cover image Photo by Sammy Davis, Jr.

Photo by Sammy Davis, Jr.

Burt Boyar, . . Regan, $49.95 (338pp) ISBN 978-0-06-114605-3

So often photographs tell the story of—or offer insights into—their subjects, but in this collection of photos taken by Sammy Davis Jr., beginning in the early 1950s, the story told is that of the photographer. Boyar, who co-wrote with his wife, Jane, three autobiographies with Davis (Yes I Can ; Why Me? ; Sammy ), now offers these beautiful archival snapshots that Davis took of his friends, family and acquaintances. "Jerry [Lewis] gave me my first important camera, my first 35 millimeter, during the Ciro's period, early '50s," Boyar quotes Davis. "And he hooked me." The photos that follow are rare shots of his father dancing onstage as part of the Will Mastin Trio; fun, candid snapshots as only a close friend can take of Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, James Dean, Nat "King" Cole and Marilyn Monroe; of politicians (and family members) he associated with, like Robert Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr.; and most touching—and rare—are photos of his one-time wife May Britt and their three children, Tracey, Jeff and Mark. Boyar writes that "Sammy's camera often served as a shield" to gain access to places he couldn't because of his color. Again quoting Davis, "Nobody interrupts a man taking a picture to ask... 'What's that nigger doin' here?' " As an entertainer and photographer, Davis was able to enter into many worlds. (Feb.)