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Jane Boyar

Burt Boyar

Yes I Can: The Story of Sammy Davis, Jr. Paperback – December 1, 1990

by Sammy Davis Jr. (Author), Jane Boyar (Editor), Burt Boyar (Editor),

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When Sammy Davis, Jr. published his autobiography in 1965, it was an immediate long-running bestseller as well as a revelation. Yes I Can describes Sammy Davis's personal conviction, the view of success that both propelled him to stardom from ghetto obscurity and served as his armor against racism.

Print length

668 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date

December 1, 1990
Dimensions

5.75 x 1.75 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

0374522685
ISBN-13

978-0374522681
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1st edition (December 1, 1990)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 668 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0374522685
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0374522681
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1.75 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #10,236,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,395 in Pop Artist Biographies
- #16,482 in Black & African American Biographies
- #41,981 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies

Customer Reviews:
203 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		65%
4 star		17%
3 star		13%
2 star		3%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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C. Evans

Severely disappointed

Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2020

Verified Purchase

I was expecting to open and dive into one of the greatest stories of all time about one of the greatest entertainers that has ever lived. Unfortunately I feel like this book was the victim of blatant racism and I’m not talking about the things that happened to Sammy. I’m referring to the amount of typos and incorrect
grammar.

If a publishing company is fortunate enough to have the pleasure of printing the Sammy Davis junior story you would thing it would be written by a bunch of great ghost writers.

However, this is how they paid tribute to him by pairing him with writers who couldn’t write a fifth grade level book. I think this was done intentionally cause there is no way a professional would publish this kind of autobiography. The lack of continuity, scene changed without warning. It was difficult to follow the story. I love Sammy and his story was intriguing I just wish somebody else would have written his story. Sequence was skipped. It wasn’t consistent. One paragraph he was married and the next he was engaged to some one else. No continuity.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

sieler

Great autobiography, but the Kindle version is likely unauthorized & RIFE with scanning/OCR errors!

Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2020

Verified Purchase

TL;DR 5 stars for content, 1 star for the OCR/Kindle due to countless errors.

Through this autobiography, I've learned a lot about Sammy Davis, Jr ... and, surprisingly, about
many of his friends. People like Frank Sinatra, Eddie Cantor, Mickey Rooney, Milton Berle come out as
incredible examples of *good* people. Anyone would be lucky to have friends like them.

In the book, we learn life lessons along with Sammy, as well as some very good tips about performing on stage
(as a magician, I really appreciate these!)

We also see the darker side of his life ... the continual struggle with racism, and the effect on his life.

The Kindle version is the second worst OCR'd book I've ever purchased. I'd be shocked if it was produced by the copyright owner ... it's bad. Really, really bad. Not a paragraph lacks one or more typos (the most consistent is "die" for "the"). In some places, the errors are so bad the reader has no idea what was written or meant.
In a couple of places, it's clear that one or more lines or paragraphs simply disappeared.
Amazon should yank this from sale and ask the copyright owner to create a faithful OCR'd version.

Note: this goes from his birth to about 1962 ... there is a sequel which deals with the second half of his life.

As some reviewers pointed out, there is some duplication of theme ... but I think most of it is forgivable, particularly the sections dealing with racism and segregation.
The book would clearly have benefitted from an editor and footnotes ... at times, he'll mention a name and the reader has no idea who he's referring to. Some details are omitted (e.g., *when* did he get a divorce from
his first wife (Loray)?).

One of my favorite lines: (on racism) "I don't want people to dislike me before I've earned it."

One fascinating insight about racism / freedom in the U.S.A. vs. the UK:
"Social equality is all they have for the Negro there [UK]. In America, although we have
far less social equality, we have constantly expanding opportunity, and that has to be the best."

One person found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

This Review is for the Kindle version ONLY!!!

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2021

Verified Purchase

PLEASE NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE KINDLE VERSION ONLY!!!

