Product 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 the undying loyalty of millions of fans around the world, Sinatra has become an American hero whose songs 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.Included among the prominent writers, musicians, and journalists are Henry Pleasants, Arnold Shaw, Stephen Holden, Gay Talese, Whitney Balliet, Gene Lees, Bill Boggs, Will Friedwald, William Kennedy, 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 singer's life and a selected bibliography.

In The Frank Sinatra Reader, 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.Amazon.com Review
The Chairman of the Board has inspired a great manyemotions--from hero-worship to withering contempt--and you'll findmost of them documented in this intelligent compendium. The editorshave dredged up some wonderful relics, like Bruce Bliven's1944 rumination on what makes the Voice so magical in the first place("Undoubtedly, just plain sex has a great deal to do with thewhole matter"). But the essays, reviews, and memoirs cover everysegment of Sinatra's career, including the end-game triumph (ortravesty) of the best-selling "Duets." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Frank Sinatra

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

Product Description
This splendid musical biography is the first book to document Frank Sinatra's musical legacy through seven decades, revealing the man through his music. Friedwald examines what has made Sinatra such an enduring influence on American pop culture, and draws upon interviews with the musicians, performers, arrangers, and songwriters with whom Sinatra has worked. 16 pages of photos.Amazon.com Review
Not surprisingly, most of Frank Sinatra's biographers haveraked through the muck of the singer's marriages, divorces, mobconnections, and outbursts of foul-mouthed misogyny. Will Friedwaldtakes a different tack. Oh, the biographical facts are there, butFriedwald is mostly interested in the Voice--that irresistible,inimitable instrument, the absence of which would punch a major holein the soundtrack of life. This is certainly the best book everwritten on Sinatra's music, which means that it sheds a great deal oflight on American pop music in general. And while Friedwald getsdownright rhapsodic when it comes to the career highlights, he's notafraid to tweak Ol' Blue Eyes when he comes up with a dud. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

That beautiful rhapsody of love and youth and spring
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
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
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
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!
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!
... Read more

Product Description
“On the night of February 10, 1943, at the moment I was born, my identity was sent into exile. At age 53 I learned for the first time what my mother had never before told me: I am Frank Sinatra’s daughter.”
Julie Sinatra

Customer Reviews (5)

Julie: The Real Deal
From Bill of Naples...........

This story is absolutely compelling.It has to be true because you just can't make this stuff up.Nancy Sinatra has said on her website that Julie is a crazy person.Fat chance!Just look at the photos of Julie and Frank and compare the photos of Julie's son at age 30 with Frank's at the same age.You can reach no other conclusion other than Julie being the daughter of Francis Albert.You may also ponder why Frank's three children refuse to submit a DNA sample.Curious if nothing else.

True Story
You only need to see the photo to beleive her story.Julie's love for her dad is palpable.Her journey is worth reading about as it is written with heart from the heart.

A real-life mystery story for Sinatra fans
Just finished reading this surprising book about Frank Sinatra's unknown daughter, Julie, and couldn't put it down.It's not a memoir, but a fascinating mystery that also fills in some unexpected missing pieces of Sinatra's life, especailly for long-time Sinatra fans.What was it that convinced a court of law to recognize Julie as a genuine daughter of Frank Sinatra?That cover portrait photo of Julie matched with a portrait of Frank Sinatra is astonishing.The blue eyes, the bone structure ... and then there is the musical talent.Julie's discovery of who she really is, is compelling, from her early years, to her mid-life discovery of a secret her mother had kept hidden, reaching inside for that will and perserverence that was needed to stand in court alone in front of intimidating doubters, to set her apart from thepretenders, to prove that she is genuinely a true daughter of Frank Sinatra, and winning legal recognition, a triumph of truth, then experiencing the cruelty of being denied her many requests and then her tearful pleas as time was running out to meet her ailing and secluded real father, who was being kept in the dark about her, before he died.
It was sobering to consider what comfortable lives Sinatra's other children have led in comparison, doors opened for them, well taken care of, yet not very far away, a sibling struggling through life hobbled by living unknowingly with a false identity put on her by her mother to hide her from her father.It wasn't her fault who her parents were.
After reading through to the last page and then closing the book, one wonders with the devestating rejection she's received, if it had been better off if she had never found out, yet seeing those matching portraits again on the back cover, what else would anyone else would have done?

