Sinatra's Century

Incelebrationofhisone-hundredthbirthday,acharming,irresistiblyreadable,andhandsomelypackagedlookbackatthelifeandtimesofthegreatestentertainerinAmericanhistory,FrankSinatra.Sinatra’sCenturyisanirresistiblecollectionofone-hundredshortreflectionsontheman,hismusic,andhislarger-than-lifestory,byalifetimefanwhoalsohappenstobeoneofthepoetryworld’smostprominentvoices.DavidLehmanuseseachoftheseshortpiecestolookbackonasinglefacetoftheentertainer’sstory—fromhischildhoodinHoboken,tohisemergenceas“TheVoice”inthe1940s,tothewildprofessional(andromantic)fluctuationsthatfollowed.Lehmanoffersnewinsightsandrevisitsfamiliarstories—Sinatra’sdramaticloveaffairswithsomeofthemostbeautifulstarsinHollywood,includingLaurenBacall,MarilynMonroe,andAvaGardner;hisfallfromgraceinthelate1940sandresurrectionduringthe“CapitolYears”ofthe1950s;hisbondswiththerestoftheRatPack;andhislongtenureastheChairmanoftheBoard,viewedastheeminencegriseofpopularmusicinspiringgenerationsofartists,fromBobbyDarintoBonotoBobDylan.BrimmingwithLehman’sownlifelongaffectionforSinatra,thebookincludeslistsofunforgettableperformances;engaginginsightonwhatmadeSinatrathemodelofAmericanmachismo—andtheepitomeofromance;andclear-eyedassessmentsofthefoiblesthatimpactedhislifeandwork.Warmandenlightening,Sinatra’sCenturyisfull-throatedappreciationofSinatraforeveryfan.