His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra by Kelley, Kitty
His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra (First UK Edition Hardcover Copy)
The Legendary Investigative Masterpiece That the Chairman of the Board Failed to Suppress
The Legendary Investigative Masterpiece That the Chairman of the Board Failed to Suppress
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra
- Author: Kitty Kelley
- Publisher: Bantam Press, London
- Publication Date: 1986 (25 September 1986)
- ISBN-10: 0593011326
- ISBN-13: 9780593011324
- Edition Details: First UK Edition, First Printing. Standard hardcover release with original unclipped dust jacket.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium textured cloth-covered boards with crisp gold/silver gilt-stamped lettering running down the spine, paired with matching heavy-stock endpapers.
- Physical Format: Thick octavo (8vo), 575 pages. Enhanced with an extensive bibliography, meticulous source notes, and dual central sections featuring rare, candid black-and-white archival photographic plates.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior / Cloth Boards: The cloth casing remains in exceptional condition, sitting flat, square, and structurally sound. The corners show only microscopic storage friction, and the spine ends are crisp. The exceptionally thick spine itself remains completely unbroken, flat, and undamaged, retaining its original textbook rigidity.
- Interior: The text block is robustly bound, perfectly clean, and tight. The internal pages and photographic reference plates are completely clean, crisp, and intact. Entirely free of standard user highlighting, ink underlining, dealer pencil marks, or dog-ears.
- Provenance: An exemplary, well-maintained collectible copy showing no evidence of remainder marks, institutional library stamps, or previous owner nameplates.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good (VG)
- Condition Details: The original vintage 1986 dust jacket exhibits vibrant graphics and strong paper structural integrity. It shows very limited, superficial signs of handling and slight edge wear along the outer extremities. It features no significant tears, fading, or open chips, and comes protected in a clear, archival Cellophane cover.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1986, His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra stands as the most explosive, controversial, and famous celebrity exposé in publishing history. This is the monumental book that Frank Sinatra fought fiercely—and ultimately failed—to stop from reaching the public. Celebrated investigative journalist Kitty Kelley spent three grueling years unearthing classified government records, Mafia-related wiretaps, and secret testimony, while interviewing more than 800 people in Sinatra's life, including family members, law-enforcement officers, personal friends, and jilted colleagues.
Fully documented and highly detailed, the narrative traces the life of Francis Albert Sinatra (1915–1998) from his working-class roots in Hoboken, New Jersey, to his rise as "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes"—selling an estimated 150 million records globally and ruling the entertainment industry for over fifty years. Kelley strips away the polished Hollywood public relations to expose the dark underbelly of Sinatra's world: his volatile temper, his intense political maneuverings, his deep psychological contradictions, and his chilling links to organized crime bosses. It remains the definitive, penetrating study of a multi-talented musical genius navigating raw American power.
Author Profile: Kitty Kelley
Kitty Kelley is an internationally acclaimed American journalist and author, widely regarded as the undisputed pioneer of modern investigative celebrity biography. Educated at the University of Arizona, she worked as a researcher for The Washington Post before establishing herself as a fearless biographical force. Known for her relentless investigative techniques, narrative speed, and refusal to be intimidated by legal threats, Kelley has penned massive number-one New York Times bestsellers on prominent figures, including Jackie Oh!, Nancy Reagan, and the British Royal Family. Her work is celebrated by media critics for its unparalleled level of primary source collection and profound impact on modern public interest journalism.
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