didnt get under my skin
I agree that Julie Sinatra ( she changed her name Legally to Sinatra) is a sympathetic person , almost immediately you feel her genuine kindness and sincerity. You also can't help but wonder why it took her until her late forties to start to examine her obvious abusive childhood and her mother's bizarre behavior.
She does look like The Sinatra family, and i tend to think she really is Frank Sinatra's daughter, however as a book i didn't find much of it plausible in fact, all of her evidence is circumstantial and she is a bit too sugary regarding the father she never knew.
When writing his family she consistently calls them sisters or brother, she puts herself at the head of the line in terms of wanting what's best for "her father" as she calls him to everyone new and old in her life.
Her life was sad. Pitiful really with a mother and a son she has had difficult relationships with. I would like very much to have had some kind of real evidence or to hear another side of the story.
The entire book is about Julie trying to be acknowledged by the Sinatra's and how much care and concern she had for her dying father and how awful it was that she never got to meet him when he was alive.
Its a bit curious that she so naively writes to them really expecting that at this stage of the game, Frank Sinatra barely alive then, his children in their fifties, that without any kind of proof , with the exception of some stories her mother told her, that they would deign to look further into this.
why should they? it stands to reason that there must be a zillion children who could claim their mom slept with frank sinatra and they are the fruit of that union.
You simply cant take DNA testing for everyone that pops up to claim some part of Frank Sinatra.
I think Julie got what she wanted, the right to use his name, a book , and some gigs ( she's a guess what? singer!. ) As the book went on i became increasingly tired of her long lament about how the Sinatra children, lawyers, Barbara Sinatra et al wouldn't acknowledge her.
As for just reviewing this as a good read, it isn't. Its the story of someone who never had a parent love them, who never really found herself in this life but who it appears maintained her sense of innocence.
I hope Julie has found her niche being Julie Sinatra.

Thanks, Julia, For Telling Us This Story
This is a sad story by a lost child, in a world flooded by lost children. How ironic that's she's the daughter of a man who gave so many millions to sick and handicapped children the world over. Forget whether you love the man as a singer, or hate him for his tough guy image; this is a poignant story.

Having said that, let me say thanks, Julie, for writing this book. I am one of the former group who has loved your father as a singer since 1964, coincidentally the same year the Beatles overwhelmed us who were teenagers then. Yes, I loved rock and roll, but I was completely overwhelmed by your Dad and his music.

Two friends and I went on to collect all of his older music, and anticipate each new album as it came out. We saw him live almost a dozen times. One time we were stage side at a supper club outside of Chicago. A woman came up behind us to offer him a bouquet of flowers. Right above us he reached out for the gift and she grasped his hand, momentarily pulling him off balance. I remember a fleeting expression of panic on his face as he almost toppled over on to our table. He recovered and made a comment something like "I love you too, baby", and the audience loved it.

There was nobody quite like him, and I still play the music, now on CD. Julie's book puts a human face on the man and the family. I imagine celebrities are always besieged by people wanting something, and all of us protect our elderly parents, so the family's reluctance to acknowledge (or look into the possibility of) another sibling is, I suppose, to be expected. Plus the rich always have people sucking around them.

Give it to Julie for almost immediately establishing herself as a sympathetic and sincere individual just looking for her father. It somewhat reminds me of Rod McKuen's book called "Finding My Father" from about 25 years ago.

... Read more

Product Description
21 songs from the collection featuring Ol' Blue Eyes' most romantic ballads. Includes: All the Way * Cheek to Cheek * I'll Be Seeing You * I've Got You Under My Skin * In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning * My Funny Valentine * Time After Time * Where or When * and more. ... Read more

Product Description
Includes: My Way, A Man Alone, Cycles, Bein' Green, Love's Been Good to Me, I'm Not Afraid, Goin' Out of My Head, Something, What's Now Is Now, Star!, The September of My Years ... Read more

Product Description
A catalogue of Frank Sinatra's achievements including his main gigs, TV and radio appearances and a run-down on his recording sessions and films, as well as a complete discography. The book is illustrated with photographs from all periods of Sinatra's career. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great for those who love old blue eyes
An extremely personal and honest portrayal of Frank Sinatra as told by his daughter, this book provides an insightful look into a singer that has become a legend. I love some of the details that Nancy Sinatra included which show the amount of work in effort "old blue eyes" put into making his work seem effortless.

You can really tell the pride this young lady has for her father as she recounts numerous stories which show - anecdotally rather than directly - the character of an incredibly talented artist.Aside from his work in equal rights, I love the anecdotal of how Frank S dealt with others.It will always be hard for me not to believe the mob connection rumors (as that really does add to the mystery and allure of his star persona), but I do think Nancy S has done a fantastic job of speaking up in defense of her family.

This is an easy and relaxing read for anyone who has interest in this amazing individual.

