This is the definitive biography of Michael Jackson by acclaimed biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli, now updated. So much has now been said and written about the life and career of Michael Jackson that it has become almost impossible to disentangle the man from the myth. This book is the fruit of over 35 years of research and hundreds of exclusive interviews with a remarkable level of access to the very closest circles of the Jackson family - including Michael himself. It is the definitive Michael Jackson biography, and has now been fully updated to include the last five years of his life, and the emerging story of his death. Cutting through tabloid rumours, J. Randy Taraborrelli traces the real story behind the Michael Jackson we see and hear today, from his drilling as a child star through the blooming of his talent to his ever-changing personal appearance and his bizarrely public downward spiral. This major biography includes the behind-the-scenes story to many of the landmarks in Jackson's life: his legal a

As news of the 50-year-old pop superstar's demise spread around the world, there were tears, shock and surprise: a hero was dead. One of the greatest pop music icons the world has ever seen, Michael Jackson had millions of fans all around the world and had an undeniable influence upon fashion, music and popular culture. It contains: never-before-published photographs from the set of "Thriller" by hugely famous celebrity photographer Douglas Kirkland. It features photos by some of the greatest music photographers in the business, including Lynn Goldsmith, Kevin Mazur, Neal Preston, Laura Levine and Steve Schapiro. It includes family photographs of Michael, Debbie Rowe and their two children that have never before been published in book form.

Since his release from prison in 1990, Nelson Mandela hasemerged as the world's most significant moral leader since Gandhi.As president of the African National Congress and spiritualfigurehead of the anti-apartheid movement, he was instrumental inmoving South Africa towards black-majority rule. He is reveredthroughout the world as a vital force for human rights and racialequality. Mandela's riveting memoirs, A LONG WALK TO FREEDOM , werefirst published in 1994 to universal acclaim. This excitingillustrated edition now portrays his life in words and pictures.Vivid de*ions of his childhood environment, earlyJohannesburg, life in the townships, Robben Island and the events,protests, historic trials and acts of vengeance that forged hisdestiny are now accompanied by haunting and dramatic photographsthat illuminate his story in an unforgettable way.

The first compilation of Bruce Lee photographs published inassociation with the Bruce Lee estate. This book reveals the fullrange of Lee's talents. It includes rare photos spanning from hisearly stage career in Hong Kong to his worldwide success as anactor and martial arts phenomenon. Selected with the assistance ofLee's widow, Linda Lee Cadwell, Bruce Lee expert John Littlepresents a photographic record, accompanied by de*ivecommentary, of all facets of this fascinating man, from the startof his career to his untimely death a quarter century ago. Includedare photos from Bruce's personal family photos, from his childhoodyears, through the early years in Hollywood, to the peak of hiscareer as an international star.

Eva was arrested by the Nazis on her fifteenth birthday andsent to Auschwitz. Her survival depended on endless strokes ofluck, her own determination and the love and protection of hermother Fritzi, who was deported with her. When Auschwitz was liberated, Eva and Fritzi began the longjourney home. They searched desperately for Eva's father andbrother, from whom they had been separated. The news came somemonths later. Tragically, both men had been killed. Before the war, in Amsterdam, Eva had become friendly with ayoung girl called Anne Frank. Though their fates were verydifferent, Eva's life was set to be entwined with her friend's forever more, after her mother Fritzi married Anne's father Otto Frankin 1953. This is a searingly honest account of how an ordinary personsurvived the Holocaust. Eva's memories and de*ions areheartbreakingly clear, her account brings the horror as close as itcan possibly be. But this is also an exploration of what happened next, of Eva'sstruggle to live with herself after t

Shortlisted for the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs BusinessBook of the Year Prize 2008 The Snowball is the first and will bethe only biography of the world's richest man, Warren Buffett,written with his full cooperation and collaboration. Combining aunique blend of "The Sage of Omaha's" business savvy, life storyand philosophy, The Snowball is essential reading for anyonewishing to discover and replicate the secrets of his business andlife success. Warren Buffett is arguably the world's greatestinvestor. Even as a child he was fascinated by the concept of riskand probability, setting up his first business at the age of six.In 1964 he bought struggling Massachusetts textile firm BerkshireHathaway and grew it to be the 12th largest corporation in the USpurely through the exercise of sound investing principles - a featnever equalled in the annals of business. Despite an estimated networth of around US$62 billion, Buffett leads an intriguingly frugallife taking home a salary of only GBP50,000 a year. Hi

