Rating: 
Summary: Ehh.
Review: I had read Andrew Morton's bio of Monica Lewinsky and found it quite interesting. I had also heard what a good job he had done on Diana's book. So when I saw this in the library I figured--what the hell. I have been a fan of Madonna from Day 1 and have read all the major bios on her. The approach Morton takes here is different than most authors of Madonna--he attempts to analyze her character--in other words, what makes Madonna tick. That would be interesting for an essay or article, but there's not enough of it for a 200-plus page bio. Every 20 pages or so, he throws in a fact that explains what makes her tick. But this kind of analyzing feels tacked on--like the editor said,"Almost everything you have in here has been written in every other bio on her, make it different SOMEHOW." The pictures are the best part as some have never been seen before. And he debunks some of the myths of the Madonna legend. (She had more tham $35 in her pocket the first time she came to NY. She's actually quite vulnerable.) But there are loads of errors, both typographical and factual, which you would not expect from someone of Morton's reputation. He repeats facts more than once and glosses over facts in an attempt to cram everything in. (Only 1 page about her affair w/JFK Jr!!! Come on!) A better approach would have been to write more about what we DONT know. If you've read a previous Madonna bio (I reccommend Chris Andersen's) don't bother with this. Just gloss thru the pics.
Rating: 
Summary: Please!!!!!
Review: I have a simple question: Could this author not uncover ANYTHING new about Madonna? Not a thing? This is really a rip off. There is not one thing in this book people who are even remotely familiar with Madonna will not already know. At least when I read the last Madonna book (J. R. Taraborrelli's), I thought he uncovered a lot of new ground. But this guy, Morton, just ripped off the other guy's book (Taraborelli's), and didn't even try to act like he didn't. Whole passages! Come on! Enough, already. No more Madonna books, please. Wait for the paperback of Taraborelli's if you simply must buy a Madonna book -- but save your money and forget about this one. Even poor Princess Diana -- who Andrew Morton also wrote about -- would be bored to tears by this one. I can't believe this even came out!!!! I want my money back.
Rating: 
Summary: Fab book....
Review: I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the new book by Andrew Morton on Madonna. By the end you feel you have a real understanding of an incredibly complex and determined character, as well as the, perhaps surprising, impression that Madonna has a good few tricks left to spring on the world. As Morton says 'Her journey has only just begun.'
Rating:
Summary: Some interesting bits, but mostly boring...
Review: I only found a few bits of things that were interesting in this book. But most of the things written in this book are things that any Madonna fan will already be well aware of, and it's telling that the things I found interesting in this book were largely chunks of Madonna interviews that Mr. Morton had just re-published (note: they were not interviews the Mr. Morton had conducted with Madonna, rather they were interviews from magazines, etc.), as well as bits from others' articles about Madonna. That's the problem with unauthorized biographies, they have to resort to a lot of "gleaning" from other sources. I would suggest just going to the sources themselves, which any Madonna fan can do by buying magazines with her interviews, etc. Andrew Morton's writing is rather uninteresting and dry. In his biographies of Lady Di and Monica Lewinsky, he at least had the cooperation of the subjects. Madonna was in no way affiliated with this book's preparation. Maybe some day she will write her own autobiography. Until then, we will probably have to endure many misinterpretations of Madonna, as I believe this book really misinterprets her.
