Product Description
Dr. Jack Hattem first became interested in Marilyn Monroe's death at the Suicide Prevention Center in Los Angeles in 1962. After three decades as a Clinical Psychologist he decided to write a factual account of the real circumstances in which she died.

This book is a unique view of Marilyn Monroe, despite the millions of words written about her. It is the result of a research study into toxic relationshops exactly like Marilyn's, where one person tries to drive another to kill themselves.

It is about Marilyn's psychiatric condition and how her psychiatric mistreatment led to her death.

The author, for the first time, offers a psychological view of Marilyn Monroe's life which explains most of her troubled relationships and her addictions.

This book is about the author's need to understand why people choose to kill themselves. It ends with a conspiracy hidden over forty five years.

This book is about why Marilyn died, how she died, and who was directly responsible for her death! Even the Cuban missile crisis played a role in her death. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A HOT Disorganized MESS!
There is very little info about Monroe or his theory. Most of the book is rambling about colleagues and some crazy case studies. The author gives detailed case studies of his patients while making vague comparisons to Monroe and promising he will discuss in more detail "in the next chapter." The book as a whole is very misleading. Much of his limited info is taken from (and he does credit) "The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe", which is a far better read. His thought pattern is poor and exhibited in very bad writing. This book was a waste on Kindle. He does include some of the FBI files on Marilyn but they are very poor copies. This is at the very end of the book. No explanation.
Total waste of time and money!!!

Marilyn Monroe, Murde by Consent
Very interesting. At the beginning I thought it was more about the author than Marilyn so I thought I would be disappointed but continued to read. Soon I discovered there was indeed never-before revealed information regarding her tragic death and that as I had surmised, Marilyn's death was murder. By divine providence I guess all involved paid for their crime.
peggyedwards

Very Enlightening Read!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.The reviewer who gave one star must not have read the entire book.Although Dr. Hattem does tell us his life experience, I found it to be not only quite entertaining, but a necessary foundation to demonstrate his credibility on the subject.Furthermore, Marilyn's story was also woven throughout each chapter.The additional chapters by Dr. Jean Hattem and the method research on suicide added an additional interesting touch, that makes this read desirable for the layperson as well as the professional.At the end of the book, Dr. Hattem also includes current FBI information that solidifies his theories.Overall, this is an enlightening journey into an American icon's tragic life and death.I recommend it highly.

A faded star
I have always been curious about Marilyn Monroe and her life.Dr. Hattem does a good job with her early life.I think the quote from Sir Thomas Moore "All That's Bright Must Fade",that Dr. Hattem used in the book described Marilyn Monroe.She indeed faded too quickly. db

Good stuff!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It explored a world I was unfamiliar with and found fascinating to find out about. The suicide prevention center was unlike anything I had ever read about. I found Dr. Hattem's and his colleagues' work riveting to read about. I also did not know much of the information about Marilyn Monroe that he has now written about. I don't think anyone has written about her psychological state in quite as interesting and detailed way. I was especially intrigued by all his information on the "Borderline personality disorder" and it was interesting to think of Marilyn as a person who suffered from this disorder. It was also astoundling to read about the conspiracy to murder Marilyn, which I've never heard of before. Thanks for the great read! ... Read more

Product Description
Charts Marilyn's fascinating life, from her unhappy childhood, through her years as a superstar, to her tragic and untimely death in 1962. The collection of photographs documents the important events in her life: her early years, her films, her marriages to baseball star Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller, her battles with the studio and her decline in health. They not only include movie stills and portraits, but also many other less well known pictures taken during her career. The photographs are accompanied by detailed and informative captions, which give a rounded portrait of one of the world's greatest movie stars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A real bargain!
This book is available through various outlets, including Amazon, mainly as a "discount" book, but in fact don't let its low price fool you; it's an outstanding collection of photographs of Marilyn, including more than a few that I don't remember seeing in print elsewhere. The big format of the book means a lot of these images can be reproduced in splendid detail. Well worth the cost at twice the price or more!

Really nice book of Marilyn Monroe photos
This book contains some really low-key photos of Marilyn, as well as lots of text.It provided some interesting background and historical information I was not aware of before; I'm kind of a Marilyn fan, but not fanatical; I found this book very touching and interesting.She was a complicated figure and an interesting person in her own right.Too bad she did not live longer; she was a fabulous actress!

So far my absolute favourite MM book
I am a huge MM fan and collector of her books. I have a good number of books on her. But when I'm interested in seeing pictures of Marilyn, out of all my books, I reach for this one. I just really like it. Huge, clear pictures. Lots unseen. And I think the essence is it covers all of Marilyn; her happy, sad, thoughtful, e.t.c. To me it also has the quickest and simple, yet totally well-rounded biography (the book is simply Marilyn's life in Clayton's words, with tons of pics). The bio is not complicated, but thoroughly tells of Marilyn's thoughts and actions and the thoughts and actions of those who interacted with her. If you get this book you won't regret it.

Some of Monroe Unseen
I liked this book. It should be in every Monroe collector's collection. It contains lots of rare pictures and info that wasn't generally known to the public. The only fault that I found that no color pictures were added in the book. But otherwise it's well worth your time and money.

From the Dust Jacket:
These photos document the important events in her life: her early years, her movies, her marriages to baseball star Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller, her battles with the studio and her decline in health. They not only include movie stills and portraits, but also many other less well known pictures taken during her career. ... Read more

Product Description
Incredibly life-like Marilyn Monroe as a paper doll with 31 accurate costumes from 24 films. Full color designs on heavy stock, ready to be cut, recall Marilyn in The Asphalt Jungle, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, 22 others. Recreate Monroe aura in miniature. 1 doll. 16 plates.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Oh what's NOT to love about Marilyn Monroe!!!!
you GO Grrrrl!!

Marilyn Monroe -- a legend forever, embodied in a plethora of colorful poses and outfits in this wonderful tribute to an enigmatic woman (she once passed me on the street when I was 9 -- she had no makeup on -- I did not recognize her, but oboy did Mom ever!!!).

Don't expect me to actually cut anything out from these hallowed pages, however -- I'm keeping this book INTACT.

I SHOULD get a second book and THEN get out the scissors....

Tom Tierney Excels
Tom Tierney was at his best when he created Marilyn Monroe Paper Dolls.The renderings are absolutely gorgeous.The use of colour and line is superb in its subtlety.True paper doll enthusiasts will appreciate this work because the doll isn't just a piece of paper behind a costume with a hole for the face (unlike Mr Tierney's later work).Fans of Marilyn Monroe will be delighted by the sensitivity with which Mr Tierney has portrayed the legendary star.

