That's Amore: A Son Remembers Dean Martin

by Ricci Martin, Christopher Smith

As fascination with the Rat Pack thrives in films and on television, Dean Martin remains one of the group's most enigmatic members. The Hollywood image of Dean Martin with a martini in one hand and a woman in the other continues to dominate public perception. Now, Dean's son Ricci reveals the husband and father few people knew, a man who hated parties, adored his mother-in-law, and found utter contentment in a slice of buttered bread. In That's Amore: A Son Remembers Dean Martin, Ricci Martin takes readers on a tour through his childhood, from the star-studded parties to the exploration of "three marriages, eight kids, one family," to the treasured one-on-one time he shared with his father. He also discusses Dean's first meeting with Jerry Lewis and divulges his father's version of the Martin and Lewis breakup. Ricci Martin addresses the key relationships in his father's life, allowing readers to view the Rat Pack years, "The Dean Martin Show," and Dean's divorce from Jeanne through a son's eyes. That's Amore reveals the triumphs, tragedies, and escapades that colored Ricci's childhood, including his brother Dean Paul's death. More than 100 photos from the private Martin family album enhance Ricci Martin's portrait of his father, creating a complete, honest picture of the Rat Pack legend.

Genres: Biography, Memoir, Nonfiction, Music

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 17, 2001

Reviews

[GoldGato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dean Martin gets remembered by his youngest son, Ricci, who seems to have published this book in response to the one by his sister. The truth is probably somewhere between the two siblings' recollections, but that's alright, not trying to build rockets here.



The Deanster seemed to be a busy father, who spent much of his time working (so his little ones wouldn't have to later on in life). Ricci Martin presents stories and remembrances of his father and other family members in a fairly decent light. It's a lightweight read for bored evenings or summer pool days. Thankfully, it never gets snarky.

Book Season = Summer (sway)

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always liked Dean Martin growing up and this book made me like him even more.
The only criticism I have was his son put in a little too much of the antics he and his brother got into than I needed to know.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely fantastic memoir about my favourite entertainer of all time. A more in-depth and full review of "That's Amore: A Son Remembers Dean Martin" to come very soon on my blog, "The American Anglophile".

[Koren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by the son of Dean Martin. It is clear that the author loves his father. I was sad that the author passed away about a year ago. I read another book by the daughter of Dean Martin, Deana, and it was similar. He was well-loved by his family and it is clear they had a close-knit family and was not at all disfuntional. That might make for a dull book but if you are looking for juicy gossip this would not be the book for you.

[J.C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

a bit overly sentimental(obviously, see who wrote it) but there are some nice "behind the music" moments that make reading it a pleasant experience.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

090712---The book was very interesting. In the 50's you had real movie stars unlike now. It was interesting to read who was friends with who. It was a quick read.

[Lis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best memoir/biography I have ever read hands down, written in a unique and enthralling way.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than a biography of Dean Martin, this is a “biography” of the whole family. There are hundreds of photos from family albums. Lots to learn about them. I was not aware that Dean and Jerry Lewis had a serious falling out; or that there were serious tensions between Dean and Frank Sinatra. But that is all explained in basic details. I learned that Ricci’s older brother Dean-Paul was killed in a military plain crash at age 35. The younger Dean-Paul was part of a band that made a name for itself, and that Ricci did some singing as well. An interesting book.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dean Martin ❤ this time a book by his son. Interesting read, stronger focus on everyday family life of the second batch of siblings, their famous friends (the Beach Boys) and artistic endeavors. His sister's book has more depth and gives more insights into the shenanigans of their father, his early days, family history, films, his partners and the business. I recommend reading both biographies as they complement each other.

[David Brent]

I read this loving remembrance of Dean Martin, written by his son Ricci Martin and Christopher Smith in Nov. of 2019. I absolutely loved the book. I saw an honest view of the private family as well as the public life of the family. All modern families face challenges and the Martins were no different. How they dealt with life was telling.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book! I’ve always loved Dean Martin and never knew if rumors of his drunken binges and womanizing were fact or fiction, and I’m so happy to learn it was nothing but fiction. This book shows the reality of Dean Martin’s life and is lovingly written by his son Ricci, who sadly passed away in 2016. Definitely a must read for all Martin fans.

