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Why Sinatra Matters
In this unique homage to an American icon, journalist and award-winning author Pete Hamill evokes the essence of Sinatra--examining his art and his legend from the inside, as only a friend of many years could do. Shaped by Prohibition, the Depression, and war, Francis Albert Sinatra became the troubadour of urban loneliness. With his songs, he enabled millions of others to tell their own stories, providing an entire generation with a sense of tradition and pride belonging distinctly to them.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1998
125 people are currently reading
1411 people want to read
About the author
Pete Hamill
110 books559 followersPete Hamill was a novelist, essayist and journalist whose career has endured for more than forty years. He was born in Brooklyn, N. Y. in 1935, the oldest of seven children of immigrants from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He attended Catholic schools as a child. He left school at 16 to work in the Brooklyn Navy Yard as a sheetmetal worker, and then went on to the United States Navy. While serving in the Navy, he completed his high school education. Then, using the educational benefits of the G.I. Bill of Rights, he attended Mexico City College in 1956-1957, studying painting and writing, and later went to Pratt Institute. For several years, he worked as a graphic designer. Then in 1960, he went to work as a reporter for the New York Post. A long career in journalism followed. He has been a columnist for the New York Post, the New York Daily News, and New York Newsday, the Village Voice, New York magazine and Esquire. He has served as editor-in-chief of both the Post and the Daily News. As a journalist, he covered wars in Vietnam, Nicaragua, Lebanon and Northern Ireland, and has lived for extended periods in Mexico City, Dublin, Barcelona, San Juan and Rome. From his base in New York he also covered murders, fires, World Series, championship fights and the great domestic disturbances of the 1960s, and wrote extensively on art, jazz, immigration and politics. He witnessed the events of September 11, 2001 and its aftermath and wrote about them for the Daily News.
At the same time, Hamill wrote much fiction, including movie and TV scripts. He published nine novels and two collections of short stories. His 1997 novel, Snow in August, was on the New York Times bestseller list for four months. His memoir, A Drinking Life, was on the same New York Times list for 13 weeks. He has published two collections of his journalism (Irrational Ravings and Piecework), an extended essay on journalism called News Is a Verb, a book about the relationship of tools to art, a biographical essay called Why Sinatra Matters, dealing with the music of the late singer and the social forces that made his work unique. In 1999, Harry N. Abrams published his acclaimed book on the Mexican painter Diego Rivera. His novel, Forever, was published by Little, Brown in January 2003 and became a New York Times bestseller. His most recently published novel was North River (2007).
In 2004, he published Downtown: My Manhattan, a non-fiction account of his love affair with New York, and received much critical acclaim. Hamill was the father of two daughters, and has a grandson. He was married to the Japanese journalist, Fukiko Aoki, and they divided their time between New York City and Cuernavaca, Mexico. He was a Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University.
Author photo by David Shankbone (September 2007) - permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.
At the same time, Hamill wrote much fiction, including movie and TV scripts. He published nine novels and two collections of short stories. His 1997 novel, Snow in August, was on the New York Times bestseller list for four months. His memoir, A Drinking Life, was on the same New York Times list for 13 weeks. He has published two collections of his journalism (Irrational Ravings and Piecework), an extended essay on journalism called News Is a Verb, a book about the relationship of tools to art, a biographical essay called Why Sinatra Matters, dealing with the music of the late singer and the social forces that made his work unique. In 1999, Harry N. Abrams published his acclaimed book on the Mexican painter Diego Rivera. His novel, Forever, was published by Little, Brown in January 2003 and became a New York Times bestseller. His most recently published novel was North River (2007).
In 2004, he published Downtown: My Manhattan, a non-fiction account of his love affair with New York, and received much critical acclaim. Hamill was the father of two daughters, and has a grandson. He was married to the Japanese journalist, Fukiko Aoki, and they divided their time between New York City and Cuernavaca, Mexico. He was a Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University.
Author photo by David Shankbone (September 2007) - permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
December 6, 2020
I really expected so much more from this little book. The author, Pete Hamill’s writing style, for me, was in monotone. In his day Frank Sinatra was a huge star, larger than life but Hamill doesn’t write about that. He tells mundane stories of his “friendship” (that might be a stretch) with Sinatra.
If you’re a fan of Frank Sinatra I suggest you pass on this book and look for something better to read because I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone!
If you’re a fan of Frank Sinatra I suggest you pass on this book and look for something better to read because I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone!