MM's Movie Wardrobe
This is an absolute "must have" for Marilyn collectors. All her famous outfits from her movies....very very nice. ... Read more

Product Description
The latest addition in the highly acclaimed A Life in Pictures series, this luxurious volume honors the legacy of one of the world's most beloved movie stars. Marilyn Monroe: A Life in Pictures is the only book to bring together all of the most iconic images of the legendary bombshell. Glamorous shots by celebrity photographers mix with casual snapshots and childhood portraits to span Marilyn's luminous but too-short life. Hundreds of evocative images, both lush and poignant, are interwoven with quotations by and about Marilyn to create an elegant collective portrait like no other. Aesthetically arresting throughout, this volume illuminates the life of a legend, both onscreen and off. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Item never received
I can't give you a review of the book that I orderd about 6 weeks
ago because it was never shipped to me.I have contacted the company,
but, no response.

A Wonderful Life!
Another must have and if the cover makes you gaga then imagine its contents! you will love it and her even more!

Marilyn Monroe: A Life in Pictures
I bought this book from Amazon along with other products and I found this book to be amazing. The pictures are just stunning. I sat on the couch for hours with my mother as we looked at them. I was also surprised to leanr how much my mom likes Marilyn Monroe and how much she knew about her.

This is a must have for any Marilyn collector. :D

A lovely selection of Monroe images
This is quite simply a picture book.There's not much text to speak of, instead we are presented with page after page of mostly large size images of Marilyn - mostly one image per page.

One of the things I like about this book is that while some of the images are well known, not all of them are. There are glamor shots and even nicer images of her informal among her friends.Best of all we are not restricted to just black and white images.There are plenty of colour shots included.

If you are after a book of Marilyn images that won't overwhelm you with lots of small black and white photos then this book is recommended. Marilyn was incredibly photogenic and this book showcases a good selection of the type of photos taken of her.

Life in Pictures, a great picture book
I've got to say, the pictures in this book are amazing.The book is a little bigger than a notebook, and the pictures are just about full size, making them about 8x10.Which is great if you want to put them on your wall.

My only complaint about the pictures are: although there are about 2 or 3 pictures of her on the beach with the white bathing suit on, that's it.Why not put more of them, they are some of Marilyn's best pictures.Also, the pictures of her in the field in the blue dress, why not more? As is with the pictures of her in the field with the white dress.I don't understand.

I love all of the pictures of her at home in a relaxed state.

But the one thing that sensitive Marilyn Monroe fans might not like is the Foreword.David Thompson almost seems not to like her.But no one knows the exact truth about Marilyn's life, so the stuff he says may be true.If so, I feel sorry for her.

I don't know what to think of her, since I've read so much about her from different people.But it seems like she was a very complex person.Like myself, people don't know what to think about her.That's what I think draws me to her even more.I used to just love her for her wonderful pictures, but now it's fun learning more about her.

Although Mr. Thompson's foreword kind of irked me a little, this book is well worth it to a Marilyn fan or fan of beautiful pictures.

I hope this review helped someone.It's my first review, thanks for reading. ... Read more

Product Description
Cursum Perficio is the name of Marilyn Monroe's last home. Cursum Perficio, the book, is author Gary Vitacco-Robles' exploration of Marilyn's last home as a touchstone to her brief and extraordinary life. A definitive testament of Marilyn Monroe's modest nature, simple tastes and spirituality was her selection of a house in which to settle at age 35. The Spanish Colonial hacienda symbolizes Marilyn's unfulfilled dreams and unfinished life. The Latin inscription on the tiles adorning the front doorstep, Cursum Perficio (translating to "My journey ends"), prophesied the screen goddess' death in the home in 1962. Cursum Perficio invites us inside Marilyn's private life through 120 illustrations and previously unpublished photos of her hacienda and its contents. See the interior, Marilyn's art and decorations purchased on a shopping spree in Mexico, and the furniture delivered days before her death. Vitacco-Robles reveals the events during Marilyn's last months, her daily routine, and her random acts of kindness. Cursum Perficio is not a sensational exploitation of Marilyn Monroe but a celebration of the human being behind the legend. It is a rare and refreshing exploration for the most devout fan and an insightful introduction for those just discovering this enduring icon of the Twentieth Century. This expanded second edition contains added chapters and new images by Brandon Heidrick. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

The Real Marilyn
I have briefly looked over some biographies about Marilyn Monroe and have got upset, but this book is the most touching I have read. There is not much truth that is told about the great baseball legend Joe Dimagio and his love for Marilyn. However, it is the Hollywood industry that makes up lies and untruths about her in ruining her image. We need to give credit to the author for being a caring and generous man who deeply respects Marilyn's memory. She would be in approval of this book because it can help her rest in peace. People need to know the truth and should really get to know that she is a good lady.

Something's Got To Give
More than 600 books have been written about Marilyn Monroe since her death in 1962. While most of them have focused on the theories surrounding her apparent suicide at age 36, author Gary Vitacco-Robles focuses his new book on the actress' last home. Cursum Perficio: Marilyn Monroe's Brentwood Hacienda/The Story of Her Final Months reframes and redefines Marilyn through the context of her efforts to establish a secure home following a childhood spent in a succession of foster homes. The author theorizes that the actress was trying to correct her past by putting down roots of her own. While several previous authors depict her final months as tumultuous, Vitacco-Robles provides evidence that suggests Marilyn was trying to pull her life together and give it some personal meaning. During the spring and summer of 1962, Marilyn embraced her newfound domesticity by pulling weeds in her garden, writing recipes in her copy of The Joy of Cooking and actually using the pots and pans in her kitchen. The book contains actual photographs of the house, interspersed with realistic renderings of the home by artist Brandon Heidrick. The author divides the photos and illustrations with floor plans for each room and includes pictures of an architectural model that depicts the entire property as it appeared in 1962. After she purchased the 2,300 square foot house, Monroe began extensively researching authentic Mexican design, landscaping and furnishings in an effort to slowly transform it into the home of her dreams. She arranged for an 11-day trip to Mexico where she painstakingly selected fabrics, tapestries, painted tiles, pottery and art. Monroe met the native artists who had made by hand the objects that she would later display in her home. Vitacco-Robles is donating a portion of the royalties from sales of this book to Hollygrove Children and Family Services, formerly the Los Angeles Orphans Home Society, where Marilyn Monroe lived as a child.

A MUST- HAVE FOR ANY MARILYN ENTHUSIAST!!
When I first received my copy of Cursum Perficio: Marilyn's Brentwood Hacienda, I wasn't sure what to expect. Much to my surprise, I was enthralled and fascinated by the details of Marilyn's final months, so eloquently chronicled by Gary Vitacco-Robles.Void of any media hype and speculation about the cause of her death, Vitacco-Robles explores how Marilyn searched and found the perfect place to call home...a respite from the choatic life she led in the media spotlight.
You will journey with her as she went on shopping sprees for furnishings and ornaments in a quest to make the only home she ever owned a reflection of herself.
The book contains a vast collection of actual photographs, as well as impressive photo-recreations of the home's interior as it looked in 1962 and now.
I applaud Vitacco-Robles for a superb testamant to the woman so many longed to know.This book reveals a whole other side of Marilyn that has never been revealed.
A MUST HAVE for any Marilyn enthusiast!

