This is the best-looking coffee table book on Sinatra, with most of the first half based on an excellent essay by John Lahr. For a thorough look at the music, you want Will Friedwald's book, but this one is a classic photo tour of Sinatra's career from Hoboken to the world. I could spend a 1000 words on the pictures, but you can travel back to the 1950s with this one. The large format photos bring home the personality of the subjects, who include Nat Cole, Ava Gardner, Dean Martin, Count Basie and other music icons of the last century. Very enjoyable evening read, also.

Of the plethora of books on Frank Sinatra that have been fighting for space on the shelves since his death, this is the best.

A wonderful essay by John Lahr chronicles his life, from the tough streets of Hoboken to a room in Beverly Hills shortly before his 80th birthday. A now well chronicled life, but captured by Mr Lahr in all its complexity and contradiction.

At the heart of this life was his great gift - singing. At the very end, in the Beverly Hills room, surrounded by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan (what were they doing there?) Steve Lawrence and others, he insisted on singing the solo. It was his right then, as it had been his right throughout his life. And he was undeniable.

A beautifully designed and produced book, it is adorned with a perfect selection of photographs to complement the essay. Look at the faces on page 102, completely transfixed by "The Voice" and see what James Agee called "an erotic dream".

A must have for Sinatra fans, and anyone fascinated by popular culture.

Weegee is best known for his photos of "rubouts, suicides and
accident victims", but I think those photos are his
least interesting. He has a talent for capturing ordinary
life as well. His photos are warm and real. Often times I
find old photos make the subjects appear remote and distant
in time, but Weegee's photos break through that barrier.
You don't feel like you are looking at old pictures.
His photos transcend nostalgia.

This wonderful book not only includes all of Weegee's (Arthur Fellig) greatest photos, but includes three in-dept essays on his work by Miles Barth, Alain Bergala and Ellen Handy. Weegee raised the craft of photojournalism to the level of art by his talent to show the essence of any situtation without any discrimination between social classes. Besides his pictures expressing the entire human condition, they also story-tell New York City circa mid-century. This is a book that is essential for anyone who wants a comprehensive photographic library.

A fine selection of Weegee's unposed, spontaneous vignettes of life in the city, at least, as it was in the 30's and 40's, equivalent of today's TV "fuzz and the wuzz". His accompanying commentary, unghosted and punchy, mirrors the b/w images; snappy, to the point. The paper stock used here is cheap, but then, these photos usually appeared in the morning paper...in a time when there were newspapers.

This book is amazing piece of amercian history. New York history. Frozen moments of ordinary people and their enviroment. Really must have one...

truly outstanding...words cannot describe, just buy it...