March 15, 2020
Why Sinatra Matters
I was raving to a friend about Pete Hamill, a favorite author and this book was recommended to me. Found it for pennies, and purchased it. Me and Frank, we don’t know each other, and obviously haven’t cared to change that situation thus far, so it was a little odd to be cracking open the shell on his life just because a favorite wrote about him. But how many times has a friend talked you into meeting unknown people, tasting new food, trying new moves . . . yeah. Me, too.
Turns out Frank is interesting – and we did have a few things in common. . . .when I’m really sad and melancholy, my favorite song to sing or play on my old upright is In the Wee Small Hours. . .had no idea that was his song. It gave me an insight on some of his inner frankness. He seems to have always gotten in his own way (who doesn’t?) and in overcoming past disadvantages ran roughshod over the advantages he earned and then lost. As always when I read Hamill, I find out more about New York, and his passion for that place. In this book it seems Sinatra has a pull on him because of the place they have in common (NYNY), and Sinatra’s upspringing from immigrants. Sinatra also seems to be a manly role model for Hamill, and if model is too strong a word, then something about Sinatra's persona as a typical New Yorker Every Guy, bellied up to a mic to sing his heart out, appeals to and seems to haunt the author – you can feel it throughout the pages.
This is a little book, more of a memorial really, and so I am mildly moved to maybe find more info. . .sounds like Ava Gardner’s book would be a good POV from a different direction. BUT since I’ve been done like Mr. S did his first and second wives, meh. I probably won’t. There are just so many ways a person can process some version of listen-you-just-aren’t-interesting-enough-anymore-regardless-of-promise+posterity, and be an avid fan. I liked the writing. . .wouldn’t have read it except for the author.
Worth a few Sinatra-stars, rounded up. Not quite over the moon, but there is genuine pining involved.
I was raving to a friend about Pete Hamill, a favorite author and this book was recommended to me. Found it for pennies, and purchased it. Me and Frank, we don’t know each other, and obviously haven’t cared to change that situation thus far, so it was a little odd to be cracking open the shell on his life just because a favorite wrote about him. But how many times has a friend talked you into meeting unknown people, tasting new food, trying new moves . . . yeah. Me, too.
Turns out Frank is interesting – and we did have a few things in common. . . .when I’m really sad and melancholy, my favorite song to sing or play on my old upright is In the Wee Small Hours. . .had no idea that was his song. It gave me an insight on some of his inner frankness. He seems to have always gotten in his own way (who doesn’t?) and in overcoming past disadvantages ran roughshod over the advantages he earned and then lost. As always when I read Hamill, I find out more about New York, and his passion for that place. In this book it seems Sinatra has a pull on him because of the place they have in common (NYNY), and Sinatra’s upspringing from immigrants. Sinatra also seems to be a manly role model for Hamill, and if model is too strong a word, then something about Sinatra's persona as a typical New Yorker Every Guy, bellied up to a mic to sing his heart out, appeals to and seems to haunt the author – you can feel it throughout the pages.
This is a little book, more of a memorial really, and so I am mildly moved to maybe find more info. . .sounds like Ava Gardner’s book would be a good POV from a different direction. BUT since I’ve been done like Mr. S did his first and second wives, meh. I probably won’t. There are just so many ways a person can process some version of listen-you-just-aren’t-interesting-enough-anymore-regardless-of-promise+posterity, and be an avid fan. I liked the writing. . .wouldn’t have read it except for the author.
Worth a few Sinatra-stars, rounded up. Not quite over the moon, but there is genuine pining involved.
July 16, 2016
From the outset, the author states that he knew Sinatra personally and that this relationship would colour the tone of this book. This jettisoning of any attempt at impartiality immediately makes a mockery of the book's title. The fact that Hamill is a huge fan of Sinatra's body of work doesn't help. The author believes his subject to be important for personal reasons, so any attempt to prove Sinatra's importance to anybody else is for all intents and purposes doomed to fail from the start.
This being said, to anybody with any kind of overarching knowledge of the evolution of twentieth century music, Sinatra's significance within that development is obvious anyway. In this light, putting the premise set forth in the title aside, how does this book read as an essay on Sinatra's life and times?
Well, let me say first that I have never been a fan of Sinatra's music. I don't dislike it; I'd happily listen to it but, in my rather expansive music collection, Sinatra is perhaps notable for his complete absence. I read this book on the strength of a friend and fellow musician's recommendation. (I figured that it's a slim tome; if it was awful I'd be wasting three hours of my life at most.)
