In celebration of his one-hundredth birthday, a charming, irresistibly
readable, and handsomely packaged look back at the life and times of the
greatest entertainer in American history, Frank Sinatra.
Sinatra's Century is an irresistible collection of one-hundred short
reflections on the man, his music, and his larger-than-life story, by a
lifetime fan who also happens to be one of the poetry world's most
prominent voices. David Lehman uses each of these short pieces to look
back on a single facet of the entertainer's story--from his childhood in
Hoboken, to his emergence as "The Voice" in the 1940s, to the wild
professional (and romantic) fluctuations that followed. Lehman offers
new insights and revisits familiar stories--Sinatra's dramatic love
affairs with some of the most beautiful stars in Hollywood, including
Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, and Ava Gardner; his fall from grace in
the late 1940s and resurrection during the "Capitol Years" of the 1950s;
his bonds with the rest of the Rat Pack; and his long tenure as the
Chairman of the Board, viewed as the eminence grise of popular music
inspiring generations of artists, from Bobby Darin to Bono to Bob Dylan.
Brimming with Lehman's own lifelong affection for Sinatra, the book
includes lists of unforgettable performances; engaging insight on what
made Sinatra the model of American machismo--and the epitome of romance;
and clear-eyed assessments of the foibles that impacted his life and
work. Warm and enlightening, Sinatra's Century is full-throated
appreciation of Sinatra for every fan.