A Daughter's Shining Perspective

I have loved Mr. Sinatra since I was very young, have heard most of the bad stuff about him, and it seems that this book's purpose is to discuss his GOOD qualities. Which is a proper perspective from a daughter. If a father has raised his daughter well, she will recognize his faults, but focus on the things that made him a hero in her eyes. Remember that notion? I lost my mother in death at about the same age that Frank and Nancy Sr. divorced, and I appreciate the closeness that developed between the man and his oldest daughter. It's a precious thing. It's a mistake to read the book without understanding that it's biased. But almost ANY book about him will be, as will any book written by a daughter about her father. I'm glad for both of them that their relationship was that sweet, and for us, that we get to see a glimpse of it.
Whatever else he was,the man was..... a man. And a father. And an incredible influence on our culture. I think all that shows up in this book, and I loved it. There's plenty of other people to demonize him, thank you Nancy for letting us see the other side.

Some good stories and then there's Nancy's babbling...
I liked the stories about Frank Sinatra told in this book.Any story or interview about him fascinates me, so that's an easy accomplishment. It was nice to hear stories about him from his daughter's POV. But please, spare me the talk of your own career. Write your own biography if you want to talk about that. Also, you can just so tell LOVES the fact that she is Frank Sinatra's daughter. Innumerable references to him as "Daddy" well into adulthood - who calls their Dad "Daddy" after the age of 10?Even in her speeches of today, she calls him that. OK. We get it. You're his daughter.Whoop dee doo.Get over yourself.Otherwise, this book is an interesting read and you learn a little more about the greatest singer that has ever graced the globe.

Too Sweet to be wholesome.
The photographs are fab,then you start to read ,and a little voice says wait a minute,espically as ive just finised his way by kitty kelley,i know he is dad ,and she's his little chicken,but how anyone in there right mind would fill a book cover to cover with such sugar sweet garbage,as this is beyond me,unless of course your ego and arrogance is higher than everest,now where would she have got that from,her explaining away the acts of voilence and cruelty,of one of the most feard performers to ever tread the boards,are airily brushed away with "hell get mad,and youll get mad",but if you face him them all will be well, ah shucks ,that is if your head is still on your shoulders,here and there,the veneer seems to slip,such as when descriping Richard Burtons,tribute to sinatra,at a luncheon in sinatras honour.She commends burtons tribute,then icily adds his words were by someone else, burtons diaries (Rich a life)leave no illusions of he really thought of sinatra,somehow i get the feeling this didnt escape her,its these little cracks in the facade, that show the true nancy, like father like daughter,sorry honey you dont fool me for one minute, little chicken,little vulture,more like it.

Too Sweet to be wholesome.
The photographs are fab,then you start to read ,and a little voice says wait a minute,espically as ive just finised his way by kitty kelley,i know he is dad ,and she's his little chicken,but how anyone in there right mind would fill a book cover to cover with such sugar sweet garbage,as this is beyond me,unless of course your ego and arrogance is higher than everest,now where would she have got that from,her explaining away the acts of voilence and cruelty,of one of the most feard performers to ever tread the boards,are airily brushed away with "hell get mad,and youll get mad",but if you face him them all will be well, ah shucks ,that is if your head is still on your shoulders,here and there,the veneer seems to slip,such as when descriping Richard Burtons,tribute to sinatra,at a luncheon in sinatras honour.She commends burtons tribute,then icily adds his words were by someone else, burtons diaries (Rich a life)leave no illusions of he really thought of sinatra,somehow i get the feeling this didnt escape her,its these little cracks in the facade, that show the true nancy, like father like daughter,sorry honey you dont fool me for one minute, little chicken,little vulture,more like it. ... Read more

Product Description
When his schizophrenic brother unwittingly says the wrong thing at the wrong time, he reveals a secret that may link private detective Mike Rose's family and the Vegas mob to the Kennedy Assassination. Suddenly at the top of the Mafia's hit list, Mike must confront the demons in his family history while scouring the underbelly of Las Vegas--a city where the American Dream can turn into a neon nightmare.Amazon.com Review
It's 1993 in Las Vegas. They're about to blow up the historicDunes Hotel to make room for some new architectural marvel; FrankSinatra is making his last appearance at the Desert Inn; and privateeye Mike Rose is trying to keep himself and his delusional brotherAlvi alive. In this tremendous new mystery from veteranL.A. Weekly columnist Ventura, the emotional geography of Vegascomes to life as never before. Rose's parents were connected to someof the the city's darkest hours.Now, to pay off old debts andprotect fragile friends, he has to shed some blood and look under somenasty rocks. Sinatra, of course, doesn't die -- but lots of otherpeople do. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

spiritual journey in a gangster novel
I think Michael Ventura had to use the context of a crime novel to get his story published. However, this novel is really a journey of his own self-discovery. He reminds me of Herman Hesse in the way he constantly enters and exits different doors in his own psyche -- almost at random. The central character, Mike Rose, has a mentally ill older brother. So does Ventura. Avid readers of Ventura's essays know this, and it is very easy for said readers to imagine that Mike Rose is Ventura. If you just want a murder mystery, this won't work for you unless you are particularly daring -- and patient. But, if you like to see someone get to the heart of himself, take a chance. You might be blown away by Ventura's prose. Light reading, this is not, but it is very interesting.