From New York Times bestselling author J. Randy Taraborrelli comes the definitive biography of the most enduring icon in popular American culture. When Marilyn Monroe became famous in the 1950s, the world was told that her mother was either dead or simply not a part of her life. However, that was not true. In fact, her mentally ill mother was very much present in Marilyn's world and the complex family dynamic that unfolded behind the scenes is a story that has never before been told...until now. In this groundbreaking book, Taraborrelli draws complex and sympathetic portraits of the women so influential in the actress' life, including her mother, her foster mother, and her legal guardian. He also reveals, for the first time, the shocking scope of Marilyn's own mental illness, the identity of Marilyn's father and the half-brother she never knew, and new information about her relationship with the Kennedy's-Bobby, Jack, and Pat Kennedy Lawford. Explosive, revelatory, and surprisingly moving, this is the fi

One climbed to the very top of the social ladder, the otherchose to live among tramps. One was a celebrity at twenty-three,the other virtually unknown until his dying days. One wasright-wing and religious, the other a socialist and an atheist.Yet, as this ingenious and important new book reveals, at the heartof their lives and writing, Evelyn Waugh and George Orwell wereessentially the same man. Orwell is best known for "Animal Farm"and "1984," Waugh for "Brideshead Revisited" and comic novels like"Scoop" and "Vile Bodies." How ever different they may seem, thesetwo towering figures of twentieth-century literature are linked forthe first time in this engaging and unconventional biography, whichgoes beyond the story of their amazing lives to reach the core oftheir beliefs-a shared vision that was startlingly prescient aboutour own troubled times. Both Waugh and Orwell were born in 1903,into the same comfortable stratum of England's class-obsessedsociety. But at first glance they seem to have lived

Michael Jackson was the undisputed King of Pop and his untimely death has provoked tributes from around the world. With a colourful life spanning from 1968 when Michael was a member of the Jackson 5 to his recent announcement of a final comeback tour at the O2 in London, nobody can dispute the achievements of the man who was arguably the greatest artist of the millenium. This fully illustrated book offers an insightful tribute to the man behind Thriller, the world's best selling album of all time. Including sections on Michael's early life and the Jackson 5, the making of Off the Wall and Thriller, and the troubled years leading right up to his announcement of a comeback tour, this will be a comprehensive and fitting tribute to a legendary pop star, the likes of which the world will never be seen again.

From a hard childhood lived largely in foster homes, she ascended to the highest of Hollywood heights-a screen icon beyond compare. And then she died young under mysterious circumstances, tragically cementing her legend. The life story of Norma Jeane Baker, the girl who would become Marilyn Monroe, is as thrilling, glamorous and dramatic as anything seen on the big screen, and the camera was there to capture every chapter. With intimate, rarely seen photographs of a pretty little child growing up in California during the 1930s right through to the classic imagery of the movie star in the 1950

From bestselling author Walter Isaacson comes the landmarkbiography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. In Steve Jobs: TheExclusive Biography, Isaacson provides an extraordinary account ofJobs' professional and personal life. Drawn from three years ofexclusive and unprecedented interviews Isaacson has conducted withJobs as well as extensive interviews with Jobs' family members, keycolleagues from Apple and its competitors, Steve Jobs: TheExclusive Biography is the definitive portrait of the greatestinnovator of his generation. The narrative of his personal life builds throughout the bookbeginning with one distinct chapter, then another, then another,until gradually his personal and professional lives becomeintertwined. There is material on his parents, on how he came to beadopted (and quite a bit, throughout the book, on his attitude tohis adoption), his influences during his childhood, his emergingattitude to life, his girlfriends, his wife and his children. Thereis new material in amongst all of th

Sir Alex announced his retirement as manager of ManchesterUnited after 27 years in the role. He has gone out in a blaze ofglory, with United winning the Premier League for the 13th time,and he is widely considered to be the greatest manager in thehistory of British football. Over the last quarter of a century there have been seismicchanges at Manchester United. The only constant element has beenthe quality of the manager's league-winning squad and United's runof success, which included winning the Champions League for asecond time in 2008. Sir Alex created a purposeful, but welcoming,and much envied culture at the club which has lasted the test oftime. Sir Alex saw Manchester United change from a conventionalfootball club to what is now a major business enterprise, and henever failed to move with the times. It was directly due to hisvision, energy and ability that he was able to build teams both onand off the pitch. He was a man-manager of phenomenal skill, andincreasingly he had to deal with global stars.

