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Dec 27, 2007

Juls rated it:

As someone who's worked with Mr. Lewis for the past 18 years, I was very curious as to his career and his career with partner Dean Martin. This book certainly documents their meteoric rise to fame and all the love and difficulties these two amazingly talented men had during their 10 year partnership. Jerry worships Dean and that love and affection is unwavering. It's a quick and interesting read about two of showbiz's greatest music/comedy teams.

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Sep 11, 2008

Lani rated it:

I have a total crush on Dean Martin, so this book by Jerry Lewis was fascinating. I knew next to nothing about Martin and Lewis (other than that they were partners), so I loved hearing about the jokes and pranks and humor they found together.

Lewis portrays Martin as a totally different person than the media's perception and portrayal. He frequently comments on Dean's tendency to play the drunk both for humor's sake and to keep people at a distance. Martin's love for old Westerns made More...

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Jan 28, 2010

Christy rated it:

My reading of this book has been long overdue and I don't know what took me so long. I can't express just how surprised I was by this book; I expected a lot of bullshit, but I was wrong. The honesty in this book was almost shocking; Jerry didn't hold back. I love the funny stories of him and Dean in the early part of their partnership and marked a few of them to go back and read when I need a laugh. Jerry Lewis has always made me laugh with his Idiot shtick and he made me laugh with the written More...

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Dec 16, 2009

Jeremy rated it:

Jerry Lewis kind of grosses me out whenever I see him being interviewed, but I used to enjoy his movies when I was little, so I generally cut him some slack. The man isn't renowned for his modesty, so it's nice to see him giving credit, and lots of it, where it's due. It's evident that Lewis adored Martin, perhaps on a grander and certainly more personal level than any of his wives (I for one won't forget anytime soon the scene where Dean obligingly inspects Jerry's swimsuit area for pubic lic More...

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Jan 04, 2009

Pris rated it:

When The Moon Hits Your Eye, Like A Bigga' Piece of Pie, 18 Dec 2005

The conversations between Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis always began the same:
"Hey Paul, how you doin'"
"How you doin', polly?"
You still don't remember my f****** name?"

The simple fact that these two men started their conversations with silly nicknames says it all about their love for each other.

On Tuesday, July 25, 1956, More...

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Feb 22, 2012

Jim rated it:

This book is a nice, quick read about two of the the biggest performers of the 20th Century. It's hard to believe how huge the team of Martin and Lewis were, and that they were a team for only 10 years.

There are hardly any salicious details in this book. Lewis writes the book as what he says it is, a love story. Told in his voice it details how he first met Dean Martin, their rise to superstardom, their break-up, and the rekindling of their friendship in their later years. You ca More...

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Feb 13, 2011

Richard rated it:

Those who were not around in the 1950's probably don't know that the team of Martin and Lewis was the hottest act in show business for the ten years the two performers were together. They met in New York in the forties, young and hungry for fame after failing to set the world on fire in their solo acts. The former Dino Paul Crocetti from Steubenville, Ohio was a former boxer and illegal casino croupier who had a good voice and could only dream of singing alongside his idols, Bing Crosby and Fra More...

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Apr 19, 2011

Tommy Bat-Blog rated it:

I finished this book last night & really enjoyed it. It's not the kind of book I usually read, but I like to mix it up occasionally, I'm glad I did. The basic premise of this book, co-written by Jerry Lewis, is sharing his thoughts about the 10 year partnership he had with Dean Martin. It covers how they originally met for the 1st time, how they "accidentally" became partners, & their rise to fame. There's a ton of inside info on the Entertainment Business which is also pretty interest More...

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Feb 02, 2012

Natascha rated it:

I grew up watching Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis movies. But it has only been in the last few years that I have become aware of them working together as a team. Over the years I have picked up little bits of the story: They were amazing together, and then they didn't talk for 20 years.

When I picked up this book I was expecting Jerry to place a lot of the blame for the demise of their relationship on Dean. After all he is human like the rest of us, right? Well I was wrong. Right from the More...