Technicolor Noir
OK, I picked up "The Death of Frank Sinatra" as an impulse-buy $2.99 hardcover from the "used library books" aisle...so I was pretty much purchasing it by-the-pound...no expectations, other than it was Vegas-fiction and sounded fun.

Now, I feel like I owe somebody.Which is not a good feeling in the hardboiled world Ventura describes so bristlingly.

I have been turned on to a fusion of genres so rich and bountiful, that a full $24.99 pricetag seems only fair. So...if anyone wants to collect the remainder, no pistol-whipping will be necessary.

It's quite simply pulp poetry.

Crackling descriptions of the blood-in-your-urine doings of a Vegas private dick, featuring characters that jump off the page to pin your arms back while kicking your nuts and a geo-real Vegas that resonates with anyone who can "recite" the Strip from the Alladin to the Sahara and whose secret desire is to be buried at the YESCO graveyard.

It's great stuff, and if you've never heard of Michael Ventura, (cause I sure as hell hadn't) you'll soon be saying the same thing I am now..."How the hell is this guy not being read on every Flight 711, instead of Grisham?"

...

Sinatra's not the only one
The Hamlet-esque mind of Mike Rose is the hook to Ventura's "The Death of Frank Sinatra". His head whirls in the indecision of what heloves or hates and in some cases what or whom is the object of bothextremes. The italicized asides in the first person are probably thestrongest portions of the book as Rose's wannabe existentialist iscontinually crippled by loathing for himself, his past, his connections,and perhaps most of all, for Las Vegas which he believes is his puppetmaster and submissive lover all at once.

Here is the crux of the novelwhich centers on a private eye who has bathed with and been raised bymobsters but has remained on the edge of the precipice without ever trulyjumping in. It is an intriguing dilemma when his unstable brotherunwittingly blabs "too much" in front of a grizzled old Outfitveteran, although as with most of the book what is spoken is half said, ahalf truth and, well, to be blunt, only half convincing. It's all well andgood having the circle of insecurity forever turning in one's head, butsurely no group of people are as instantly tuned in as Ventura's charactersare. It seems half the time that, whoever it is, they are inexplicably ableto read their conversation partner's mind, irrespective of intelligence,age or familiarity. What we get is a series of unfinished statements andknowing glances, which doesn't quite wash.

At first, I thought theinsight into Vegas, spearheaded by the persona and rep of Frank Sinatra - anifty touch - was about as illuminating as a travel guide, but withoutreally being conscious of it, the constant bombardment and repetition ofthe town's warts and all, became quite intoxicating and ultimatelyrevealing. I was less convinced by the insider knowledge of the mob, whichseemed to focus on shock value and sensationalism, in marked contrast tothe understatement of the book's overall tone. The little nuances that areso prevalent in Scorsese's films, for example, that help to humanize andrationalize are absent for the most part here.

The plot is convoluted anddifficult to grasp with several intertwining threads that don't reallymesh. However, in truth, most of the action happens in Rose's head, sothat's not as disastrous as it sounds. Still, there seemed to be severalloose ends that Ventura was content to let lie, which was a littleunsettling.

Overall, I felt it was indulgent and melodramatic, teeteringon the edge between dark social commentary about an inately corrupt city,and simply incoherent rambling, but the well expressed sadness and stolid,if misguided defiance of the central character, along with the admittedoriginality of the style was enough to earn 3 stars. Just.

First rate
Michael Ventura really knows how to tell a story that's more than just plot or characterization, but also SAYS something. I bought this book, read it right through, and then re-read it in bits right away, just for the enjoyment of it. This is as good as it gets.

fake/phony/fraud
I was intrigued -- I thought it was an investigative report on Mr. Sinatra's final days (the tackiness of the title notwithstanding), but then I noted from the reviews quoted that this title came out *before* May 14,1998 (the day of Old Blue Eyes' death) -- meaning this was just a work offiction.Feh, pfui -- what a waste of my time!I'm interested in *real*books about Frank Sinatra, not fiction!How about someone coming out witha *good* discography? ... Read more

Product Description
40 more timeless standards from Ol' Blue Eyes in their original keys. Includes: Almost like Being in Love * Cheek to Cheek * Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) * I Could Write a Book * In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning * It Might As Well Be Spring * Luck Be a Lady * Old Devil Moon * Somebody Loves Me * When the World Was Young * and more. ... Read more

Product Description
Our Town also starred Eva Marie Saint and Paul Newman. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Rare Definitive Bio On The Voice
The best book ever written on Sinatra bar none, this unauthorized 70s edition hails from the good old days minus an Orwellian 4th estate and was penned by a fallen out reporter who knew Frank almost from the beginning. Other ones written by new age zeitgeist hit men are by non journalists who specialize in tabloid hatchet jobs. This is different. It is a fair bio study from a golden showbiz age scribe who knew his subject well.