An inspiring story of one doctor’s struggle in a war-tornvillage in the heart of Sudan In 2007, James Maskalyk, newly recruited byDoctors Without Borders, set out for the contested border town ofAbyei, Sudan. An emergency physician drawn to the ravaged parts ofthe world, Maskalyk spent six months treating malnourishedchildren, coping with a measles epidemic, watching for war, andstruggling to meet overwhelming needs with few resources. Six Months in Sudan began as a blog thatMaskalyk wrote from his hut in Sudan in an attempt to bring hisfamily and friends closer to his experiences on the medical frontline of one of the poorest and most fragile places on earth. It isthe story of the doctors, nurses, and countless volunteers wholeave their homes behind to ease the suffering of others, and it isthe story of the people of Abyei, who endure its hardship becauseit is the only home they have. A memoir of volunteerism that recalls Three Cupsof Tea, Six Months in Sudan is written with humanity, convicti

She was, indeed, the People's Princess. She belonged to them,and was beloved by them. For some reason that cannot be pinneddown, this pretty young woman of the aristocracy, who married intoroyalty, connected with the common folk in a way that was uniqueand extraordinary. The people cared for and cared about Diana, andwhen she was killed in a tragic car accident in Paris, theoutpouring of grief-not just in England, but globally-wasoverwhelming. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of DianaSpencer's birth, LIFE has assembled a celebratory chronicle of hertoo short but constantly vibrant time in the public eye. In familyphotos, we re visit Diana's youth and then, quickly enough, thereis her courtship by Prince Charles. The Wedding of the Centuryreally was that, an opulent extravaganza at St. Paul's that seemeda fairy tale, even unto the Glass Coach. LIFE was on the job at thetime and in our pages appeared defining pictures from the day, aswell as behind the scenes shots taken by the royals themselves.Those

From the author of the best-selling biography Woody Allen—themost informative, revealing, and entertaining conversations fromhis thirty-six years of interviewing the great comedian andfilmmaker. For more than three decades, Woody Allen has been talkingregularly and candidly with Eric Lax, and has given him singularand unfettered access to his film sets, his editing room, and histhoughts and observations. In discussions that begin in 1971 andcontinue into 2007, Allen discusses every facet of moviemakingthrough the prism of his own films and the work of directors headmires. In doing so, he reveals an artist’s development over thecourse of his career to date, from joke writer to standup comedianto world-acclaimed filmmaker. Woody talks about the seeds of his ideas and the writing of hisscreenplays; about casting and acting, shooting and directing,editing and scoring. He tells how he reworks screenplays even whilefilming them. He describes the problems he has had casting Ameri

Starred Review. In 1975, photographer Tannenbaum met John Lennon and Yoko Ono while covering the taping of what would be Lennon's final public performance. Tannenbaum eventually began a comfortable working relationship with Lennon and Ono as they emerged from years of seclusion to promote their album Double Fantasy, the release of which would presage Lennon's Dec. 8, 1980 murder by mere weeks. This volume collects Tannenbaum's images from that time, many never before published, providing breathtaking, borderline-voyeuristic peeks into one of rock's most enigmatic couples. Most photos here were taken in November and December 1980, including a Central Park stroll, working in the home office and an intimate, dreamlike series featuring the couple undressing and in bed in an all-white gallery exhibition space. A chapter on Lennon's death captures the despair of a city as word of the murder spread. Tannenbaum (New York in the 70s) introduces each chapter with an eloquent personal narrative, but these narrow slices

One of the most popular and mysterious figures in Americanliterary history, J. D. Salinger eluded fans and journalists formost of his life. Now comes a new biography that Peter Ackroyd inThe Times of London calls “energetic and magnificentlyresearched”—a book from which “a true picture of Salinger emerges.”Filled with new information and revelations—garnered from countlessinterviews, letters, and public records—J. D. Salinger presents anextraordinary life that spanned nearly the entire twentiethcentury. Kenneth Slawenski explores Salinger’s privileged youth, longobscured by misrepresentation and rumor, revealing the brilliant,sarcastic, vulnerable son of a disapproving father and dotingmother and his entrance into a social world where Gloria Vanderbiltdismissively referred to him as “a Jewish boy from New York.” Heretoo are accounts of Salinger’s first broken heart—Eugene O’Neill’sdaughter, Oona, left him for the much older Charlie Chaplin—and thedevastating World W

No doubt one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, MarcChagall (1887-1985) created a unique world full of pathos, poetry,humor, and enchantment, drawing on vivid memories of his Jewishupbringing in Russia. His original style and his connection to thepast endured throughout his seven-decade career, despite the greatmovements and schools of 20th century art which he saw developingaround him. All aspects of Chagall's work are covered here, frompaintings to stained glass, tapestries, ceramics, and more.

