Rating: 
Summary: Riveting experience
Review: For anyone with an interest in Dean, Jerry, Frank, the early years, etc., this is the book that makes all others pale in comparison. - Fascinating, packed with just the stuff you always wanted to know about but didn't know who to ask!! beautifully written, literate and then some - what more could you want?
Rating:
Summary: Dean Martin, alone but not lonely.
Review: He was by all accounts a kind, gracious and modest man. Possessed of a free flowing natural off-the-wall sense of humor. These were the characteristics that drew people to him and at the same time kept them away, disappointed when they couldn't "reach" him.
He learned at an early age the card sharks tricks. Play it close to the vest and don't telegraph anything. These early lessons served him well all his life, perhaps too well.
Let it be said that no one has been able to crack the enigma that was Dean Martin. Not his wife of 20 years Jeanne, not the two siblings who have written of their lives with him, those who worked with him and not Nick Tosches.
Tosches comes as close as anyone is likely too however. His try, though it has it's flaws is a noble effort. Tosches accurately portrays Martins rise throught the mob owned and influenced night life of the 40's and 50's. Some readers have misunderstood Tosches stream of consciousness writing style as unfairly portraying Dean as a somewhat foulmouthed uncaring persona. This is a mistake. What Tosches portrays is a man of the period. A time of postwar revelry, mob influence and a need to be street smart. Dean mastered it all. He was tough but not uncaring. The uncaring attitude was the armour he used to protect himself from the mob bosses and those who would manipulate him. He not only refused to kowtow to them, he won them over with his toughness and yes, his integrity. They complained as did his supposedly best buddy Frank Sinatra, that they couldn't control him, he did as he pleased.
It did cost him. He was unable to communicate well his true feelings and held it all inside. He suffered ulcers, headaches and when his son Dean Paul died piloting a National Guard jet in 1986, it all came home to roost. He was devasted beyond comprehension.
He had been on a comeback of sorts during the early 80's. Kicking his dependence on prescription drugs, making peace with Jeanne and successful performances in London and Paris with more frequent TV appearances had him on an upswing by 1985. It came to a peremptory halt with his sons passing.
He went through the motions for 5 more years but it was only because those concerned about him, Mort Viner his manager and confidant, Sinatra and family members pushed him. He finally said enough in 1991 and retired gracefully. His health deteriorating, he lived quietly alone with visits from Jeanne and the family and weeknight forays to his favorite 2 or 3 reataurants. He appeared content. Jeanne said he was, "...always content in a void, he's content right now...".
Of all the "Rat Pack" stars, the TV stars of the 60's and 70's, he remains the most interesting, in demand and emulated. He alone seems to reach new adults who were toddlers when he left the stage. His records still sell and his TV variety performances are selling well on CD. He is doing in memorium what he always did in life; wearing well and and doing it his own way.
Rating: 
Summary: True or False - A Great Read
Review: Here is a question for you to ask about any biography that isn't about, say, George W. Bush -- how much do the facts really matter? Do we care that Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast" is far less than 100 percent accurate as far as the facts go, or do we, as strangers to all the people in the book (who are now dead anyway), simply enjoy a great read?I am no expert on Dean Martin or the Rat Pack. I read this book because I continually saw it referred to in reviews of other books as a classic show biz bio. And it is a wonderful thing to read, with much to say about the shady milieu of mob-controlled clubs that Martin came up out of. Parts of it read like fiction to me. Tosches writes often from Martin's perspective, giving us his sometimes bitter, mostly don't give a damn sardonicism about everything going on around him. I don't know where Tosches got this stuff. I'm not sure I trust it. How can he know a dead man's thoughts? But it feels true. It feels right to the character that Tosches evokes -- Martin as a guy who was accidentally famous and can't take much seriously. If it were a novel, it would feel true. Tosches has shown himself to be a good enough reporter here and elsewhere that I'm willing to believe what he has his Dino say here. (There's certainly plenty of backup documentation among the notes.) For the average reader -- what does it matter? Here is a chance to get inside another person's head. This is the rare gift literature allows us -- we can understand another human being.
Rating:
Summary: True or False - A Great Read
Review: Here is a question for you to ask about any biography that isn't about, say, George W. Bush -- how much do the facts really matter? Do we care that Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast" is far less than 100 percent accurate as far as the facts go, or do we, as strangers to all the people in the book (who are now dead anyway), simply enjoy a great read? I am no expert on Dean Martin or the Rat Pack. I read this book because I continually saw it referred to in reviews of other books as a classic show biz bio. And it is a wonderful thing to read, with much to say about the shady milieu of mob-controlled clubs that Martin came up out of. Parts of it read like fiction to me. Tosches writes often from Martin's perspective, giving us his sometimes bitter, mostly don't give a damn sardonicism about everything going on around him. I don't know where Tosches got this stuff. I'm not sure I trust it. How can he know a dead man's thoughts? But it feels true. It feels right to the character that Tosches evokes -- Martin as a guy who was accidentally famous and can't take much seriously. If it were a novel, it would feel true. Tosches has shown himself to be a good enough reporter here and elsewhere that I'm willing to believe what he has his Dino say here. (There's certainly plenty of backup documentation among the notes.) For the average reader -- what does it matter? Here is a chance to get inside another person's head. This is the rare gift literature allows us -- we can understand another human being.