[Daniel Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third bio of Dino that I've read. It's a light read about what it was like to be a part of Dino's family. Ricci wrote about the events that caused his brother Dean-Paul to crash his fighter jet into a mountain side that weren't published in the two other biographies I read. Overall I felt I learned what Dean's family life was like and who the private Dean Martin really was.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The book was well written and easy to scim through

The details about Dean's sons was a little slow but acceptable. The end of Dean's life was sad but poinent.

[Ranette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book about the life of Dean Martin as told by his son. Dean went to bed early, rose early, worked hard and loved and played with his sons and daughters. Much different than his public image.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This has been on my shelves for a long time, and I'm glad I finally read it. Not bad as far as memoirs by children of famous parents go. There's nothing scandalous here, and I did learn a lot of interesting things. He paints a very loving picture of Dean Martin. It was a quick read!

[Jami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love good celebrity biographies & this would be a prototype. I almost didn't read it cuz I've previously read a (not-so-hot) biography of him & Deana's book...but I started flipping through it & there are TONS of photos, so that decided me. Excellent read!

[Jackie Manley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book describing the depth and complexity of Dean Martin as a singer,a father, and a man, Could not put it down,

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Verry good!

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice memoir by a son who loved his dad, his entire family.

[Abigail Torres-Soto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memories Are Made of This

Great read. Loved the view into the family life of the Martins, not gossip or scandal but just the love of a son for his dad and his family.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

#18 of 120 books pledged to read during 2023

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

[Katie Scheiber · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️
a well written telling of his life. i would’ve loved even more about dean, but what sweet insight this provided into the man dean really was

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Celebrity-watchers keep tabloids in business hoping to catch a glimpse of the "real" side of favorite movie stars. This scattershot memoir by Dean Martin's youngest son proves that sometimes the image on the screen is a lot more colorful than the father who comes home and enjoys a slice of bread before dinner.

Martin's affectionate, innocuous and slightly dull book of memories will be a treat only for true Dino fans, affording them an intimate look at the performer at home. The anecdotes have an "I guess you had to be there" flavor ("One of Dad's favorite jokes, which he would pull when we went out to dinner, was to be having a conversation and absent-mindedly butter his big hands as if they were pieces of bread") that should appeal to those who enjoy the humor in Reader's Digest.

The younger Martin's focus is strictly Dino-as-Dad, with very few peeks into his father's work on screen or in the recording studio. Life at 601 Mountain Drive was pretty idyllic, with parents who didn't mind their kids shooting guns inside the house and who were blase‚ when older son Dean Paul bought a tank.

The latter part of the book is sparked to life by a too-close-for-comfort association with Charles Manson and the tragic fatal plane crash of Dean Paul, which precipitated Dino's health deterioration. More than 100 b&w photos. Those looking for a companion to Nick Tosches's definitive "Dino: High Living in the Dirty Business of Dreams" (1992) won't find much juice here.

[Dale Stonehouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better memoirs by a child of show business royalty. As expected he does not dwell on any negative allegations about his father, and from what I know on balance Dean Martin made people smile more than most entertainers and was never a complainer. A real man among Hollywood prima donnas. Those interested in Dean-Paul Martin's death in a military plane crash will find a chapter detailing that family tragedy.

[Michael Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely look at one of the coolest cats around. This recollection of Ricci Martin's is a look at the Dean no one saw apart from his close family. There is a lot of attention paid to Dean Paul Martin (who died in 1987) whom I actually, sort of, met in 1982. Ricci gives his version of events and now all that remains it to read Deanna Martin's story of growing up with Dino as poppa. Full Review to follow...

[Garci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I love the Rat Pack, I knew this would be a good read. It's always interesting to find out how celebrities live in their private lives, and Dean Martin was completely different from his Rat Pack persona when offstage (per his son). The book also talked about his son Dean-Paul, who died in a plane crash. It was a quick and easy read.

[Miki Biggers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about Dean Martin as told by his son. He describes a fairy tale childhood full of love and fun. Love the little part about Shirley McClaine coming to the house with a plan to confess her love to Dean. It was really a sweet book. I learned a lot about the private, family man side of Dean Martin.

[Jolie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

Dean Martin was and still is a favorite of mine. He was the consummate entertainer and how he is described in this book reflects my own image of him. This is a humorous and touching story of a famous family that lived life to the fullest through good times and bad. I so appreciate Deans son putting such memories in writing and sharing them with us!

[Kuriztee · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his book, Ricci Martin paints a beautiful picture of Dean Martin, father, singer, actor, comedian and over all entertainer, with love, admiration and respect for the man as well as his morals and lifestyle. Highly recommend this book.