxer who gushes for 500+ pages. Then he reveals that his main problem is the songs he likes the best are Will Friedland's least favorites: "Strangers in the Night," "Melody of Love," and "My Way." I rest my case. Why don't you throw in "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" and "Does Eat Oats, and Cows Eat Oats, and Little Lambs Eat Ivy" while you're at it? Much better than the mickey mouse "swing" of Nelson Riddle.

Another reviewer, also writing under the pseudonym of `A Reader' titles his opus: Friedwald needs a good editor. "Unfortunately, as with his earlier Jazz Singing, Friedwald writes a self-indulgent stream-of-consciousness which is badly in need of professional editing. The book is written in a pseudo-hip musical jargon which most readers will find incomprehensible and which lacks both precision and grace."

He then proceeds to list important things about Sinatra's music that Will Friedwald totally ignores, as if 500+ pages is just much too short, and how dare he omit Astaire's contribution to rhythmic variation, and everything Italianate that predates Bing Crosby, stretching back via Jolson to Puccini?

You could use a little professional editing yourself. Your stream-of-consciousness is getting a little self-indulgent, and I'm finding it to be most incomprehensible, and lacking not only precision, but grace. If you are such an expert, `A Reader,' then why don't you write your own book?

As for the pseudo-hep musical jargon, I found it very appropriate and Sinatraesque. Ring-a-ding-ding! It's the Rat Pack calling. They want Will Friedland's self-indulgent stream-of-consciousness back.

Ring-a-Ding Ding!
Songs for Swingin' Lovers!
In the Wee Small Hours
Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely
A Swingin' Affair!
Point of No Return
No One Cares
Where Are You

This Book is About the Music.......2006-12-17

Will Friedwald has given us the definitive text on the music of Frank Sinatra. This book deals hardly at all with Frank Sinatra as a person and concentrates instead on Sinatra the consummate musician, analyzing each period in his musical development, and weaving into this the influences of those around him, in particular Axel Stordahl, Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins. Each song is carefully analyzed. And while this would appear to be somewhat tedious, it is a fascinating page-turner. With the comprehensive index in the back, a listener can read up on a song and then listen with a heightened appreciation for what went into creating it.
Frank Sinatra is the greatest male vocalist of the Twentieth Century, in my opinion, and this book is the best handbook to understanding his music that exists anywhere.

Author's style irritates me no end , but worth it for the writing.......2006-05-11

I had heard about this book , bought it and haven't read it for a little while now . It is the sort of book you dip into depending what records or career period of Frank's you want to explore .

There are a lot of little in jokes and what I presume are Yiddish words , which would be great if I understood them .
I'm not Yiddish already .

This is a book that will become an invaluable piece of material for scholars and fans . The author also did the great thing of interviewing many of these important and superb musicians before they got too old and/or died , such as Billy May .
The interviews themselves should be released one day .

I suppose it is good that the author's style is sort of entertaining , but in the end I could do with less of that , as it takes away from the achievement somehow and cheapens it .

Still , you will enjoy the music of Frank Sinatra a lot more if you have this book .

That is what is important , after all .

Preaching to the Choir.......2006-04-10

On the upside, historian Will Friedwald presents a rare treat for Sinatra fans: he writes about the singer's art -- not his life. Since Sinatra's life has been examined in hundreds of tabloids and books, it is certainly not missed here. Friedwald provides interviews with band members, producers, etc., and gives the reader a fairly comprehensive overview of Sinatra's work.

On the downside, Bobby-soxer Will Friedwald gushes over Sinatra's singing, and his arrangers (Riddle, Stordahl, et al. This is fine for diehard Sinatra fans, but 500+ pages of almost unmitigated gushing can be hard for us casual fans to digest.

But what I found to be the biggest drawback with the book is the author's taste in music. The few Sinatra songs he trashes just so happen to be the ones that I like best ("Strangers in the Night," "Melody of Love," "My Way," etc.). Friedwald prefers his sappiest string arrangements (Stordahl) and mickey mouse "swing" tunes (Riddle) which he examines in excrutiating detail.

