Amazon.com
If you're not inclined to read individual biographies of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr., Shawn Levy's Rat Pack Confidential is a perfect one-stop resource. Less a group biography than a series of impressionistic snapshots, the book is loaded with can't-miss material--the dirt on the making of Ocean's Eleven, information about Sinatra's wild stint as a casino owner, deep background on Peter Lawford's habit of introducing Jack Kennedy to glamorous starlets, wiretap transcripts of mobsters Sam Giancana and Johnny Formosa discussiong Dean Martin's lack of respect.
Levy, whose previous book, King of Comedy, is a serious consideration of Jerry Lewis's life and career, offers similarly well considered insights into the members of the Rat Pack. He covers Davis's lifelong struggle against racism and the complicated intertwinings of the Kennedy political machine and "the Clan," as the performers preferred to be called (they often denied anything like the Rat Pack even existed and resisted collective references).
The book's debts to its predecessors are often apparent; much of the material on Sinatra's friendship with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, for example, appears to have been gleaned from recent Bogart biographies. The writing style, which tries to capture the ring-a-ding-ding feel of the era, also owes serious debts to Nick Tosches by way of James Ellroy, while only intermittently reaching their level of mastery. But these are minor quibbles. As a synthesis of thirty years worth of journalism and celebrity biography, Rat Pack Confidential succeeds in portraying the supernova blowout of old-school showbiz in all its dazzling glory.
Book Description
For the first time, the full story of what happened when Frank brought his best pals to party in a land called Vegas
January 1960. Las Vegas is at its smooth, cool peak. The Strip is a jet-age theme park, and the greatest singer in the history of American popular music summons a group of friends there to make a movie. One is an insouciant singer of Italian songs, ex-partner to the most popular film comedian of the day. One is a short, black, Jewish, one-eyed, singing, dancing wonder. One is an upper-crust British pretty boy turned degenerate B-movie star actor, brother-in-law to an ascendant politician. And one is a stiff-shouldered comic with the quintessential Borscht Belt emcee’s knack for needling one-liners. The architectonically sleek marquee of the Sands Hotel announces their presence simply by listing their names: FRANK SINATRA. DEAN MARTIN. SAMMY DAVIS, JR. PETER LAWFORD. JOEY BISHOP. Around them an entire cast gathers: actors, comics, singers, songwriters, gangsters, politicians, and women, as well as thousands of starstruck everyday folks who fork over pocketfuls of money for the privilege of basking in their presence. They call themselves The Clan. But to an awed world, they are known as The Rat Pack.
They had it all. Fame. Gorgeous women. A fabulouse playground of a city and all the money in the world. The backing of fearsome crime lords and the blessing of the President of the United States. But the dark side–over the thin line between pleasure and debauchery, between swinging self-confidence and brutal arrogance–took its toll. In four years, their great ride was over, and showbiz was never the same.
Acclaimed Jerry Lewis biographer Shawn Levy has written a dazzling portrait of a time when neon brightness cast sordid shadows. It was Frank’s World, and we just lived in it.
Customer Reviews:
Quick read.......2007-07-24
Not a lot of new knowledge in this book. Most of it has been written about before but it was interesting to see how the author linked the lives of these men together to show how their relationships evolved over time. I enjoyed reading this book.
Light fun and then the dark fall of the Rat Pack.......2007-04-29
Rat Pack Confidential gives a 101 level course of the group, highlighting the fun they had together makes movies and showing off at the Vegas clubs. It then chronicles the toubles they had together (Why did Sammy alientate himself from Frank?) and then their downfalls as indvidiuals (Dean's descent into alcoholism). Longer books could (and have been) written about each of them indivdiually, but this succinctly captures their spirit in both the glamour and their squalor. It accomplishes what it sets out to do.
Rat Pack Confidential.......2007-03-31
I found this book to be enlightening and enjoyable, filling in some gaps in my knowledge of the Rat Pack. It did, however, suffer from something that happens fairly often in popular histories, and that is a shading of facts to fit the premise of the book. In this case, the premise is that "It's Frank Sinatra's world, we're just living in it". Author Shawn Levy makes that point over and over again at every turn, sometimes making bold statements about Frank's superior style or entertainment abilities, which really was unnecessary and took away from the book, in my opinion.
All-in-all, a good and informative read for Rat Pack fans.
A Curiosity.......2006-07-10
The author sets the scene well in the prologue. He paints the conductor of this orchestra of self-absorption, Frank Sinatra, as a revered singer and actor, who somehow decided to set up a situation where people he was curious about would be set up around him, so he could watch them, contrast them and influence them.
