Sinatra’s Century: One Hundred Notes on the Man and His World

Sinatra’s Century is an irresistible collection of one hundred short reflections on the man, his music, and his larger-than-life story by a lifetime fan who also happens to be one of the most prominent voices in contemporary American poetry. David Lehman uses each of these short pieces to look back on a single facet of the entertainer’s story-from his childhood in Hoboken to his emergence as The Voice in the 1940s to the wild professional and romantic fluctuations that followed.

Lehman offers new insights and revisits familiar stories-Sinatra’s dramatic love affairs with some of the most beautiful stars in Hollywood, including Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, and Ava Gardner; his fall from grace in the late 1940s and resurrection during the Capitol Years of the 1950s; his bonds with the rest of the Rat Pack; and his long tenure as the Chairman of the Board, the indomitable elder statesman of popular music inspiring generations of artists, from Bobby Darin to Bono to Bob Dylan.

Filled with vibrant photos from all stages of his career, the book includes lists of favorite performances; engaging insights on what made Sinatra both the model of American machismo and the epitome of romance; and clear-eyed assessments of the foibles that impacted his life and work. Warm and enlightening, Sinatra’s Century is a full-throated appreciation of Sinatra for the twenty-first-century fan.