Wilson's special insight comes from the fact that he knew Frank from dual angles, as a staunch friend and supporter amongst press literati and as a cast away. He admired him from up close and from afar. He basked in the heat of his heyday and profiled him biographically during his comeback. So from him we get the yin and yang of Sinatra truth and myth. Celeb bios don't get any better than this. This take is the real McCoy, folks.

The read is larger than life. It reveals the Bel Canto magic behind The Voice, our first American Idol---his saloon struggle to make it, tough guy persona, Hollywood affairs, royal and rogue connections, the 50s slump, Oscar comeback and award-winning humanitarianism. In effect, it is a well layered generational portrait of a legend...talent, warts and all. Not 350 plus pages of mob ties. Why? FAS left an immortal songbook legacy.

It's all here, the vocal and audio genius behind a man who was not a music linguist but had a better ear and pitch than some classical composers. This covers the mood and temperament attributed to the ups and downs of a melancholy master who lived through his art. It roasts and boasts a perfect showman and an imperfect human being who was said to party with music, movies, mobsters, Presidents, philanthropists & prostitutes.

The chapters in this well worn book flow as if they were written by a guardian angel/devil in a love/hate relationship with the Sinatra legend. The best excerpts tread a fine line between envy and scorn but don't cross or exploit it. The author admits and respects the truth yet reveals unknown and/or documented facts. Indeed, was the greatest singer who ever lived an actual wise guy or a friend out of fear of his safety?

One wonders whether if Frank had played goodie-two-shoes and dissed the "front men" who ran the nightclubs, he would have lived to become a showbiz icon whose voweled lyrical surname media critics stereotype. That's an impression we get here, as we're introduced to underworld power players with whom his contemporaries wouldn't have suffered the same ethnic guilt association if their last names were Smith or Jones.

In flashback and fast forward, the book begins and ends at or around his finest hour, after The Main Event 70s concert when Frank was still near the height of his performing powers. All in the same book we are shown a king of hearts and Jekyll/Hyde personality who liked to be rich and have money so that he could give it away. Like Elvis. That is the essence of this book. It plays good cop/bad cop but does not dwell on the fence for too long.

By a former friend who went afoul, it's a fickle, hard to get, passive-aggressive love letter. While exposing gossip, rumor and innuendo, it doesn't try to make the singer into an anti-hero, subcultural role model or feel good diplomat. The best that can be said is that it should be used as a screenplay outline for a missing epic biopic about the 20th century greatest generation's most musically immortal and vocally timeless leading man.

This book celebrates the power of the American Dream and where it took him, to places near and far, low and high, happy and sad. It reads like a combination trade paper/scandal sheet. Yet it is heartfelt and never drags. For great men are both loved and hated by human nature. And besides, those who expect only positive spin for a late old-timer millennials are still jealous of have not studied Astrology and don't know about the sign Sagittarius.