The stage thus set is almost like an extended form of performance art. "T am so unique and so invulnerable that I can make this happen, and make people like it." Many "American Idols" have done this, but few did what Frank did: set up a group like the Rat Pack to bounce along with.
Two figures of great significance emerge outside the perimeter in this story: John Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. The former seems most similar to Sinatra himself: glad to have others feel that they are taking advantage of him, while constantly doing just the reverse. The latter is just awfully sad: a directionless icon who loses all sense of life purpose and whose end is almost a relief.
The part I liked the best was how Frank builds an extensive compound, including Secret Service and helicopter support, which Kennedy completely spurns. It was a comeuppance that Frank totally deserved.
You'll enjoy this book. And, as others have observed here, Nick Tosches' book, "Dino," is a natural companion.
Rat Pack Confidential Review.......2006-03-16
Several things to say about this book. It's a great anthology of the Rat Pack during their Vegas years. I'm a big fan of Sinatra et.al, and find this book to be very fascinating reading for anyone who is enamoured with these entertainers and their great era.
Amazon.com
What makes this account of the Mafia life and times of Sammy Gravano so seductive is Peter Maas's skillful editing of interview material. From his opening line--"Yeah, you could say I came from a pretty tough neighborhood"--to his final poignant comment on having gotten all his tattoos removed except a head of Christ that resists being eliminated--"I guess God still wants me"--Gravano is nothing if not a compelling storyteller. He talks about his years in a youth gang, his robberies and shylocking, his murders, his lack of remorse (about which he is "not happy"), the ceremony of becoming a "made guy," his mentors, his "crew," his preference for gangsters over racketeers, his fascination with the Godfather films, his many business ventures, and his final years of disillusionment as the Cosa Nostra code he had passionately admired was breaking down, so that he chose to testify against his last boss, John Gotti.
Book Description
Sammy the Bull Gravano is the highest-ranking member of the Mafia in America ever to defeat. In telling Gravano's story, Peter Maas brings us as never before into the innermost sanctums of the Cosa Nostra as if we were there ourselves--a secret underworld of power, lust, greed, betrayal, and deception, with the specter of violent death always waiting in the wings.
Customer Reviews:
the bull.......2007-08-23
book is very good in detailing La Costra Nostra in NYC during early 70"s. mostly 80's- enjoyed it.
As Fascinating A Read As The Subject, Himself.......2007-08-13
I just read the book, "Underboss: Sammy The Bull Gravano's Story Of Life In The Mafia," albeit a decade after it was originally published. I can only imagine the fascinating conversations author, Peter Maas, must have had with Salvatore "Sammy" Gravano in putting together the intriguing piece of work this book turned out to be.
What an interesting man Sammy Gravano is and what a difficult road he took in life. He had wonderful parents, both of whom he obviously loved very much and both of whom loved him, but it seems that there was something inside of him that led him in the direction he went. Maybe he thought there was "glamour" and "power" in being a mobster. But, what "glamour" and "power" is there is giving up your own life to help others gain while you lose?
For a long time, it seems Sammy's very life was in the hands of others (Mafia superiors) whose feelings about him could change on a moment's whim or mood. It must have been like living on a thin, wobbly tightrope strung between skyscrapers without a net - a balancing act. Sammy talks about times he entered meetings with Mafia bosses and members and did not know if he would exit the meetings alive. What kind of life is that? But, it's a game, right? I had the feeling that Sammy thought that the Mafia was a "club" in which the game is played and one's life or death depended on how well one played the game - or luck - or whether or not a person thought you were "loyal" to them. It seems there were strict codes and rules and honor in taking the lives of other people deemed by a person or by people in the "club" to be deserving of death and/or unworthy of the right the exist. Judgments reserved for God were usurped by people who felt it was their right to play God. Sammy carries out the wishes of his bosses because "it was the life I chose," he says.
I do understand the sense of belonging Sammy felt with his fellow mobsters - the blood oath and the loyalty pacts. A sense of belonging is a human need. But, what about Sammy's children and his family? Who is it that truly grieves for a person when he is gone? It is his children and family - the family that ate "pasta and ricotta" all those nights when times were hard and Sammy's family struggled financially -- while his mob bosses lived in opulence.
Having said that, it is evident to me that Sammy is a person with a heart and soul, a flesh and blood human being. There were moments in reading the book that my heart went out to Sammy. There is something very likeable about him. There are moments in which his heart and human vulnerability are evident. There are moments in which his conscience and logic caused him to question certain things. There are moments in which it seems that Sammy feels regret or reservation about carrying out an order.
