Product Description

So much has now been said and written about the life and career of Michael Jackson that it has become almost impossible to disentangle the man from the myth. Rumours abound; his own statements often fail to clarify controversial issues. The truth may be stranger than any fiction, such is the uniqueness of the world in which he lives, and his vision of the world. Recent revelations are of course only the latest instalments of a saga that began decades ago, and simply add more twists to an already-tangled family epic. This book is the fruit of over 30 years of research and intimate knowledge, and hundreds of interviews, including some with Jackson himself, provide access to the very closest circles of the Jackson family and their associates. Cutting through tabloid rumours and innuendo, J. Randy Taraborrelli traces the real story behind the Michael Jackson we see and hear today, from his drilling as a child star through the blooming of his talent to his ever-changing personal appearance and bizarre publicity stunts. This biography includes the behind-the-scenes story to many of the landmarks in Jackson's life: his legal and commercial battles, his marriages, his passions and addictions, his children.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #409382 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 672 pages

Review
'Taraborrelli...has put together by far the most detailed account of [Jackson's] life, not flinching from the gorier facts.'
--Evening Standard

`Anyone wanting a reliably solid account of Michael Jackson's life should continue to turn to J Randy Taraborrelli's biography.'
--Observer

`Backlist doesn't get any hotter than this.'
--The Bookseller

About the Author
J. Randy Taraborrelli is the author of eleven books, including the major best-sellers Madonna: An Intimate Biography and Call Her Miss Ross. Once Upon a Time: The Story of Princess Grace, Prince Rainier and their Family will be published by Sidgwick & Jackson in May 2003. J. Randy Taraborrelli lives in Los Angeles.

Customer Reviews

Fair and honest
One good aspect of this book is that Taraborrelli has met and interviewed Michael Jackson. he hasn't relied on second hand information to make dangerous conclusions about the king of pop. i am a dedicated Michael Jackson fan, and on recieving my copy of "The Magic and the Madness" i was quite sceptical about the accuracy of the "facts" within. I must say i have never read such a balanced book about Michael Jackson. I would recomend this book to anyone who has an intrest in MJ or the truth. It gives the "evidence" of the Chandler events in a way that all readers can see how ludicrous these accusations actually were. Well worth the money.

Michael is the KING ... and this book tells the story!
After reading this book, I totally understand how Michael Jackson became the King of Pop. This is an update of a book written by this author a few years ago, and I read that one, too. This is re-written, I think. There's a lot of new stuff here about Michael and Lisa Marie and Debbie Rowe, and other scandals. But in the end, it's the author's examination of Michael's career that I loved, and all of the business about the making of Thriller and the buying of the Beatles' catalogue and all of Michael's other business moves. When I finished the book, I thought, "Yep, he deserves his success." Michael seems a little lonely and a little frightened, but he also seems very human in this book. I think if you really want to know Michael Jackson, this is about as close as you're gonna get. So, I recommend this book.

Really good read
I almost never review a book but this one compelled me to do so. I was a BIG fan back in the 80's and then waned a bit in the 90's. I, like possibly many others, believed the media hype about the molestation charges and that clouded my views of Michael Jackson. Upon hearing of his death though, it brought back all those great memories I had from his music and I was really sad that he had died so misunderstood.

I bought this book on a whim right after the news broke of Michael Jackson's death and I'm glad I did. I COULD NOT put the book down and that rarely happens. I was fascinated about how Michael Jackson became who is was. I have a whole different view of him now and wish I had never believed all the hype about him.

A true humanitarian doesn't tell about his good deeds but I wish SOMEONE had as I never really knew about all the charities he supported or the good work that he did.

I thought the author handled many of the sensitive subjects well and remained very objective. I think I read a reviewer's post that it sounded like the author was agreeing with the charges against Michael Jackson. I didn't get that at all. The author seemed quite objective and sensitive to it all. He only cautioned that maybe Michael should have been more careful and not so naive. No matter how innocent something might be and no matter how much Michael might say he had a pure heart, there are people out there who aren't pure thinkers. I think his sweetness and naivety set him up to be a victim of people who might have seen him as an easy mark.

All in all this was a really good read and I wish I had read it many years ago when I started to doubt Michael Jackson which then tainted my love of his music. I'm now curious to read the authors new book to see what additions he has added as well as Aphrodite Jones' book. I recommend this book for die hard fans as well as so so fans.