Clarification on this second edition version
There has been some confusion about the second edition of this book and the sales information on this site. According to the publisher, Iuniverse, the hardcover edition offered here is actually a "second edition" released in October 2003, although the release date printed is still listed as 2000. This is because it is a "re-do" under the same title previously released by the publisher. The new second edition cover for the paperback and hardcover depicts Marilyn standing beside the gates of her home and sell respectively for $20.95 and $30.95. The first edition was only published in paperback with a different cover for $11.95. The publisher says that vendors will continue to sell the first edition paperbacks until supplies depleted. The second edition contains new images, new chapters, re-worked chapters and information not included in the first. Having seen this book, the quality of photo reproduction in this new version are far superior than in the first. It also includes professional, "photorealistic-style" illustrations by artist Brandon Heidrick depicting the interior and exterior of Marilyn's home and furnishings. The images serve as a "virtual tour" of Marilyn's last home similar to the author's website.

Clarification on this second edition version
I've been confused about the second edition of this book and the sales information on this site. Having spoken with the publisher, Iuniverse, I learned that the hardcover edition offered here is actually a "second edition" released in October 2003, although the release date printed is still listed as 2000. This is because it is a "re-do" under the same title previously released by the publisher. The new second edition cover for the paperback and hardcover depicts Marilyn standing beside the gates of her home and sell respectively for $20.95 and $30.95. The first edition was only published in paperback with a different cover for $11.95. I understand that vendors would continue to sell the first edition paperbacks until supplies depleted. I have both the first edition and second. The second edition contains new images, new chapters, re-worked chapters and information not included in the first. The quality of photo and illustration reproduction in this new version are far superior than in the first. All around, it is a better product and a great, new look at a lasting legend! ... Read more

Product Description
Marilyn Monroe is still very hot in the collectible business. In just a 16-year career, Marilyn captured the hearts of many as cover girl on hundreds of magazine covers immortalizing her legendary beauty. In this second edition of his top seller, Marilyn Monroe expert Clark Kidder unveils more than 300 stunning photographs of her most beautiflu and memorable magazine covers and provides updated values. He also features a Marilyn time line and the star's life-revealing anecdotes.

*300 stunning magazine covers
*Updated collectible values presented in a range from good to mint
*Life-revealing anecdotes of Marilyn Monroe ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Cover To Cover Covers It All!
for anyone thats an avid fan of Marilyn as I am this is a wonderful edition to add to whatever library that one may own in memory of her. I had been Looking Everywhere for this and was just elated to finally get it, i still haven't put it down yet even withthe other new book on her that i purchased. You won't regret this one bit!

Excellent
This is a great book. Tons of pics of Marilyn on covers of magazines. Thus, a lot of never before seen photos. The pictures aren't big though. I enjoyed it so I am looking for the first edition, as this is the second. But I can't find the first edition.

The First Edition is 100% Better!
This is a great book, and for the price, you can't go wrong, but the genuine article is the first edition from 1999. Much nicer covers, beautiful color prints. If you only buy one, the first edition is a MUST for any Marilyn Monroe fan!

Our most stunning cover girl
This thoroughly unique and enjoyable approach to the documentation of Marilyn's career is a comprehensive collection of magazine covers from all around the world, featuring her throughout her career.The whole is an eclectic gathering of photos highlighting her metamorphosis from unknown young model to luminous superstar.

Although many of the more well known American covers are absent, there is plenty here to satisfy!The variety and sheer number of colorful covers is impressive.The memorable quotes that accompany so many of the covers capture the essence of her endearing personality without being an actual biography, and the timeline is a good but brief overview of many of the important events in her life.

Although I am not an avid collector of MM memorabilia, I'm sure the pricing information would be valuable to those who are.I found comparing the various values to be very interesting reading.I can only imagine the painstaking work that went into identifying each of these photos and determining the worth of each cover.

This would be a welcome and unique addition to any MM library - highly recommended!

GREATPHOTOSOFMARILYN!
This is an unusual outstanding picture book.

Marilyn in unforgetable pictures.

Thank you! ... Read more

Product Description
Inside Marilyn Monroe is an intense, personal memoir spanning more than a decade (1952-1962) by the then-actor John Gilmore, detailing his acquaintanceship with the most important movie star in the world, Marilyn Monroe.From Hollywood to New York, from New York back to Hollywood, the casual hello-goodbye friendship building to a point where Monroe and Gilmore were about to make a picture together but tragedy struck in Marilyn's life.Gilmore turned from acting to devote himself to writing and his memoir gathers Marilyn's personal life through many asscoaites and stars known to Marilyn and Gilmore.Revealed is a treasure-trove of facets of Marilyn's life previously unknown. Gilmore's memoir shuns the conspiracy theories as he instead focuses on Marilyn as she really was, not as the media-created, cardboard sexpot, but the living and breathing "wonder" that she was.IThis haunting, highly personal memoir contains many photographs never before published and are made public for the first time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

FINALLY...SOMETHING REALISTIC.
This book shows plainly that Marilyn was her own worst enemy. Enough with those unsubstantiated conspiracies already! Marilyn was in trouble and it was plain to see during her lifetime. Only now, so many years after her demise, is her death taken as something mysterious.

Disappointing book offers few insights into the Marilyn Mystery
The old adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover," should serve as a warning. The lovely cover photo is, indeed, the best part of this disappointing book. The author's claimed tenuous personal connection to Marilyn proves not to be enough to provide any new insights into the life, and especially, the death of this greatest of movie stars. Amateurishly written, repetitious and smug, the book sticks to the "official" cover-up story of her death and it will disappoint all in- depth students of Monroe. Download the cover photo and skip the book. Freeman Gunter

Perplexing but Interesting Memoir about Marilyn
I looked forward to reading this book, with so few 'new' accounts from those who knew Marilyn available. Miss Monroe has long fascinated me and I've read dozens of biographies and film books about her and her life.

The early account of Marilyn's childhood was easily the best I have ever read. There is a depth and perception of the agonies of her childhood that makes one possibly be able to understand her perspective and what she experienced with so many undeserved rejections -- whether from her mother, Gladys, her 'Aunt Ana' or Grace McKee. That part of the book was well done, poignant and gave the reader a glimpse into what must have been a sad, difficult childhood.

Once Marilyn becomes an adult, however, it's hard to reconcile the almost stupid, dim-witted and obtuse individual described as Marilyn/Norma Jeane with the delightful, witty, introspective Marilyn I've come to know and love through other books/memoirs about the ethereal beauty. Whether intentional or not, once Marilyn becomes a young adult and model, she is described throughout the remainder of this book as a drug-addled, self-centered, small-minded, and pathetic woman who --amazingly -- made some of the finest films of all time come alive with her sparkling, spectacular and unforgettable performances.

Marilyn's marriage to Joe DiMaggio is fairly glossed over, and her unhappy marriage to Arthur Miller is barely touched upon, but something is lacking through the entire time period of her first major film roles, two marriages and even the oncoming of the early 1960's.