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Jul 06, 2011

Chip'sBookBinge rated it:

Reading Dean & Me was a real pleasure. You don't have to even be a fan of Martin and Lewis to enjoy the ride here. But if you are a fan, then this is definitely a must-read for you. By the title of the book alone, it's clear that it centers on the relationship of both Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, both professionally as well as personally.

I knew beforehand how much Jerry worshiped Dean. I just didn't know to what extent. You really do get that Jerry loved Dean as both a partner as well More...

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Nov 18, 2009

Summer rated it:

I have always liked Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. I read this book in just two days, I could not put it down. I really enjoyed the fact that Jerry was very honest about how he was as a young man just starting out in show business. I have always wondered what happened to Jerry and Dean to break up their relationship. I learned that even though these men were famous and well known, they were still human and made mistakes. The book gave me a new way too look at things. I found myself angry, laughing More...

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Mar 03, 2009

Scott rated it:

As obnoxious as Jerry Lewis can be this book (with a helping author) is great. It's a great look into a strange and mostly ignored time period in America - 1946 to 1956. After the war but before Elvis. A time of night clubs, tuxedos, smoking (everyone), highballs. During those 10 years the partner ship of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis was the biggest thing to every hit show business. I had no idea how hugely popular this team was. Jerry gives lots of insights into their relationship (he worshiped More...

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Jan 01, 2010

Paul rated it:

This is a great read for anyone with little knowledge of the history of the Martin & Lewis partnership (like me). It's hard to picture Rat Pack-Dean as a partner to Lewis and his comedy style, but judging on their popularity it worked completely. It's too bad some of the appearances recounted in the book are too far back for video, as it would be great to see what all the hoopla was about. Lewis clearly has a tremendous amount of affection for Martin, and the presentation of the break-up of the More...

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Jul 24, 2010

Harley rated it:

When I first picked up this book, I had no idea that it would be full of insight into business partnerships. The focus of this memoir is the ten year business partnership between Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The memoir tells how they met, their early success together and the troubles that came with fame and their ultimate breakup.

Subtitled "A Love Story." the book is details Jerry's love and respect for Dean. Jerry comments again and again about Dean's comic genius that More...

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Jan 06, 2011

Chris rated it:

I really enjoyed this book, after reading about Dean Martin, through the eyes of his daughter, Deana. Jerry goes back to the beginning of their partnership, and lets you know how, together, they became "magic", and then 10 years later, how they dissolved their partnership. I didn't know before that all the great reviews were based on Jerry, and they said that Dean would be nothing without Jerry, which wasn't true at all. I didn't know that back in the late 40's and early 50's that t More...

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Jan 03, 2011

Relstuart rated it:

This book was fun to read. It was a paean of praise of Dean Martin and what his relationship meant to Jerry. (I played Dean Martin singing in the background while reading this :)

Reading about their breakup was very sad. Lewis described going into their last performance as feeling so choked up it was like he was being chocked without hands. Horrid feeling. Fortunately there was plenty talking about their good times together too.

This book felt like it was coming straight from More...

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Jan 28, 2010

Jaclyn rated it:

This book is the story of Dean Martin and Jerry Lee Lewis as told by Jerry Lee Lewis. It starts when Jerry was a boy, focuses mainly on the 10 years Dean & Jerry were partners, including how they got together, how they broke up, and all the good and bad times in between. The book also covers a brief synopsis of what happens to each of them following their break up, going all the way forward to their reconciliation and ultimately Dean's death. The parts of their lives where they were apart foc More...

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Jan 14, 2009

Shark rated it:

Wow. What a great find. It's rare that a book brings me to tears, and this one got close.

To get the few negative things out of the way -- I tire of old school celebrities dropping the family-friendly persona and cutting loose with the f-bombs and other profanities. While this book isn't ripe with foul language, it certainly happened enough to give pause. I don't question that this is probably how Lewis really speaks when not on camera, but it doesn't make me anymore comfortable w More...