Hamill writes with such enthusiasm and affection that it's hard not to be swept up in his endearing narrative. Even as a non-fan, remaining objective proved to be quite a challenge. There's no question that Hamill can write. He brings the world Sinatra existed in to life in glorious technicolor. The book is engaging and always interesting. After the slightly brown-nosing prologue, just when I was starting to think the book was going to be a somewhat vacuous puff piece, Hamill starts talking intelligently about the Italian immigration experience, and I was hooked from that point.
Where the author perhaps scores an own-goal is with the inevitable discussion of Sinatra's alleged Mafia connections. While Hamill states categorically that nothing was ever proven and that, as far as he is concerned, that means Sinatra was innocent, his 'debunking' of all the evidence of Frank's mob connections reeks to high Heaven of 'methinks thou dost protest too much'. I've come away from this book more convinced of ol' blue eyes' involvement with the mob than I ever was before. I'd always more or less dismissed it as tabloid tattle before now; after reading this book, I'm not so sure. Fortunately for Frank's defenders, I don't really care one way or the other.
To sum up, this is an interesting and entertaining read. I've given it three stars but, for a Sinatra fan, it would probably be a five star read.
This being said, to anybody with any kind of overarching knowledge of the evolution of twentieth century music, Sinatra's significance within that development is obvious anyway. In this light, putting the premise set forth in the title aside, how does this book read as an essay on Sinatra's life and times?
Well, let me say first that I have never been a fan of Sinatra's music. I don't dislike it; I'd happily listen to it but, in my rather expansive music collection, Sinatra is perhaps notable for his complete absence. I read this book on the strength of a friend and fellow musician's recommendation. (I figured that it's a slim tome; if it was awful I'd be wasting three hours of my life at most.)
Hamill writes with such enthusiasm and affection that it's hard not to be swept up in his endearing narrative. Even as a non-fan, remaining objective proved to be quite a challenge. There's no question that Hamill can write. He brings the world Sinatra existed in to life in glorious technicolor. The book is engaging and always interesting. After the slightly brown-nosing prologue, just when I was starting to think the book was going to be a somewhat vacuous puff piece, Hamill starts talking intelligently about the Italian immigration experience, and I was hooked from that point.
Where the author perhaps scores an own-goal is with the inevitable discussion of Sinatra's alleged Mafia connections. While Hamill states categorically that nothing was ever proven and that, as far as he is concerned, that means Sinatra was innocent, his 'debunking' of all the evidence of Frank's mob connections reeks to high Heaven of 'methinks thou dost protest too much'. I've come away from this book more convinced of ol' blue eyes' involvement with the mob than I ever was before. I'd always more or less dismissed it as tabloid tattle before now; after reading this book, I'm not so sure. Fortunately for Frank's defenders, I don't really care one way or the other.
To sum up, this is an interesting and entertaining read. I've given it three stars but, for a Sinatra fan, it would probably be a five star read.
October 4, 2020
After Frank Sinatra died in 1998, there were many tributes written about his music and his life. Special edition magazines and general biographies abounded, but the one I like the most has been this slim volume by the late Pete Hamill (R.I.P., August 2020). I'm not a New Yorker so Hamill's journalism never affected me on a daily basis, but his farewell ode to Sinatra is quite enjoyable.
At nine, I was too young to understand what Sinatra was doing with his music. I did know it was different. Crosby made us feel comfortable and, in some larger way, American. But there was a tension in Sinatra, an anxiety that we were too young to name but old enough to feel.
In many ways, this is a tale of New York, as Frank was born in New Jersey and made his name in the Big Apple. When Hamill writes about the grit and grime of the Depression on the East Coast, he is also explaining why Sinatra became one of the biggest stars of the twentieth century. The hunger and the passion from Sinatra's youth was still there when he was in his fifties, competing vigorously to stay on the music charts with rock and pop idols of the 1960s. More importantly, Frank Sinatra symbolized the triumph of Italian immigrants and their integration into the American way of life, adding yet another layer to the national cultural cake. For Hamill, this was an essential core of Sinatra's personality, that pugilistic don't-mess-with-me attitude that made anything he did a noteworthy media item. And the music, always the music.
His finest accomplishment, of course, was the sound. The voice itself would evolve over the years from a violin to a viola to a cello, with a rich middle register and dark bottom tones. But it was a combination of voice, diction, attitude, and taste in music that produced the Sinatra sound. It remains unique.
Although this book is an easy read, I took my time, savoring the writing style of Hamill. Blunt and working class, the words will suddenly pop like a newly painted red door on a renovated home. Sinatra was the American-born son of immigrants from Italy. Hamill was the American-born son of immigrants from Northern Ireland. The perfect eulogist for the always flawed icon.
