Product Description

"My father didn't die-he escaped."

He was a movie star, the king of nightclubs, the definitive recording artist of his time who stamped his sense of style on the postwar generation. Frank Sinatra seemed to have it all. Why would his daughter Tina Sinatra refer to his death as an escape? What happened to make his life so difficult?

In this "candid and intimate view of Frank Sinatra" (Publishers Weekly), Tina Sinatra offers an unflinching portrait of a legend, a father, and a man.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #684047 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-01
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 313 pages

Amazon.com Review
For Sinatra fans, 2000 was a very good year. First came the discography Put Your Dreams Away; then, the newsy exposé of the Chairman's FBI dossier, The Sinatra Files; and now, his life story as seen by his younger daughter Tina. Besides inside family stuff, Tina knows about Frank's life from having produced the CBS miniseries about him. The most publicized item in the book concerns Frank's kind words with the Mafia on behalf of JFK's campaign. But, beware the common belief that the Mafia stole the election for JFK--this is dubious--and don't miss out on all of the more interesting stories in the book. There's irony: JFK personally persuaded United Artists to make Sinatra's best film, that classic of Presidential-assassination conspiracy, The Manchurian Candidate. There's squalor: Before the Mafia helped him through his career slump, Frank walked past an Eddie Fisher movie marquee and promptly attempted suicide. There's poignance: "I'm not home much, but I'm a pretty damned good father," Frank unconvincingly claimed. Nancy Barbato Sinatra--the mother of Tina, Nancy, and Frank Jr.--comes off as saintly. Ava Gardner was nice to the kids, but a comparably neurotic brawler with Frank. Mia Farrow, Tina's schoolmate, was delightful, inclined to intense relationships with father figures (Salvador Dalì, Yul Brynner), eccentric, and not as frail and malleable as she looked and Frank probably hoped: "She was just as career-driven as Ava, and probably more independent," writes Tina. "Mia was more of a day person, while the only dawns my father saw were on the back end of a hard day's night." Barbara Marx Sinatra, according to embittered Tina, made Frank's last 12 years a living hell. (Barbara has declined to comment on Tina's charges.)

In straightforward prose that's studded with interesting facts (did you know Frank would tip $200 if you parked his car?) and 86 photos, Tina Sinatra paints a lively portrait of her inconsolably lonely pop-star pop. And she did it her way. Deal with it. --Tim Appelo

From Booklist
Tina spills the beans. Bonnie Smothers
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Tina Sinatra was the executive producer of Sinatra, an award-winning five-hour miniseries based on her father's life that aired in 1992 on CBS. She lives in Los Angeles.

Customer Reviews

Stepmom Dearest.Get it all out Tina
I'm glad Tina Sinatra wrote this book about her late Father,and got the truth out about her money hungrey Stepmom Barbra,who wanted to get all she could for herself and son Bobby before Frank died.Its sad to think about the last days of Frank Sinatra.His kids were not even alerted that there Father was dying in the hospital.There was plenty of time ,but Barbra chose not to call the family untill Frank was already gone.I know there's two sides to every story,but I believe Tina. The pictures in this book are wonderfull.The last photo of Frank was sad.You realize how sick he was at the end,but what a great life he had.Tina writes about her Father's on going relationship with her Mom,Nancy,and her love for Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow.Also,Tina is the first family member to admit her father consorted with gangsters,like Sam Giancana,to help JFK nail the 1960 election.After reading all the other books about the late Frank Sinatra,its wonderfull to finally read the truth.

Sinatra's daughter speaks from the heart about Ole Blue Eyes
When I first heard the 60 minutes interview, I cringed a bit, especially with all the MOB, FBI and JFK stories. I thought to myself...oh another gossip book about Frank...BUT I was pleasantly wrong...This book was a wonderful and emotion-filled book about a daughter who spoke honestly and openly about her relationship with her dad, which happened to be one of the most famous entertainers of our time. Tina did not spare her feelings which ranged from sheer joy to anger to disappointment over feelings regaring her father. I disagree with the last reviewer...(anyway you must have only skimmed parts of the book if you only read it in the bookstore) The book had a very sad tone throughout as it explored the background of Mr Sintra...his deep pain and lonliness, inability to find peace, difficulty with having children, then having to leave them as well as his difficulties with intimate relationships...It was interesting seeing that this "Big" and "Powerful" man experienced the frailities and conflicts that face the human existence. Tina presented his life from very much a daughter's perspective, and one that is difficult for any of us on the outside to judge..This is the world that she lived in for 50 years of her life...I honestly think that she felt a need to tell the story of Mr. SInatra's later life, a sad picture of a once virile, independent swinger, being conformed to a life of dependency. Tina was very accusatory of Mr. Sinatra's last wife Barbara, and she chronicles from her perspective a pretty good case that this woman was not quite the nicest, caring and loving spouse that had somtimes been portrayed by the press. If the allegations are true...well then my hats off to the Sinatra children for letting his fans know the truth about the last years. Still this book was precious in that Tina talked about her father with such an intimate,loving and honest manner, again, one that could only be told from a daughter's perspective. This book is a great story, not only about Frank Sinatra, but on the subject of step familes, aging parents, as well as family love and loyalty.

The private Sinatra's last, sad days revealed!
I have been a fan of Mr. Sinatra for over thirty years, one of my earliest memories is of my mother singing along while Frank sang in the background, my first child was brought into the world while a Sinatra tape played in the delivery room. I have read most of the books written about him, this book provides the details from an informed, inside source.

I took the time to read all the other Amazon.com reviews prior to writing my own. Anyone who has followed the Sinatra family and history should know that Tina is not in need of money and as her father before her, she values her privacy and her family more than any publicity. I am sure that writing this book was to set the record straight and also, to allow those millions of devoted Sinatra fans to understand the final years of Mr. Sinatra's life and times. Tina makes no effort to make herself out to be a saint, she admits her flaws while plainly stating the facts about Barbara Marx. As an Italian, I understand her comments about family and blood. Ms. Marx clearly desired to climb the "rich and famous" ladder and evidently, Francis Albert Sinatra was the top rung!

My hat is off to Tina for having the courage to tell the cold, hard facts about life as the greatest singer of all times' youngest daughter. She is most assuredly, her "Father's daughter". I highly recommend that anyone who considers Sinatra to be the best read this book to learn why he was the best. He wore his heart on his sleeve for his listeners pleasure, his talent came out of his inner sadness. He was the lost soul he sang about, he was the broken-hearted lover his songs described, he understood pain and could communicate it in song like no one else ever could. The book speaks of many sad things, about the tragic bitterness of an extended family and their private battle for Sinatra's legacy (and money), but it's enduring message should be the fact that it sheds full light on what made Sinatra Sinatra!