One of the sickest stories Sammy tells is that of a man who wanted to die with his shoes off...I won't go into details about it because anyone can read it in the book, but I actually lost sleep over this story, it so sickened me. There were many moments that Sammy's choice to carry out the order to take this person's life could have been reversed before the deed was carried out, yet the man was murdered. I literally could not sleep after reading this.
Sammy also tells the story of his good friend who is dying of lung cancer and how his friend said he did not want to die "like a dog." Sammy's friend pled with Sammy to end his life and his suffering. But, Sammy had reservations about taking the life of his friend. Ultimately, Sammy decided to carry out his dying friend's wishes to end his suffering, but God or fate or whatever stepped in and the Sammy's friend died before anything happened. In that moment, Sammy's pain and grief was obvious. But, then, I thought about how other people whose lives were lost at Sammy's hands or at the hands of others in the mafia also had friends and family who felt this same pain and grief over the loss of a loved one whose life was taken. Death has a ripple effect. It is never just the person who has died that suffers. Those who loved and depended on the person also suffer, and sometimes for a lifetime. They will never live in the same way again, including the children in many cases.
Sammy seemed to have a "respect" for "manhood," but I thought his definition of "manhood" flawed. I thought his definition of "manhood" seemed to be based on a narrow scope of tolerance for the rights of other people. It seemed there was "respect" for those whose lives and deaths met the mafia definition of "manhood." But, what is "manhood?" Is it holding a gun on someone or killing someone or causing someone to fear for his life in front of you? Is it really "manhood" if you're always having to try to "prove" your "manhood" or being more loyal to another person than you are to yourself or your family?
Regardless, who knows what it is in all of us that leads us down the paths we go down in life? Each person will answer for himself or herself before God or whatever entity it is that gave us this life. So, I do not sit in judgment of Sammy or anyone for his or her deeds. I think that people are influenced and indoctrinated with the values of the society with which they associate and identify be it a society of nobility or criminality.
I thought it sad that Sammy wasted so much of his life by essentially signing his rights to his own life away when he became a member of the mafia and that he did not seem to see the futility in such a lifestyle. I have never understood why people do this - sign their lives away to other people - because there are very few outcomes to a mob lifestyle: prison, hiding and isolation, or death. Sammy had so much potential for better things. He could have done anything. He knew business. He knew construction and he was as good, if not better, at it than construction moguls living in wealth and luxury today. He could have been legitimate and lived a very nice life had he chosen to do so. But, he is now in prison for things he did after he was given a second chance - things he did after he gave his testimony that led to the imprisonment of 37 mobsters.
I will not be surprised, though, if time and his age allow, to see Sammy leave prison one day and actually live a legitimate life for once. I think he has it in him. I think he is a survivor and a man with very good instincts for survival.
I wish him well.
Excellent Rat book.......2007-05-07
The Rat of Rat's tells a great book. If your a mob freak like me any mob book is a great buy. This doesn't dissapoint. buy it, you won't be sorry.
Great insight into a little known world.......2007-04-01
This is a very interesting look at the Cosa Nostra. I've read The Valachi Papers and Wiseguy, both great accounts of organized crime. In a way Underboss is just as interesting if not more so than the other two! The other two are very interesting for their uniqueness, but Underboss stands on its own because of the status of Gravano as well as the frankness and direct approach he relayed what he knew.
At first you wonder if the book is worth reading. It seems as though Gravano is just tooting his own horn. He constantly mentions how well everyone thought of him, how great he was in everyone's eyes. After a while you get used to it and you begin to see that that is who he is. He is very direct in accounting various murders and crimes he has done; we know straight away that he is not just shooting from the hip.
Add to this Maas' ability to connect what Gravano is saying to what the police records and investigations had shown and you have a verification of truth. This makes for a fascinating read. Don't read if you think this is nothing more than a thugs way of trying to make himself look better. Look at it as an insight into a world that we know very little about. I would definitely recommend.
4 stars.
One FINE read !.......2007-03-22
My comment is: Peter Maas wrote a book here that I could not put down. If fine story writing is something to appreciate, then this book accomplishes that. If there are any type of slants of view in this book towards Gravano by the author - "such is life." You can either believe Maas's bias - or - you can believe some reviewer's bias. Anyway - it was one VERY entertaining book. I gave it to a co-worker after I finnished it. He said he had never bothered to read a book before in his life. He's anything but - an un-intelligent person. He told me HE could not put it down.