While the depiction of Robert Slatzer is likely dead-on, and the impact of Dr. Ralph Greenson is given a self-promoting slant that many have suspected, still the last third of the book pushes on with very little detail (other than continuing a portrait of Marilyn that, if true, is disconcertingly pathetic).

Perhaps it's just me--wanting Marilyn to have had some moments of true happiness and joy--but there was something utterly missinng in this portrayal of the ultimate blonde and insight into her personality. I've read too many quotes that are Marilyn's -- and her poetic fragments and so many quite witty, clever remarks -- to believe that she was the sad, eternally bombed blondeshell portrayed. I think the intentions behind this memoir were sincere; but some elements of her personality and likability are distinctly lost in this portrait. I'm rating it 4 stars for it's intended sincerity, but the book, Marilyn (in Her Own Words) is still a portrayal I find far more in sync with what I've learned about Miss Monroe and her life and times. That was the book that brought Marilyn, the woman, 'alive' to me and began to make me feel as though she was a real flesh-and-blood sensitive, intelligent human. This book is, as I said, interesting, but baffling; particularly since the first third or so of it was so well done. Sadly, the remainder of the book did not have nearly the personal insight and touches that made the early part of the book astonishing. Foran account of the early life/childhood of Norma Jeane, this book is unsurpassed.

A Different View on MM
Rather than this being the typical biography and rehashing the same old stuff that any Monroe fan knows backwards, the author does give a new, fresh and insightful look at the life of Marilyn Monroe. Straying from the sensational and wild claims of other authors, Inside Marilyn Monroe is more of an essay book, nonetheless very well written.

One of the pleasant aspects in reading this book is that author John Gilmore, who knew Marilyn Monroe, doesn't claim (as so many other authors have) to have been the love of her life; her best friend; that Monroe couldn't live without him; that he was the whole focus of her life; the he was the only one she trusted; or that he was her savior.

The book does offer an array of very rare pictures, unfortunately a lot are small and blurry. As with most books written on celebrities, the reader should decide on whether to take its face value upfront on what they read. Personally, I really liked this book for its originality and insight.

THE REAL MARILYN -- NOT THE ILLUSION
JOHN GILMORE HAS WRITTEN A BOOK ABOUT THE REAL MARILYN, THE SENSITIVE, CONFUSED, SAD PERSON SHE WAS FAR MORE THAN THE JOKING, LAUGHING MARILYN, A FACADE SHE WAS REMARKABLE AT MAINTAINING.GILMORE HAS LIVED TOO CLOSE TO HIS SUBJECTS TO BE IN AWE OF THEIR ILLUSIONS.IN THIS PENETRATING MEMOIR, HE GIVES US A DEEPLY PERSONAL, RATHER DISTURBING PORTRAIT OF A TRUE ARTISTIC WONDER THAT DESERTED THE WORLD FAR, FAR TOO EARLY IN HER REMARKABLE LIFE.REGARDING A NEGATIVE REVIEW BY "KOOKOO GUY," WHO HEADLINES, "DID WE READ THE SAME BOOK?" IN WHICH HE SAYS THE PHOTOS ARE OF POOR QUALITY, WHICH CLEARLY ARE NOT THE AUTHOR'S FAULT.HE MENTIONS MANY CAPTIONS TO THESE PHOTOS CONTAIN DISCLAIMERS AS TO THE BAD GRAPHIC QUALITY, AND FURTHER STATES THE WORDS,"FROM BAD NEGATIVES," USED AS CAPTIONS.THERE ARE NO DISCLAIMERS IN PHOTO CAPTIONS, NOR ANY WORDS TO THAT EFFECT IN THE ENTIRE BOOK.I GUESS "KOOKOO" WAS NOT READING THE SAME BOOK......."INSIDE MARILYN MONROE" IS THE FIRST OFFERING I HAVE READ ABOUT MARILYN THAT OFFERS THE READER A JOURNEY INTO MARILYN'S EXTREMELY PRIVATE WORLD WHERE WE ARE TOUCHED BY A SCENARIO NO OTHER WRITER HAS SUCCEEDED IN REVEALING.THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.JOHN GILMORE HAS SUCCEEDED IN THIS.REGARDLESS OF THE KOOKOOS OF WEST HOLLYWOOD, THIS IS A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READ FOR ALL DESIROUS OF CONFRONTING THE LIFE BEHIND THE SILVER SCREEN, AND THE ILLUSIONS WE ARE PROGRAMMED TO ACCEPT AS "THE REAL THING."THIS IS THE REAL THING. ... Read more

Product Description
"Basically this book is about the week that I spent with Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller at their apartment in New York City on EastFifty Seventh Street back in 1960 when I was a young wide eyed aspiring actor of twenty.

Marilyn showed me the whole city; took me everywhere.It was and still is the most exciting week that I have ever spent with anyone.Then she revealed something to me that she had never revealed to another single soul.

This book is about that week, what she revealed to me and the results of the secret that she revealed to me back fifty years ago.

"
... Read more

Product Description
From makeup to mannerisms, discover how you can capture apiece of Marilyn's signature sexy style and make it part of your dailylook. This step-by-step guide is the ultimate handbook for anyonewanting to make a living impersonating Marilyn--and so much more!

Anyone who has ever longed to flaunt a little of her bolder, sexierside will find Be Marilyn! to be indispensable. Mesmerized byMarilyn's enduring legend of charm and beauty? The book also takes afascinating look at how the sex symbol's style was created and theeffect it has had on both men and women worldwide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Imitation Marilyn--At Best
An imitation is a copy of the real thing, and when she was youger, tbe author eked out a living, or tried to, imitating the one and only Marilyn Monroe whenever called on to do so.
This easily read book is a sort of a slim autobiography of the author, very slim biography of Marilyn, meaning that it has a few assorted facts,but mostly make up, style, grooming, and personality tips for the MM want to be. And "want to be" has diverse meanings.

An amusing book with very interesting photos.Now in some, the author does resemble MM., but, quite honestly, in the majority, I see stark differences, and just think she really is stretching the truth. STRETCH.There was only one Marilyn Monroe, but there were, and continue to be, many, many imitators.I read that the suthor, now in her middle forties, this book came out in 2000, took up the real estate game, leaving the world of MM way behind.

Be (a) Marilyn.... Impersonator
I read this book years ago and liked it, so when I saw it priced cheap on Amazon I thought, " What the heck?" It really is more about the author than the subject.That is, somewhat, the point.She writes about what she does to reproduce Marilyn's appeal and how you can bring elements of her appeal into your life.Basically, it is a fun read and nothing more. I would not spend more than a few dollars on it.

