Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed [Kindle Edition]

Michelle Morgan's 'Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed' is a fully revised, expanded update to her earlier Monroe biography, first published in 2007. This new paperback highlights her research and writing, with a more comprehensive text.

Morgan lives in Britain where, for twelve years, she headed the Marilyn Lives Society. She approaches Monroe's life from a different time and place, with compassion. However, Morgan's attention to detail is rigorous, allowing a broader view of the subject.

Morgan chronicles the making of Monroe's films; her creative ambitions and triumphs; marriages and lovers; her agonising struggle to have children, and battles with addiction and depression. In each case, Morgan shares her findings and clarifies past mistakes, adding her nuanced perspective to a story so often retold.

The subtlety of Morgan's portrayal comes to the fore in the chapters surrounding Marilyn's untimely death. She pinpoints errors made in the official investigation, and considers less-explored possibilities while allowing readers to draw their own conclusions.

Some may find this grounded, scrupulous approach unsuited to an enigmatic figure like Monroe. But with 'Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed', Michelle Morgan has completed a biography as complex and appealing as Marilyn herself.

As a life long admirer of Marilyn Monroe, I can remember a time when the announcement of a new book about my heroine would bring me as much excitement as a child looking forward to Christmas. These days it's a very different feeling indeed, usually one filled apprehension and dread as through time I've come to learn that most biographers start of with the best intentions but end up making mistakes by relying on previous publications that contain poor research based on hearsay and gossip and mostly not very reliable sources. For a long time I have prayed to God for a book that would do justice to Norma Jeane's life story and this is it. At last we have a book worthy of the extraordinary woman who became Hollywood's most beloved icon...

'Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed' is in my view, the best Monroe biography in over 40 years. Not since Fred Lawrence Guiles' "Norma Jean," which I have always held in high regard, has there been such a book. In fact, I have enjoyed Michelle's style of writing so much I'd say it even eclipse's Guiles work!

I found myself reading things for the first time about someone whom I thought I knew very well. Michelle, through her meticulous research has uncovered new stories about Marilyn's childhood, the Knebelkamp family and Aunt Minnie, new details about her drama coach Natasha Lytess and her vocal coach Hal Schaefer, her frustration with her mother and the true depth of her relationship with her father, the true extent of Joe DiMaggio's devotion to her in her final year, her painful suffering from endometriosis, her struggles to improve herself, her ambitions, having her dreams turned into reality but all the while failing to find the personal happiness and professional fulfilment she ultimately sought.

In the fifty years since Marilyn died it seems that every few years there is a revival and a fresh flurry of interest in her. But the way the world is now, the Internet and with YouTube it would appear that Marilyn's popularity is at an all time high as it has soared to new heights. For anyone new to the Monroe world, perhaps through films like My Week With Marilyn garnering new interest in the legend, Michelle's account of Marilyn's time spent in England in 1956 will be of particular interest as we have a more historically accurately description of that time.

Each chapter covers a period in Marilyn's life and is like a short story in itself. I found myself going back and re-reading chapters I enjoyed the most and also because of this it's a good source of reference for clarifying incidents and dates. Michelle has been lucky enough to count among her sources, people who were there at the time and were a privy to what was happening behind the scenes.

Marilyn Monroe: Private And Undisclosed is an honourable and respectful portrait of the woman who came to define Hollywood glamour, stardom, female sexuality who had many human qualities, but at the same time could be difficult, complex and her own worst enemy. It's the most compelling account of the life of Marilyn Monroe yet and it's the one book everybody should read in this, the 50th Anniversary year of her premature death.

I have just finished reading the most extraordinary book, Marilyn Monroe, Private and Undisclosed by Michelle Morgan. For any fan or admirer of MM this book is a must, as for the first time you get to meet the real woman, not just the clichéd sex symbol. This book had me wide eyed at some of the facts that I had never known before, I felt like I was reading about a completely different woman, one I had never met before. I started researching Marilyn many years ago(early 1980's) for my first book, Marilyn On Marilyn and felt that over the years, with all the further reading of the plethora of biographies that have been published, I had a 'handle' on the woman that was Norma Jeane/Marilyn Monroe. But this book has made me realise how little I really knew. Of course all the major landmarks of MM's life are here in full detail but it is the lesser known details of her life that make this book so fascinating. Day to day events bring her to life in a startling way. For the first time I now understand Marilyn's progression through the movie industry from starlet to major star, revealing stints in live theatre. Her childhood too takes on a new light as caring and loving foster families and relatives are revealed. Michelle's research has brought her into contact with Marilyn's friends and family, more casual friends and acquaintances and work colleagues, their thoughts and opinions concerning Monroe give us a rounded portrait of a sensitive and caring woman who also craved attention, admiration and acceptance. Also revealed are some character traits that a lot of Marilyn fans may not want to acknowledge but it is this honesty that makes the book so revealing, truthful and valuable. Rather than alienating the Monroe fan, it is these traits related honestly and factually that make you understand and admire her struggles so much more. If you have not bought and read this book already I absolutely urge you to. It is so good I want to read it again, I want to digest all this new information even more, and I am going to. Michelle, Marilyn Monroe would be so proud and happy to have had her story told so honestly and lovingly. Thank you from myself and, I am sure, a myriad of MM fans worldwide.....