I read this book back in the 1960s when I was a teenager & loved it. It is an excellent book, well written by an inspiring and very, very talented man.

That said, whoever prepared the Kindle version totally butchered it. There is hardly a sentence, much less a paragraph that doesn't have some kind of error in it. Errors that are more than overlooked typos. At least half the time the word "the" is "die". Then there are the capital "U"s instead of double "ll"s. Worst are words that are totally incomprehensible, so bad that one can't even puzzle out what they should be in the context of the sentence. And there are random symbols thrown in to further add to the confusion. Such as "b[iiM|" which is actually "bring".

Buy the paperback - don't bother with the Kindle version!

One person found this helpful

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Francie Nolan

What a Life!

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2017

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I love Sammy Davis and loved the beginning of his book. He was a very good writer, but less than halfway through--the book becomes almost entirely conversation. It was too much for me so I give the first part 5 stars and the second half 2 stars. He's great at narrating the conversations, but it quickly became too too much for me.

That said, What a life!! What perseverance!! And strength and talent and heartbreak and dazzling achievement. Oh man.

What is absolutely disgusting is the racism he received. When he was in the army, some of the white soldiers did something so abhorrent, it made me sick. What is wrong with people? Of course, it goes on today, and not only to African Americans. But because of people like Sammy Davis, Jr., it is perhaps not as prevalent as it was.

God bless Sammy Davis.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

C. L. Page

A good read and sometimes painful realization about race relations in the USA

Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2018

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The first time I read this book, I was seven and I'm glad I purchased it this century, as so much of the racism between skin colors in the USA remains. Mr. Davis led an interesting life, plenty of behind the scenes celebrity anecdotes, and lots of revelations of Mr. Davis from various times in his life. Hard copy and a little too large to read during commute times. I read this one once I was home at night, or while my laundry was washing or drying. Cuidate, CL Page

4 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Alex

Incredible story - incredible man

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 13, 2016

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I bought this book wanting to learn more about Sammy, but ended up learning also about life and society back in the day. Sammy describes in detail the racial discrimination he and his family faced, which warped throughout his periods of fame as a black entertainer. His frustration was clear, and his candid writing does not try to hide it.

The book will leave you disheartened at times, but will ultimately bring you through a journey of triumph. Sammy broke standards and stereotypes, and this book is truly a testament to his work.

I have a much greater appreciation for Sammy after having read his biography. I highly recommend.

One person found this helpful

A M Harris

Sammy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 23, 2020

Verified Purchase

This is a 4 Star biography if it could be read properly I have the kindle edition It is appalling full of typos Whole sentences not making sense Letters and symbols mixed together Starts off okay then gets worse and worse I assume the paperback is Okay as No one else has mentioned it

Kelly A19

A remarkable man. An incredible read. Would make a wonderful movie!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2016

Verified Purchase

A deeply honest, self-aware, and intelligent man, Sammy Davis Jnr takes us on a journey through the history of his life, but also of Civil Rights. He is brutally honest about the deeply personal impact that racism had on his own actions.
In a book with a perspective more usually shared by amazing women like Carrie Fisher, he strips bare his faults and examines the causes of his debt, his need for recognition and applause. It's an absolutely fascinating book which should be required reading for any student of the Civil Rights movement.

Chris Davies

Brilliant story - awful ebook

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 7, 2020

Verified Purchase

!oved.such a powerful story that drew anger and inspired. Beautifully told and written. Not sure why but the Kindle version was !littered with errors on every page. Still loved it.

Amazon Customer

Very Interesting Read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2013

Verified Purchase

The first time I went to the US in the 80s I was shocked at the attitude I saw towards African Americans. This book throws this situation wide open with the story of how Sammy D was treated . As a star in Vegas he was not able to walk through the front door of the casino he was appearing in . Could not buy a drink or place a bet. What a world!!!! A good read

5 people found this helpful

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