A beautiful gift to offer or receive
This is an interesting book.
The only reason I will not give it 5 stars,is because I found it to be a little narcissistic in its nature and premise.It has that feeling of being yet another opportunity for Ms. Addis to show off how much she looks like Marilyn.
Apart from that,I guess it could be very helpful for Marilyn wannabees,with its tips,makeup and otherwise.
It is presented in high-quality fashion.Not a cheap book:beautiful pictures,good quality paper and presentation.
Would make a nice present

Be Marilyn if You Dare!
Gailyn Addis is a professional Marilyn Monroe impersonator who offers tips from her experience studying and performing as Monroe, to the curious individual or pro impersonator who wants to capture some of Marilyn's magic.In "Be Marilyn!:A Glamorous Guide to Living Blonde", Addis reviews a little bit of Monroe's career, behind-the-scenes secrets to her makeup and image, how she personally got started peforming as Marilyn and where it's taken her, and information on other Monroe impersonators.

I love to study Marilyn's image, movies, and photographs, and Addis does give alot of insight into the Monroe creation: revealing, for instance, that it took hairdresses and costumers up to six hours to get the real Marilyn ready for public appearances.The book offers a good amount of information.Marilyn Monroe's look, to the credit of the late actress herself and those who impersonate her, is not easy to pull off.Makeup application steps, hairstyle and wig techniques, costume guidelines, and mannerism styles are all included.

For those who simply admire Marilyn and the glamour of her era, there are tips on how to "Marilynize" your image such as minimizing stage makeup techniques for everyday, and including tapered skirts and heels into your work wardrobe.

The book is cute, classy, fun, and informative.It's not intended to be a biographical guide to Marilyn Monroe, but it is a tribute to how the indelible effects of her image can either be fun to replicate or actually become a full-time profession for those with the committment to impersonate her.

Great book for a Marilyn impersonator!
I have been a Marilyn Impersonator for many years in my local area. Although I'm not working in the Las Vegas Legends show and traveling the world as Gailyn is, I thought the book was very helpful to any aspiring Marilyn Impersonator or any fan wanting to learn more about the Marilyn style or image. The book is filled with many helpful tips on doing the Mailyn make up, wearing a wig, Marilyn costumes and style of clothes and heels, how to work an audience, making jokes, Being tasteful in keeping with the Marilyn image,How to make a portfolio, what movies to study,etc.. The book has many photo's of Gailyn as Marilyn (who does look alot like Marilyn), also Marilyn photos with little interesting stories about Marilyn singing to the troops in Korea and Happy Birthday to the President etc..Plus Gailyn tells her story of life as a MM impersonator and how she got started. Many stories were funny and cute like once when she sang "Heart Belongs to Daddy" and an older gentleman picked her up off her feet and wanted to dance lol! I found the book to be very entertaining and fun. Although I would like to learn more about Marilyn's dance movements and walk and more details on her musical side. This book does cover the basics! ... Read more

Product Description
At Fox she was the blonde everyone preferred. Marilyn Monroe: Platinum Fox celebrates the twenty films and character portrayals Marilyn brought to life at 20th Century-Fox. The relationship between star and studio spanned the entire length of her career, a time in which Marilyn became the studio's most valuable asset while evolving from a pretty brown-haired girl in a blue pinafore who passed before the camera in a flash to the sizzling platinum blonde who splashed seductively in a pool in her last moments on film. Illustrated with hundreds of photos from the Fox archives (many published here for the first time), this unique volume is filled with behind-the-scenes notes, trivia, film storylines, and character profiles. The images coupled with quotes by the wittiest screenwriters of the day, plus memorable moments created with Hollywood's leading directors and cinematographers, show why Marilyn remains the most incandescent star the screen has everknown. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Beautiful Coffee Table Book
Any Marilyn fan will be delighted with this book. Full of color and b/w photos, many I have never seen, as well as color examples of lobby cards and posters. Will be great in any film library or desk. I consider it a mus for the MM fan!

1 Star
This book is terrible. There's no new information at all. One of the worst books I have ever read!

Beyond Expatations
This is one of many books I have about Marilyn, and it is far and above any of the other books by a long way....The quality of paper to the quality of writing is supurior to all the rest... There are pictures in this book that are NOT in any of the other tomes written about her...

Best investment I've made in a long, long time

Great coffee table book
I bought this as a gift for my sister, Marilyn.It has "never before seen photos" of Marilyn Monroe plus her own notes attached to the pictures.The price was about 50% less than a well-known book store.

Nice Book
Really nice book with some "new" photos I haven't seen before. Though I'm puzzled by the book designer's choice of illustration style-making Marilyn seem like a brunette on the cover. ... Read more

Product Description
She is one of the great Hollywood stars who lived the American dream. This unique earBOOK allows us to get close to the life and loves of Marilyn in chronological order and with unique photos. From the young model to the great diva of the silver screen: wonderful photographs from her private collection are supplemented with film posters and photos taken at various film sets. Music CDs: Marilyn's songs on 2 CDs as well as music from her films complete this homage to Marilyn Monroe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

BEWARE:THIS IS MILTON'S MARILYN...well almost!
I was a little bit leary of ordering this book but finally succumbed to my curiosity.I was correct in my hesitation; essentially, this IS Milton's Marilyn. However, the edel "classics" GmbH edition does not have the text of the original & only a fraction of the photogrpahs.Many of those pictures are not nearly as clean/crisp as in the original but most are perfectly adequate.

The bright spot is that there are two handsome CDs (with photos by Milton Greene on them of course...) of Marilyn's songs contained inside the front cover.All the usual songs are here including the erroneously credited to Marilyn "When I Fall in Love"

No surprises here, although the book as shown is not the book you receive, it actually has the same photo of Marilyn as Greene's book does; Marilyn in the white fur stole with white background...but if you do not own Milton's Marilyn or any version of Marilyn's voice in song; this is definitely an OK purchase for the price ... Read more

Product Description
This FBI material concerning Marilyn Monroe contains published information concerning her alleged affairs and circumstances surrounding her death. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

A bit of a dog's dinner
On the plus side, The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog and of his Friend Marilyn Monroe has several things going for it. Firstly, the title which grabs your interest. Some of the writing is quite wonderful too - O'Hagan has a lovely way with words. The concept itself, while not perhaps truly original (an anthropomorphic take on animals and in particular here, the canine narrator) is interesting and this particular pooch is mixing in circles in which there is endless fascination (not only about Marilyn, but also Sinatra, Natalie Wood, Sammy Davis, Kennedy et al). Maf you see is a dog, gifted to Marilyn by `Ol Blue Eyes and it is through his eyes that we see the last period of Marilyn's life. And true there are both some interesting observations (though not particularly about Monroe) and a modicum of humor (although it was not as funny as I had expected).

The problem for me is that all these ingredients don't hang together terribly well and it's a bit of, well, a dog's dinner. In fact, I'd go so far to say that parts of it are really quite dull - and that's surprising given all the other factors. Maf is prone to philosophy - again, I don't have a particular issue with that, but it doesn't really have any effect on the narrative other than to bog it down. It's not particularly funny, nor insightful. In fact it leads to more questions as it's unclear where Maf gained this insight.

