The Sopranos: The Complete Book

If any book can make its readers feel nostalgic for a TV show whose main character hacks one of his enemies into pieces, it is this gorgeously designed and smartly written tribute to The Sopranos and its conflicted hero, Tony, the mob boss torn between loyalty to his crime family and his own family. Scheduled to be published in conjunction with the series’ final nine episodes in its six-season, eight-year-long run, the book is a success primarily due to Martin’s enthusiastic but never fawning insider’s look at everything from the initial casting of the series, the show’s use of New Jersey’s “suburbo-industrial landscapes” as a backdrop to various thematic elements, and the characters’ large appetites for sex and food. He gets great insights from his interviews with all of the show’s production staff, such as series creator David Chase, who was influenced by his work on The Rockford Files (“TV’s first postmodern, ironic detective”). The book is also lavishly illustrated with wonderful photos of various sets, a superb short episode guide to each show, page-long descriptions on how each actor views the characters they play (Robert Iler wants to step outside of his character, Tony’s son, A.J., “and smack myself in the face”).