The Frank Sinatra reader - Steven Petkov

From the time he made hordes of hysterical fans swoon at the Paramount in 1942 up until the present day, Frank Sinatra has never been out of the public spotlight. With some 1,800 recordings, 60 film credits, two Oscars, numerous Grammys, and the undying loyalty of millions of fans around the world, Sinatra has become an American hero. Songs sung by the Italian-American phenomenon, such as 'New York, New York','My Way', 'Fly Me to the Moon', and 'That's Life' are now the undisputed classics of American popular music. In The Frank Sinatra Reader, Leonard Mustazza and Steven Petkov have brought together for the first time a selection of writings - drawn from books, magazines and newspapers - about the famous singer. Divided into four chronologically arranged parts, the book assesses Sinatra the teen phenomenon, the mature recording artist, the powerful and influential star, and the enduring legend. The articles are written by a veritable who's who of music critics, including pieces by Henry Pleasants, Arnold Shaw, Stephen Holden, Gene Lees, Gay Talese, Whitney Balliett, and William Kennedy.