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Sep 12, 2008

Kellie rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Feb 24, 2008

Lauren aka John Matthew's Girl rated it:

While not a biographical book per se, this book details a very important time in the careers of both Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Jerry tells some absolutely HILARIOUS stories, about himself and Dean, and pranks they played on one another, i nearly laughed myself sick. Jerry's love and respect for Dean comes through loud and clear in this book. It's wonderfully written, and he also put in 40 or so photographs, many of which are from his private collection, so they probably would not otherwise be More...

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May 26, 2010

Bridget rated it:

I highly recommend this book. The love and respect Jerry shows for Dean, even when he has to write about some less than stellar behavior, is really touching. I was fascinated by some of the close calls they had by being in proximity to the gangsters who ruled the nightclubs back in the day. I got choked up many a time throughout the book because Jerry Lewis is a pretty emotional guy and he wrung my heart the way he wrote about his hero/big brother/long lost friend.

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May 18, 2009

Della rated it:

I'm a newbie to "GoodReads" and so far I'm liking it!
I have just completed this one for the second go-a-round and find it to be a happy, kinda sad, Jerry Lewis funny! And for the second time, it is even better. I also like the title, Dean and Me, A Love Story. Because it is indeed that. And it let's you know that it is possible to start over and succeed in any kind of a relationship.

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Dec 27, 2008

Kate rated it:

As a person in the entertainment field, I absolutely adore autobiographies of fellow performers. Jerry Lewis's insight on comedy and how it has evolved is spot on and the love he had for Dean Martin will warm you through and through. I wasn't a fan before I read this book, but now they hold a very special place in my heart. Well worth picking up.

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May 27, 2010

Richard rated it:

I grew up going to Jerry Lewis movies and didn't know about Martin & Lewis until that famous reunion on MDA Telethon orchestrated by Frank Sinatra. It's kind of a sad story but a great relationship that had to end. These guys were great together and not so bad apart. It's touching and uplifting...Guys can love each other deeply....Brotherly love is quite beautiful and needs to be presented more often.

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Apr 29, 2011

Rick rated it:

Interesting account of the comedy partnership of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Jerry seems to tell a pretty unbiased story of his and Dean's professional and personal relationship---through the good times and bad times, and their eventual reconciliation in Dean's later years. Gonna have to rent me a few of their movies now. They were quite a pair.

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Jul 06, 2008

Marcella rated it:

This book starts off with a bang and continues through the high and low times of the Martin and Lewis team with such force that you don't want it to end... it does end though, but with the same bravado that it began...

The Lewis/Martin partnership is one that most "rat pack" fans overlook--we all know how America has semi-bastardized Lewis as just a goof-comic, and this book gives you such an insight into not only the technical side of what went on, but really explains how More...

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Aug 06, 2011

Ronald rated it:

Jerry Lewis's account of his professional and personal relationship with Dean Martin. The subtitle is no exaggeration: Lewis obviously had a profound emotional attachment to Martin. It was very interesting for me to read about their early careers and how they reached celebrity status. Lewis's description of his feelings after their break-up was gut-wrenching, however. I learned of this biography from its brief appearance on the New York Times best seller list in November 2005.

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Dec 03, 2008

Beth rated it:

Jerry Lewis is seriously arrogant. After reading this book, I lost most all of my respect for him. It made me love Dean Martin, though. Both are seriously flawed men, but the presentation of those flaws is what makes the difference.
The book was highly entertaining and worth reading if you want a few Hollywood anectdotes.

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Jun 15, 2009

Gary rated it:

I read this book because I was always curious about this pair and did not really know why they broke up. This is certainly Jerry's point of view, but isn't that the point of the book. I am not sure their break up is all the sad but it is sad that they could not do it as friends.

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Aug 07, 2011

Johnvano rated it:

Removes the caricature from this comedy duo, bringing them to life, helping me appreciate their place in entertainment history. Dispels many myths about the two. Dean Martin was just as funny as he was smooth and easy-going, and Jerry is a serious business manager.

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