Gonna Do Great Things : The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr.

Rating:
Summary: "Sammy was the "only' of a kind."
Review:

This is the only biography I've read about Sammy Davis Jr.I am retired and though born about 10 years after him,it seems to me he was around forever.This biography jives exactly with how I saw his career over the years.The one great enlightenment I got from this book was the personal details;which obviously were new to me,and I suppose would be to anyone who reads it.Every page presented something new and in a very readible style.
Davis did so much and interacted with so many people over so long a period that the author had a huge task to cover it all in such a short biography;I feel what he has done is a supurb job to say the least.
The author makes you feel like you are traveling right along side as Davis pursues his life and career;what more can one ask for in a biogrphy?
If you enjoyed Sammy,you'll surely enjoy this book.

Rating:
Summary: *** 1/2 - Even if you read the other new Sammy bio
Review: . . .you'll enjoy this one as well. I wasn't sure I could take another Sammy Davis, Jr. biography so soon after Will Haygood's recent (and excellent) biography, but the brisk pacing and clear writing drew me in. Fishgall sticks to the major events in Sammy's life and doesn't go overboard with the historical background, but a clear picture of the man and his time emerges. I felt an inordinate amount of attention was paid to Sammy's later years and television appearances, but I appreciated learning more about his children and his third marriage. If you can only read one, read "In Black and White." If you're still interested, read Sammy's own books, and include this strong, fair biography.

Rating:
Summary: *** 1/2 - Even if you read the other new Sammy bio
Review: . . .you'll enjoy this one as well. I wasn't sure I could take another Sammy Davis, Jr. biography so soon after Will Haygood's recent (and excellent) biography, but the brisk pacing and clear writing drew me in. Fishgall sticks to the major events in Sammy's life and doesn't go overboard with the historical background, but a clear picture of the man and his time emerges. I felt an inordinate amount of attention was paid to Sammy's later years and television appearances, but I appreciated learning more about his children and his third marriage. If you can only read one, read "In Black and White." If you're still interested, read Sammy's own books, and include this strong, fair biography.

Rating:
Summary: Engrossing portrait of a complicated man
Review: Gonna Do Great Things: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr. by Gary Fishgall is a well-written, engrossing portrait of a very complicated and conflicted man. Toward the end of his career, Davis had become almost a caricature of his former self and had descended into drug and alcohol addiction. Fishgall takes us from Davis' beginnings in Harlem to his career in vaudeville to his days as a member of the famous Rat Pack. You get the sense from reading this book that Davis had a lifetime desire, almost an obsession to belong, to be accepted and to fit in but it seems as if he was always just on the fringes of everything, just a little removed. Davis became a big star but there was always something missing, something that eluded him. While Davis appeared to the public to be having the time of his life with his Rat Pack buddies, behind closed doors he seemed to be a sad, unhappy man. Fishgall seems to capture the essence of the man as well as the legendary performer. This book is a serious, well-written, well-researched look at a showbiz legend and is defintely not a celebrity hatchet job.