I suppose if you grew up with Sinatra, the way our parents did, a great deal of it would be familiar; as it is, I knew the broad outlines. Oddly, though, a reader unfamiliar with Sinatra could read this doorstop and come away with no idea of why the thug the book chronicles is of any interest at all. Kelly spends more time on the (mostly terrible) movies that Sinatra was in than on any aspect of his music-- and gives as much attention to tripe like "The Naked Runner" or "Von Ryan's Express" as t More...

I'm Russian and I has surprised by comments of people who write enthusiastically about this book. About Sinatra were written a lot of interesting, objective biographies. I have them for more than 30, but the most people adore this fabricated and libelous book. I think Americans should be ashamed to praise this book when you can read other books about Sinatra. Kitty Kelley is a very bad writer who no one read if she did not write about nasty things. Kelly did not speak with one friend or a close More...

It's obvious why this biography (written while Sinatra was very much alive) is "unauthorized," as it dredges up memories that I'm sure Sinatra would have rather forgotten. Like his treatment of Lauren Bacall when they were engaged (seconded by Bacall herself in her own autobiography which is in itself a very good read). My idea of hell, would be to be engaged romantically with someone like Frank Sinatra--flakey, unreliable, immoral, adulterous, cruel and manipulative.

Musically? He was brilliant, More...

As a lifelong Sinatra fan (I can still see my parents dancing to his music at our neighborhood block parties!)and having read many other books on him, I looked forward to reading this book. Kitty Kelly focused on Frank's Mafia connections and bad temper throughout most of the book and seemed to relish any and all negative publicity that was published about him. While I assume the Mafia connections and bad temper rings true, there was much more to the man that could have been highlighted. After a More...

Borrowed this e-book from the library and couldn't get all the way through it before it had to go back. Not sure I'll bother checking it out again, though, because I found even the first quarter of it (which takes us only up to about 1942) unsatisfying. I was hoping for meat, and got meringue.

Kitty Kelley may have interviewed more than 800 people who had known Frank over the years, but her lack of access to the man himself, his immediate family, and his intimate circle, is glaringly obvious, an More...

This is a very long and thoroughly researched book about Sinatra from before birth to his 70's. I would say that at least 80% of the book details what an absolutely ill tempered, immature, violent, and juvenile person he was. Of course, the book moves through his singing and acting career and the rise and fall of his relationships. There are brief stories of his trying to buy his way into people's good graces with expensive presents or paying for hospital bills. The book is true but very slanted More...

Although I adore Frank Sinatra's music, I felt physically ill reading about his life. This seems to be a meticulously researched book.

This took me a loooooong time to finish (over a month). First off, if I had been paying attention (read this in ebook form), I probably wouldn't have started a 650 page biography while trying to complete GoodReads 2013 Reading Challenge. Second, while well-researched, Kitty Kelley's book doesn't flow well. Facts are laid out in a dry manner, and even salacious gossip reads as boring. Third, Kelley is writing with an obvious bias. Sinatra sued when he heard of Kelley's intent to write his biograp More...

His Way
By Kitty Kelley

Publisher: Bantam Books
Published In: New York, NY
Date: 1986
Pgs: 575

Summary:

Sinatra, the unauthorized biography of one of the most elusive public figures. An highly detailed anecdotal tour de force brought about through three years of research, government documents, government wiretaps and testimony, and interviews with 800 people in Sinatra’s life.

Genre:
Biography, Music

Main Character:
Sinatra

Favorite Character:
Really don’t have a favorite character. Between the kowtowing More...

Amazingly brave expose about Frank Sinatra's youth and adult life, beginning with his humble beginnings in Hoboken, NJ. This made Frank so irate it was thought he had a hit put out on Kelley. He hated her because of this book, but once again, her attention to detail, sources, and research were so impeccable a lawsuit couldn't even stand up in court. Amazing.

THE WRITER IS NOTHING MORE THAN A PULP FICTION WRITER. hOWEVER BCAUSE i FELL INLOVE WITH fRANK WHEN i WAS TEN YEARS OLD, i LOVED THE JUICY GOSSIP. i NOW KNOW SHE EXAGGERATED IN A WAY TO MAKE HIM LOOK SHAllow. An even tho I know he was shallow I don't like or approve of people beingmean for their own rewards.

How could I give anything else to a book that has a chapter devoted to my Uncle Joey D........I love everything by Frank recorded especially the Nelson Riddle recordings. I just had the pleasure of friending Nelson on Facebook, my all time favorite arranger....JJF

As a young girl my favorite aunt introduced me to the rat-pack. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin remain 2 of my favorite singers. I still listen to their music when I'm in the mood for quiet time reading a good book.

What an incredible story! Always one of my favorite singers, I cringed while reading much of this. I will never see him in the same light after so many instances of psychotic behavior and how he and his camp 'spun' the media. It is hard to believe that he was able to get away with so much for so much of his life - and also very sad to think that he needed all that attention to feel important and powerful. Well researched by Kitty Kelley.

After reading this book my opinion of him changed. I still think he was a brilliant singer but a bully and pain in the a.. To others in his life. If you like frank I say go for it.

His Way : the unauthorized biography of Frank Sinatra / Kitty Kelley

I was listening to an audio book: The Voice, and wanted some photos. Ended up reading this too.

Marked this a 3 because although it was too long for what I would want to know about Sinatra, I learned about some stories I had heard about the 70's and 80's--new look at good and evil in our society. I like books where I learn.

It was interesting to read this back to back with Benjamin Franklin's biography: the men couldn't be more opposite. What a nasty man!

Way too much about Sinatra's mob connections, which I don't know why anyone cares about. Liked it other than that.

Interesting information about Sinatra's youth but a lot of this book is written like a scandal sheet.

One of the worst bios I've read. Kelley sensationalizes, fabricates, and does not know her subject's milieu.

Not sure how reliable the information was, but it was a good read.

The best unauthorized tell-all out there.

Well written and eye opening about the man.

Kitty Kelley is seen as a muckracker, trying to bring the mighty down to size and embarrass them. On the contrary.....after reading her books about Jackie O., Frank Sinatra, Nancy Reagan and the Bush family, I found a greater understanding of them as situated in the human condition we all share, no matter how much I might still disagree with their choices.

It was much rougher and less well-written than The Voice, but it gave the expected juicy details on one of the most followed and dissected lives ever. If it were not for my intense want of knowledge on Sinatra, I would have stopped reading after the first chapter. In all honesty, it felt like compulsory reading.

Remember when Kitty Kelley was big in the 80's with these just side of completely trashy biographies? I picked up a copy of this at the thrift store for 30 cents, and it was worth that...but not much more than that. I liked it, but it was definitely the reading equivalent of watching Entertainment Tonight while reading People magazine.

There are descriptive biographies and then there are biographies that villifies and glorifies celebrities.
This is a flawfinding biography.
It is entertainig even though the tone is meanspirited. I have never thought Frank Sinatria was perfect but in this book it is all black. People are not all evil or good.

This certainly kept my attention. The more I read the more I found out just how much of an ass this guy was. Great stories within. Ava Gardner had him on her little finger. Kind of funny. I love his music and voice, though he was a complete jerk to many people.

A pretty thorough view of Sinatra's life, but I can't help but be disturbed by some of the content. I'm hoping that it's not all true...if so, then Frank Sinatra, one of my favorite singers, was a not-so-nice guy.