And sure, he keeps getting taken out with Marilyn on her trips to parties, sets, therapists etc, but there is little narrative coherence about these events and they seem to just plod along - and it's next to impossible to track the time frames of the book. I had high expectations of this book (which can be a problem) but I was sadly disappointed. It's clearly well researched (canines in history, philosophy, the life of Monroe etc) and perhaps this is its problem - it's too heavily researched and the end result is too stodgy. But most of all, I found it simply dull and this was only partly alleviated by O'Hagan's writing style. Maf understands humans, but we don't understand dogs' communication when they bark. Neither it seems do we when they write a novel. A paw effort from a promising writer.

"Settle down now, there's a good boy"
"The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog and of his friend Marilyn Monroe" by Andrew O'Hagan is a book that will probably sell mostly for its title. Consequently, I suspect, many of those who buy it (and regardless of whether they have sampled its opening pages) will be sorely disappointed with it. The book is based on a number of clever (although far from original) conceits, the principal of which is that dogs (as well as other animals) are sensitive to the thoughts and dreams of humans (most especially for dogs, of their owners) and thus, over time, accumulate a deep understanding of and love for human thinking, which imbues them with a profound propensity for endless philosophising. Sadly, all attempts to vocalise their endless musings are invariably perceived as nothing more than barks, yaps and other meaningless or annoying noises, making the trait more frustrating than useful.

In choosing as his protagonist not only a dog from real life but also one that was known to be the almost constant companion of a famous individual who is nowadays regarded as herself occupying something of a shadowy world of semi-make believe, frustrated in her attempts to find or make her true self known to others -- as well as now heavily shrouded in mystique, notoriety and offering a perfect candidate for voyeurism -- O'Hagan sets up an endless series of potential directions for his novel. And there, I think, is the rub in providing countless possible themes, in a setting laced with the poignancy, scandal and intrigue, most readers are likely to be disappointed with the direction that the author actually chooses to take. For in the end, the period and the setting are nothing more than backdrop in this book and while there are many passing snipes at the petty foibles of the rich and the famous and the powerful, ultimately the book is nothing more than a single, over-extended gag about the nature of dogs (and also, by extension, their owners).

Readers interested in the characters and events of the times portrayed in this book are likely to be frustrated at the endless parade of the minutiae of events and random conversations, seemingly at the expense of any coherent presentation of context or the bigger picture -- much indeed as a dog taken for a walk will happily spend its time sniffing around in the leaves without ever knowing (or caring) where it actually is or might have been. Conversely, those without any knowledge of the relationships between Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monrow, the Kennedy clan -- to say nothing of the endless panoply of Hollywood characters of the mid 1960s -- will find the endless digressions into the details of their gatherings confusing, distracting and boring in the extreme.

Andrew O'Hagan has a lovely way with words and many passages in this book are very beautiful indeed. At times is also very clever and witty, and the book is full of sharp observations about the nature of the world, of people and, most especially, of dogs. Sadly though, there are times -- altogether too many times -- when it is just plain tedious and often one can't help thinking: there's a good dog but come along now!

The one with the waggly tale
It's impressive, the distance that Andrew O'Hagan has travelled since his 1999 debut novel Our Fathers. From the start, he showed you he had the themes and a formidable intelligence. He also showed you how to wreck a promising novel through sheer over-writing, but he bounced back quickly. O'Hagan said that he is always itching to work on a long essay, and it's a form he graces.(If you haven't read his first book The Missing, or the essays collected in The Atlantic Ocean, waste no time in pursuing them.) The itch worked wonders on his second (and best) novel Personality, which found its niche in the area between reportage and fiction. The style - plainer, droller - benefitted too.

This, his latest novel, continues in this vein. The talk (and there is much more of it here than in O'Hagan's previous novels) glides much more smoothly than before. At times it feels like a Disney flick scripted by Damon Runyon. The story isn't the most original in the world, but, in fairness, the novel duly doffs its cap to Kafka and Chekhov, among others. If you forget the rather hideous cover - like something a self-publisher would blight a bookshelf with - the novel's entertaining and witty enough. I'd like to see more comedy from O'Hagan. ... Read more

Product Description
One of, if not the most, celebrated actresses of all time, Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson in Los Angeles in 1926. "I knew I belonged to the public and to the world," she said, "not because I was talented or even beautiful, but because I had never belonged to anything or anyone else." So glamorous, sexy, charming and heartbreaking, Marilyn Monroe gave us all she had and left us far too soon. Celebrate the life and work of this talented film icon with this stylish 2011 Marilyn Monroe slimline calendar. ... Read more

Product Description
The most complete, one-stop resource to the facts and lore of this amazing and beloved icons, this book collects the facts, rumors and fantasies of Marilyn Monroe's extraordinary (after) life in a fascinating and entertaining new compilation of information and lore, with test-your memory quizzes, the Great Marilyn Trivia Challenge, more than 30 exciting photos, and useful appendixes. Here are names, addresses and dates, and biographies of all the main players. Online promo . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

So Many Things Are Here
This is sort of an encyclopedia of MM. All major players in her life are listed, her photographers, quizzes, books about her, photo collections, and other lists including quotes by her and about her. Not a bio but for a fan or someone doing research into her life.

"Simply the BEST!"
BRAVO! and BRAVO! again. I read it a long time ago, when it was just published, and have learned a lot about Marilyn Monroe through this great author's knowledge. A treasure for the reader who is looking for true facts and not like fiction "a la'June DiMaggio & Co! Perfect also for fans who want to do their own private Marilyn Monroe and visit places where she lived and worked. Wonderful!!!
www.markbellinghaus.com

"The people made me a star."Marilyn
This is a very good effort of pullimg together many facts about Marilyn.Her movies,books friends,photographers,lovers,fan clubs,web sites,etc.,etc.It is a very good collection of information and as a reference book ,very handy to have for further reading about her and her career.
It does not,however;shed any real light on Marilyn herself;but tells you where to find just about anything that is available about her.
There is very little depth about anything covered in the book;but taking it for what was intended; a collection of information,it is very good.The photos are poorly chosen and even more poorly printed;except for the cover.But then again,this is not a photo album,but does reference the many excellent ones that have been published.
It is not a biography;it is a reference book.
If one were to looking for one book to read on Marilyn and her career;this would not be the one to get.However; if you've seen most of her movies,read several books on her and been treated to a few of the excellent photo books;you'd probably find this book very valuable.Anyway,that's my take on this book.

The Ultimate Marilyn
This is such a good book.I had a report on Marilyn Monroe and this helped out so much!This had pictures which were beautiful pictures.Some things that were in this book were family, friends, husbands, lovers, teachers, mentors, rivals, enemies, agents, publicists, studio heads,producers, directors, writers, photographers, costume designers, gossip,scandals, innuendo, intrigues, threats, rumors, conspiracy theories, murderor suicide, books, biographies, movies, stage plays, songs, imitators,impersonators, worshippers, detractors, fan clubs, web sites, and muchmore!

