Congratulations to GCC Humanities Professor Franz Douskey on his newly published book  Sinatra and Me: The Very Good Years,  with Tony Consiglio, now available in hard copy and audio. You can hear Franz describe how he got Tony "the Clam" to open up about Sinatra, in this exclusive  interview .

Professor Douskey’s work has been published in more than 150 journals, including the  New Yorker ,  Rolling Stone  and  Yankee.  What follows is a brief description of the book, published November 9. The description is courtesy of Amazon.com:

Not many people were allowed inside Frank Sinatra's inner circle. But Tony Consiglio was a boyhood friend of Sinatra's who remained his friend and confidant for over sixty years. One reason Sinatra valued Tony’s friendship is that he could be trusted: Sinatra nicknamed him "the Clam" because Tony never spoke to reporters or biographers about the singer. From the early days when Sinatra was trying to establish himself as a singer to the mid-1960s, Tony worked with Sinatra and was there to share in the highs and lows of Sinatra's life and career. Tony was with Sinatra during his "bobby-soxer" megastar days in the 1940s, and he remained loyal to Sinatra during the lean years of the early 1950s, when "the Voice" was struggling with a crumbling singing and acting career—as well as his tumultuous marriage to Ava Gardner. Tony also had a front row seat to Sinatra's comeback in the 1950s, starting with his Academy Award–winning role in From Here to Eternity and a string of now-classic hit recordings. Tony's friendship with Sinatra allowed him to rub elbows with the Hollywood elite, including Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, Kim Novak, Ava Gardner, and many others. It also brought him close to the political world of the early 1960s, when Sinatra campaigned for John F. Kennedy and then helped plan the Kennedy inauguration. Tony was even at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis, Massachusetts, when the election results came in.  Sinatra and Me  will shed new light on the real Frank Sinatra—from the man who knew him better than anyone.

Douskey will be talking about the book and signing copies at RJ Julia's in Madison, Conn. on December 13 at 7pm. Although the event is free, reservations are required (call 203-245-3959).