Book Description
When Sammy Davis, Jr. published his autobiography in 1965, it was an immediate long-running bestseller as well as a revelation. Yes I Can describes Sammy Davis's personal conviction, the view of success that both propelled him to stardom from ghetto obscurity and served as his armor against racism.
Customer Reviews:
Yes I Can.......2005-03-15
They oughta call this book "Yes I Can - If Frank Says It's OK", because everybody knows Sinatra calls the shots with all those guys.
When he was good.......2005-01-20
This autobiography tells the story of Sammy Davis Jr. up until the sixties. It tells the now legendary story of his starting out as a four - year with the Will Mastin trio. It tells of a long - climb through many obstacles to get to the top of the show- business world. It tells of his contending with prejudice and discrimination especially during his time in the Army. And it also reveals his courage in confronting this, and in standing up for his own people. It does not tell the much sadder last part of Sammy Davis Jr. 's story when he seemed to sink into drug and alcoholic addiction, and deteriorated morally as well as in health terms. It does not tell the story of the six- pack a day smoker's final cancer.
It reveals the earlier more optimistic Sammy Davis Jr. He was usually referred to in his glory days as the greatest all- around entertainer show- business ever had. And in truth he was a terrific dancer, a quite good but not great singer, and just a remarkably energetic entertainer. He had humor about himself and about the world, about his one eye, about his being a black Jew. One interesting part of this book tells about his friendship with Jeff Chandler an actor who was Jewish and who died young. And how that influenced on Davis's own decision to convert to Judaism.
Davis was a person who you radiated not only great energy but a great hunger to be approved of and loved. He received tremendous applause on stage but perhaps that did not fully satisfy his need. Raised without formal schooling, and always on the road he too had a restlessness about him as if he were never at home in the place he stood. There was something to my mind tremendously moving about this part of his stage identity. He needed the applause so much the urge of the spectator was to see him get the applause.
His private life was no great picnic and included three divorces. His daughter by the actress May Britt who apparently was a very decent person and a good mother, has written a memoir about her often absent father. His friends Sinatra, Dean Martin , the Rat Pack are all with the exception of Shirley MacLaine now gone.
In a way in his struggle to get to the top, his fighting against prejudice his 'making it' he exemplifies the American dream. But in the prejudice he suffered, and in the downfall of his latter years he also seems to exemplify an American tragedy.
He was enormously likeable and gave millions of people pleasure with his on- stage antics.
Thanks Sammy you truly were a star.
This book tells in detail the story of his early and best years. It may be too long but it does have much valuable material for anyone who takes an interest in his life.
A Must Read!.......2002-01-12
I first read this book when I was 12 years old and was in awe of how someone could achieve so much after so many trials. As an adult, I have searched for years for a copy because of how much it moved me. I can still remember the pictures and some of the facts even after 26 years.
THE Guide for self-help and motivation!.......2001-07-21
To HELL with TD Jakes, Ilyana Van Zant, and all those other so-called self-help quickbuck gurus. You want inspiration? READ THIS BOOK! When I was 14 and going to a hellish jr. high school and dealing with bullies and home problems, I checked this out of the local lie-berry and I felt that if the "Candy Man" could go through TENFOLD the hell I was going through and still become the King of his field by believing in what God had given him, then DAMMIT, so could I! I have managed to overcome most of my childhood difficulties, thanx largely to this book and Louis Armstrong's music for getting me thru those tough times! Read this and you'll see what I mean.
Not a bad book.......2001-02-23
This book was well written. I think the title should have been "Yes I Can, if Frank Sinatra Says It's Ok". Cause Frank calls the shots for all those guys. You can't read this book unless you understand a life like Frank's. When you've loved and lost the way Frank has then you'll understand.
Customer Reviews:
Master Autobiography By A Master Entertainer.......2006-08-16
In simple, down-to-earth prose, the late Sammy Davis, Jr. tells his moving life story, from playing cheap theatres in the 1920s South as a five-year-old with his uncle, to the magnificent fame he achieved decades later. Before he became universally beloved, Davis had to endure, and overcome, brutal bigotry. The best line of the book is when he asks, "How do you kill an idea?" His answer: "With a better idea." Go read it.
Insight into an era.......2003-02-02
Fascinating personal account of show business, racism, politics and famous personalities from the 40s to the 80s. Shows how excess (Sammy) or even the appearance of excess (Dean Martin) is useful (necessary?) for the publicity that makes one a star.