I found this biography to be dull and boring to read.
The Ultimate Marilyn is a biography which is filled with information. It has facts, myths, and theories. However, it is also boring to read. Unlike most Marilyn biographies which I have read, it is not set up like a story.It merely has short blurbs on each aspect of her life. ... Read more

Product Description
Perhaps it was her girlish, whispery voice; or the way her eyes danced when she smiled; or how she seemed to have an unearthly glow about her. Whatever the reason, Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most glamorous, seductive, and charming women in Hollywood history. Worshipped for her sexuality, adored for her vulnerability and innocence, Marilyn is a celebrated movie icon whose persona continues to enthrall and delight her loyal fans. Marilyn’s ethereal beauty and irrepressible charisma are captured here in a sequence of sensual portraits taken over the course of one extraordinary evening in 1961 when she was thirty-five, just a year before her tragic death. On assignment for Look magazine to photograph the movie star for its twenty-fifth anniversary cover, Douglas Kirkland shot Marilyn in the intimate confines of an unmade bed. The result is a series of some of the most spontaneous and flirtatious photographs ever taken of this film legend. Moody, grainy, and evocative, these images are accompanied by Kirkland’s own recounting of the story behind the photo shoot. Together his words and pictures tell the seductive tale of a brief and unforgettable encounter between a handsome freshman photographer and the sexiest woman in Hollywood history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Marilyn Lives On
This book should have been published in a large tome as the photographs are truly unique and beautiful portraying Monroe in the last year of her life. The photos shows MM in bed as the ultimate fantasy. Photographer Douglas does his subject justice and the Marilyn one sees is the eternal playful, wistful woman child that the world fell in love with.

An Evening with Marilyn
A nice 'little'(8x7") book.I would consider it a 'snap shot' of Monroe, taken during an evening, intimate & sexy, but I wouldn't call it erotic.A lot of the photos carry coarse grain, and casted a different mood to the work.

The only thing I would wish is that it could be a bigger print.

Some of the best photos here from one of Marilyn's most sexiest sittings!
If you are looking for something diffrent you have not seen well here it is. The Doug Kirkland sitting from 1961 just a year before Marilyn's death is one of her not so well known photo sessions but one of her most beautiful and sexy. She looks like a blonde angel in these poses! I love the pink outline in the book also. A must have for true Mailyn fans!

Searching for more of Marilyn you haven't yet seen?
I have a huge collection of Marilyn books and came across this one of an intimate photographic session Douglas Kirkland did with Marilyn for Look magazine's 25th anniversary edition in 1961. Very much worth the purchase for Marilyn fans - the photos are stunning, Marilyn is stunning! The text is sparse with the occasional typo...but you aren't there for the photographer's text, are you? Marilyn is as lovely as ever, and I would love to see this book in a larger format one day as the rather small format does not do the beautiful images justice.Great behind-the-scenes photos as well. Definitely a book I will be adding to my collection and looking through in years to come.

blonde angel as usual...
Me, as a fan, having nearly all written and printed things about MM, it's always a joy to find some new items. The pix in this book are incredibly wonderful. If you like MM and don't have this book, go on and buy! You really will like these fine pictures, honoring the beauty of this legend.... ... Read more

Product Description
This encyclopedic look at America's most famous and infamous pop culture events includes historical information on more than 600 landmarks and their exact locations. Sites include the Hollywood Boulevard beauty salon where Marilyn Monroe first dyed her hair blonde, the prison used in the Shawshank Redemption, and the birthplace of the hot fudge sundae. Special sidebar sections are dedicated to Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Ernest Hemingway, Bonnie and Clyde, Alfred Hitchcock, and more. An amazing portrait of the bizarre, shocking, weird, and wonderful moments that have come to define American culture, this follow-up to the acclaimed James Dean Died Here continues to uncover the unseemly and beautiful in the American landscape.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Need More?More Locations Of America's Pop Icons....
Need a book giving you more places to look for on your journeys across the USA?Well, this is a good one.I thoroughly enjoyed this addition and it just adds more onto the original.If you liked the 1st one, then you'll love this one.

Enjoy!

Interesting Locales, Volume Two
This follow-up volume to Epting's earlier "James Dean Died Here" is every bit as interesting, although the sites he singles out seem a little less (in)famous than those in the first book. Read this (and James Dean Died Here) if you'd ever like to spice up your road trips by physically connecting to the scenes of some noteworthy pop culture events. Even if you don't visit these places, this is still a fun read.

Marilyn Monroe Dyed Here
With a title like that, who wouldn't open the cover of this book to see what is inside ?Another great, (James Dean Died Here), by Chris Epting.Who would have thought that another book would be just as great as the first ? If you are interested in pop culture, then this is a must have.See where, when, why, and how it happened.With a brief summary, address, and photograph of most, you'll have no problem locating that favorite spot of yours, whether it happened in the movies, real life, in sports, or in crime.A nice addition to the historian's library.

Fun look for history off the beaten path
Epting showed us where to find those places read about or seen in the movies, or on TV with his first boo "James Dean Died Here." In "Marilyn Monroe Dyed Here" he's back for another round of our cultural history, the book is not as rich as his first one. Sometimes it feels as if he's being forced to scrape the barrel a bit more for his landmarks. There are still a lot of fascinating places to be found and visited, but his first book used most of his 1st string material, so here he is often forced to revisit movies and events, and find the *other* places that might not be so important or known. As others have said, one would like to have more pictures, but a number of the places visited this time can't have pictures - the site is gone, or are a bit more generic. Would the listing for the hospital where the first test tube twins were born be a better listing if there was a picture of the building? I think not.

That said, the book is still a great trip along memory lane.Finding places where the famous and infamous met their end (there's a great section on the end of many of the gangsters we have heard about) or the building we saw in the movies, or every week on TV. Epting also is very good at noting what places are private, helping to try and prevent the curious trespassing. For those with a literary leaning, many of our famous authors are put in the locations where they produced their masterpieces.It's the kind of book you toss into the car for a road trip, or leave out on the coffee table for a conversation starter.The two volumes make an indispensable set for any fan of popular culture and the offbeat.

Great Conversation
"Marylin Monroe Dyed Here" is one of those books that spawn great conversations. For those of you that own or have read Epting's first book, "James Dean Died Here" you know exactly what I'm talking about. It is FILLED with all kinds of killer facts and locations where historical Pop-Culture events took place. For instance, did you know the community park where "Bad News Bears" was shot, was actually built for the movie? Or do you know the location where the Rolling Stones recorded "Satisfaction" or "Paint it Black"? Or the fact that the opening for the show "Three's Company" was shot on the Santa Monica boardwalk? There are tons of facts from movies and music, to celebrations and murders!

You'll be amazed with all the information you'll find in this book (not to mention the cool cover design). And no matter where you live, there is probably an event that took place in your town which makes it relevant to practically everybody living in the United States. This book has facts which go back hundreds of years all the way up to stuff that happened last year. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Pop-Culture. It is a MUST HAVE! ... Read more

Product Description
Marilyn Monroe’s death in August 1962, apparently a suicide, shocked the world. The coroner’s report stated that her death was due to a massive overdose of Nembutal capsules. But what about the discrepancies between the official report and the eyewitness accounts and memories of the people who were there at the scene of her death—friends, her housekeeping staff, police officers, and doctors? And what about the forensic evidence that disappeared between the time of her death and the coroner’s report being issued?

