In Black and White

The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr.

By: Wil Haygood

Narrated by: Kevin Free

This biography of entertainment legend Sammy Davis, Jr. is an enthralling portrait of one of the most recognizable figures from the golden age of American show business. Davis, a guarded man who protected his private life with great vigor, lived an extraordinary life in the limelight, while also forging new uncharted paths across racial lines.©2003 Wil Haygood (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC

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)

Sammy was a legend

Sammy Davis Jr. was a legend in his own time. A brilliant performer, but a troubled man.

Sammy & History

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 Davis jr well worth remembering

As time fades so do memories but the life of Sammy Davis Jr ie worth recalling and this is the most honest and complete bio of him. Davis was both ahead of his times and an important cultural transitional figure. He was the first “negro” to break unto mainstream American show biz. And as the black revolution gained steam he was a figure of enormous importance and great controversies. This book has been out for a while but it meets the test of time. This story is told with intelligence but also with heart. As Davis might say yes he could and that is worth a listen.

Great talent, difficult life, died broke

great story of a man that had it all and could not manage it in the long haul, To bad he died a broke broken man. I love his voice and the things he accomplished, sad he got lost on the way.

Tirelessly researched

Credit the author for exhaustively researching his subject, and doing what apparently those in the past (including Sammy himself in his “autobiography”) couldn’t do: show the full flaws of the man along with his strengths. This book certainly does that… Almost to a fault. If you can get past the first 90 minutes of the book, which is first a defense and account of what led up to the first biography/autobiography of him (Yes, I Can), followed by a civil rights lesson, then you’re good to go. But that is exhaustively researched just like the rest of the book, so it is tedious to get through.
The narrator is solid – if not a little too emotionless.
Fans of Sammy, his flawed family, Vaudeville, those around him, the Rat Pack, and show business in general will enjoy this read.