A FASCINATING LOOK AT BEHIND THE SCENES OF STARDOM.......1999-10-08
I really enjoyed this book, I had no idea what the blacks in the US had to go through, having grown up in Australia. Sammy had a big chip on his shoulder which he carried throughout his life but it is understandable when you read what he went through. This isn't just a boring story of a star's life, it is a fascinating look at racism, politics, being rich beyond your dreams and in debt for millions - a great read.
Another tearjerker about the human condition.......1998-06-03
Mr Davis'is revealed to be much more than performer. We find Sammy to be an activist, comedian, swinger, a great human being. His friendship with Frank Sinatra is shown to be pivotal in his giving up drugs. Another laugh and cry book.
Average customer rating:
- Chinese restaurants will never be the same
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The Sammy Wong Files: Confessions of a Chinese American Terrorist
Eleanor Wong Telemaque
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
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It's Crazy to Stay Chinese in Minnesota
ASIN: 1425712371 |
Customer Reviews:
Chinese restaurants will never be the same.......2007-07-13
Did you ever wonder what happened to the Chinese American family that ran your favorite Chinese restaurant? Remember the girl with pony tails and knee socks, doing her third grade math homework at a table piled high with folded napkins and cutlery right next to the cash register? Or that affable but slightly rumpled gentleman with three pens in his pocket protector who always seemed to be at the bar or the cash register, ready with a big smile and kind words no matter whether you were having dim sum on Sunday or grabbing takeout at 10PM on Thursday?
Well, look no further. Eleanor Wong Telemaque, who grew up working at her family's Canton Cafe in Albert Lea, Minnesota, provides insightful and often hilarious vignettes of her life on the Minnesota-Iowa border in the 1940s. Her newly published memoir, "The Sammy Wong Files: Confessions of a Chinese American Terrorist," starts in Minnesota but ricochets from China to Canada to New York to Chicago. Add in the absurd and frightening way she was caught in the anti-Chinese Communist dragnet of the 1950s, freed by a member of President Kennedy's staff, and propelled into the civil rights movement of the 1960s, and you have a fast-paced memoir that makes for a great read at the beach this summer.
Elly, as she is known to her many friends, first burst onto the literary scene in 1978 with "It's Crazy to Stay Chinese in Minnesota," a young adult book that was not accepted by the publishing industry as an adult novel because her protagonist, Bingo Tang, was not white. Elly was urged by people familiar with the publishing world to make this change, but she refused. After years marching, writing, and working for civil rights, including years on the staff of the United States Commission on Civil Rights, she was not about to back down on this important issue.
Enter her name in Google. however, and you will get an idea of the impact that "It's Crazy" has had over the years. Excerpts have been included in anthologies about Asian Pacific Americans, women, the midwest, and Minnesota. Courses use the book to represent Asian Pacific American life in the midwest.
Another place you may remember seeing Elly Telemaque's name is her 1980 book "Haiti Through Its Holidays," written to honor her Haitian-born husband Maurice Telemaque and her Haitian-Chinese-American daughter, Adrienne Chi-en Telemaque, who works as a physical therapist but who has been seen on stage and screen as an actress and dancer. Elly also has appeared in Amy Chen and Ying Chan's award-winning 2001 documentary, "The Chinatown Files," which examines the effect of Cold War anti-Chinese communist hysteria on Chinese Americans.
Elly Telemaque is a master of dialogue and character development, and her decision to use the Chinese words as she heard them, and not necessarily as they would be written in a Chinese language text, is a wise decision.
You can almost imagine yourself in her hometown, when her mother discovers three photographs of naked women that a passing tramp gave a young Elly and her brother Don in exchange for a glass of milk and two day-old doughnuts. "When Mother found the photographs, she knuckled our heads. 'Chuk nee ah,' she screamed. 'What example will you be to your children? You'll become white devils!'"
The tensions between a father who supported Chiang-kai Shek and wanted to be one hundred percent American and a mother who learned little English and longed for the old country is a standard plot device. In Telemaque's deft hand, however, we understand the racist immigration laws that forced father to come in as a "paper son," and follow the family story as it describes the lives of her siblings and Wong cousins.
Elly does all women a service in her book by going into detail about how her trust was violated at a young age by a visiting older relative who was a sexual predator. While she was able to run away from him and then keep him at bay when he tried to visit her at college, her words are a reminder that the "model minority" myth obscures the reality that the Asian Pacific American community, like every community, has its share of problems.
"The Sammy Wong Files" is full of wonderful ironies, like the soy sauce factory co-owned by Elly's father where only the African American janitor remembers the secret recipe. As each chapter unfolds, however, you will see that when Eleanor Wong Telemaque describes her Asian Pacific American immigrant life for us, she is really celebrating an American history that is as varied as the lo mein and milk-fed turkey sandwiches served at the Canton Cafe.