Book Season = Year Round (wee small hours)
At nine, I was too young to understand what Sinatra was doing with his music. I did know it was different. Crosby made us feel comfortable and, in some larger way, American. But there was a tension in Sinatra, an anxiety that we were too young to name but old enough to feel.
In many ways, this is a tale of New York, as Frank was born in New Jersey and made his name in the Big Apple. When Hamill writes about the grit and grime of the Depression on the East Coast, he is also explaining why Sinatra became one of the biggest stars of the twentieth century. The hunger and the passion from Sinatra's youth was still there when he was in his fifties, competing vigorously to stay on the music charts with rock and pop idols of the 1960s. More importantly, Frank Sinatra symbolized the triumph of Italian immigrants and their integration into the American way of life, adding yet another layer to the national cultural cake. For Hamill, this was an essential core of Sinatra's personality, that pugilistic don't-mess-with-me attitude that made anything he did a noteworthy media item. And the music, always the music.
His finest accomplishment, of course, was the sound. The voice itself would evolve over the years from a violin to a viola to a cello, with a rich middle register and dark bottom tones. But it was a combination of voice, diction, attitude, and taste in music that produced the Sinatra sound. It remains unique.
Although this book is an easy read, I took my time, savoring the writing style of Hamill. Blunt and working class, the words will suddenly pop like a newly painted red door on a renovated home. Sinatra was the American-born son of immigrants from Italy. Hamill was the American-born son of immigrants from Northern Ireland. The perfect eulogist for the always flawed icon.
Book Season = Year Round (wee small hours)
November 29, 2015
This works as a eulogy or paean, but you get very little of the title's promise.
It has a strong beginning. You see how the immigrant experience, being an only child with two busy parents in a neighborhood of big families and the influence of the World War II shaped him, but none of this shows why he matters.
There is one paragraph on how his songs of "tender and tough" defined a "new model for American masculinity (p. 97), but this is not developed.
There is some biographical info here, the only new items being some quotes from conversations with the author. The Dorsey contract and the dubious "mob connections" are neatly outlined.
I got this at the public library. I would be very disappointed if I had paid the $26 list price.
It has a strong beginning. You see how the immigrant experience, being an only child with two busy parents in a neighborhood of big families and the influence of the World War II shaped him, but none of this shows why he matters.
There is one paragraph on how his songs of "tender and tough" defined a "new model for American masculinity (p. 97), but this is not developed.
There is some biographical info here, the only new items being some quotes from conversations with the author. The Dorsey contract and the dubious "mob connections" are neatly outlined.
I got this at the public library. I would be very disappointed if I had paid the $26 list price.
March 8, 2024
I love listening to Frank Sinatra. This book gives a balanced view of one of the most iconic entertainers of all time. Frank Sinatra is 'entwined' in American history in a way that few entertainers are; still finding out how politically connected he was (not to mention connections on the other side). This book will give you a brief but detailed list of reasons why Sinatra matters.
July 19, 2023
Pretty good, quite succinct. Don't love Sinatra as a person, but I think it gave a good overview of how he impacted things. A good overview.
There is also a personal touch and relationship from the author to Frank which makes this a unique book.
There is also a personal touch and relationship from the author to Frank which makes this a unique book.
December 7, 2010
This was a wonderful book, for a die-hard Sinatra fan like me. Anyone who has an interest in either music or history of the Prohibition/Depression/Jazz eras, or insight into immigration to the United States from Europe in the late 1800s/early 1900s would also enjoy it. It's not a "biography" in the classic sense, but rather the personal recollections of someone who knew and liked him. I especially enjoyed the section toward the end of the book where the author analyzes Sinatra's music; as a singer myself I found that fascinating ... and instructive. I didn't want this book to end and, in fact, the only negative thing I have to say about it is that it's too short.
March 23, 2015
Let me first say that I love Sinatra and I don't know much about history.
With that said, I loved reading about his life through the perspective of Pete Hamill. He writes in a way that focuses on the romance of FS's life. The challenge of an Italian singer coming out of the depression and as an American that was not able to serve but wished he could, even if only to prove to the other men in his generation that he was one of them. Or as FS might say, dem. The struggle of a man in love with the night life but seeing the drink and women making a muck of everything.
I learned about his use of proper English and his New York flare. About the way he lived with stride and acknowledged his stupidity yet would not be called a hypocrite. About his vulgarity, and yet his deep love of music and the dedication he had to make it.