For Sinatraphiles it's a must. For the rest of us, it can be a bit of a bore.

no gossip or garbage-it's about the music!.......2004-10-21

i bot this book as a stocking stuffer for my wife, a casual sinatra fan thinking it was just another bio. then i started reading it. it sb noted that i owned 2 sinatra discs when i bot this book, i now have about 50. this book not only helped me understand the music i had already heard, but helped me seek out & discover the 100's of lost gems in sinatra's recorded works. again-no gossip, no kitty kelly junk, a well researched bio of frank's recorded output. if theres a downside to this book, it's that it will make you want to go out & find more franks discs than you may already own, and that could be an expensive undertaking. why?...because reprise or barbara s. do not listen to fans and re-realease the same greatest hits over & over. if u want a cd copy of "she shot me down"...prepare to pay up the nose on ebay-not a real good way to handle a legacy babs. that aside, nothing better than hittin the couch on a rainy or snowy day, poor a glass of booze(neat), crank a little "only the lonely" and read this book!

Average customer rating:

A Poignant, Tender Tribute To A Remarkable Man
My father's daughter
A LONELY MAN
An Excellent Book
Interesting & fast read!

My Father's Daughter: A Memoir
Tina Sinatra , and Jeff Coplon
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0684870762

Amazon.com

For Sinatra fans, 2000 was a very good year. First came the discography Put Your Dreams Away; then, the newsy exposé of the Chairman's FBI dossier, The Sinatra Files; and now, his life story as seen by his younger daughter Tina. Besides inside family stuff, Tina knows about Frank's life from having produced the CBS miniseries about him. The most publicized item in the book concerns Frank's kind words with the Mafia on behalf of JFK's campaign. But, beware the common belief that the Mafia stole the election for JFK--this is dubious--and don't miss out on all of the more interesting stories in the book. There's irony: JFK personally persuaded United Artists to make Sinatra's best film, that classic of Presidential-assassination conspiracy, The Manchurian Candidate. There's squalor: Before the Mafia helped him through his career slump, Frank walked past an Eddie Fisher movie marquee and promptly attempted suicide. There's poignance: "I'm not home much, but I'm a pretty damned good father," Frank unconvincingly claimed. Nancy Barbato Sinatra--the mother of Tina, Nancy, and Frank Jr.--comes off as saintly. Ava Gardner was nice to the kids, but a comparably neurotic brawler with Frank. Mia Farrow, Tina's schoolmate, was delightful, inclined to intense relationships with father figures (Salvador Dalì, Yul Brynner), eccentric, and not as frail and malleable as she looked and Frank probably hoped: "She was just as career-driven as Ava, and probably more independent," writes Tina. "Mia was more of a day person, while the only dawns my father saw were on the back end of a hard day's night." Barbara Marx Sinatra, according to embittered Tina, made Frank's last 12 years a living hell. (Barbara has declined to comment on Tina's charges.)

In straightforward prose that's studded with interesting facts (did you know Frank would tip $200 if you parked his car?) and 86 photos, Tina Sinatra paints a lively portrait of her inconsolably lonely pop-star pop. And she did it her way. Deal with it. --Tim Appelo

Book Description

A startling, compelling, yet affectionate portrait of an American entertainment legend by his youngest daughter, who for the first time writes about the man, his life, the accusations, and about the many people who surrounded him -- wives, friends, lovers, users, and sycophants -- from his Hoboken childhood through the notorious "Rat Pack," and beyond.

Complete with many never before seen photographs taken directly from family albums, and placing special emphasis on his later years and his marriage to Barbara Marx Sinatra, Tina's personal exploration of this difficult final period in her father's career will solidify our image of Sinatra as a great performer and reinforce him as something even greater: as a father, and as man.

Customer Reviews:

