Status
Available
Collection
Publication
New York : Random House, 1996.
Description
"A tale told with wit and charm . . . It is a sprightly, engaging, and at times hilarious look back at a life spent in music, show business, and what used to be called society." The Boston Globe "A bittersweet gem of a book . . . The story of Duchin's life has an elegiac aura of glamour and tragedy that might have come directly from the imagination of F. Scott Fitzgerald." The Philadelphia Inquirer "Peter Duchin's glamorous story is about absent fathers, surrogate mothers, and dwelling on the edges of money and power in a tuxedoed world." Gay Talese "A great read . . . This book brings back marvelous memories of a very special time." Frank Sinatra
User reviews
LibraryThing member knahs
This book was magical. Written by Peter Duchin, son of 1930's pianist/band leader Eddy Duchin who passed away at the young age of 41. Peter Duchin's mother passed when he was only 6 days old. He ended up being raised by Averell Harriman (governor of New York as well as involved in administrations
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of Truman, Kennedy, and Johnson and his spouse Marie Whitney. Duchin describes the lifestyle of the wealthy so vividly that you feel you are there in the various estates. Peter eventually followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a pianist and bandleader. He played at Sinatra's Palm Springs compound for Jack Benny's 80th birthday as well as Sinatra's Carnegie Hall concerts. However, most memorable was a night he sat at the piano and Fred Astaire spent 3 hours just singing the songs from the films and doing some dancing. These are magical moments and I am so glad Duchin shared them with the readers. Show Less