
In Black and White
The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr.
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Narrated by:
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Kevin Free
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By:
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Wil Haygood
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Critic reviews
"Haygood never loses sight of Sammy the entertainer, indefatigable on stage and insatiable in his craving for adoration. A fascinating American life story, brilliantly told." (Booklist)
"[Haygood] does a vivid job of conjuring the many worlds [Sammy Davis, Jr.] traversed, and shows how the issue of race, in his own mind and in the minds of his fans and detractors, shaped his career and life." (The New York Times)
"Haygood's reporting and powerful prose reveal Davis's career against the backdrop of the swinging '60s and the Rat Pack (with Sinatra as a mighty presence in Davis's life) and Davis as a tragically complex man." (Publishers Weekly)
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Sammy was a legend
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Sammy Davis jr well worth remembering
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Great talent, difficult life, died broke
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The narrator as well, annoyed me for the first five to ten minutes. But as the story got better so did the narrator. He did a great job and I cam to appreciate hearing the small breaths that popped up now and then. It made the experience more human and real.
You will not forget the book, or the voice. A real pleasure!
Reading this book was a fabulous adventure!
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Would you listen to In Black and White again? Why?
Yes, because I enjoyed the history lesson along with learning about Sammy Davis Jr.What did you like best about this story?
The way his life story was told against the struggles of race and history.Have you listened to any of Kevin Free’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No I have not.Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, it was very hard to get through the beginning about the couple the Boyle's, I actually had to skip through quite a bit, because I thought it was too much info. I do realize I might have missed a very important point, but it went on way too long.Any additional comments?
I thought the book was very cleverly written with the exception of the beginning. It has made me appreciate his celebrity more and looking forward to listening to some of his music. I thoroughly enjoyed learning so much about his struggles and his successes.Sammy & History
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An interesting and complex biography
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Overall I really enjoyed this story a great deal, and after hearing this story I thought the title was absolutely brilliant.
The narrator was not my favorite, and the few times I had company in my car my guests said the same thing. I've heard better.
I found the beginning of the story a little odd, and in fact a little slow, but once the book got moving I had a hard time putting it away. I thought the author improved throughout the story, but where I thought Wil Haygood really shined was how well he described what was going on in the country at the time. How he would drop in anecdotes of interesting people that may not have anything to do with the story but helped to round out the biography.
Lets face it Sammy was a celebrity who probably had access to all kinds of illegal pursuits and probably did some things, but Haygood never dwelled on that aspect of his life and I respect Haygood for that choice. Obviously, I knew how the story was going to end, but hearing it still made me sad which I believe was good writing and story telling.
Sammy Davis Jr. was arguably the greatest entertainer this country ever produced. All Sammy wanted was love. He gave it to those who entered his life, he even gave it to complete strangers, and it's sad that the one person he wanted it from was incapable of offering any in return.
Starts slowly but really gains momentum
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This is a fascinating and sad look at a man who made it all the way up the ladder only to find that the top didn't afford him the love he wanted.
The epilogue wherein the author meets with Sammy's mother is chilling. It speaks frighteningly to the hurdles Davis was ill-equipped to hurdle: namely, the parent who could never be pleased.
Sammy Plus
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Can't touch the man
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Would you listen to In Black and White again? Why?
Yes because Sammy's career was so long and storied.Who was your favorite character and why?
Sammy of course!Which scene was your favorite?
hard to sayIf you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
The Greatest Entertainer of All Time.Any additional comments?
5 Stars***** Whew ~ 23 hours of Sammy!! Really interesting and thorough look at an enormously talented and kindhearted, but ultimately sad man, who was always searching for the childhood love and security he never had. The author missed nothing ~ its all here starting with Sammy's Cuban grandmother and ending on his deathbed. If you are a fan, you'll be a bigger fan, if you aren't, I think you'll still find this a fascinating story of a young boy who's talent supported his father and "uncle" in the segregated depression era, his lust for white women (as many as possible!) at a time where that could get you killed and his inability to connect with his own race - it really baffled him. Segregation, civil rights movement, Rat Pat, Broadway, movies, Nixon, drugs, huge money problems, this has everything including his strange and sad hero worship of Sinatra.I'm a big fan of this amazing entertainer and sorely regret that I'll never get to see him perform live. In Black and White gave me a complete picture of Sammy and shed more light on the good and bad of what I already knew and a whole lot I didn't know. Two Big thumbs up.
Fantastic Bio!
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