FS's life according to Pete is one that was wonderful to behold and something like a midnight train/ you needed to go see it cross the dark land even if you couldn't ride along. FS grew. From a boy who could sing to a washout that played and danced for his dinner to finally the risen star that developed a history that was dark enough for intrigue but not dark enough to dull out the romance of the midnight hour.
I love FS. His swagger. He brash boldness to be him. To be a loser. To be a winner. To hope and continue to hope even as he walked in the rain.
His is a life I don't want, its too sad. To full of a regret and hurt I couldn't bear. But whenever his music is playing I can't help to wish I was there with him and the ratpack smoking at one in the morning. Walking out into the rain and heading over to start the show. How could you not? The music followed him. Pete says something along the lines/ there was the top ten, and then there was Sinatra.
If you like Sinatra, do your self a favor and read this. You'll like him even more. You'll be able to read something you've always felt while listening to him. Pete Hamill will give you words to better listen to and for the basic principle in all of Sinatra's music, loneliness. You'll read about how this one theme is everything and that Sinatra was always the man either coming out of love or falling into it.
Additionally, and I must admit that though it is a plus for the book I do not feel much about it, you'll learn a good deal about the impact FS had on his culture and the way his story and the stories of other Italians like DiMaggio worked together to create a hopeful story for immigrants.
With that said, I hope you read and enjoy.
With that said, I loved reading about his life through the perspective of Pete Hamill. He writes in a way that focuses on the romance of FS's life. The challenge of an Italian singer coming out of the depression and as an American that was not able to serve but wished he could, even if only to prove to the other men in his generation that he was one of them. Or as FS might say, dem. The struggle of a man in love with the night life but seeing the drink and women making a muck of everything.
I learned about his use of proper English and his New York flare. About the way he lived with stride and acknowledged his stupidity yet would not be called a hypocrite. About his vulgarity, and yet his deep love of music and the dedication he had to make it.
FS's life according to Pete is one that was wonderful to behold and something like a midnight train/ you needed to go see it cross the dark land even if you couldn't ride along. FS grew. From a boy who could sing to a washout that played and danced for his dinner to finally the risen star that developed a history that was dark enough for intrigue but not dark enough to dull out the romance of the midnight hour.
I love FS. His swagger. He brash boldness to be him. To be a loser. To be a winner. To hope and continue to hope even as he walked in the rain.
His is a life I don't want, its too sad. To full of a regret and hurt I couldn't bear. But whenever his music is playing I can't help to wish I was there with him and the ratpack smoking at one in the morning. Walking out into the rain and heading over to start the show. How could you not? The music followed him. Pete says something along the lines/ there was the top ten, and then there was Sinatra.
If you like Sinatra, do your self a favor and read this. You'll like him even more. You'll be able to read something you've always felt while listening to him. Pete Hamill will give you words to better listen to and for the basic principle in all of Sinatra's music, loneliness. You'll read about how this one theme is everything and that Sinatra was always the man either coming out of love or falling into it.
Additionally, and I must admit that though it is a plus for the book I do not feel much about it, you'll learn a good deal about the impact FS had on his culture and the way his story and the stories of other Italians like DiMaggio worked together to create a hopeful story for immigrants.
With that said, I hope you read and enjoy.
November 28, 2015
I don't recall anything I read about this book the first time so I had to reread it. With a title like, "Why Sinatra Matters" I had to recall what Pete Hamill had to say. So I took the book off the shelf and read it again. I'm so glad I did. Especially during the 100th anniversary of his birth. Its amazing that Hamill could fit so much history into this little book (only 180 pages in a small format). Hamill discusses Sinatra's grandparents and parents during their immigrant years and the discriminatory treatment Italian immigrants were afforded during the late 1880s into the 1930s. Frank Sinatra, an only child was lonely growing up and his music reflects this. The birth of The Mob, better know as the mafia (pg 79), initially called The Combination, whose formation and network was a direct result of prohibition (a failed Congressional experiment). Hamill delves into Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire and the early days when Frank looked up to these singers and wanted to follow in their footsteps. The music of Tin Pan Alley is discussed and that Sinatra matters because, "He created a new model for American Masculinity 'The Tender Tough Guy.'" The American depression is covered, the Sinatra's did not suffer (the 1930's), the Big Bands of Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, which were Frank's big break avenues and how Sinatra's use of what he called his instrument (the microphone), practice and his appeal to women and men took him to great success. Frank's depression and falling voice led to his disfavor with the American public in the early 1950s. His four marriages (Nancy Barbato, Ava Gardner, Mia Farrow and Barbara Bock) are mentioned and how some great music arrangers (including Nelson Riddle, Billy May and Don Costa)helped Frank be the success he was.