Looking back at thousands of documents, many never before published, and interviewing dozens of sources, Matthew Smith argues strongly for a startling new version of events, as he paints a portrait of Monroe's day-to-day world toward the end of her life. The case he makes is based not only on the documents and on complete forensic evidence, but also on the secret, confidential tapes Monroe made for her psychiatrist in the days leading up to her death—tapes that reveal a woman in charge of her life and her fate, a woman looking forward to a busy, bright future. Here, in her own words from the transcripts of the tapes, are the most private, secret thoughts of Marilyn Monroe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

GREAT READ
If you have the time to read it I would encourage it. Really interesting and gives a new angle of the story.

Matter of Opinion
Alot of things in this book corresponded with what I had previously read but I dont think it is all true. If you want to read a real biography of Monroe look elsewhere. One thing I can say about this book is it kept you interested in everyway and was not boring. At the time of reading it it was one of my favroites, now not so much but I still think it deserves 5 stars however it is not as good or accurate as many other Marilyn who-dun-it books.

Blows Away Many Other Books With Its Clear and Comprehensive Take on the Case for Murder in the Death of Marilyn
After researching and reading many, many books attempting to explain the extremely complex and perplexing events surrounding the death of Marilyn, Matthew Smith's book presents a very detailed and well researched account weaving together the many threads in Marilyn's life with sobering logic. The book takes the reader on a journey through Marilyn's personal and business relationships, as well as the motives of those who sought to use her toward their own ends. It reads like a terrific mystery novel and like the pieces of a puzzle, comes to a unique and logical conclusion as to "who did it".

The only piece missing is the newest evidence, which came after the publication of this book, of the release of the secret CIA file on Marilyn Monroe. This new information through, only strengthens Mr. Smith's case that rogue agents of the CIA had a hand in her murder, as to publically embarrass the Kennedy brothers and force their resignations from public office (many other authors place the Kennedys as the main orchestrators of her death - a claim that never factually made sense). When one looks at the convergence of political struggles during the early 1960's and the many players including J. Edgar Hoover, Sam Giancana, Jimmy Hoffa, the Kennedy's, the CIA, the military industrial complex, etc., Mr Smith's logical conclusion makes the most sense.

Unfortunately, for Marilyn, she inadvertently got herself personally caught up the biggest political mess of the last 75 years and paid for it with her life. Because the perpetrators failed to nail the Kennedy's for her murder because of an amazing public relations campaign from 20th Century Fox studios buying the Kennedy's time to cover their behinds, it ultimately backfired on the Kennedy's and they all ended up dead as well. So if Marilyn had somehow lived, American history would be dramatically different.

Bravo, Mr. Smith on your crusade to get to the truth of Marilyn's murder.

Matthew you could have done your research even under marilyn monroe biographies
why do you and others continue to perpetuate the movie magazine stories and call them non fiction even da vinci code is fiction
please guys do your research and find the marilyn monroe foundation and her daughter nancy miracle who wrote a great play which tells the heretofore untold real story ofthe person behind the imageit's about time not the same old story not again please it's 2006

An attempt to cash in
I have read many books about the life and the death of Marilyn Monroe, so when this "revealing" new book came out, I wanted to see what it had to say. What I found was trashy, questionable material. I was wary right away, after reading the Acknowledgements section, where the author gives a large amount of thanks and credit to two people who appear as sources in many Marilyn bios, both of whom have been completely discredited by other (more believable) biographers. They barely even knew the woman, and have spent the years since her death trying to cash in on her memory. The fact that the author relied on these people told me that the material in the book was going to be questionable at best. After reading the entire book, I was left feeling very sad that Marilyn has been exploited yet again. If you want to read a real biography of Marilyn Monroe, I recommend "Marilyn Monroe: The Biography" by Donald Spoto. ... Read more

Product Description
"The definitive biography." DSLos Angeles Times ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A great book about an amazing woman...
Great book about such a beautiful woman who had a difficult life from day 1. This books provides alot of insight into Marilyn's life. I highly recommend it.

A great "First read" for new Marilyn fans/students
This was one of the first books I'd read on MM, wish it had been my first. Guiles does not use gossip and sensationalism, I like that. He gives the reader the person behind the myth, portrayed with the respect she deserves. It was written pre-Slatzer and Carmen, so you don't have them muddying the facts of Marilyn's life and death. I just recently recommended this to someone looking for a good first book to read on Marilyn.
[...]

Wasn't that good
I am Marilyn fan and I have read a few books this one was okay it was more focused on her movies but it was okay still my favorites, I recommend for Marilyn fans are the best one is from Barbara Leaming it was a gift from my sister very good book with GREAT pictures,then Marilyn Monroe Confidential by Lena Pepitone and William Stadiem and finally "My story" by Andrea Dworkin.

the uncensored story of marilyn monroe is not here it is in here i am mother
Here i am mother by nancy miracle is the only uncensored story of the human behind the image Mr. Guiles tells the same old story and never researched beyond the newspapersbut he tried i suppose the only person who knows and is able to reveal the copyrighted story is her daughter nancy miracle a playwright and member of the dramatists guild

blonde, beautiful, and doomed...
I seem to have read the Marilyn Monroe biograhpies backward, because so many of the ones I've already read (including Norman Mailer's, Gloria Steinem's, and Barbara Leaming's) used Guiles' _Legend_ (or his first Marilyn book, _Norma Jean_) as a reference and guide.This book is truly incredible for its in-depth look into a confusing, tragic life; especially since Marilyn often embellished her past.

I especially enjoyed Guiles' treatment of her decline.He never judged; he was sympathetic and kind about her lateness, dependence on drugs, and occasional fits of bitchiness.Unlike other biographers, Guiles didn't place all that much emphasis on her barbituate addiction, which I felt was kind of refreshing.Her death was handled eloquently, steering the reader toward a suicide verdict, carefully negating other reports.

I have only a couple of minor complaints; I think if I could I would give the book 4 1/2 stars.Twice near the beginning of his biography, Guiles points out that Marilyn was "not naturally pretty."He said it about Norma Jeane when she was starting to model, and again about Marilyn after some of her plastic surgery.How could he say that? It just seems like an odd statement to make about the greatest sex symbol of all time, especially because of her vulnerable, luminous quality.Also, regarding her marriage to Jim Dougherty, it seemed that Guiles took every word Jim said as gospel, when he would have as much reason as Marilyn to embellish that situation to his benefit (and no more proof than she had, and of course when Jim wrote his book, she was already dead).

On the whole, this is the best book on Marilyn Monroe, comparable only with Donald Spoto's biography.I recommend it to all readers, not simply people who are already Marilyn fans. ... Read more