Why Sinatra Matters

Author: Pete Hamill
Category: General
ISBN: 9780316738866
Format : Paperback
Publisher : Back Bay Books

Min Price: 2.00 Max Price: 24.00

Pete Hamill`s evocation of Frank Sinatra begins in the archetypal Sinatra milieu of a New York City bar after midnight, rain outside, Sinatra and a few pals discussing sports and Hemingway. Within the space of a few paragraphs, Hamill manages to evoke the singer`s greatness, intelligence, and humanity, and the respect and even awe he has always engendered among lesser mortals, as well as the gnawing melancholy in his soul. The fusion of Hamill`s deft prose and Sinatra`s almost mystical aura sustains a book that, more than mere biography, cuts to the core of the artist`s meaning in both a musical and a human sense. Hamill`s many years as a New York newspaperman combine with his personal experience of growing up with the Sinatra phenomenon to provide a visceral account of the singer`s life and times, the effects he produced on fans and detractors alike, and the model he became for a certain kind of after-hours contemplation of the vagaries of life. WHY SINATRA MATTERS is a perceptive meditation on the spirit of an American icon, the city conjured by his greatest musical period, and the timeless community of the lovelorn, lost, and lonely whose hopes and dreams he came to represent.

Why Sinatra Matters ( ISBN 9780316738866 )

WebBookStore

Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
Price : 8 USD
Brand new, not a remainder, no marks. As published by Back Bay Books. Paperback edition.192 pages. Book Size: Length: 7 inches, Width 4 Height inches 0.5 Inches. Book weight: 0.37 pounds. This book will require no additional postage. Orders processed on AbeBooks Monday - Friday and ships 6 days a week. Synopsis: As products of the same urban landscape, Pete Hamill and Frank Sinatra have both been credited with giving the American city a voice. In this widely acclaimed and bestselling appreciation-now available in paperback for the first time-Hamill draws on his intimate experience of the man and the music to evoke the essence of Sinatra, illuminating the singer's art and his legend from the point of view of a confidant and a fan. - May 2003 marks the fifth anniversary of Sinatra's death. - The hardcover edition of Why Sinatra Matters (Little, Brown and Company, 1998), published five months after Sinatra's death, became a national bestseller. 13 Digit ISBN number: 9780316738866. 10 Digit ISBN: 0316738867.

Why Sinatra Matters ( ISBN 9780316738866 )

BOOKS4YOU

London, LON, United Kingdom
Price : 10 USD
Book Description: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., Little, Brown And Company, 2003, First Edition, With All Ten Printing Numbers Present, Laminated Pictorial Softcover, Brand New. Has never Been Read. Drawing upon intimate conversations over the course of many years, Hamill evokes the essence of Sinatra - examining his art and his legend from the inside. Shaped by Prohibition, the Depression, and war, Sinatra became the troubadour of urban loneliness; he was one of the few artists of the 20th century to break through an ethnic parochialism that imprisoned so many turn-of-the-century immigrants and their children. With his songs, he enabled millions of others to tell their own stories, thus providing an entire generation with a sense of tradition and pride belonging distinctly to them. Products of the same urban landscape, both Hamill and Sinatra can be credited with giving the American city a voice. This is a touching portrait of a 20th-century icon. I only saw my hero, Frank Sinatra, perform once. It was at the end of his career - and his life. It was a strange evening; he was obviously at the end - he couldn't remember the words to his songs or read the teleprompter. Few people left however - the evening soon became about us - his fans - letting him know that we still loved him. "I LOVE YOU FRANK!" a huge, middle-aged, rough-looking man yelled out during a pause. Sinatra, taken aback by the violence of the outburst, chuckled and replied, "I love you too, pal." As Pete Hamill once pointed out, "Seeing Sinatra in ruins is like seeing the Coliseum in ruins - it's still magnificent." Why Sinatra Matters is a must-read for any Sinatra-phile. In the Overture, Hamill cites Sinatra's death as the impetus for writing this book. He saw all these young reporters from MTV and VH1 doing stories on Sinatra (obviously prepared in advance) telling the world Sinatra was important, without really understanding why. It certainly wasn't just because he did it "his way." This is a very short book. As Hamill points out it is not a "definitive biography" - although once he was in talks with Sinatra to write just that. It is, as the title plainly states, an explanation of why Sinatra matters - artistically and culturally - and why he always will. In terms of Culture, Hamill reminds the reader of a time when America felt it was morally obligated to persecute Italians - Sinatra helped change all that. Musically, the reasons are more complex. To put it succinctly, no one ever sounded like Sinatra before. The book is great because it also sheds light on Sinatra the man, who is often lost in the obscurity of his own public image. He was not just some gruff tough guy - a kind of idiot savant who could churn out a great recording in one take. He was a fiercely intelligent, well-read, well-cultured, self-educated man who worked hard at his craft. The most enjoyable parts of the book are the conversations Hamill recounts between himself and Sinatra. Most shocking of all - to me at least - was to imagine Sinatra using the F-word! Bookseller Inventory #001170