February 4, 2014
This was the second time i read Pete Hamill's tribute to Sinatra. In the decade since my first reading, age has enhanced my appreciation for the people and events of my life. I grew up in the 50's and 60's and Sinatra was in his comeback. I fondly remember the Sinatra's music, acting, and comedy buts with Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Joey Bishop during the Rat-Pack era. Hamill's book gave me a great insight into the early life and career of Old Blue Eyes.
Hamill writes from his personal association with Sinatra as well as interviews with the entertainer's friends and colleagues. Sometimes I felt like I was at the table with Hamill and Sinatra, listening to their late night banter. That look at the off-stage Frank Sinatra made my memories of his work even more treasured, now that I understand more about his background, hard-won success, and failures. In the end, Sinatra's contribution to the arts and his story of adversity and perseverance are what matter.
Hamill writes from his personal association with Sinatra as well as interviews with the entertainer's friends and colleagues. Sometimes I felt like I was at the table with Hamill and Sinatra, listening to their late night banter. That look at the off-stage Frank Sinatra made my memories of his work even more treasured, now that I understand more about his background, hard-won success, and failures. In the end, Sinatra's contribution to the arts and his story of adversity and perseverance are what matter.
August 14, 2014
This book should be in the library of any Sinatraphile. Not gossipy; in the sense, not a white coat's assessment of Sinatra's psyche. A portrait of a man alone-had it all, lose it, and gaining it with massive success + revenge. Pure class. Good with Tennessee Whiskey and LPs (Columbia, Capitol, Reprise, or bootlegs.)
I read this when I was college ('08) FEB. 14, 2014. [There's a heartbreak) Instead of shotgun (kill) or jumping off Sta. Cruz Bridge (Manila), I chose insomniac reading and listened to a cassette tape (Frank Sinatra) on a beat-up Panasonic Walkman. Of losing my father too soon and being wishful. Sinatra (his music) is the paean for any man's triumph(s) and private (painful) tragedies.
I read this when I was college ('08) FEB. 14, 2014. [There's a heartbreak) Instead of shotgun (kill) or jumping off Sta. Cruz Bridge (Manila), I chose insomniac reading and listened to a cassette tape (Frank Sinatra) on a beat-up Panasonic Walkman. Of losing my father too soon and being wishful. Sinatra (his music) is the paean for any man's triumph(s) and private (painful) tragedies.
May 20, 2016
Wow. Pete Hamill is an amazing writer. I felt like I was back in Brooklyn, drinking in "an old man's bar" with the stink of old scotch in the air. I had a marvelous though brief encounter with Sinatra. He was kind, generous and scary. And his eyes were so blue. Hamill took me on a brief journey through Jersey to Italy and back to Jersey, and Las Vegas. I learned quite a bit about the Italian American story, a topic I never appreciated before. I highly recommend this book. A fast and oh so pleasurable read.
January 13, 2013
A slender volume telling the story of Frank Sinatra and why he was important not only to music but also to the flow of American culture and life. There are lots of other books about Frank, but this would be a good place to start. The songs from "In the Wee Small Hours" said that in spite of loss, abandonment, defeat - you could get through the night. And Saturday night is the loneliest night of the week.
May 29, 2016
History, the story of an era and that of a very interesting man told by n brilliant writer- just the thing for the making of another reading experience to make my life happy!
No doubt about it, I love the writing of Pete Hamill and I can't believe the joy of getting to know what Sinatra and life was like in the 1900's.
Of course our author is the expert on NYC, and here he colours the picture of the apple with the hues of music and the celebrities of the day.
No doubt about it, I love the writing of Pete Hamill and I can't believe the joy of getting to know what Sinatra and life was like in the 1900's.
Of course our author is the expert on NYC, and here he colours the picture of the apple with the hues of music and the celebrities of the day.
October 16, 2013
Not only a history of one of the great singers of our time, but also some fascinating heritage information about Italian immigrants in NYC and NJ. All around fascinating...
February 1, 2020
Really nostalgically sweet reminiscence of the early years of Frank Sinatra -- where and how he grew up, gained fame, nearly lost it, and then recovered it to the be one of the most recognizable stars in the world.
Warmly written, this is an easy read, the history parts interspersed with quotes and recollections from an older, reflective Sinatra. The narrative stops before the Rat Pack days and treads lightly on Sinatra's famous anger and treatment of the women in his life.