A Poignant, Tender Tribute To A Remarkable Man.......2007-08-31

I thought I'd read it all, seen it all and heard everything there was hear or know about F.S. but, curiously enough, I never bought this book! It was given to me at a time in my life when I had stopped reading about all the celebrities I had ever wanted to. The day before yesterday I found this book in the place I had put it years ago, next to all the other books about F.S. that I had read through the years. The books fill the space between Ava Gardner's, "Ava, My Story" and Mia Farrow's, "What Falls Away." I cannot thank Tina Sinatra enough for sharing her world with her father with us and Jeff Coplon for co-writing. This is the definitive book on Frank Sinatra, the man. Tina takes you on her journey and journal of loving memories about her relationship with her father over many years. From his final months as the husband of Nancy Barbato Sinatra until his death at age 82, Tina rode the F.S. rollercoaster which was her father's life. Through it all, the highs, the lows, the failed marriages F.S. remained loyal, respectful, loving, caring and protective of his first and only family. Then came Barbara Marx. If Leona Helmsley was the "Queen of Mean" this, then, was her adoring protege. How Tina, Nancy Frankie, Jr. or Nancy, Sr. tolerated this wretched individual is beyond comprehension, however, they respected her as the wife of their father. Respect was absolute in the real Sinatra family and he taught his family well. It was because of Barbara that Tina, Nancy or Frankie, Jr. did not have the opportunity of being with him in the final moments of his life. His children were everything to him and he garnered their esteem by never smothering them, never being judgmental and by always trying to be there when any of them needed him. As complex as he was, he was a pretty darned good father. To see him through Tina's eyes is to know who he really was when the glitz and the glitter were stripped away. This is a must read for any true Sinatra fan.

My father's daughter.......2007-02-07

Really enjoyed this book! Tina did a great job of giving us some insights into her father and some of his actions.
I can't imagine that any Sinatra fan would not enjoy this book.
Karen Eitel

A LONELY MAN.......2006-02-23

Of all the "Sinatra" books I have read over the years this one gives the greatest insight into how lonely the genius Sinatra really was. Throughout her childhood she watched. She watched and took in the tantrums, the frustration, the misery, the elation and the more sinister aspects of the mans life.

A frank account of Sinatra, (excuse the pun) from a daughter born in the first success period of Sinatra's life.

An Excellent Book.......2004-04-29

I have been exposed to Frank Sinatra's music all my life, and been a fan of his since I was 9. However, after reading this book, I feel I know him in a way like never before, in a more detailed, intimate way. I truly understand the kind of man and person he was. Tina does an outstanding and thorough job explaining the man her father was, from all points. She describes what he was like as a father, husband, friend, performer, etc. She leaves nothing out, nor does she sugar-coat the story. She tells the truth, in an honest, loving, respectful way. I am proud to say I own this book, and have enjoyed it very much. It's a must for all fellow Sinatra fans. My hats off to her- great job, Tina!

Interesting & fast read!.......2003-07-01

Good Read!!!

I have read several other books about Frank Sinatra which chronicle his childhood, the bobbysox years, the Rat Pack years, the Mia years, etc. However, this is the first book I have come across that goes into detail regarding his years of marriage to Barbara Marx & the last years of his life. That alone makes the book fascinating as it fills in missing gaps.

Furthermore, the fact that the book is written from an insider's perspective helps in making it a riveting read. The book flows smoothly and quickly and I don't feel like Tina tries to sugarcoat her father' life (which is how I felt when I read a book written by Nancy Sinatra Jr.). Tina mentions both his good and bad sides and she is very candid in her feelings and emotions regarding her family and father.

Amazon.com

If you're not inclined to read individual biographies of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr., Shawn Levy's Rat Pack Confidential is a perfect one-stop resource. Less a group biography than a series of impressionistic snapshots, the book is loaded with can't-miss material--the dirt on the making of Ocean's Eleven, information about Sinatra's wild stint as a casino owner, deep background on Peter Lawford's habit of introducing Jack Kennedy to glamorous starlets, wiretap transcripts of mobsters Sam Giancana and Johnny Formosa discussiong Dean Martin's lack of respect.

Levy, whose previous book, King of Comedy, is a serious consideration of Jerry Lewis's life and career, offers similarly well considered insights into the members of the Rat Pack. He covers Davis's lifelong struggle against racism and the complicated intertwinings of the Kennedy political machine and "the Clan," as the performers preferred to be called (they often denied anything like the Rat Pack even existed and resisted collective references).

The book's debts to its predecessors are often apparent; much of the material on Sinatra's friendship with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, for example, appears to have been gleaned from recent Bogart biographies. The writing style, which tries to capture the ring-a-ding-ding feel of the era, also owes serious debts to Nick Tosches by way of James Ellroy, while only intermittently reaching their level of mastery. But these are minor quibbles. As a synthesis of thirty years worth of journalism and celebrity biography, Rat Pack Confidential succeeds in portraying the supernova blowout of old-school showbiz in all its dazzling glory.

