Sinatra: Behind the Legend - Tapa dura

J Randy Taraborrelli reveals explosive new details on the star's suicide attempts, love affairs and doomed marriages. * The Express * With exemplary sleuthing, Taraborrelli talks to the long trail of broken-hearted women he left in his wake, alerting us to the 13-year-old girl he impregnated in his early twenties ... In the two decades since his book's first publication, Taraborelli has continued to trawl through the CIA files to convince himself that Sinatra's rumoured links to the mafia are largely unfounded. He covers the feud between Sinatra's last wife, Barbara, and his kids ... for a gossipy guy who always cuts straight to the chase of sex, drugs, fame and money, Taraborelli is rigorous and credible. -- Helen Brown * The Telegraph * Even if you're not a fan of Ol' Blue Eyes, Taraborrelli's mesmerising Sinatra is worth reading to remind yourself that, at its very best, showbiz biography can be both an art and a craft. -- Kathryn Hughes * Daily Mail *

Frank Sinatra was one of the most influential entertainers the world had ever seen. He was also one of the most complex - generous, a loyal friend, a champion of causes, a devoted son and father, unpredictable, a loud-mouthed tough guy and a womanizer. What drove the skinny kid with a voice and a dream from an Italian neighbourhood in New Jersey to become an international superstar and one of the most important cultural figures of the twentieth century? Written by acclaimed biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli, Sinatra is based on in-depth research, including hundreds of interviews. From the women he loved, including Lauren Bacall, Ava Gardner, Mia Farrow and Marilyn Monroe, to his ties to the Rat Pack, from his mob connections to his friendship with the Kennedys, Frank's life was full of excitement, danger and passion. This is a compelling and honest tribute to a man whose songs touched a chord in all of us.