But if you've got music from the 30s-50s in your happy hour soundtrack (and we do), this book is good peek into the mystique of that era.
Warmly written, this is an easy read, the history parts interspersed with quotes and recollections from an older, reflective Sinatra. The narrative stops before the Rat Pack days and treads lightly on Sinatra's famous anger and treatment of the women in his life.
But if you've got music from the 30s-50s in your happy hour soundtrack (and we do), this book is good peek into the mystique of that era.
September 5, 2022
I like Hamill's work a lot, and this was a pretty good account of Sinatra, who he got to know. I always thought Hamill was a really strong writer. I normally would not have picked this up, but it was on a free table at the auction, so I grabbed it and I am glad I did. I've already handed it off to a friend for them to enjoy. I learned a lot more about the famous singer than I probably needed to know, but am glad I learned nonetheless.
May 28, 2021
Interesting look at Frank Sinatra. I grew up listening to Sinatra and knew he was from New Jersey. But I guess I never realized when he was actually born, I always thought him a contemporary of my parents who were born early in the depression and it didn’t affect them as much as people born years earlier. A good read and look at an icon
June 8, 2025
If you are looking for a deep bio here. This isn’t that book. However. It is an homage by author Hamill to the Sinatra in places in time. To me the chapters read like essays. Not just to the person but to serious themes that shaped Sinatra’s life. Glimpse of how been a child of immigrants. Loneliness of being an only child in a world of big families. Prohibition & the mob. It’s short & sweet & very obvious to me a labor of love by the author
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February 27, 2020This book was published in 1998. I am sure I must have purchased this from a sale table at a bookstore. It essentially was six thematic essays written by sports journalist Pete Hamill about different aspects of Sinatra's life. Hamill was an acquaintance of Sinatra's, but not a close friend, and knew people who knew Sinatra. I appreciated the insights into the man and the time period - covering his entire life - from an accomplished journalist. I was drawn to this since I like Sinatra's music and style. He is complicated - with both good and bad qualities - so I admire aspects of him and not others. This book will be donated to charity.
July 31, 2019
Put on a classic Sinatra CD (better yet, drop a vintage LP on the turntable) and let Pete Hamill's clean prose show you Sinatra's good side. At one time, they discussed Pete writing Frank's biography and, while that didn't come to anything, Hamill has a fantastic memory and plenty of introspective, insightful, trenchant quotes from Sinatra to work with. What he also has is the same immigrant background of pretty-much the same vintage as Sinatra. His Irish-American Brooklyn illuminates Sinatra's Italian-American Hoboken in ways nobody who didn't grow up with the Auld Sod crowded up against the New World could.
April 10, 2025
An honest piece on a broken and talented artist who furthered the perception of immigrants and the lonely.
January 31, 2018
If you really want the reason why Sinatra matters, you won't really find it in this book, until the author's last memory of Sinatra on the final page - and it was pretty underwhelming. I appreciated that it wasn't an accounting of Sinatra's wives or celebrity gossip, but a good general framing of the world Sinatra entered before he forever altered his piece of it. Unless you already know why Sinatra matters, or have a favorite album or song, you probably won't enjoy this book. For unabashed superfans like me, it's an enjoyable, quick reminder Sinatra's rise, fall, comeback and lasting impact.
March 16, 2018
This is a short book that you can probably put down in 2 hours, but even if you're not a Sinatra fan, it will be worth your time. I can't recommend this book enough.
January 16, 2016
The first 30 pages of this book captured more the essence of Sinatra than some of the other 300 page biographies out there, and the portrait of him drinking and swapping stories with his cronies in the smoky wee small hours, with the obligatory juke box playing in the corner, was an utter joy and set the tone perfectly. Hamill actually spent time with Sinatra, in after hour saloons, riding in the back of cabs, and the snippets of conversation he remembers imbues the book with the indomitable personality and singular charisma that is sometimes missing in other biogs.
Trying to capture the swirling complexities of Sinatra's personality, or condense his sprawling life and times into 200 pages, is an impossible task, and Hamill wisely doesn't try. What we have are snatches here, the moments that defined him, sprinkled with insights from the man himself.
Hamill traces Sinatra's family history back to the Old Country and provides a brief biography of his parents. Much is made much of his Italian heritage and the stigma of him growing up an immigrant in the racially divided streets of Hoboken in twenties America. It is painstakingly researched and fascinating, evocative story telling, capturing the world of the young Sinatra brilliantly, though does start to read like a history lesson toward the middle of the book, and loses its way a little... We didn't need the background story explaining the outbreak of World War Two for example.