Sadly Underrated
This remains actually one of the finest biographies ever written about Sinatra, and shamefully obscure. Acknowledgement of every important facet of Sinatra's life and career is rare enough, and in-depth understandings of them are virtually nonexistant. But Earl Wilson comes among the closest for a totally even perspective. Arnold Shaw's superbly-written but slightly overrated book,''Sinatra-Twentieth Century Romantic,'' was written eight years before this and obviously influenced Wilson - a lot of things from Shaw's book are repeated in this - but it's certainly not the bland and witless regurgitation of Kitty Kelly trash found in 99% percent of the biographies written since 1986. Earl Wilson had plenty of material on his own, having been friendly with Sinatra during the Dorsey days, interviewed Ava and he as the one of only non-Sinatra-allergic reporters from 1949 to 1953, and even been exiled by him unexpectedly (something Wilson doesn't seem too veangeful about - for once).
The book is affectionate and understanding, but not blind. A lot of the rather painful reviews that were in abundant supply in the early 70's are featured prominentely rather than ignored, the rumored temper tantrumsare unflinchingly recounted, and all the faults and flops and weaknesses and torments that made Sinatra much more interesting as a man than the sugar-coated image floating about in Nancy Sinatra's books are gone into as well. This certainly has time-capsule value; it's always interesting to read the predictions made for Sinatra in the days long before they knew he'd perform until he was eighty and have the Empire State Building lit in blue on his birthday. In 1962 Sinatra ludicrously underestimated himself by saying his career would probably last only a few more years (try 40), and every year or so following that someone stubbornly repeated the sentiment. But overall this is an intelligent book, and the word ''genius'' in regard to Sinatra is tentatively put forth toward the end. Another trademark of the time is it's focus on some of the generally ignored events of the seventies - like several forgotten Sinatra-dates, a million-dollar ''gate'' at the Uris Theater, ect. Music - as in art - is basically not analyzed in this, but it has wonderful descriptions of his live performances. Wilson appears to be the only good biographer who truly understood the loveableness and charm of Frank Sinatra (something never mentioned in ''His Way'')- obviously because he was the only Sinatra-biographer who knew him. The ''warts'' of the singer's life are all covered, but the justifications and reasons for them are covered as well. Every bit of ''bad manners'' he was ever accused of can be so well-justified it becomes very debateable if ANY of the prosecution's accusations can hold water - an idea that horrifies Sinatra-haters but is just as possible as all the scandal sheets.
Wilson had that rare quality common sense, and this book, very interested in gossip - hey,what can you expect from a gossip columnist - is nonetheless sensible. It does not have the beautiful writing and in-depth perception of Arnold Shaw's book, but it is in many ways superior; while Shaw's book is dry, scholarly, and rather impersonal - Earl Wilson was there, and he makes you feel there. A revolting number of biographies out there would certainly turn any Sinatra-ignorant reader immediately against him if it were the first one they read, but this is not like that. The complexities and faults merely make the man interesting, and the reason for his appeal is made clear by first-hand observation. I read that Sinatra attempted to sue Wilson for three-million dollars on the book's release, - note the word ''unauthorized''- but he really didn't need to. As Earl Wilson says in the introduction, he was determined the biography would not be a hatchet-job, but still the blemishes not erased, and he succeeded. A grand book. ... Read more

Product Description
The first objective biogrphy of Frank Sinatra since Kitty Kelley's opus - an entirely new assessment of the most important figure in 20th century entertainment. This book discusses Sinatra the performer, the singer and the actor and the life which has made him the most enduring and successful of the Hollywood artists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

AMAZING SINATRA
I LOVE THIS BOOK ABOUT SINATRA.HE WAS A MARVELOUS HUMAN BEING,MAYBE THE MANIC DEPRESSIVE PART, TRUE, BUT ALOT OF THE NEGATIVE THINGS HE DID, I THINK SOME OF THEM WAS WHEN HE WAS DRINKING.THEY WERE NOT THE TRUE FRANK SINATRA.THE TRUE FRANK WAS A KIND HEARTED, LOVING, GIVING PERSON. MAY YOU REST IN PEACE FRANK UNTIL WE HEAR YOU SING IN PERSON, IN HEAVEN, AGAIN.

Pretty Awful
Though this book highlights some enlightening details about Frank Sinatra's life, much of it is shoddy hackwork.The reader learns the true story of how Sinatra freed himself from the talons of Tommy Dorsey.The reader learns of the strong influence of Sinatra's mother, Dolly, on his life.Dolly's own life as a Hoboken ward leader and her barely mentioned extraciricular activity as town abortionist fascinates.The friendship of Dolly and Ava Gardner, both foul-mouthed and proud of it, also fascinates.Ditto, the true story of how Sinatra resurrected his failing career by landing his role in "From Here to Eternity".Yet much is left out in this biography.The author seems to have gathered as much material as he could be bothered with and just slapped it together at breakneck speed in a book.It seems to be a specialty of Mr. Freedland's.More time is spent on Sinatra and Joe DiMaggio's "raid" on an apartment Marilyn Monroe was allegedly staying than Sinatra's relationships with Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr..The Rat Pack is glossed over; more time is spent on detailing Lauren Bacall's role in the original Bogart Rat Pack than in Martin and Davis's roles in the Rat Pack that most Americans are familiar with today.Much time is wasted on Sinatra's philosophical views on life, some of which seem to probably have been press releases written by his publicist.The author often doesn't put two and two together.Though Sinatra had great talent as an actor and played some fine roles, his career fizzled by the mid-sixties.Mr. Freedland mentions that Sinatra refused to do second takes but fails to understand that few directors would go out of their way to hire actors who refused to do second takes.Sinatra undercut his own film career.The bio is also very flighty.For instance, the author mentions a benefit concert Sinatra gave in New York which was attended by Jackie Kennedy Onassis at which she wore some sort of head band.Mr. Freedland informs us that the sort of head band used by Mrs. Onassis at the concertwas sold out of New York stores within 24 hours as if that was pertinant information.The Jackie Onassis tidbit is indicative of Mr. Freedland's writing style.All in all, All the Way is useful in its way yet disappointing and borderline awful.

