<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Actually 2.5 Stars
Review: Just about everyone agrees that Sinatra is among the most talented singers of popular songs and many of us think he was a far more accomplished serious film actor than is generally acknowledged. (I can think of at least a dozen films in which he delivers a brilliant performance. For example, From Here to Eternity, The Man with the Golden Arm, The Manchurian Candidate, and The Detective.) The quality of his art as a performer is not in dispute. Rather, it is Sinatra's personal life which continues to generate so many differences of opinion. I was attracted to Munn's book because it claims to provide "the untold story" of Sinatra's relationships with the Mafia, John and Robert Kennedy, Ava Gardner, and Marilyn Monroe. Although much of that story had been told prior to the first publication of this book in 2001, Munn explains that he "resorted to researching as few books as possible" because he never intended to write a full-scale biography. In fact, what he offers consists almost entirely of what he claims to have obtained during dozens of interviews, notably of Gardner.
Other reviewers have duly noted the book's easily-avoidable inaccuracies (e.g. the Henry James band) and sloppy editing (e.g. countless redundancies). My rating is more the result of problems I have with Munn's credibility. He was not an eyewitness to most of the Sinatra behavior which serves as the book's focus. Moreover, he asks his reader to trust him completely when sharing what eyewitnesses (again, notably Ava Gardner) allegedly told him. Did they know what they were talking about? Are their accusations verifiable? Is Munn their messenger or their interpreter? If the latter, how reliable is he? I am also curious to know why Ava: My Story (1990) is not listed among his "Selected Bibliography and Sources." According to Munn, Gardner was the single most important source for the material in his book.
Think about various components in Sinatra's life: the Mafia, the Oval Office, the F.B.I. and C.I.A., Hollywood, the Bogart Rat Pack and then the Sinatra Rat Pack, Las Vegas, Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Mia Farrow, Fidel Castro, Richard Nixon...conspiracies, assassinations, vast wealth (mansions, private jets, etc.), countless awards, non-publicized philanthropies...just about everything needed to write a full-scale biography of one of the most interesting and (yes) enigmatic celebrities in our contemporary culture. It is possible but unlikely that the author of that biography will find much of unique value in Munn's book. I know that I didn't.
Rating: 
Summary: Shrewdly written British publication.
Review: The author presents an interesting premise, but I have to question the accuracy of his facts. There were some very basic errors that would have been caught with even the slightest amount of research. For example:He states that Sinatra's first big band gig was with the Henry James Orchestra. It was in fact, the Harry James Orchestra. I realize that Harry is a nickname for Henry, but no one has ever referred to him as Henry James. He say that Sammy Davis Jr. started his career with his uncle's trio, "The Will Martin Trio." It was in fact, the Will Mastin Trio. The author claims the Desert Inn in Las Vegas was run by Cleveland mobster Moe Daltz. His name was actually Moe Dalitz. These were not just typos, but were repeated several times in the book. You have to wonder how much effort he put into checking his facts.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting story, questionable accuracy
Review: The author presents an interesting premise, but I have to question the accuracy of his facts. There were some very basic errors that would have been caught with even the slightest amount of research. For example: He states that Sinatra's first big band gig was with the Henry James Orchestra. It was in fact, the Harry James Orchestra. I realize that Harry is a nickname for Henry, but no one has ever referred to him as Henry James. He say that Sammy Davis Jr. started his career with his uncle's trio, "The Will Martin Trio." It was in fact, the Will Mastin Trio. The author claims the Desert Inn in Las Vegas was run by Cleveland mobster Moe Daltz. His name was actually Moe Dalitz. These were not just typos, but were repeated several times in the book. You have to wonder how much effort he put into checking his facts.
Rating:
Summary: Shrewdly written British publication.
Review: This is another conspiracy theory book involving Frank, Ava, Marilyn, The Mob, The Kennedy's, and the rest of the Rat Pack. The problem with this book, is the author's assertions that he personally received his information from them. He provides no proof that these conversations actually took place. The reader is to believe the author's words only. To make matters worse, there are incorrect facts, names and dates throughout this book. And sadly, the people involved can not refute what was written.
<< 1 >>
|