Book Description
The inspirational true story of Sammy Lee, a Korean American who overcame discrimination to realize both his father's desire that he become a doctor and his own dream of becoming an Olympic champion diver.
Customer Reviews:
Inspiring story for all .......2007-04-26
My kids were amazed that Dr. Lee accomplished so much after dealing with so much discrimination. He is an inspiration to everyone and is a proud citizen of this country. The illustrations are wonderful. Just a note - the book implies that his father only wanted him to be a doctor - he says his father supported both of his dreams - to become a doctor and to be a diver. He became successful at both, and more.
An instant classic.......2007-01-13
Before reading "Sixteen Years In Sixteen Seconds", I'd never heard of Dr. Lee. After reading this incredible book, I was moved and inspired by this courageous, fascinating human being. Though classified as a children's book, "Sixteen Years In Sixteen Seconds" can be enjoyed by adults as well as kids. With its beautiful illustration, thoughtful prose and universal themes of perseverance and beating the odds, Sammy Lee's story will continue to be enjoyed by generations of readers to come.
excellent.......2006-01-18
Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds documents the story of Sammy Lee. Lee was the first Asian American to win Olympic gold. This truly inspiring tale captures the American dream as a young person who overcame discrimination to bring Olympic recognition for a country that rejected him. Lee is the son of Korean immigrants who faced challenges just because of his skin color. Unable to practice in a whites only pool, Lee perfected his abilities in spite of discrimination. Yoo acknowleges the moment in an Olymipan's experience in which life-long training culminates in just a brief sliver of time. Paula Yoo really connects the reader to the subject. Dom Lee's sepia toned illustrations carry a nostalgic feel. This is a strong work and should be a good addition to the library collection.
Sammy Lee: American Hero.......2006-01-02
Sammy Lee, the son of Korean immigrants, had many firsts. He was the first nonwhite student body president of his high school, the first Asian American to win an Olympic medal, and the first male diver to win consecutive gold medals. He also studied to become a medical doctor in the Army during WWII and served in the Korean War. Sammy over came many prejudices. As a youth, he was only allowed to use the public pool one day a week, when it was open to people of color. Dom Lee's realistic illustrations look like old photographs. Karen Woodworth Roman, East Asian Children's Books
Nominated for TX Bluebonnet Award 2006-07.......2005-12-16
"Both text and sepia-toned illustrations capture the time period and struggles of Sammy Lee, the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal in 1948. This biography relates how one man overcame formidable odds in following his dream without disrespecting his father." (summary by Texas Library Association)
Average customer rating:
- sosa
- A Latino Hero
- A NICE LOOK AT A GOOD GUY
- Poignant and powerful -- it's a human story
- Great player, so-so storyteller
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Sammy Sosa: An Autobiography
Sammy Sosa , and
Marcos Bretón
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0446527351 |
Amazon.com
What separates Sosa from the mainstream of sports star bios is the likability and exuberance of the subject and the form in which it was written. Cast as an oral history, Sosa lets Sammy's voice--as well as those of his family, friends, and some important coaches--come through, and juxtaposed voices can make for some interesting observations.
Sosa, of course, needs no introduction. Born in poverty in the Dominican baseball incubator of San Pedro de Macoris, he seemed destined to be just another good, solid journeyman ballplayer, a guy who could post eye-catching numbers and not hurt you too much in the field. Then came the miracles of 1998 and '99, back-to-back seasons of 66 and 63 taters with 158 and 143 RBIs, an MVP award, and the affection of fans everywhere. What happened?