What a Bore.
I've read many Sinatra biographies and this is by far the least interesting and most pretentious. Michael Freedland's self-imporatnce oozes from within the lines; his claim that some of the stories are told here for the first time have no interesting payoff whatsoever for Sinatra fans. This is more like reading a book by Robin Leach and the "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous." I think we need to ask the Brits to stick to their side of the Atlantic if they can't do any better than this.

Somewhat negative slant ofSinatra's extraordinary life.
Michael Freedland's British background is too apparent for American readers. His English spellings are bothersome and frequent grammatic uses of "were" instead of "was" get in the way of what otherwise would be a facinating story of one of American music's top performers. The editors failed to catch misspellings of Tiajuana, Mexico. Freedland bashes Sinatra's parents unnecessarily and takes too much credit for "publishing for the first time" anncedotes that may be moderately interesting. This book comes across as an episode of "Lives of the Rich and Famous" with an English accent. Freedland collected notes over a period of years and the book often reads like a collection of them.

Luke warm review of Frank's life by a Brittish writer.
Michael Freedland's editor did not change the spelling or grammar for the American audience and I found it laborious to "read" around the frequent s for z swap. Our Americanized version of English probably puts the Britts off when we say "the band was" instead of "the band were." But frequent plurals where it would be more familiar in singular form were also a distraction. Mr. Freedland says in his forward that he collected notes over a period of years and then wrote the book. Sometimes it reads that way. Freedland bashes the early Sinatra years and makes Frank's mother seem very overbearing. Maybe she was but this autobiography is not very kind to either of his parents. Frank Sinatra's life was threaded with attacks from the press, some deserved, no doubt. Mr. Freedland seems to enjoy twisting Frank in the breeze and comes across as one of those media hacks who saw a chance to make a name by bad mouthing an enormous star. I was often bored!by the author's dry storytelling. As interesting a person Frank Sinatra was, it's incredible that an autobiography could be such a bowser. ... Read more

Product Description
BiographyLarge Print EditionMasterfully written . . . well-researched and exemplifying an easy-to-follow style.Library JournalOnce Frank Sinatra captured the worlds attention, he never let go, singing his way into the hearts of millions. The kid from Hoboken was the troubadour of his age. Here we meet Sinatra the artist and performer and follow his career from the Big Band era to recent years. Sinatra wasnt just a headline-grabbing Rat Pack playboy. He was an extraordinary artist who left his mark on American music in this century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Get your heads out of the sand
To all those reviewers who didn't like Donald Clarke's five-star book, get your heads out of the sand, or wherever else they are. All or Nothing at All is outstanding on America, politics, gangsters, Sinatra, his music, his family, his friends, enemies, and more.

I'm rereading it now. It is marvelous!

Thoroughly Worthless Book
One thing I'm happy about is that I didn't pay full price. What a waste of paper and cardboard. There's nothing new in this book, nothing you couldn't find elsewhere. It's actually written in the first person, believe it or not, as evidenced by the not so infrequent "I never liked such and such" or "I found it to be." After a while, who cares? And evidently, the author didn't rate either a first rate editor or a fact checker. For example, there's no "e" after the "g" in judgment. He does this repeatedly. Moreover, for someone allegedly so well-versed in the entertainment industry, he's apparently rather ignorant of some basic knowledge. When discussing Reagan's inaugural parties planned by Sinatra, Clarke mentions "someone named Ben Vereen who performed in blackface", and then trashes Sinatra's "judgement" in arranging such entertainment. Uh, Mr. Clarke, Ben Vereen WAS black, he couldn't help BUT be in blackface!

An Excellent and Opinionated Book
Frank Sinatra was always a puzzle -- he sang like an angel, behaved like a jerk, and yet was apparently an extremely generous individual who kept his many charities secret.

Donald Clarke sits with all the contradictions of Sinatra, both musical and personal, without attempting to simplify them.The reviewer below who complained that the book is like an extended essay is right.Clarke does not attempt, in this relatively slim volume, to write the definitive biographical work.It is instead a shrewd, opinionated, and often funny review of the man and his music.

I'm not a FS fanatic, but I do own about 40 or 50 of his albums, which I guess makes me more than a casual fan.I almost always agreed with Clarke's musical judgements (although I think rather more of "Live at the Sands" than he does) and found a lot of value in the way he attempts to separate Sinatra's own bloviations from the facts (e.g. was Mitch Miller really responsible for how bad much of Sinatra's mid-50s work is? Not really, says Clarke, and gives reasons for this opinion).

