Product Description

News of Michael Jackson's appearances in court on paedophile charges in 2005 was broadcast to hundreds of millions of people around the world. Everyone had opinions about the testimony and the witnesses as the drama was played out in the small town of Santa Maria in California. This book not only tells the story of that trial but of what was secretly going on behind the scenes - a far more important and mysterious tale than that unfolding in the courthouse. 'The Trials of Michael Jackson' reveals the sensational events which led to the downfall of a megastar at the hands of the mighty Sony company and an obsessive but compliant prosecutor. Using previously unpublished material, personal interviews and evidence gathered during research on three continents, Lynton Guest uncovers the truth about the bitter feud between one of the biggest corporations in the world and pop music's greatest legend. For the first time, the reasons behind Martin Bashir's infamous documentary and the strange decisions taken by the Santa Barbara prosecutor, are laid bare. The incredible machinations of the men from Japan and their American allies were designed to ensure nothing less than the destruction of Michael Jackson and billions of dollars of profit for Sony. 'The Trials of Michael Jackson' takes us on a roller-coaster ride, from the ashes of a defeated Japan in 1945 to the twenty-first century celebrity culture which now spans the globe. It provides the most authoritative look yet at the music business and its extreme excesses over the last forty years. But more than anything else 'The Trials of Michael Jackson' shows how the man who gave us 'Thriller', the biggest selling record of all time, was hunted down and all but destroyed by forces beyond even his control. As Jackson attempts to put his life back together in Bahrain, those who seek to benefit from his demise have not gone away. They remain in the shadows, watching and waiting. It's time they were held up to the light. The book

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #217956 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-23
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

From the Author
This book came about as a result of a chance conversation
with someone whose knowledge of, and experience in, the highest echelons of
the music industry are second to none. During the course of the exchange
I was given some information about Michael Jackson which was unknown to the
public. With the singer on trial in California, everyone was gossiping
about the case in their spare time, including me.
In the words made famous during the Watergate scandal of the 1970s, I began
to ‘follow the money’. As an historian, researcher and journalist I knew
from the information I received that there was something being hidden or
obscured that was much bigger and more important than we were being told at
the time. I could just feel it. Little by little, as I ranged from London,
via New York and California, all the way to Tokyo, the incredible story
contained in these pages began to reveal itself.
During the course of this journey I have also plundered my own past, to try
to make sense of some of the things I was discovering. By including this
material, I hope to show that the events central to this book are not part
of some one-off aberration, but have been woven into the fabric of the
music business since its inception. Anyone who loves music or who is a fan
of any artist should read on. The dark underbelly of the entertainment
world is not a pretty sight. It is time to hold it up to the light.

About the Author
Lynton Guest entered the music business in 1967 aged sixteen. As
a member of the group, ?Love Affair?, he had a number one hit in fourteen
countries with one of the most iconic pop records of the sixties,
?Everlasting Love?. Thereafter, he was a songwriter and producer, had a
legendary manager, Robert Stigwood, ran an independent record label and
released the theme to the hit television series Tinker Tailor, Soldier Spy
(starring Alec Guiness) which won an Ivor Novello award.

In the 1980s Lynton went to Kings College, London, where he graduated with
honours in Ancient and Medieval History. His dissertation was on the
trading patterns and archaeology of the Indus Valley civilisation
(c3000BC-1200BC). While studying at Kings, Lynton began writing
prolifically for newspapers and magazines and had his first book (on the
business of football) published in 1990. Three more books on football
followed, all of which were sports best-sellers. During this time he also
contributed regularly to the London Sunday Telegraph, was a consultant to
several sports organisations (including the Football Association and the
Football League), and began analysing financial matters for merchant
bankers eager to participate in football?s revolution of the 1990s.

In 2005, Lynton released a CD of remixes of some of his favourite records
from the sixties, including ?Everlasting Love?. The CD, called
?OnceAndFuture? by Science of Sound won the prize for Best Compilation CD
of 2005 at the Los Angeles Music Awards. He is an Associate of Kings
College.

Excerpted from The Trials of Michael Jackson by Lynton Guest. Copyright © 2006. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
‘Not Guilty.’
Again and again these two little words from the voice of the jury foreman,
Paul Rodriguez, reverberated around the courtroom. There was one count of
conspiracy to kidnap and falsely imprison an entire family, four counts of
committing lewd acts, one count of attempting to commit a lewd act, four
counts of supplying alcohol to minors and a number of counts on lesser
charges arising from the same crimes, allegedly committed against an
underage boy, Gavin Arvizo. These last counts were offered to the jury as
alternatives should they find the accused innocent of the main indictments.
Instead, they found the defendant not guilty on all charges. From the small
community of Santa Maria in Southern California to the furthest corners of
the world, astonishment registered. But just as OJ Simpson discovered some
years previously, Michael Jackson was about to find out that a not guilty
verdict does not an innocent man make in the eyes of commentators and
consequently, the public. Had a blatant child molester beat the rap? If
not, could the adverse reaction be yet another manifestation of the racial
fault lines carving an inexorable swathe through American society? Perhaps
it was simply a case of celebrity-bashing for no good reason, unlikely
though that might seem to most of us. Or had something been going on that
was more sinister than any of these?

Customer Reviews

At last, the other side to the story
It's a pity that the 'newspapers' and media outlets around the world did not get to grips with the facts involved in this case because had they done their job properly they would have undoubtedly uncovered the truth.

I believe 100% that Michael Jackson has NOT abused children, and I base this conclusion on my own research into the 93 allegations and the 2003 allegations. In both cases there were gaping holes in the accusers stories, not to mention contradictions, lies, and dubious personal circumstances.

This book is a very interesting read for anyone that has even a passing interest in the truth behind the most recent, tragic, events in Michael Jackson's life.

A thorough book
I've re-read this book a few times now andit improves on each reading. It's packed with facts - really thorough, well-researched book written by a man with what appear to be respectable journalistic credentials. There are a few instances where he trips up facts-wise but I think I can forgive him that! I was particulalry intrigued to read that Lynton Guest used to be in the band Love Affair!
On first reading I found the book a little plodding in places and there are long asides and explanations to work through but this is better than wild conjecture.
Guest maintains a cool head when talking about Jackson. He is certainly no fawning lap dog, mentioning that during the 1990s the star was overtaken by his own ego, yet he conveys warmth and sympathy for Jackson's plight.
Guest's analysis of the main players in the case is interesting. He makes some pertinent points about Martin Bashir's role in 'cornering' Michael Jackson - and the fact that Bashir has never really been been taken to task over this. Guest, rightly, in my opinion, has no time for him.
The details he provides about Sony, and the entertainment business in general, certainly hammer home the fact that showbusiness, pop, rock, whatever you want to call it, is no bubblegum business. It's a very dirty business indeed.
A good read for anyone who wants to know about the machinations of the music industry.

interesting
I'm not exactly a die-hard fan of Michael Jackson's, but I was always curious to find out exactly what happened to his career after the 1993 molestation accusations and why it just never seemed to recover from them, despite the fact that M.J. was never found guilty of anything; it was obvious that his record label never did much to help or support him and this book, I found, provides a very good explanation of the real motives behind this choice. To anyone who is interested in the topic, this is a book to read.