The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin' [Paperback]

Bill Zehme (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 5, 1999

Within is a masterful assembly of the most personal details and gorgeous minutiae of Frank Sinatra's way of living--matters of the heart and heartbreak, friendship and leadership, drinking and cavorting, brawling and wooing, tuxedos and snap-brims--all crafted from rare interviews with Sinatra himself as well as many other intimates, including Tony Bennett, Don Rickles, Angie Dickinson, Tony Curtis, and Robert Wagner, in addition to daughters Nancy and Tina Sinatra. Illustrated with scores of photos, The Way You Wear Your Hat captures the timeless romance and classic style of the fifties and the loose sixties and is a stunning exploration of the Sinatra mystique.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Narrator Brian Emerson reads this celebrity profile in a well-phrased pleasant voice, with limited emotion. This is not a formal biography of superstar powerbroker Frank Sinatra, who died in May at the age of 82. We learn his likes, dislikes, and behavior as singer, actor, and head of Hollywood's "Rat Pack." Missing are things like rumors of Mafia connections or reprisals against enemies like ex-son-in-law Tommy Sands. Friends, relatives, and Sinatra himself provided info. This man of talent was fascinating, if flawed. He craved to be the best and own the best, was generous to friends and relatives, and hated journalists who wrote unsympathetically about his public brawls and affairs with women. Although far from complete, this study provides a good deal. Recommended for popular biography collections.?Gordon Blackwell, Eastchester, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Review

"A strictly fun style guide for men, with Ol' Blue Eyes as

muse."

-- -- Entertainment Weekly

"Not really a biography, it's funny and illuminating without

being either lurid or sentimental."

-- -- Elvis Costello

"One of the best books ever written about Frank Sinatra. It

perfectly captures his style and attitude. You won't be

disappointed."

-- -- Sinatra Society of America

"A strictly fun style guide for men, with Ol' Blue Eyes as muse." -- Entertainment Weekly

"An essential compendium of Sinatra wisdom on the lost art of livin'. This book is an ode to an era when male conduct was less confused and confidence was king." -- Newsweek

"Not really a biography, it's funny and illuminating without being either lurid or sentimental." -- Elvis Costello

"One of the best books ever written about Frank Sinatra. It perfectly captures his style and attitude. Youwon't be disappointed." -- Sinatra Society of America

"The Way You Wear Your Hat is a warm, wacky, irreverent...look at Frank's take on and philosophy of life, by an author who understands what it means to be Frank Sinatra. With a little help from the man's own words, Bill Zehme captures the contradictions: the simplicity and the style, the passion and the ice, the party and the pain...the winner who loses and the loser who wins...stories that capture the nature and the essence of the man who invented cool." -- Nancy Sinatra

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; New edition edition (May 5, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060931752
• ISBN-13: 978-0060931759
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #238,854 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( S ) > Sinatra, Frank

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You Brought a New Kind of Book to Us, June 1, 2000

By 

Jon Warshawsky "Sinatra Guru" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Way You Wear Your Hat : Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin' (Hardcover)

Zehme's book is a delight, a welcome change from the biotrash (Kitty Kelley) and a nice complement to the detailed music analyses (Will Friedwald and Charles Granata). For those of us who never met the man, you close the book feeling like you knew him. For those of us who live our lives by his music, it offers a great perspective on the man behind the songs. Even if the author writes for Esquire, this is less of style manual than a collection of anecdotes telling us how the Chairman did things with class. The world dressed better in the 1950s, and Sinatra STILL looks like the classiest guy around 50 years later (check out contemporary photos of his pals for a contrast!) You'll learn how to mix drinks, what color suit to wear at night (hint: forget about brown), how to manage your untold millions and how to date starlets.

Many of the excellent Phil Stern photographs have appeared elsewhere, but it is nicely illustrated book with some new (to me) photos.

Recommended as a fun read and the closest we'll ever come to spending an afternoon with the man.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sinatra without the warts., March 6, 2000

By 

Old Fisherman "Jim" (Orange, California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Way You Wear Your Hat : Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin' (Hardcover)

First, you have to understand it's not a biography. Actually the book's premise is summed up very well by the Sinatra quote on the dust jacket. "I think my real amibition is to pass on to others what I know. It took me a long, long time to learn what I now know, and I don't want that to die with me." I think this book does that very well using a series of ancedotes culled from Mr. Sinatra himself as well as others. It covers things such as the Las Vegas "Rat Pack" years, his style of dress, his code of conduct, his loyalty to friends. The book succeeds in what it was meant to do, but to get a real feel for the total man I'd suggest reading one of the many fine biographies that are out there. Whether you love or hate Frank Sinatra you'll have to admit he was a very complex man who lived life on his own terms. This book will give you some insights into what drove him to be the way he was.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zehme's "The Way You Wear Your Hat" a towering achievement, December 4, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Charleston, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: THE WAY YOU WEAR YOUR HAT:Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin' (Audio Cassette)

Bill Zehme hits one out of the park with his brilliant new book: The Prophet reviews it here... Long time readers of the Prophet's work will recall that I have praised Zehme's article about the Rat Pack that apeared in Esquire back in March, 1996 as one of the finest pieces ever written about Sinatra and company. Now he's expanded that article into a book that is simply essential reading for all Prophet posse members. He's combined the 'guide to life' genre with a biography of Sinatra, and the result is nothing short of awesome.

Visually, the book is beautiful and includes a lot of never-before published pictures of Sinatra and his minions. The content of the book attempts to dissect the Chairman's own unique take on living a civilized life, and illustrates its points with a lot of quotes direct from the man's mouth. In addition, this information is supplimented with biographical information and andecdotes from Frank's posse. The result is not only a first rate blueprint for a more civilized existance, but an insightful biography of a great entertainer. The book covers it all--Frank's take on wine, whiskey, women, food, song, dress, and most importantly the essential element of personal integrity. It is that very integrity and unwavering committment to personal vision that has elevated Sinatra above so many other entertainers. Strength of his personal identity is what enabled him to grow as a man and artist, and these are the qualities that are celebrated in this book.

Bill Zehme is one hell of a good writer. It would be very easy in this instance to credit the success of this book with the magnitude of the subject, but Zehme does a masterful job of weaving Frank's philosophies, biographical stories, the recollection of friends, and examples from Sinatra's work into a complex and rich tapestry that does justice to his subject's amazing life and powerful influence on popular culture. Zehme's a lot like another guy who's written about Sinatra--Pete Hammill; everything they write is very good, and with the right subject their work is damn near flawless.

Of the many great quotes in the book, here's one of my favorites. Asked "What is the secret to doing good work", the Chairman responds: "Never to accept anything without question. Never ignore an inner voice that tells you something could be better, even when other people tell you it's okay."

It's this commitment to excellence that made Sinatra who he is, and something that a lot of people could benefit from today. Maybe I'll send Harry Connick Jr. a copy of this for Christmas. Hard to think of anyone that needs a good dose of character, integrity and commitment to excellence more than he. At any rate, Bill Zehme's book is a majestic achievement that should not be missed.