Sosa works best as it answers that, creating almost a dialogue between Sosa and Jeff Pentland, whom the Cubs elevated to Major League hitting coach midway through Sammy's and the team's disappointing 1997. Pentland took a hard look at Sosa and saw the untapped talent. "The two things that really stood out were his attitude and his aggressiveness," he says. "I've always felt as a coach the more aggressive the player is, the better, because it's your job as a teacher to harness that aggression to where it's productive. At that point, Sammy was aggressive, but wildly aggressive." From there on, it's pretty much Sosa and Pentland, and through their exchanges we can see how and why the new hitter in Sammy emerges. It's good baseball analysis--technical, anecdotal, and brimming with the excitement and pride of Sammy's remarkable achievements. When Sosa tries to pull biographical heartstrings, it's soppy and sentimental; when it sticks to baseball, it's as crisp as the crack of the bat. --Jeff Silverman
Book Description
What separates Sosa from the mainstream of sports star bios is the likability and exuberance of the subject and the form in which it was written. Cast as an oral history, Sosa lets Sammy's voice--as well as those of his family, friends, and some important coaches--come through, and juxtaposed voices can make for some interesting observations. Sosa, of course, needs no introduction. Born in poverty in the Dominican baseball incubator of San Pedro de Macoris, he seemed destined to be just another good, solid journeyman ballplayer, a guy who could post eye-catching numbers and not hurt you too much in the field. Then came the miracles of 1998 and '99, back-to-back seasons of 66 and 63 taters with 158 and 143 RBIs, an MVP award, and the affection of fans everywhere. What happened? Sosa works best as it answers that, creating almost a dialogue between Sosa and Jeff Pentland, whom the Cubs elevated to Major League hitting coach midway through Sammy's and the team's disappointing 1997. Pentland took a hard look at Sosa and saw the untapped talent. "The two things that really stood out were his attitude and his aggressiveness," he says. "I've always felt as a coach the more aggressive the player is, the better, because it's your job as a teacher to harness that aggression to where it's productive. At that point, Sammy was aggressive, but wildly aggressive." From there on, it's pretty much Sosa and Pentland, and through their exchanges we can see how and why the new hitter in Sammy emerges. It's good baseball analysis--technical, anecdotal, and brimming with the excitement and pride of Sammy's remarkable achievements. When Sosa tries to pull biographical heartstrings, it's soppy and sentimental; when it sticks to baseball, it's as crisp as the crack of the bat. --Jeff Silverman
Customer Reviews:
sosa.......2004-03-03
The book I read was Sosa and it was great.It was all about sammy Sosa and I think they did great job on an autobiography about him and telling what Sammy Sosa was like when he was a little guy,growing up. A professional athlete,it was amazing how he was a little kid to an adult. He is a great and this book was excellent. I also liked the pictures and the information that they have. I would recommend this book to others.
A Latino Hero.......2002-11-30
Sammy Sosa is arguably the greatest Latino player in major league baseball. His magnificent 1998 home run race with Mark McGwire captivated the nation. Afterwards he was invited to the White House and made a special Ambassador to his native country, the Dominican Republic. However, what few people know is how hard Sammy Sosa worked to reach stardom.
"Sosa an Autogiography," is a special story. In fact, it is inspiring. Sammy Sosa grew up poor. He was skinny and initially wanted to be a boxer. However, his talent for baseball came out from urging of his older brother and the support of his devoted mother.
Co-author Marcos Bretón details the early years of Sosa's early major league career in Texas and then with the Chicago White Sox. It was a difficult time for Sosa, going up and down from the major and minor leagues. Nevertheless, Sosa worked hard and never lost hope. The trade to the Cubs and his rise to stardom was the result of a strong dedication to excellence.
Perhaps, the greatest part of this book is Sosa's loyalty to his family, the people of the Dominican Republic, and the fans of the Chicago Cubs. Although Sosa has reached great heights he still wants the fame that is associated with winning the World Series. This is a great book for kids and adults alike...the bottom line is "hard work works."
A NICE LOOK AT A GOOD GUY.......2002-01-19
SOSA IS A BOOK ABOUT ONE OF GREATEST THE RAGS TO RICHES STORIES IN RECENT YEARS. SAMMY DOES A GOOD JOB TELLING OF HIS LIFE IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AS A CHILD AND TEENAGER. HE THEN GETS INTO HIS TREMENDOUS RISE TO ONE OF THE MOST FEARED SLUGGERS IN THE GAME TODAY. I ADMIRE HIS MODESTY, VALUES, CONFIDENCE, AND INNOCENCE. HIS LOVE FOR HIS MOTHER IS TRULY ADMIRABLE. SAMMY IS TRULY A GOOD PERSON AND A GREAT PLAYER. SAMMY HAS MANY VALUES AND BELIEFS THAT ARE TRULY NEEDED BY MOST OF TODAYS ATHLETES. SAMMY IS TRULY A BREATH OF FRESH AIR IN HIS ENTHUSIASM AND LOVE OF THE GAME. THE BOY IN SAMMY IS ALIVE AND KICKING. I ADMIRE SAMMY A LOT MORE NOW THAT I HAVE READ THIS BOOK. A MUST READ FOR ALL BASBALL FANS AND FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED SOME GRATITUDE AND HUMILITY IN THEIR LIFE.
