What you get here is a slanted look at Sinatra's life through lots of stories, from lots of people & that's entertaining, but we've heard some of them before. There is some obvious hero worship here by the author, but that seems to be the case with most of the people in Sinatra's life. We learn of his politics,(Democrat) his racial tolerance & hatred of bigotry. Yet he had a conservative, traditional side which he held closely.
There are contradictions to be sure in this talented, complex man. But that the case in all great men. He was always the leader & had to dominate any setting & set the mood.
He was quick to anger but also forgiving, loved his friends & was fiercely loyal & generous.
He was always a professional, giving his best to his fans. They were not cheated when Frank sang. He was his worse critic. Known as a one take artist as far as his movies were concerned, he was never satisfied with his singing, finding minute flaws in his most memorable performances. Sinatra & his closest friends, "the rat pack" if you must, had their own code & language. Sort of like the beatnicks of their time. Despite the obvious talents of Frank, Dino, Sammy etc. they reminded me of aging hep-cats. That is kind of sad. Sad too, is that most of them are gone.

There have been a lot of books written on Sinatra;but this one is excellent.Where does one start and what does one say?Zehme has zeroed in on what made Sinatra an icon and a one of a kind.Sinatra had a great line for all occasions;and even when there was no occassion,he had a line for that too.
"Fear is the enemy of logic"
"Don't despair.You have to scrape bottom to appreciate life and start living again."
"the big lesson in life ,baby,is never be scared of anyone or anything."
The book is a quick,concise and intrest holding read. The pictures chosen were excellent in portraying Sinatra's personna.
You can't go wrong with this book if you ever liked anything Sinatra said or did.

What can I say that hasn't already been said? About 3 or 4 years ago I wasn't doing so well. I was looking for some guidance, some help to define myself and create my own identity. I came across this book on a sales rack and picked it up. I had been a Sinatra fan for awhile, had a few books and some albums. But this, this was something special. You come away from it really knowing who Mr. Sinatra really was. You get to know the man behind the "legend."

Immediatly I began to change the way I was. I began to relax, not worry so much. I changed my wardrobe (For years I had been kind of a bum, really not thinking about my dress) to more of a "classier" one. I became less of a cheapskate and helped any of my friends who needed help. Why? Because that's what Frank did! Not to mention I discovered "his way" to mixing drinks the way with women.

One cannot talk about this book without mentioning the excellent writing of Bill Zehme. He really gets to the soul of the experiences. The writing has the same flair as Sinatra's speech, always hip, always to the point. It's no wonder he has written the liner notes for the live Rat Pack cds. He really "knows" Frank and the boys and shows it.

So read this book. Who knows what could happen? You may come away from it with a new view on life.

Zehme does a spectacular job in bring what Frank Sinatra really was to the people of the world. It has an easy reading short story flow that will make you not want to put it down. Reading this book has enspired me to read more about Frank Sinatra and others by Bill Zehme. The Chariman would be proud.

If you already know tons about Frank and just can't get enough, you will absolutely love this book. It gives endless examples of what made Frank a legend and will make you feel as if you were with him during his most memorable moments.

But if you are looking for a detailed account of his entire life, both good and bad, this is not the one for you. This book bounces from episode to episode in a way that will show you what there is to love about the man which is plenty. But it will not give you a sense about what went on from one point of his life to the next.

I liked this book a lot because I've always enjoyed knowing about Frank and his time. If you're not all interested in him or want to know the full story there are better grabs out there.