Rating: 
Summary: This Book is Horrid
Review: A plethora of subjective, twisted commentary by the Author. A huge dissapointment.
Rating: 
Summary: Sammy Davis Jr.- Absolutely the best.
Review: A rich and brilliant biography. Haygood, one of the greatest writers of our time, has outdone himself this time. This book is thoroughly entertaining. It is written with exquisite detail and insider information. It is not a puff piece. Haygood pulls no punches. You get Sammy with all the love, the contradictions, and the struggles. He has dug deeper than any biographer ever. And he writes with the heart of a poet.
The Rat Pack stuff alone is better than a trip to Vegas. I learned more about Sinatra, Dean , Nixon, Donald Rumsfeld, and even Linda Lovelace than I thought possible. Bravo!
If you don't like this book, you don't like to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Too much pseudo-psychology
Review: As history, this book is not bad in setting up the historical background of Sammy Davis Jr. and the events of his life. But the book suffers from too much tabloid psychology and second-guessing over what made Sammy run. Much is made of Mr. Davis' supposed low self esteem and desire to be White, when one can only speculate today if Davis himself really felt this way. There was so much more to Davis than this. He inspired a lot of people (myself included) and helped a lot of folks who were down on their luck (this Haygood acknowledges, but pins on Mr. Davis low self esteem and desire to be liked). Sammy Davis Jr. deserved much better than this.
Rating:
Summary: A biography of what?
Review: I disliked the way this book was organized. It did not read like a typical bio at all. The first two chapters were about the previous collaborative biographers of Sammy's and their writing and publishing nightmares of _Yes I Can_. I couldn't tell if this book was about Sammy or his previous biographers. The narrative is fragmented and repetitive. The story was too roundabout to capture my interest. I found it infuriating and I gave up half way through. Sorry I cannot give this bio a good recommendation.
Rating: 
Summary: what makes sammy run?
Review: I was put off a bit at first - the book's momentum was slowed by the author's habit of inserting a mini-biography whenever a character was introduced - but I grew to enjoy this fascinating book much more as it progressed. Some may feel that the author goes too far in assuming the reader has never heard of Marcus Garvey, the Harlem Renaissance, the civil rights movement, etc., and may find the constant summaries of historical events unnecessary. I did. Still, the details of Sammy's growing up on the road, the hardships endured by negro vaudeville performers, the complete lack of formal education, the hand to mouth existence, the constant travel, form a powerful cumulative portrait of a man and his time. This book drew me in, fascinated me with its psychologically complex picture of Davis, and left me with a desire to reinvestigate the music and films he left behind. A top-notch biography.
Rating:
Summary: A great history book!
Review: Overall, I think the book is great. It was well researched. The author puts the many milestones in Sammy's life in great historical perspective. We find out what type of indignities blacks entertainers endured beginning with the vaudeville era when they sought applause by performing in blackface to the `60s when they were not permitted to stay in hotels where they performed. By understanding the times in which Sammy lived, the reader gets a better understanding of some of his disturbing behaviors such as the way he tolerated racist humor from his white friends and his adulation of white culture. We also gain insight on the affect having an absent mother had on Sammy's relationship with women, his ambition and his constant need to be loved. I would highly recommend this book! Sammy is a true show business legend.
Rating:
Summary: A great history book!
Review: Overall, I think the book is great. It was well researched. The author puts the many milestones in Sammy's life in great historical perspective. We find out what type of indignities blacks entertainers endured beginning with the vaudeville era when they sought applause by performing in blackface to the `60s when they were not permitted to stay in hotels where they performed. By understanding the times in which Sammy lived, the reader gets a better understanding of some of his disturbing behaviors such as the way he tolerated racist humor from his white friends and his adulation of white culture. We also gain insight on the affect having an absent mother had on Sammy's relationship with women, his ambition and his constant need to be loved. I would highly recommend this book! Sammy is a true show business legend.
Rating:
Summary: A Rock Solid Read
Review: Reading about Sammy Davis Jr is always a Must for me.the Man was not only a Multi-Talented Person but also a Soul Brother who had to deal with alot of Obstacles not that long ago.He held His own in the Rat Pack.He dealt with Racisim&Other forces working against Him&still made folks respect His hard Work as a Entertainer.the Author Wil Haygood explores so much&Brings many elements into the life of Sammy Davis Jr.very detailed book from start to finish.
Rating:
Summary: Very Compelling
Review: Sammy Davis Jr is One of The Greatest All-Around Entertainers the world has ever known period.He battled so many demons&Issues.Race,Sex&Class&Still found a way to Succeed against all odds.this Book pulls no punches&takes you on this Man's Journey&the Many Obstacles He faced during His Long&Compelling Career.
Rating:
Summary: a fascinating take on The Candy Man
Review: Sammy Davis, Jr. is probably best known these days as one of Frank Sinatra's sidekicks. But during his lifetime, Davis was a multi-talented performer who could both delight and infuriate his audience.My generation's main memories of Davis tend to be of a man who laughed too hard at jokes that weren't funny, went overboard in trying to be hip until he became a parody and someone who whose discomfort in his own skin was only too apparent. Davis was a super talent but a complex human being. It would probably be impossible to encompass the whole of his personality in a single book but the author manages to get a good grasp of his subject. Haygood's prose tends to be overdramatic at times but he makes the reader understand Davis' confusion over his racial identity. He also explains the reasons behind many African Americans' ambivalence toward Davis. We also get a fuller and previously untold story about Davis' parents Sam, Sr. and Elvera whose tense relationship with her son was a contributing factor to many of his demons. Thankfully, Haygood avoids the sleaziness and shallowness of Gary Fishgall's book Gonna Do Great Things. He also presents a fuller picture of Davis than Davis' daughter Tracy did in her book (a horrible work.) He writes of his subject's more questionable habits (sex and drugs) but doesn't lose sight of who Davis was.
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