The Rat Pack: Neon Nights with the Kings of Cool [Paperback]

Lawrence J. Quirk (Author), William Schoell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1999

The Rat Pack -- Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop -- had talent, money, and power to burn. They also had something else even more important.

They had fun.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Quirk and Schoell's rehashing of the biographical details of Frank Sinatra and the rest of his crew is only intermittently able to disguise its contempt for their personal and professional lives. If there's an opportunity for a pot shot, rest assured this book will take it, from the admittedly deserved (Cannonball Run II, anyone?) to the probably uncalled for (a charity performance for a halfway house for ex-convicts is dismissed with snide comments about Sinatra the wannabe gangster). Much of the source material is drawn from Quirk's footwork as an entertainment reporter in the 1960s; interviews that he conducted with Peter Lawford over the years also provide some juicy tales of sex and drugs, as well as the inside scoop on his ouster from "the Clan" after brother-in-law President Kennedy backed out of his planned Palm Springs vacation at Frank Sinatra's home. (The same stories, with much less venom and some more pizazz, can be found in Shawn Levy's Rat Pack Confidential.) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

It used to be Frank Sinatra's world: Women were broads, the whole world was a smoking section, and booze flowed freely. And at no time was it more Frank's world than when the Rat Pack was in session. Sinatra was the center of the group, with Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. completing the nucleus. Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop, and Shirley MacLaine, the only female admitted, comprised the periphery. Since Sinatra's 80th birthday in 1995 was commemorated by at least a half-dozen books, one might think that all that could possibly be written about Sinatra already has. Indeed, most of the material in these books has been seen before in the biographies and autobiographies of the various Rat Pack players, but each book finds its own angle. Quirk (author of a string of movie-star biographies) and Schoell (a novelist and author of books on film) concentrate a bit more on the various Rat Pack films. Levy (author of a Jerry Lewis biography and former editor at American Film) digs somewhat deeper into Sinatra's connections with politics and organized crime. In light of Sinatra's recent death, there will likely be demand for more material on him, and these boks will be welcome additions to circulating popular culture collections.AMichael Colby, Univ. of California at Davis Lib.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Perennial (August 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038073222X
• ISBN-13: 978-0380732227
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,332,204 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The classifieds page offers a more entertaing read, December 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rat Pack: Neon Nights with the Kings of Cool (Paperback)

Let's start with the obvious. This book should have been a book about Frank Sinatra not the Rat Pack. It goes on and on about Frank Sinatra. How he was a loyal friend, a sensitive man and a generous person. Then in the next breath it talks about his violent temper, his womanizing and arrogance towards his"friends". The author is quick to come to Frank's rescue. Putting the blame on the other individuals who were involved or pulling excuses out of thin air. The book also downplays the importance of Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. arguably the most entertaining members of the Rat Pack. The book also makes unfair comparissons between Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. Stating that Elvis had an "acceptable" voice but wasn't in any way as "good" as Sinatra. Don't make a comparison where none can be made. The book also gets key dates in Dean Martin's life wrong. How can you say you researched a book about the Rat Pack and get the date of Dean's passing wrong? This book is a travesty. It doesn't inform. It doesn't entertain. It doesn't even bore you. I'm not sure which I'm more embarassed of......the fact that I purchased the book or that I recently rented The Cannonball Run. You're better off renting the Cannonball Run at least the closing credits are funny!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars CLIFF "RAT" NOTES, May 15, 2002

By 

Lance D. Streff "TCB4EP" (Chanhassen, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rat Pack: Neon Nights with the Kings of Cool (Paperback)

Here is the deal. If you are just starting to get into the Rat Pack or any of the players individually. Then this book is a good start. I would call it the Cliff notes of the individuals and their movies. If you have seen all the movies including the Matt Helm movies or if you have already read books on Dean, Frank, Sammy's biography then you are way ahead of this book and pass it by.

But if you have not seen the movies and want to learn the basics of each man and then from there search into each one of them seperatly then this is a good starter. There are some great books on all the guys but you will finded Sammy's Biography to be the most fun. Remember to check out deanmartinfancenter.com for more info on the Rat Pack. For the guys who wrote this you could have given us some fun facts or answered some questions, instead they read everyone else book and put together their own version.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Save your money, January 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rat Pack: Neon Nights with the Kings of Cool (Paperback)

This book is a waste of money. It is a collection of movie reviews starring Rat Packers strung together and pretending to be a book. Only the very most die hard movie fans should consider checking this out of the library but save your money.