Memories Are Made of This : My Life with Dean Martin

Rating:
Summary: Memories Are Made of This
Review: This book was wonderful, compelling and true to life.
Anyone who knew Dean Martin as a man and not a celebrity will
agree. Everyone in Steubenville, Ohio who knew Dean said he
was a loving man and a fun person who liked to have a good time
and especially liked being Italian.
He was so proud of his heritage, and also proud to be from Ohio. No matter how famous he was, he never lost his small town
values and was so thankful to be blessed with his talent.
I grew up in an Italian family here in Steubenville, and reading this book reminded me of all the men I knew in town who
were and still are Deans pals. They are so much like him. The
only difference is he had the courage to leave and followed his
dream to success.
We all love Dino and are proud he was born here. We are
lucky enough to have adopted his daughter Deana to help keep all
of his memories alive with all of her hard work and dedication
to her Father's festival, State Holiday , and charities.

Rating:
Summary: The best book on Dino yet!
Review: For anyone who adores Dean Martin and wants to know more about what the man was really like, this is the best book ever. The other bios will have all the information and dates and stuff - this book has the HEART!
Well written, emotionally vulnerable, and honest. Dino is one of the few celebs that, the more i find out about what he was really like, the more i like him!
And the pictures are TERRIFIC!
BUY THIS BOOK!
kimmy
[e-mail]


Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: A lovely tribute to her father written with love and compassion. What was most interesting is she did not pull any punches with anyone as she moved along with her story. It was so fascinating how the children from the frist marriage held together protecting each other with memories that were not so good from their past. If you love Dean Martin you will feel like you shared a night at the Martin home as part of the family.
Highly recommend.



Rating:
Summary: Buy it -- I think you'll like it!
Review: Dean Martin slid into my heart 35 years ago when I first saw him slide down the fire pole to open one of his Variety Shows. Until I read this book, I didn't think I could love him anymore than I already did. In "Memories are Made of This" Deana Martin has come closer than any other biographer has ever come in describing what made Dean Martin tick...and believe me, I've read every biography written on the man. We learn not only of Dean Martin the singer, the entertainer, the golf addict, but of Dean Martin the father who, like most men of his generation, was generous and loving though not hands on. We also learn of the spiritual man who prayed the Rosary and regretted decisions he'd made in his life. The book is a real page turner which my non-Dean Martin fan friends have found to be as interesting as my Dean Martin fan friends.

Rating:
Summary: Must read
Review: Deana Martin's honesty and vulnerability about her life is what makes her book so sincere. It is a look into a world most of us never experience. The people she has met throughout her life such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis, The Beatles and even the frightful....Charles Manson, is an experience worth reading about. For all of us who love Dino's music, this permits us a look at his life through Deana's eyes.


Rating:
Summary: Great Book - A Must Read!!
Review: Deana Martin's tribute to her father showed the undying love that a daughter feels for her father no matter how bad a father he was. Her words do not take away from my admiration of the entertainer, but give me deep feelings for the torment that such a talented man can bestow on his children. It's the type of book that can have you laughing one minute and wiping away the tears the next.

I really enjoyed Deana Martin's first writing venture and hope to read more works by her in the future. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Finally a truthful book written about Dean Martin
Review: I enjoyed this book so much that I read it within two sittings. Deana Martin has not written a "Daddy Dearest" type of book...but more of a "Dearest Dad" book telling the truth about what it was like to have him as a father. The most controversial part of the book, when Deana writes that ..."he was not a good father but he was a good man..." she says it with the insight of a child who grew up in the turmoil of a family that split up when she was very young...seeing her mother's life and health decline over the years...and then starting a totally different life with her father's "new" family. As many an entertainer of those times, Dean was not around emotionally for his children, although he did spend time with them when he wanted to. His advise to them when they needed discipline was "...just tell your mother we had a talk and don't do it again." I think this is what she means by her statement. He definitely loved his children as can be seen by his deep and fast decline after his son Dean Paul was killed in a plane crash. I found nothing mean or hateful in her telling of her life with Dean. Just facts...he surely was one of the greatest all-around entertainers in show biz history...but he was also human...something many of us don't realize about movie and recording stars. This book had me laughing and crying. I say...Thanks, Deana, for some great insight into the man, not just the legend...and for sharing your life and his with all of us.

Rating:
Summary: Credible and Balanced
Review: Information presented is fair and hopefully thorough. From all the tabloid press, just makes you wonder which information was withheld? A daughter would only know so much, though. If you're a fan, or if you understand the man's impact on our culture during these decades, it is well worth the time and money.

Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL WONDERFUL BOOK!
Review: This has to be the best book I've every read about Dean. Written with class,love and heart - the love leaps through the pages. Sharing those stories of growing up in the Martin home was precious and touching. This book is a must for Dino fans!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Whatever one's expectations in starting this biography of Dean Martin, the only sure thing is that the reader will come away liking his daughter, author Deana Martin.

The man that she describes her father as being was not an impressive person, marvelous though he had been as an entertainer.

This is not to belittle his accomplishments as a singer, Las Vegas performer, recording artist, television star, movie star and comedian. In all cases, he broke new ground and earned record amounts of money.

Still, the human being that his daughter describes was shockingly flawed. The way that he had treated her mother, his first wife, was appalling and inexcusable. Consequently, this mistreatment had a devastating impact on the four children that the couple had had together.

Nonetheless, the book is fascinating, exactly as a reader might expect in learning about the upbringing of the children of Hollywood royalty. The names that the author drops, very legitimately, are the most prestigious in the entertainment industry, beginning with classmates named Arnaz and Bridges and, of course, Sinatra.

Still, Deana Martin pulls no punches. One gets the sense that she has accepted this mistreatment and forgiven it, that she has trained herself to move forward in life. Nonetheless, it is clear that she never will forget the inappropriate behavior that damaged her existence. In a ladylike way, she lets those who deserve a hit have it, whether the hit is directed toward her step-mother Jeanne or to Liza Minelli.

There are a few sloppy glitches in the copy which are more the editor's fault than the author's, such as referring to Pat Kennedy Lawford as Peter Lawford's sister, rather than his wife.

Ultimately, this is a fascinating book, but very sad. After finishing it, the sole fact that emerges is that Deana Martin is a very special woman.