Poignant and powerful -- it's a human story.......2000-12-02
Sammy Sosa is not a robot. He, like you and me, is a fallible human being who is largely the product of his upbringing. In "Sosa: An Autobiography," readers have the opportunity to gain insights into not only Sammy Sosa and professional baseball, but the larger American culture and each of us. A superficial read of this book may leave some wanting more. And certainly there is more to tell. But Sammy's smart enough to know there's a time and there's a place. This book, at this time, is neither.
But to those who recognize the implications, there is plenty of meat: (1) Has baseball exploited Latin players? What should baseball be doing differently for them? (2) Should all players on a team -- all people in any organization -- be treated the same despite their different personalities, their different backgrounds, their different perceptions? (3) What is the value of trust, respect, fairness, honesty, loyalty?
Speaking as someone who spent five years as a Major League scout and 2O years coaching baseball, on a more baseball specific level, how can someone like Walt Hriniak be a Major League hitting coach and try to force everyone -- Sammy Sosa and Ozzie Guillen -- to hit the same way? Someone like that shouldn't be coaching baseball at ANY level. Why aren't all Major League coaches and managers as insightful as Cubs' hitting coach Jeff Pentland? As any excellent teacher or coach knows, whether you're teaching Shakespeare or the circle change, you're not teaching a curriculum, you're teaching people.
Reading Sammy's story allows the intelligent reader to see that Major League baseball is as political as Congress and just about as effective in dealing with real people. Sammy demonstrates that lack of trust and lack of respect will destroy any relationship, any organization. But mutual trust and respect will allow any relationship, any organization to thrive.
If you want everything spelled out for you, buy a dictionary. If you want something to think about, buy "Sosa: An Autobiography."
Great player, so-so storyteller.......2000-11-18
A quick and pleasant read (REAL quick if you skip the stats that comprise about thirty percent of the text). Autobiographies seem to fall into three categories: (1) "tell it all before someone else tells on you" (Billie Holiday's LADY SINGS THE BLUES), (2) "getting even with one's enemies" (Nancy Reagan's MY TURN), and (3) "Gee, I can't believe people pay me to do what I love" (Xaviera Hollander's THE HAPPY HOOKER).
Cynically, you could say there's a fourth category--the market-driven, "strike while the iron is hot" autobiography. Sosa's book probably falls into this last category, though it is presented as a "Gee, I can't believe it" type (but with touches of the defensiveness found in "getting even" types of autobiographies). Hispanic journalist Breton had done a good job of interviewing people in Sosa's life and arranging testimonials in a way that keeps Sosa's story moving. Baseball fans will probably enjoy reading what Sosa has to say about how he improved his batting technique, how he handled the disappointment of being sent back to the minor league, how he viewed his home-run competition with Mark McGwire in 1998. Young people looking for a sports hero will benefit from what Sosa ("Mikey" to his friends and family) has to say about loyalty to family, remembering where one comes from, learning from ones mistakes, handling gossipers and nay-sayers, believing in oneself, and giving back to one's community. People looking for a profound psychological portrait of the author or an insightful take on the business and game of baseball will be disappointed. While no-one would expect someone as guileless as Sosa to trash his teammates and fellow ballplayers, the book could have used a few more clubhouse anecdotes.
Customer Reviews:
Terriblious!!!!!!!! this book sucks.......2007-02-27
This book is terrible. He is 1 of the worst players in the MLB!!!!!
In the home run derby he corked his bat and they found out!!!! and then they let him use that bat they r stupid!!!!!!!!!!
They should have kicked him out of the MLB for life!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At the plate with Sammy Sosa.......2004-07-15
I think this book is very good because it's very educational for us kids.I really recommend this book to other kids because it gives an authur's message of hard work really pays off.
Excellent.......2004-06-19
This great book on Sammy Sosa is superior in every way to most of the "cash-in" paperbacks written on baseball superstars. Well-written, engaging and full of information, Sosa may not be baseball's Superman, but he is an interesting guy profiled in this interesting book. Buy it[...]
RECOMMENDED.......2004-06-13
This is a fun book that looks at a great superstar whose legacy will get better over time.
STEVEN TRAVERS(...)
Sammy Sosa review.......2004-06-03
I liked the biography that I read because I learned that he has turned into one of the most homerun hitters of all time.
This book has some interesting facts about his life I was especially surprised to learn that when he was seven he wanted to help his mother inside the house instead of playing with his brothers and sisters.
I would highly recommend it to people who like to read about other people and sport books. I loved this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Average customer rating:
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Sammy Sosa (Amazing Athletes)
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Dear Sammy: Letters from Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas
Gertrude Stein ,
Samuel Steward , and
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