Rating:
Summary: A great book about a great man
Review: I first learned about Dino when was 14 while watching the movie Moonlstruck. I heard the song That's Amore and immediately turned to my mother and asked intensely "Who is that singing?"
Dean Martin. I watched the rest of the movie and it as confirmed in the credits. Dean Martin. I jumped on the train and went to Downtown Boston and bought a best of Dean Martin Cd at Sam Goody. That's where it all started for me. I love him. The more I knew of him, learned of him, heard more songs...the moreI loved. Then myfather gave me this book for Christmas and I read and read with Dino crooning in the background of course. I loved it. This book painted a wonderfully interesting picture of his life. More for me to love. Now some years later I can't believe how popular Ol' Dino has become. When i bought that cd itwas the only one in the store. And none of the kids working here a even heardof him. Now there's plenty to choose from and well the kids are still lost but atleast they've hard of him, somewhat. SOme say it's a shame that Dino isn'talive to see how popular he's become. For those I say read the book because if you know Dino you now he coud give a !"$#@ less. He was and still is the ultimate lazy cool happy menefreghista. This book is a geat bio whethr you are a fan ornot. It's wonderfully crafted. with depth and a touch of dirt. Did Dino really flirt with Jackie KEnnedy or perhaps more? It's good read
Rating: 
Summary: MOSTLY HEARSAY
Review: I have read this book and though there may be some things that have some truth to it, that would be items all of us have read about. If you are looking for something new and informative about the life of Dino, you won't find it in this book. The book Arthur Marx wrote probably is better done (leaving out the foul language) and seems to have a different viewpoint. We may never learn more about this very private person, but I will say one thing, he was probably the most underated individual in the world of entertainment.Not only did he have a fantastic voice (better than FS) but he came across as such a fun loving, personable and talented singer, actor, comedian and never got 5 stars which in my estimation, he deserved 10 stars!
Rating:
Summary: 5 Stars for Dino, 3 for Tosches
Review: I'm a big Dino fan, so I had to read this book. Reminds me of Leamer's "King of the Night" bio about Johnny Carson. Shabbily written, in a near tabloid style, and offering little insight on the subject(s). In fairness, nobody really seemed to know Martin, but Tosches seems more interested in the mob, and Dino's business dealings. You could delete about 25 pages of mob stuff, alone. Much of it is beyond the scope of Dino's life, and only distracts. Some people will be impressed by the rawness, language, and references to Italian culture. More experienced readers will wonder why Tosches wrote the book, as he clearly doesn't have a very high regard for Dino. Maybe, like Dino, he just did it for the money.
Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Look at a Show-Biz Enigma
Review: In the world of show business, Dean Martin remains a fascinating enigma. Nick Tosches certainly knew this when writing "Dino," a perceptive and revealing 1992 biography that depicts the singer-actor as a man who gave a damn about very little -- letting the riches fall where they may. It's all here: the Martin and Lewis partnership, the Rat Pack, the Mafia, the Kennedys, etc. However, "Dino" is more than a traditional show-biz biography. Tosches writes with the wisdom of a scholar and a poet. The author documents Martin's rise to stardom and inevitable breakup with Jerry Lewis, his remarkable solo success in the 1960s, and his emotional reclusiveness -- which became more pronounced after his son was killed in a 1987 jet crash. Though published three years before Martin's death at age 78, Tosches concludes his book with the telling image of Dino in retirement as he watches old Westerns on television. Even in his final years, Martin did exactly what he wanted, with no apologies or regrets. "Dino" is an excellent biography that pulls no punches -- an ideal subject for Martin Scorsese, who plans to direct a film version of Tosches' memorable work.
Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Look at a Show-Biz Enigma
Review: In the world of show business, Dean Martin remains a fascinating enigma. Nick Tosches certainly knew this when writing "Dino," a perceptive and revealing 1992 biography that depicts the singer-actor as a man who gave a damn about very little -- letting the riches fall where they may. It's all here: the Martin and Lewis partnership, the Rat Pack, the Mafia, the Kennedys, etc. However, "Dino" is more than a traditional show-biz biography. Tosches writes with the wisdom of a scholar and a poet. The author documents Martin's rise to stardom and inevitable breakup with Jerry Lewis, his remarkable solo success in the 1960s, and his emotional reclusiveness -- which became more pronounced after his son was killed in a 1987 jet crash. Though published three years before Martin's death at age 78, Tosches concludes his book with the telling image of Dino in retirement as he watches old Westerns on television. Even in his final years, Martin did exactly what he wanted, with no apologies or regrets. "Dino" is an excellent biography that pulls no punches -- an ideal subject for Martin Scorsese, who plans to direct a film version of Tosches' memorable work.
Rating:
Summary: A soft summers night that dangles by
Review: It seemed that I was driven to read this book By ,first, my love of his music. For after a few Cd's and Cd covers I learned more and my curiosity was brewing. And how could it not be? He is a truly fascinating man, a cool enigma of a man, with a smooth silky low tone. This book paints colors into the giant carefree mystery that he was. When finished your left fully satisfied but yet yearning for me. If you love Dino this is a must. It is great to peek into this Carefree crooner's life. I reccommend playing some of Dino's music softly in the background while you peruse this nice Biography.
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