- Paperback: 432 pages
- Publisher: Pan; New edition edition (12 April 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0330481649
- ISBN-13: 978-0330481649
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
650,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #26 in Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Music > Styles > Rock & Pop > Singers & Groups > Madonna
- See Complete Table of Contents
Madonna: An Intimate Biography
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Given the Queen of Pop's enduring popularity, it's surprising that Madonna: An Intimate Portrait is the first real and even half-credible attempt at a full-length examination of her life and work. Author J Randy Taraborrelli's previous subjects have included Frank Sinatra and Cher but it's obvious that Madonna has a special place in the author's heart, thanks to his balanced and well thought-out examination. Though little more than an extended tabloid tale, the book, to its credit, is a fairly comprehensive account of Madonna's career and takes us behind the scenes of her personal life like no other book has done so far. Of course, a good deal of what is presented here is far from new or exclusive, just rehashed in a more entertaining tabloid style.
The fights, the men, the marriages and the music; it's all here though how much you believe and how much you take with a rather generous helping of salt is entirely up to you. Irritatingly, conversations the author has never been privy to are often presented as virtually verbatim and dubious "friends" are anonymously quoted, but this all adds to its sensational gossip-column style. It's a pacy read and Taraborrelli has a keen eye for what makes a juicy anecdote; particularly amusing was Sean Penn allegedly punching a hole in the apartment wall after he and Madonna had an argument about her past relationship with the pop star Prince. Madonna phoned Prince and told him to come over to plaster up the damage, since it was "his fault". Apparently, Prince turned up and fixed the hole. It's anecdotes like this that make the book such a great read and Madonna's personal and professional life is so full of ups and downs that you can't help but root for her the whole way through. Madonna fans will find nothing new here, but in the absence of her own autobiography (which surely can't be far off) this is as good a portrait of a true legend as you are going to read. --Jonathan Weir --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'A thoroughly professional job... makes her more, not less, fascinating.' Lynn Barber, Daily Telegraph 'Bracingly prurient... a book you will find yourself "just dipping into" for hours at a stretch.' --evening standard
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First Sentence
Perhaps the last place Madonna's fans would ever have expected to find her was crouched on the floor of an automobile racing down a bustling Buenos Aires street. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Perhaps the last place Madonna's fans would ever have expected to find her was crouched on the floor of an automobile racing down a bustling Buenos Aires street. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Finally, someone has taken the time and energy to write a book about Madonna that is not an embarrassement. This book is based on solid research and on interviews with people I'll bet Madonna has forgotten even existed. It's as much a tribute to her as something she would have written herself ... yet it does criticize her from time to time when she deserves it, which is often. I loved the fact that every album has its own chapter, and the author's analysis of the music is very astute. Each boyfriend and other relationship gets a thorough going-over as well --my favoroite is Tony Ward, an small-time actor who had the best intentions toward Madonna but who, according to this book, came into her life just when she began to expect more from men than what he could offer. Still, their breakup was tender and sentimental. There is also an odd affair with John F. Kennedy, Jr, which I knew nothing about. (Jackie refused to meet Madonna!) The most fun is reading as Madonna spars with Guy Ritchie at the beginning of their romance when they are just getting to know one another. (The author writes that Guy was appalled to find that Madonna eats salad with her hands. LOL). I, personally, loved all of the material and research having to do with Evita since that's the movie with which Madonna really came into her own, and it's my favorite. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about Madonna even the smallest bit ... and also to anyone who wonders about show business people in general. This is really a primer in celebrity behavior. J. Randy Taraborelli somehow manages to make these people seem real, and I left the book actually admiring many of them -- including the Grand Diva herself, Ms. Madonna.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I surely loved this book. Everything I have previously read about diva Madonna was, I thought, poorly researched and written. This book...painted a credible picture of Madonna that I now believe to be absolutely true. All of her odd-ball relationships suddenly make sense with this book, and I found myself really rooting for her, wanting her to make it -- not just in her career but in her personal life, as well. By the time the story ends with her glam wedding to Guy Ritchie, I felt that I had been on a personal and intense journey with her. This is a "woman's story," which is why I enjoyed it. It's very intimate -- as the title suggests -- and should mean a lot to any person who has ever suffered through bad, so-called "toxic" relationships until -- finally! -- hitting upon that one that works, the one for which all of the others were only preparatory. I would speculate that this writer has had his share of complex life experiences to be able to write about another person's with such compassion and insight -- and without a hint of judgement, which I appreciated. To me, this was almost as good as a self-help book -- plus it was a great Madonna biography because all of her music and movies and show biz stuff is here, too. Five Stars for this work. I look forward to this author's next biography....
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I loved this book from start to finish. It made me cry, made me laugh my ass off and just made me love Madonna even more than I loved her before. In fact, it helped me see what a clever and genuine person she really is inside and that she really is a big softie. The detail in this book is really good, and you really feel like you are on the journey along side Madonna herself, even when she is in a dance class when she is about 17 years old, I could picture every minute of it. I recommend this book to any Madonna fan!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Madonna
I have not started to read the book yet, so no comments available. Will write a proper review when I can.
Published 11 months ago by Stephen M. Bedford
fantastic...for once the truth and the facts
what a fantastic biography,randy has written this book over a sixteen year period.....based entirely on fact,truth,interviews and extensive research,this book is a madonna fans... Read more
Published on 24 Mar 2008 by Mrs. Leanne Jowitt
Buy Andrew Morton instead.
Prehaps I was being out of touch and naive when I thought this book would concentrate mainly on Madonnna's epic musical career. Read more
Published on 28 July 2002 by "ajwalker6"
A light and easy read
This for me made a good holiday book, lazing on the beach reading an extended glossy tabloid magazine, although that doesn't mean I didn't love it. Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2001 by LB
A disappointing series of old tabloid articles
I was very much looking forward to reading a serious biography of Madonna; and I still am! This is little more than a series of old tabloid articles cobbled together... Read more
Published on 9 Aug 2001
(undecided)
I have to agree that this book was nothing new to my mental "madonna bank" of information. Read more
Published on 4 Aug 2001
yes yes yes....
we all know madonna and her story. this isn't the greastest story ever told. it was fun reading and i do recommend it, but the author needs to do a bit more research and stop... Read more
Published on 22 July 2001 by Travis W.
Ultimate Madonna Read
What a fascinating, page-turning biography. Well-written and full of in-depth insights into this modern day icon. Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2001
Wait for the paperback
A huge disappointment! There's virtually nothing new here for the hardcore Madonna fan. A careful reader will recognize the stories, sometimes almost verbatim, from previously... Read more
Published on 14 Jun 2001
An Intimate and Enlightening Read
This biography is a tour de force - a thoroughly engaging read brimming with anecdotes and history relating to the previously secret world of Madonna. Read more
Published on 5 Jun 2001
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