Rating:
Summary: more publicity than reality
Review: i think the book basically its far from the reality its more of the same that is already revealed about madonna nothing new or shocking the thing is that because is ANDREW MORTON who made it its such a controversy??well he did well with lady d and monica lewinsky but sorry when you talk about MADONNA ,you have to conduct a propper research and provide acurate imformation,not misrepresentation of the truth therefore is my consider opinion that the writer didnt do a good work an as a fan i am diapointed
Rating:
Summary: Call Me Crazy...But I Think Its Very Well Written
Review: I was shocked to see so many readers dissing this book. Granted, its the first Madonna bio I have read, but I felt that it was written with a lot of care and balance. And I couldn't put it down for five seconds. Mr. Morton is not a weak writer, rather he uses restraint, refusing to sensationalize his subject. Yet, Madonna is a sensational character and her life is dramatic enough to enthrall the reader without the overbearing massaging of the author's touch. I think the author achieved a perfect balance between delivering the goods and respecting the privacy of Madonna's intimate encounters, i.e. he does not go into graphic sexual detail concerning her exploits--and that is fine with me. I don't need those fine details, I have an imagination. In short, I think it was okay that he analyze Madonna psychologically, otherwise, where is the content, where is the meaning? We need to remember that she is a struggler, a survivor, that she cuts and bleeds--that she is not larger than life and inhuman. I would have been much more dissapointed to just have been given sensationalistic gossip and facts with no attempt to tie it altogether in a meaningful way. Morton obviously cared about his subject, repects her ballsy choices, though he never fails to point out the concequences, good and bad, that have come from them. I am a fan, but not insane enough to deny that Madonna has come off as a total fool and embarrasment at times. Morton's analysis offers explanations as to why she is simultaneously irresistible and over-the-top annoying. I totally resonate with his insights and highly recommend this fascinating and well-researched book.
Rating: 
Summary: Is this supposed to tell me something new?
Review: Last fall this new Madonna "tell-all" received so much press. I have been a Madonna fan for almost twenty years. This book didn't really reveal much that I hadn't read in other magazines or seen in television specials. The author also spends too much time focusing on Madonna's early years. It would have been okay if he would have found out something interesting about her early years, but he didn't in my opinion. I was so frustrated reading this book, that I rushed through the last 100 pages because I was so ready for the horrible experience of reading this book to be over. It was boring at times. I'm glad I waited to read this one. My suggestion is that you should wait too.
Rating:
Summary: Is this supposed to tell me something new?
Review: Last fall this new Madonna "tell-all" received so much press. I have been a Madonna fan for almost twenty years. This book didn't really reveal much that I hadn't read in other magazines or seen in television specials. The author also spends too much time focusing on Madonna's early years. It would have been okay if he would have found out something interesting about her early years, but he didn't in my opinion. I was so frustrated reading this book, that I rushed through the last 100 pages because I was so ready for the horrible experience of reading this book to be over. It was boring at times. I'm glad I waited to read this one. My suggestion is that you should wait too.
Rating: 
Summary: Madonna Queen of Pop
Review: Madonna... Queen of Pop
This was an interesting read about the Queen of Pop, Madonna. Obviously, Mr. Morton is a fan of Maddy's, as he treats her with relative kid gloves, as opposed to some other recent biographies. I enjoyed the book, but it's not Mr. Morton's best by a long shot! I would recommend Madonna fans to also purchase Matthew Rettenmund's "Encyclopedia Madonnica" and Michael D. Craig's "Who's That Girl? The Ultimate Madonna Trivia Book" for the real low-down on the Material Girl.
Rating:
Summary: Even-handed and relatively informative
Review: Morton writes in a pretty straightforward journalistic style about Madonna's life from childhood through to her marriage to Guy Ritchie. As a fan but not an expert on Madonna, I found the book to be very informative, particularly about her early years in NYC. I enjoyed reading about her relationships with people like the Gilroy brothers, and up until reading this book did not realize the extent of her days in NY, for example, that she had played gigs at Max's Kansas City. The info comes off as being very fair to Madonna in terms of her drive and her progress. She is often portrayed as a heartless climber, but Morton paints the picture of a bright personality who is extremely energetic, motivated, and also loving and caring, even if she does crave the spotlight and need to be the center of attention. The book is more telling about her than the typical Madonna mythology we so often hear. He details her generosity with certain friends, and with AIDS charities, her struggle to make her first marriage work, while also citing incidents of cheapness and bitchiness. Also interesting are the descriptions of her various business ventures, and her non-stop work ethic which spills over into every aspect of her life, from songwriting to running six miles and then working out with weights for an hour. My criticism is that, around the 3/4 point, Morton jumps back and forth a bit erratically in time after his initial description of the birth of Lourdes and the making of Evita. Up until that point, the format was chronological. The content of the book, including Morton's analysis of Madonna's personality, makes for a good bio despite the minor flaws of format.
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