A Conversation with the Mann - by John Ridley (Paperback)

About the Book

Ridley's bestselling novel of an aspiring black comic's rise to near-fame and fortune during the Rat Pack era is now in paperback. This is a story of one man's desire and an entire race's demands and the incredible moment when the two come together as one.

Book Synopsis

What do you want?

"I want the Ed Sullivan Show."

At the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement, like a lot of black Americans, comedian Jackie Mann wanted to be somebody. And for him there was only one way to achieve that: to make it big. Make it, no matter the cost: friends, family, one's own self-esteem and self-respect. This is the story of a young man's journey from Harlem to stardom, a story of Hollywood royalty, New York glitterati, Vegas Mafiosi, Northern bigotry, and Southern racism. This is a story of love, honor, betrayal, and redemption; of fame bought and paid for by any means necessary. It is the story of one man's desire and an entire race's demands, and the incredible moment when the two came together as one. This is the story of Jackie Mann.

Review Quotes

"Ridley vividly brings to life noirish panoramas of high-stakes show business, as well as the myriad humiliations endured by a black man trying to win fome in egregated America."