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Rat Pack Confidential: Frank, Dean, Sammy, Peter, Joey and the Last Great Show Biz Party |
Author: Shawn Levy
Published: 1999-07-20 |
List price: $14.95
Our price: $10.17
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As of: January 08th, 2009 07:07:17 AM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 Reality Check
This book was as depressing as it was interesting. The author was a bit indulgent with some of the suppositions, and there was a bit too much information on the Kennedy family. Overall, I learned more about a group of very fallible human beings. I lost some respect for some, gained some for others and walked away a bit depressed. It also makes Las Vegas look about as seedy as it really is, which is refreshing.
The story of Sinatra & Company.
This book is an easy read. A lot of the information in it isn't new, but there is some confirmation on various subjects.
Frank Sinatra's loneliness powered his voice. He had a strong desire to have an entourage around him. This started with a group he called "the Varsity".
Sinatra's interest in politics is explained by his mother's involvement in local politics.
Frank's ties to the mafia are detailed and the relationship of organized crime with the Kennedy family are confirmed and detailed better than in some contemporary books. The Fischetti brothers, Sam Giancana, and other organized crime figures appear in the book. The real ownership of various casinos and how the entertainment industry was involved was interesting.
Frank's gifts to Lucky Luciano and Sam Giancana was a new item to me.
The Chapter entitled "One of these days it'll come out" has a ring of familiarity in it regarding JFK's assassination.
The author does a good job chronicling the lives of the "Rat Pack" and their associates. Frank Sinatra is the main subject, but the others are covered well also.
Entertaining book!
 HOW DOES ONE MAKE DEAN AND FRANK DULL?
I WOULD GIVE THIS PIECE OF JUNK A MINUS 5 IF IT WAS POSSIBLE. THE AUTHOR IS PEDESTRIAN AND PEDANTIC. HE MEANDERS SLOWLY THROUGH THESE MEN AND ACTUALLY MAKES DEAN AND FRANK DULL. THAT TAKES A REAL ABSENCE OF SKILL.HE USES IS OWN ERRONEOUS INFO AS FACT. THERE ARE SO MANY BOOKS FAR SUPERIOR. HE OBVIOUSLY IS A SINATRA FAN WHICH IS FINE BUT PALLEY FRANK NEVER CAME CLOSE TO CROSBYS HEIGHTS OR RECORD SALES.FRANK ON HIS OWN LABEL DIDNT OUTSELL DEAN MARTIN EVER.DEAN WAS THE NUMBER ONE SELLER AT REPRISE ALWAYS.ALSO SINATRA WAS BIG IN THE USA , CROSBY WAS GOD IN THE USA AND THE WORLD. WATCH CROSBY VS. SINATRA IN THEIR TWO FILMS TOGETHER AND CROSBY WIPES THE FLOOR WITH FRANK AND -ALL THE CRITICS WROTE ABOUT THAT OFTEN.SINATRA WAS A PUNK AND ALWAYS A PUNK WHO NEEDED SYNCOPHANTS TO YES HIM. CROSBY WAS A MAN AND WENT HIS OWN WAY. LIKE BOGIE SAID OF SINATRA- HES A BOY WHO HAS NO MANNERS AND WILL NEVER GROW UP. DONT BOTHER WITH THIS BOOK. IT ISNT GOOD ENOUGH FOR TOILET PAPER.
Quick read
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
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.
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