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The Last Playboy: The High Life of Porfirio Rubirosa | 
 enlarge | Author: Shawn Levy
Publisher: Fourth Estate
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
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Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 258095
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 368
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 0007170599
Dewey Decimal Number: 327.72930092
EAN: 9780007170593
ASIN: 0007170599
Publication Date: September 1, 2005
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Product Description
At one gilded moment in history, his fame was so great that he was known the world over by his nickname alone: Rubi. Pop songs were written about him. Women whom he had never met offered to leave their husbands for him. He had an eye for feminine beauty, particularly when it came with great wealth: Barbara Hutton, Doris Duke, Eva Peron, and Zsa Zsa Gabor. But he was a man's man as well, polo player and race-car driver, chumming around with the likes of Joe Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Oleg Cassini, Aly Khan, and King Farouk. He was also a jewel thief, and an intimate of one of the world's most bloodthirsty dictators. And when he died at the age of fifty-six—wrapping his sports car around a tree in the Bois de Boulogne—a glamorous era of white dinner jackets at El Morocco and celebrity for its own sake died along with him. He was one of a kind, the last of his breed. And in The Last Playboy, author Shawn Levy brings the giddy, hedonistic, and utterly remarkable story of Porfirio Rubirosa to glorious Technicolor life.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 Great Reading! In depth look at a colorful and historic life December 26, 2007
Mr. Randall C. F. Croes (Aruba)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am a former foreign student in the Dominican Republic where I got to learn the name "Rubirosa", linked to large peppermils in chique restaurants on the Malecon and the pubs of the then (80's) newly renovated Colonial Center. I also heard his name in equestrian circles with acclaim for his introduction of the sport of Polo to the now largest Polo playing country in the Caribbean.
Curiously the new generation in the Dominican Republic and elsewhere know little of him but when an older generation is asked about him, a smile is the first thing to apear on their lips before an anecdote or a recall of one of his memorable deeds (or scandal) is to be told. Most of the time these stories are connected to fast times,headlines and the high life, despite lacking a fortune, commercial enterprise of significance or a scientific mind.
Nevertheless making headlines by his own merits and decisions (marriages) and of those around him.
This book is an improvement over previous biographies made in the 70's and 80's, among others Palbo Clase Hijo's book, that I bought 20 years ago as a present for an uncle who was a contemporary and admirer of Rubi.
This book is great fun to read and brings very well into perspective the details of Dominican political life under Trujillo's dictatorship and the international impact that it brought upon the region and Rubi's pivotal role in the softening of the ugly face of the regime. Reason for his love-hate relationship with the Trujillo family and the political 'intelligentsia' around them, such as Joaquin Balaguer (6-time president).
In this aspect Rubi had historical impact and records do not offer much reliable evidence to give credit to it, but in high stakes of international politics, personal relations, phone calls and small favors to key persons (intermediaries) can change history.
I recommend this book to anyone who admires celebrities and light subjects for entertaining reading. They can make comparisons on the life of celebrities between today and yeasteryear (not much has changed!).
Many a bachelor would like to have, at least for a some time, the kind of life experience that Rubi got out of his relatively short stay on this earth and a hell of a time it was!
The book does justice, historically, to a man that lived life intensively and with great love and loyalty to his friends, a great party companion, which made him an important and long-time confidant, intimate friend and acquaintance of many of those with economic and political power on both sides of the Atlantic and also the Magreb.
These characteristics are not highlighted too much in the book but can be interpreted to through the lines and is part of the things to be learned from the book and the life of Rubirosa.
This is what makes the great difference between Rbirosa and many other born-rich playboys that bought most of their goodies and many a 'friend' with the funds of their pockets.
On the contrary, most socialites and even wives had Rubi's company at their expense!
I definitely recommend reading and keeping or as a gift.
Randall Croes
 Overdue for a Biography June 20, 2007
Wendy P. Sullivan (Berkeley, CA United States)
Loved reading the history of this man - someone who has always been in the biographies of others from the 20th century, but I never knew his story. The book is well researched, but only reason I didn't give the book a 5 star review is that that the writing is rather "small-town", with lots of editorializing that really isn't necessary. Let the reader make their own inferences from the information in front of them. Asides, and exclamation points, have no place in a serious biography.
 a dominican view. June 8, 2007
Alina Victoria (sacramento,california)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
i heard of porfirio rubirosa from my grandfather, he was born around 1919 and below to the era, he knew porfirio, the trujillos and the whole gang, i remember my grandfather talking about rubirosa several times and of course as i grew up i wanted to know more about this men who put the name of the dominican republic in the map sort of speak..the book was good but a little boring for me, nothing new, too much talk about a dominican history that i already know, little talk about his relationship with barbara and doris, not much to say, his life was good, in other words he had a great life!! he knew and hang out with the most famous and important people of his times, he had a great time and them is was over quick, what a life!
Can't Put it Down Good.... February 20, 2007
Pierre Ferrand (New York, NY)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Shawn Levy could write about a sack of potatos and make it interesting. I knew very little of Rubi but after reading this book I feel like went through a week by week breifing of the events of his life. Some of the details in the book are of astounding accuracy; I wonder how he did it. Bravo Bravo.
A page turner of a bio, and an interesting man December 31, 2006
jose_monkey_org (ann arbor, mi, USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I just finished The Last Playboy on my winter vacation, I found it to be a fabulous read. The writing is clear and pretty even, although Levy does sometimes dip into gossip-like quips from time to time that aren't useful. The material appears to be well researched and presented clearly, with facts labeled as such, speculation and insights also clearly labeled. I do not know if there are any errors, but I don't think this should be taken as an authoritative bio by any means.
Few people live such thrilling lives, and Levy takes you along for the ride. You can almost sense the author's face as Rubirosa himself changes as he grows older and more depraved at times. There's a sensitivity that is found in some of the best biographies, and insights that are to be expected.
If you're looking for a good, fast read about the fabulous lifestyle of a playboy, this is one you should be reading. Someone should definitely look at making a movie about this guy and his times.
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