Customer Reviews

Swing It!

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A factual, interesting, & entertaining read on the seldom written Andrews Sisters. As the first of its kind it offers a wealth of information on the very popular vocal group who surpassed Elvis & the Beatles on the billboard charts. Lots of great photos with Crosby, Sinatra, Dean Martin, Abbott & Costello, Joey Bishop, Red Skelton & "STOOGE" Shemp Howard. Not a tell all by any means but an insightful look into the personal relationship of the sisters by a dedicated fan. Says the Seattle Times in the December 12, 1999 issue, "in addition to thoroughly documenting the Andrews Sisters' musical contribution - and especially their importance during World War II - "Swing It" is also an invaluable record of the pop-music business before rock, before huge arena shows...a time when the musical talents of performers were more important than those of the electronic geniuses that record them. John Sforza has written a readable account of their careers...an impressive amount of detailed research went into this book." Customer reviews that have been posted thus far seem a bit off the mark especially if the reader lived during that exciting era. Lots of nostalgic memories & interesting analysis throughout. Recommended to put you "In the Mood."

I've looked for a book like this and here it is. What a great story with some very intresting photos, too. Of course we all want someone to dish some more on the behind-the-scenes catfights between these sisters, but John Sforza took the high road and didn't rely on the cheap shots or the Enquirer style. This is an extremely dignified look at the Anderews Sisters career and if you like their music, you'll love this book.

I was estatic to finally find a book based around the career of the Andrew Sisters. If you're looking for information on who the sisters were as people, Sforza only hints on the subject. This book is largely a chronicle of their career and Sforza does an amazing job of tracking their discography. The book is not truly a biography as it does not delve into events in their personal lives. It leaves many things to the readers' imagination.

It would have been wonderful if the remaining sisters could have buried the hatchet one last time and collaborated on a biography. It would have been truly wonderful to have a book that commemorated not only their work, but the amazing lives they led.

"SWING IT" YES, THE ANDREWS SISTERS KNEW HOW TO SWING. NO OTHER VOCAL TRIO BEFORE OR SINCE HAS EVER CAPTURED THE ESSENCE OF HOW TO MAKE A SONG SWING OR BOUNCE. NO MATTER WHAT THEY SANG SWING, PRETTY BALLADS, COUNTRY, SHOW TUNES, CHRISTMAS AND EVEN HYMS, HAS THERE EVER BEEN THAT UNIQUE BLEND THAT IS THEIRS AND THEIRS ALONE. ONCE YOUR HOOKED ON THEIR STYLE YOU CAN NEVER GET ENOUGH! JOHN SFORA'S BOOK CAN NOT BE A BETTER TRIBUTE TO THIS AMERICAN POP GROUP. WHILE YOU READ HIS BOOK YOU SENCE HIS TRUE AND DEEP ADMIRATION FOR THESE POP ICONS. HIS BOOK TAKES YOU ON A JOURNEY INTO THE LIVES AND TIMES AND THE ERA OF PATTY, MAXENE,AND LAVERNE. THE DISCOGRAPHY OF THE MANY SONGS THEY RECORDED WILL WET YOUR APPETITE FOR CONTINUED LISTENING PLEASURE.

I was so excited to finally find a book about the legendary Andrews Sisters--the songbirds I fell in love with ever since I saw them in some early Abbott and Costello films. Their music is timeless and this book is a fantastic companion for any fan. A must for your bookshelf. The compiled discography and film and TV appearance log is an invaluable reference, and the book is lovingly assembled as well. I wish there were more quotes from surviving Patty Andrews but I get the feeling the author was not allowed access to the aging crooner. Very few people have gotten the true story behind the Andrews Sisters and this book finally lays it all out in a very interesting and friendly manner. At last, a book on these gals. Some great photos, as well. It made me want more. Bravo, Mr. Sforza.

I read "Swing It" upon recommendation and found it to be both entertaining and informative. As I read through the pages, the Andrews sisters, a band I was vaguely familiar with, came alive to me thanks in great part to Sforza's intricate research and finesse. For the casual reader, I recommend this book as a companion to the music and work of the Andrews sisters. For the educator, I stress the importance of this book and its treasure trove of information as a tool for teaching music, culuture, and history for Sforza not only entertains and informs, but, also, "fleshes out" these interesting women and their contribution to the American tapestry. Work well done, Mr. SForza !!

My dad's a veteran of WWII. He bought a biography of The Andrews Sisters, and when I saw "Swing It" on the coffee table, I decided to start reading it. I then decided to order one for a friend of mine who's into swing music, and when he saw the negative reviews posted here, I was dismayed. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, which told me lots about this trio that I never knew, from their personal friendship with Lou Costello, to their abundant sacrifices for the war effort of the 1940s, to the reason they were so famous for squabbling. I also never realized that they recorded and performed through 1966 (who would've thought that The Andfrews Sisters recorded things like "Puff! The Magic Dragon" and "I Left My Hearty in San Francisco")? I thoroughly enjoyed the biography, and the pictures were great. And in regard to the bad reviews, I wasn't surprised to find that the e-mail address of the reader who wrote the "Yawn" review was "Nutloaf." That about says it.

Sforza brings me to a time where my Grandparents sat on a porch swing drinking cokes on a summer night while listening to three women sing like few ever had before or since. It was an innocent age that I was aware of vaguely through old movies. Sforza not only does the Andrew Sisters justice with his detailed account of their career but it was an exceptional work for a first time writer. I look forward to more books from him.

Sforza and U. of Ky. press are to commended on issuing the first biography of the Andrews Sisters. While this book may not answer every question, particularly about the private lives of the sisters, it does establish a publication basis for future efforts. In and of itself, the book documents the public careers of this seminal trio of popular song. Sforza lays out in convincing terms the threesome's place in history by comparing them to other vocal groups who have come and gone over the years. He rightly points to the variety of music sung by the Andrews gals from their early swing efforts of the 1930's to their harmonizing of broadway music in the 1970's, and everything in between--South American music, hymns, polkas, Hawiian, Christmas--their rousing version of Jingle Bells with Bing Crosby can still be heard in supermarkets across the land 50 years after it was recorded! And, this perennial trio was a hit in every medium of their day--records, films, theaters, nightclubs, radio and television. They packed a wallop and were loved by millions of fans in America and abroad. The book brings all this home to the reader. It should be of interest both to audiences who remember the Boogie Woogie girls, and to younger fans who still enjoy their music and want to know more about their unparalleled career. For more serious collectors the book provides a filmography, a discography, and information about their on air performances on radio and TV, their gold records, most played jukebox hits and more. Also, the book features lots of photographs, some rare. Hence, the volume is appropriate for the casual reader, because it is an easy and interesting read, but it is also a must for collectors, discographers, musicologists, and libraries for its valuable information. Appreciation is due Sforza for bringing this book to life; a book that is long overdue.

Bob Boyer

The author did a nice job with the limitations that any Andrews Sisters biographer would encounter. Would have loved a lot more about the sisters as sisters, growing up, their family, etc. but there is not a tremendous amount of biographical info and the sisters did not provide a lot when all were living and the surviving Patty has not come forth with much. Hopefully, she will be able to get it all down....SOON! But this book fills the gap until then.