This book is not a replacement for a full-length biography -- if you want the details on who slapped who first in every fight he had with Ava Gardner, you'll have to go elsewhere.It's also not a replacement for an annotated discography, although it made me hungry for one -- I thought I had a pretty good handle on Sinatra's recorded output, and Clarke made me realize there's a lot I don't know.

As for Clarke's writing style, I say "bravo."Judging by the impish grin he's wearing in the jacket photo, I'd say he's well aware of how provocative some of his comments are, but there's nothing arrogant about this book.Clarke has his opinions, and states them very strongly, but it's clear the reader is welcome to his or her own.If you're the sort of reader who is secure enough to enjoy strongly held and amusingly stated beliefs rather than be upset by them, I recommend this book most highly.

Amateurish trifle
Mr. Clarke's "book" is really more of an extended ( and poorly written ) magazine essay. However, I'm not sure what magazine would publish it ( surely not the NEW YORKER or DOWN BEAT ). Clarke never sheds any lighton Sinatra's upbringing, personality or musicianship. Not for a moment doyou feel either the man or his music come to life. There are literallydozens of examples of his amateurish writing; in one amazingly idioticpassage ( page 132, 3rd paragraph ) he states that the title of Sinatra'sfamous album "SONGS FOR SWINGIN' LOVERS" has become "mildlyirritating" (!). He goes on a moment later to ask whether"swinging" was a euphemism for suburban wife swapping (!!). Noone should shell out $$ for this type of drivel. By the way, Mr. Clarke,if you're amusing yourself by reading this review in between writing your"books"; I DIDN'T buy it ( thank God I merely checked it out ofthe library! ). To concur with some of the other reviewers: regarding themusic, try Will Friedwald's "THE SONG IS YOU; A SINGER'S ART" orCharles Granata's upcoming "SESSIONS WITH SINATRA". For anextremely well-balanced, thorough account of Mr. Sinatra's life, try RandyTaraborelli's "SINATRA: A COMPLETE LIFE". For a short butpoignant essay, try Pete Hamill's "WHY SINATRA MATTERS". For afamous account of Sinatra c.1966, try Gay Talese's essay entitled"FRANK SINATRA HAS A COLD" ( available in the FRANK SINATRAREADER ). Other short but informative passages on Sinatra have been writtenby Shirley MacLaine and Mia Farrow ( I forget the exact titles of theirbooks ). As far as Clarke's volume is concerned, it only ranks slightlyabove Kitty Kelley's stinker; in other words, it deserves a spot deep inthe bowels of Dante's inferno.

Don't Pay Cash For Trash!
There isn't a single word in this book that's worth the time it takes to read it. The reader below who claims that "five stars isn't enough" is either related to Donald Clarke or else he's an employee of the publishing company. No book that was ever written about Frank Sinatra(including Kitty Kelley's) is more deserving of going out of print. Let'sall hope that it happens sooner rather than later. It's Mr. Clarke himselfwho apparently doesn't know the meaning of the word "biography".I suggest he try reading anything written by Peter Guralnick to see howit's done. ... Read more

Product Description
This reference work details Frank Sinatra's creative accomplishments and includes biographical information as it relates to his art. Of possible interest to both researchers and fans, this book provides access to data collected from disparate sources, including the first published listing of Internet resources. The information is divided into three parts, each arranged alphabetically, and covers his music, film, radio and television appearances, and his concerts and humanitarian contributions. A bibliography designed to provide information on locating additional resources is also included. The alphabetical arrangements of song entries includes information on the songs, record labels, arrangers and recording dates. Three appendices at the end of the volume provide additional information about the recordings. The encyclopaedia concludes with the details of awards Sinatra has received. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

"A Must Have Reference Guide for the Serious Sinatra Fan"
This is a great encyclopedia for any Sinatra fan. It is a well-organized compilation of every song and album that Sinatra ever recorded.It also provides interesting tidbits about the recording sessions, arrangers, andthe songs.In addition, the bookchronicles his movies, televisionappearances, and numerous awards.As a Sinatra fanatic, I frequently usethe book to reference back to songs, albums, and or movies that I haverecently experienced. ... Read more

Product Description
Frank Sinatra was perhaps the most important and influential singer in 20th century popular music - the premiere interpreter of the great American songbook. The story behind the Chairman of the Board is a paradox, combining tremendous musical sensitivity with a personal life of turmoil, glamorous women, and dangerous friends. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Ed O'Brien is a work of art.
Ed O'Brien (as always) has done a magnificiant job on another Sinatra book ... Read more