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Yes I Can: The Story of Sammy Davis, Jr. | 
 enlarge | Author: Sammy Davis
Creators: Eddie Murphy, Jane Boyar, Burt Boyar
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Category: Book
List Price: $35.00
Buy Used: $12.80
You Save: $22.20 (63%)
Used (16) Collectible (1) from $12.80
Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 99149
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 668
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 6.3 x 1.7
ISBN: 0374522685
Dewey Decimal Number: 792.7028092
EAN: 9780374522681
ASIN: 0374522685
Publication Date: December 1, 1990
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: good original version, aged
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Product Description
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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 A Great Celebrity Bio... December 18, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The great Sammy Davis Jr. could sing, dance, act, do imitations and tell jokes. He also tells a captivating story about poverty, race in america, his unlikely fascination with Judaism, and the pitfalls of fame and fortune. This is definately one the best celbrity biographies I've ever read: extremely well written.
 Yes I Can March 15, 2005
8 out of 32 found this review helpful
They oughta call this book "Yes I Can - If Frank Says It's OK", because everybody knows Sinatra calls the shots with all those guys.
 When he was good January 19, 2005
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
This autobiography tells the story of Sammy Davis Jr. up until the sixties. It tells the now legendary story of his starting out as a four - year with the Will Mastin trio. It tells of a long - climb through many obstacles to get to the top of the show- business world. It tells of his contending with prejudice and discrimination especially during his time in the Army. And it also reveals his courage in confronting this, and in standing up for his own people. It does not tell the much sadder last part of Sammy Davis Jr. 's story when he seemed to sink into drug and alcoholic addiction, and deteriorated morally as well as in health terms. It does not tell the story of the six- pack a day smoker's final cancer.
It reveals the earlier more optimistic Sammy Davis Jr. He was usually referred to in his glory days as the greatest all- around entertainer show- business ever had. And in truth he was a terrific dancer, a quite good but not great singer, and just a remarkably energetic entertainer. He had humor about himself and about the world, about his one eye, about his being a black Jew. One interesting part of this book tells about his friendship with Jeff Chandler an actor who was Jewish and who died young. And how that influenced on Davis's own decision to convert to Judaism.
Davis was a person who you radiated not only great energy but a great hunger to be approved of and loved. He received tremendous applause on stage but perhaps that did not fully satisfy his need. Raised without formal schooling, and always on the road he too had a restlessness about him as if he were never at home in the place he stood. There was something to my mind tremendously moving about this part of his stage identity. He needed the applause so much the urge of the spectator was to see him get the applause.
His private life was no great picnic and included three divorces. His daughter by the actress May Britt who apparently was a very decent person and a good mother, has written a memoir about her often absent father. His friends Sinatra, Dean Martin , the Rat Pack are all with the exception of Shirley MacLaine now gone.
In a way in his struggle to get to the top, his fighting against prejudice his 'making it' he exemplifies the American dream. But in the prejudice he suffered, and in the downfall of his latter years he also seems to exemplify an American tragedy.
He was enormously likeable and gave millions of people pleasure with his on- stage antics.
Thanks Sammy you truly were a star.
This book tells in detail the story of his early and best years. It may be too long but it does have much valuable material for anyone who takes an interest in his life.
A Must Read! January 11, 2002
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
I first read this book when I was 12 years old and was in awe of how someone could achieve so much after so many trials. As an adult, I have searched for years for a copy because of how much it moved me. I can still remember the pictures and some of the facts even after 26 years.
THE Guide for self-help and motivation! July 20, 2001
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
To HELL with TD Jakes, Ilyana Van Zant, and all those other so-called self-help quickbuck gurus. You want inspiration? READ THIS BOOK! When I was 14 and going to a hellish jr. high school and dealing with bullies and home problems, I checked this out of the local lie-berry and I felt that if the "Candy Man" could go through TENFOLD the hell I was going through and still become the King of his field by believing in what God had given him, then DAMMIT, so could I! I have managed to overcome most of my childhood difficulties, thanx largely to this book and Louis Armstrong's music for getting me thru those tough times! Read this and you'll see what I mean.
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