Book Description

For the first time, the full story of what happened when Frank Sinatra brought his best pals to party in a land called Vegas.

January 1960. Las Vegas is at its smooth, cool peak. The Strip is a jet-age theme park, and the greatest singer in the history of American popular music summons a group of friends there to make a movie.

One is an insouciant singer of Italian songs, ex-partner to the most popular film comedian of the day. One is a short, black, Jewish, one-eyed, singing, dancing wonder. One is an upper-crust British pretty boy turned degenerate B-movie actor, brother-in-law to an ascendant politician. And one is a stiff-shouldered comic with the quintessential Borscht Belt emcee's knack for needling one-liners.

The architectonically sleek marquee of the Sands Hotel announces their presence simply by listing their names:

FRANK SINATRA.
DEAN MARTIN.
SAMMY DAVIS, JR.
PETER LAWFORD.
JOEY BISHOP.

Around them an entire cast gathers: actors, comics, singers, songwriters, gangsters, politicians, and women, as well as thousands of starstruck everyday folks who fork over pocketfuls of money for the privilege of basking in their presence. They call themselves The Clan. But to an awed world, they are known as The Rat Pack.

They had it all. Fame. Gorgeous women. A fabulous playground of a city and all the money in the world. The backing of fearsome crime lords and the blessing of the President of the United States. But the dark side--over the thin line between pleasure and debauchery, between swinging self-confidence and brutal arrogance--took its toll. In four years, their great ride was over, and showbiz was never the same.

Acclaimed Jerry Lewis biographer Shawn Levy has written a dazzling portrait of a time when neon brightness cast sordid shadows. It was Frank's World, and we just lived in it.

Customer Reviews:

Quick read.......2007-07-24

Not a lot of new knowledge in this book. Most of it has been written about before but it was interesting to see how the author linked the lives of these men together to show how their relationships evolved over time. I enjoyed reading this book.

Light fun and then the dark fall of the Rat Pack.......2007-04-29

Rat Pack Confidential gives a 101 level course of the group, highlighting the fun they had together makes movies and showing off at the Vegas clubs. It then chronicles the toubles they had together (Why did Sammy alientate himself from Frank?) and then their downfalls as indvidiuals (Dean's descent into alcoholism). Longer books could (and have been) written about each of them indivdiually, but this succinctly captures their spirit in both the glamour and their squalor. It accomplishes what it sets out to do.

Rat Pack Confidential.......2007-03-31

I found this book to be enlightening and enjoyable, filling in some gaps in my knowledge of the Rat Pack. It did, however, suffer from something that happens fairly often in popular histories, and that is a shading of facts to fit the premise of the book. In this case, the premise is that "It's Frank Sinatra's world, we're just living in it". Author Shawn Levy makes that point over and over again at every turn, sometimes making bold statements about Frank's superior style or entertainment abilities, which really was unnecessary and took away from the book, in my opinion.

All-in-all, a good and informative read for Rat Pack fans.

A Curiosity.......2006-07-10

The author sets the scene well in the prologue. He paints the conductor of this orchestra of self-absorption, Frank Sinatra, as a revered singer and actor, who somehow decided to set up a situation where people he was curious about would be set up around him, so he could watch them, contrast them and influence them.

The stage thus set is almost like an extended form of performance art. "T am so unique and so invulnerable that I can make this happen, and make people like it." Many "American Idols" have done this, but few did what Frank did: set up a group like the Rat Pack to bounce along with.

Two figures of great significance emerge outside the perimeter in this story: John Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. The former seems most similar to Sinatra himself: glad to have others feel that they are taking advantage of him, while constantly doing just the reverse. The latter is just awfully sad: a directionless icon who loses all sense of life purpose and whose end is almost a relief.

The part I liked the best was how Frank builds an extensive compound, including Secret Service and helicopter support, which Kennedy completely spurns. It was a comeuppance that Frank totally deserved.

You'll enjoy this book. And, as others have observed here, Nick Tosches' book, "Dino," is a natural companion.

Rat Pack Confidential Review.......2006-03-16

Several things to say about this book. It's a great anthology of the Rat Pack during their Vegas years. I'm a big fan of Sinatra et.al, and find this book to be very fascinating reading for anyone who is enamoured with these entertainers and their great era.

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