Why Sinatra Matters ( ISBN 9780316738866 )

Price : 15 USD
Pete Hamill`s evocation of Frank Sinatra begins in the archetypal Sinatra milieu of a New York City bar after midnight, rain outside, Sinatra and a few pals discussing sports and Hemingway. Within the space of a few paragraphs, Hamill manages to evoke the singer`s greatness, intelligence, and humanity, and the respect and even awe he has always engendered among lesser mortals, as well as the gnawing melancholy in his soul. The fusion of Hamill`s deft prose and Sinatra`s almost mystical aura sustains a book that, more than mere biography, cuts to the core of the artist`s meaning in both a musical and a human sense. Hamill`s many years as a New York newspaperman combine with his personal experience of growing up with the Sinatra phenomenon to provide a visceral account of the singer`s life and times, the effects he produced on fans and detractors alike, and the model he became for a certain kind of after-hours contemplation of the vagaries of life. WHY SINATRA MATTERS is a perceptive meditation on the spirit of an American icon, the city conjured by his greatest musical period, and the timeless community of the lovelorn, lost, and lonely whose hopes and dreams he came to represent.

Why Sinatra Matters ( ISBN 9780316738866 )

Price : 11 USD
Pete Hamill`s evocation of Frank Sinatra begins in the archetypal Sinatra milieu of a New York City bar after midnight, rain outside, Sinatra and a few pals discussing sports and Hemingway. Within the space of a few paragraphs, Hamill manages to evoke the singer`s greatness, intelligence, and humanity, and the respect and even awe he has always engendered among lesser mortals, as well as the gnawing melancholy in his soul. The fusion of Hamill`s deft prose and Sinatra`s almost mystical aura sustains a book that, more than mere biography, cuts to the core of the artist`s meaning in both a musical and a human sense. Hamill`s many years as a New York newspaperman combine with his personal experience of growing up with the Sinatra phenomenon to provide a visceral account of the singer`s life and times, the effects he produced on fans and detractors alike, and the model he became for a certain kind of after-hours contemplation of the vagaries of life. WHY SINATRA MATTERS is a perceptive meditation on the spirit of an American icon, the city conjured by his greatest musical period, and the timeless community of the lovelorn, lost, and lonely whose hopes and dreams he came to represent.

Why Sinatra Matters ( ISBN 9780316738866 )

Price : 9 USD
Pete Hamill`s evocation of Frank Sinatra begins in the archetypal Sinatra milieu of a New York City bar after midnight, rain outside, Sinatra and a few pals discussing sports and Hemingway. Within the space of a few paragraphs, Hamill manages to evoke the singer`s greatness, intelligence, and humanity, and the respect and even awe he has always engendered among lesser mortals, as well as the gnawing melancholy in his soul. The fusion of Hamill`s deft prose and Sinatra`s almost mystical aura sustains a book that, more than mere biography, cuts to the core of the artist`s meaning in both a musical and a human sense. Hamill`s many years as a New York newspaperman combine with his personal experience of growing up with the Sinatra phenomenon to provide a visceral account of the singer`s life and times, the effects he produced on fans and detractors alike, and the model he became for a certain kind of after-hours contemplation of the vagaries of life. WHY SINATRA MATTERS is a perceptive meditation on the spirit of an American icon, the city conjured by his greatest musical period, and the timeless community of the lovelorn, lost, and lonely whose hopes and dreams he came to represent.

Why Sinatra Matters ( ISBN 9780316738866 )

Price : 10 USD
Pete Hamill`s evocation of Frank Sinatra begins in the archetypal Sinatra milieu of a New York City bar after midnight, rain outside, Sinatra and a few pals discussing sports and Hemingway. Within the space of a few paragraphs, Hamill manages to evoke the singer`s greatness, intelligence, and humanity, and the respect and even awe he has always engendered among lesser mortals, as well as the gnawing melancholy in his soul. The fusion of Hamill`s deft prose and Sinatra`s almost mystical aura sustains a book that, more than mere biography, cuts to the core of the artist`s meaning in both a musical and a human sense. Hamill`s many years as a New York newspaperman combine with his personal experience of growing up with the Sinatra phenomenon to provide a visceral account of the singer`s life and times, the effects he produced on fans and detractors alike, and the model he became for a certain kind of after-hours contemplation of the vagaries of life. WHY SINATRA MATTERS is a perceptive meditation on the spirit of an American icon, the city conjured by his greatest musical period, and the timeless community of the lovelorn, lost, and lonely whose hopes and dreams he came to represent.

Find book

Home page

Books catalogue

Authors catalogue