Unfortunately the rest of the book goes by in a rush; we are in the familiar territory of the other biographies now and we get the obligatory boxes ticked: career takes a nose dive, Ava breaks his heart, suicide attempts, the great comeback...
Hamill is on firmer ground when he recounts a conversation he had with Sinatra in the back of a limo towards the end of his career. A wistful Sinatra is reminiscing about his life and loves and then says, ' Maybe all that happens is, you get older and you know less...'
It was a beautiful way to end the story and seemed to capture all the restlessness and longing that haunts his greatest recordings.
Hamill is a great writer and, though this is slightly uneven in places, his passion just leaps off the page. Sinatra, however deeply flawed he may have been, ultimately comes across as a thoughtful, funny, and endlessly curious man. A true artist. If only he could have written his own story? It may have given 'Dylan's chronicles' a run for its money...
Trying to capture the swirling complexities of Sinatra's personality, or condense his sprawling life and times into 200 pages, is an impossible task, and Hamill wisely doesn't try. What we have are snatches here, the moments that defined him, sprinkled with insights from the man himself.
Hamill traces Sinatra's family history back to the Old Country and provides a brief biography of his parents. Much is made much of his Italian heritage and the stigma of him growing up an immigrant in the racially divided streets of Hoboken in twenties America. It is painstakingly researched and fascinating, evocative story telling, capturing the world of the young Sinatra brilliantly, though does start to read like a history lesson toward the middle of the book, and loses its way a little... We didn't need the background story explaining the outbreak of World War Two for example.
Unfortunately the rest of the book goes by in a rush; we are in the familiar territory of the other biographies now and we get the obligatory boxes ticked: career takes a nose dive, Ava breaks his heart, suicide attempts, the great comeback...
Hamill is on firmer ground when he recounts a conversation he had with Sinatra in the back of a limo towards the end of his career. A wistful Sinatra is reminiscing about his life and loves and then says, ' Maybe all that happens is, you get older and you know less...'
It was a beautiful way to end the story and seemed to capture all the restlessness and longing that haunts his greatest recordings.
Hamill is a great writer and, though this is slightly uneven in places, his passion just leaps off the page. Sinatra, however deeply flawed he may have been, ultimately comes across as a thoughtful, funny, and endlessly curious man. A true artist. If only he could have written his own story? It may have given 'Dylan's chronicles' a run for its money...
May 1, 2012
In many ways this is a fine remembrance. But it focuses so heavily on the milieu in which Sinatra grew up, and the impact of all these prejudices and traditions, that one might assume that Frank Sinatra himself played only a minimal role in what he eventually became, the finest male vocalist the nation has ever had. What is almost absent here is the way Sinatra consciously shaped his life, employing his own independent will and genius, making choices that led to greatness. This trendy environmental approach ultimately robs the singer of his stature. The memoir-- it is not really a biography-- skips over much of Frank Sinatra's life and nature. For instance, the author often refers to Sinatra's cruelties and meanness without supplying much evidence or anecdote. Still, this is an earnest and responsible celebration of a remarkable man.
August 17, 2018
3.5 stars. Audible version. I'm a fan of Frank Sinatra. This has been in my Audible library for some time because I knew I'd want to listen to it eventually. While it offered some interesting insights into Sinatra (how he treated certain letters as he sang lyrics sticks out), I found myself wanting to hear more about why Sinatra mattered. His legacy is well documented, and I appreciated Hamill noting Sinatra's flaws in addition to his attributes (as a longtime friend). But I felt it could have done more to explain why future generations should consider Sinatra an iconic musical figure. I enjoyed the book, but I wish it had dug a little deeper into the legend. A solid read, nonetheless.
May 4, 2017
There are insightful moments (e.g., the first chapter at P. J. Clarke's and Hamill's analysis of the Sinatra-Riddle collaboration), but otherwise, my interest in Sinatra was not nearly sated by this thin volume. Hamill draws from both research and personal interviews, primarily from the 70's. If you're a die-hard Sinatra fan, read it; however, Gay Talese's "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold" is the must-read profile.
February 18, 2018
It's a very quick and easy read, but also a bit of an oddity. It's a hybrid of psychological study & biographical vignette (but primarily focused on the early 20th century). It's not a book that will give you in any way a complete understanding of Frank Sinatra, but it certainly provides some unique insights. Its best feature is an examination of the fight by indomitable immigrants against bigotry & prejudice...something that seems to be coming full circle in the Donald Trump era.
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