Michael Jackson

The book arrived swiftly with no hassle and when it did it was as described in very good condition. The pages were still as crisp and it would have been very hard to tell that this was indeed a used item, the overall condition of the outside cover matched that of the pages inside in that it was in pristine condition upon arrival. The book itself was an excellent read for any Michael Jackson fan as it is one of the few books that tries to accurately condense the life and career into it. There are many good photos within this book and it also has a discography at the end which is a nice touch. Though it could be said that there are far too many incidents and points in Michael Jackson's life to mention this book does a comprehensive job of detailing the highs and lows within 144 pages. A great book for all to read and Chris Roberts has done a great job in giving a subject that has been covered so much in the last 50 years a fresh and enjoyable take on the "King Of Pop".

I have been collecting books about the King of Pop and am pleased to have this one. It is written honestly, and parts of the book make me feel sad as it draws upon things that were happening, but doesn’t go down the usual media hype path. There are some great pictures and lots of great information. It’s really nice to read, and is split into album sections, with a sort of summary preparing you for the next chapter. I really enjoy reading this and would recommend this.

Been looking to replace this book for 2 years made one girl really happy, gives an insight to the life of a star.

Okay, it's another pictorial tribute to Michael Jackson, and a slim one at that. However, the quality of the photography and Chris Roberts' text help this new publication, Michael Jackson King of Pop 1958-2009, transcend superficiality. Roberts once reviewed one of Michael's UK concerts in memorable prose, which he quotes in the Introduction to this book. It's a reminder of what a Michael Jackson live performance was like. "He is beautiful, feline, febrile... Onstage, he lives a stream of silky, seraphic lifetimes. That's entertainment." It was July 26, 1997. Michael was 39, "the child within" and, as Roberts had declared in his review of the show, he was "still big. If the genre got small, that's hardly his fault." Michael Jackson was someone who was incredibly shy and easily embarrassed when not on-stage, standing, strutting or dancing in the spotlight. It was where he felt most comfortable. He once said "It's the greatest place in the world. I just light up. It's magic. I'm here on Earth for a reason, and that's my job, to make people happy." He then went on to say that (even at the age of 22) he had been entertaining most of his life, and consequently found being around real people strange. "It's hard to live in the real world, in my position. I try to, sometimes, but people won't deal with me in that way, because they see me differently." This would sadly remain the case later in Michael's life. Only the fans and his close associates seemed to understand and accept what the media portrayed as a strange, complex individual with a lifestyle that appeared to push as many boundaries off stage as did Michael's live performances, his songs and his ground-breaking music videos - or "short films" as he called them. He was bound to attract controversy, jealousy, extortion attempts, and the inevitable media backlash. At times his perfectionism, prescription drug dependence, financial problems and legal battles invited criticism, which he sometimes did little to convincingly allay. Frank Sinatra once supposedly warned him "Kid, the press will build you up today, because they like to tear you down tomorrow." This, sadly, remained true for Jackson until the end - and beyond. But you don't get to be the first artist to have number one hits in the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties without acquiring a legion of dedicated fans. Despite the media labelling his 2001 album "Invincible" a flop, it went double platinum and sold eight million copies. Some flop. Tickets for his fifty comeback concerts, titled "This is it" at London's O2 Arena scheduled to commence on July 13, 2009, had sold in double figures per second. But, as the world knows, eighteen days short of opening night, Jackson died of cardiac arrest at the rented Hollywood mansion where he had been living with his children while training and rehearsing for the London shows. If Roberts had declared the pop music genre had grown small back in 1997, how much smaller is it now without Michael Jackson, we might ask? This final chapter of Michael's life and Robert's tribute is, of course, a sad, sad finale to the life and career of the King of Pop. Although, with over 200 hours of music in the can yet to be released, Michael's career is probably far from over. Even the live global telecast of his celebrity-laden public memorial service - with Michael's gold coffin front and centre, and his daughter Paris stealing the limelight from industry legends - merely added to the Michael Jackson legend. If there is a problem with Roberts' version of events in this publication, it is that at times he relies too heavily on other media sources and fails to fully explain some of the more puzzling aspects of Jackson's life which family, friends and Michael himself have spoken about. In that sense, Roberts' biographical picture is incomplete, and at times merely scratches the surface of the public part of Jackson's life. But, given the too brief 144 photo-laden pages of this book, it could only ever be a potted history of a truly unique individual. Roberts appropriately gives the closing comments to Motown supremo Berry Gordy Jr, who said at the memorial service on July 7, 2009: "From the first time people heard him sing as a young boy... Michael Jackson went into orbit and never came down." Despite the limitations I loved this tribute to the imcomparable Michael Jackson.

Great product. great delivery time

First class

great book, had it as xmas present

Disappointed to find damage to this ..

All I can say is that this is excellent a must have the pictures are great. I don't really like buying books written about Michael but this one is good. One of the must haves for any Moonwalkers collection.

写真的には、スリラー（ショートフィルム）のゾンビメイク時等・・他ではあまり見る事がなかったものも多く掲載されてますが、写真の割合に対して英文が多く感じられます。私のように「英語はちょっと・・」と言う方で、書かれている内容をしっかり把握したいと言う方にはあまりお薦め出来ません。あくまで「写真を楽しめるだけで十分」ならＯＫだと思います。

WONDERFUL AND EXCELLENT QUALITY

Magnifiques photos et très beau livre.

Hi...I wanted to tell you that the book arrived earlier than expected, that made me very happy, this well only they did something worn at the tips, but all the rest .. excellent condition Thanks, see you later..