Very interesting read. I really enjoyed the analysis of how Sinatra made his singing so evocative and powerful. Some of the details about his inner feelings and those of the people in his life seemed impossible for the author to have been in on, and the writing was occasionally over the top, but I would definitely recommend this to Sinatra fans. ( )

A very interesting, engaging, and generally well-balanced account of Frank Sinatra's life from birth up to the early 1950s (the point where he won an Oscar for his role as Maggio in From Here to Eternity). There's a lot of interesting material and analysis regarding his musicianship, and a good look at some of the myths and legends (such as how he landed the role of Maggio, and how he left the Dorsey orchestra). My only irritation was the odd placement of footnotes -- something corrected in the next volume. ( )

A great read. Every once in a while there is a passage that is a little overly-gossip column-like and that got under my nerves a bit, but other than that I loved this. Definitely reading part two, which is even longer. Never thought I'd read 1600 pages about Frank Sinatra, but there you have it. ( )

A very well done bio on the early years of Frank Sinatra's most storied life and career. I was not a big fan and he was before my time but I am glad I was able experience his really amazing life in this work.

Maybe one of the most talented and flawed men in the entertainment world certainly there was, and are no more of his ilk. The crash and burn and the Phoenix rise make for a rather riveting read that James Kaplan reveals spectacularly.

It made me revisit the early recordings and marvel at the talent and ponder what went into their production as relayed in the book. The tumultuous nature of his marriages was also fascinating. The contrast between Nancy and Ava could not be more revealing to his compulsions and obsessions. There is a lot here to put together many of the pieces of this complex man. I look forward to the second edition and am left with one thing that stands out from this one; few have probably packed more into a lifetime then this guy. ( )

This is a must read for any Sinatra fan. I can't even imagine how much work Kaplan did researching this, the amount of detail is amazing. I love reading biographies where when you finish you feel like you know/knew the person, this is definitely one of those. ( )