When Marilyn Monroe became famous in the 1950s, the world was told that her mother was either dead or simply not a part of her life. However, that was not true. In fact, her mentally ill mother was very much present in Marilyn's world and the complex family dynamic that unfolded behind the scenes is a story that has never before been told...until now. In this groundbreaking book, Taraborrelli draws complex and sympathetic portraits of the women so influential in the actress' life, including her mother, her foster mother, and her legal guardian. He also reveals, for the first time, the shocking scope of Marilyn's own mental illness, the identity of Marilyn's father and the half-brother she never knew, and new information about her relationship with the Kennedy's-Bobby, Jack, and Pat Kennedy Lawford. Explosive, revelatory, and surprisingly moving, this is the final word on the life of one of the most fascinating and elusive icons of the 20th Century.

The #1 New York Times bestseller! Michael Jackson’s one and only autobiography – his life, in his words. With original Foreword by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, a new Introduction by Motown founder Berry Gordy, and an Afterword by Michael Jackson’s editor and publisher, Shaye Areheart. “I’ve always wanted to be able to tell stories, you know, stories that came from my soul. I’d like to sit by a fire and tell people stories – make them see pictures, make them cry and laugh, take them anywhere emotionally with something as deceptively simple as words. I’d like to tell tales to move their souls and transform them. I’ve always wanted to be able to do that. Imagine how the great writers must feel, knowing they have that power. I sometimes feel I could do it. It’s something I’d like to develop. In a way, songwriting uses the same skills, creates the emotional highs and lows, but the story is a sketch. It’s quicksilver. There are very few books written on the art of storytelling, how to gri

One of America’s finest historians shows us how Bob Dylan, oneof the country’s greatest and most enduring artists, stillsurprises and moves us after all these years. Growing up in Greenwich Village, Sean Wilentz discov??ered themusic of Bob Dylan as a young teenager; almost half a centurylater, he revisits Dylan’s work with the skills of an eminentAmerican historian as well as the passion of a fan. Drawn in partfrom Wilentz’s essays as “historian in residence” of Dylan’sofficial website, Bob Dylan in America is a unique blend of fact,interpretation, and affinity—a book that, much like its subject,shifts gears and changes shape as the occasion warrants. Beginning with his explosion onto the scene in 1961, this bookfollows Dylan as he continues to develop a body of musical andliterary work unique in our cultural history. Wilentz’s approachplaces Dylan’s music in the context of its time, including theearly influences of Popular Front ideology and Beat aesthetics, andoffers a larger critica

An enraged man abducts his estranged wife and child, holes upin a secluded mountain cabin, threatening to kill them both. Aright wing survivalist amasses a cache of weapons and resists callsto surrender. A drug trafficker barricades himself and his familyin a railroad car, and begins shooting. A cult leader in Waco,Texas faces the FBI in an armed stand-off that leaves many dead ina fiery blaze. A sniper, claiming to be God, terrorizes the DCmetropolitan area. For most of us, these are events we hear abouton the news. For Gary Noesner, head of the FBI’s groundbreakingCrisis Negotiation Unit, it was just another day on the job. In Stalling for Time, Noesner takes readers on a heart-poundingtour through many of the most famous hostage crises of the pastthirty years. Specially trained in non-violent confrontation andcommunication techniques, Noesner’s unit successfully defused manypotentially volatile standoffs, but perhaps their most hard-wonvictory was earning the recognition and respect of the

Katrina Firlik is a neurosurgeon, one of only two hundred or so women among the alpha males who dominate this high-pressure, high-prestige medical specialty. She is also a superbly gifted writer–witty, insightful, at once deeply humane and refreshingly wry. In Another Day in the Frontal Lobe, Dr. Firlik draws on this rare combination to create a neurosurgeon’s Kitchen Confidential–a unique insider’s memoir of a fascinating profession. Neurosurgeons are renowned for their big egos and aggressive self-confidence, and Dr. Firlik confirms that timidity is indeed rare in the field. “They’re the kids who never lost at musical chairs,” she writes. A brain surgeon is not only a highly trained scientist and clinician but also a mechanic who of necessity develops an intimate, hands-on familiarity with the gray matter inside our skulls. It’s the balance between cutting-edge medical technology and manual dexterity, between instinct and expertise, that Firlik finds so appealing–and so difficult to

Venture capitalists are the handmaidens of innovation. Operating in the background, they provide the fuel needed to get fledgling companies off the ground--and the advice and guidance that helps growing companies survive their adolescence. In Creative Capital, Spencer Ante tells the compelling story of the enigmatic and quirky man--Georges Doriot--who created the venture capital industry. The author traces the pivotal events in Doriot's life, including his experience as a decorated brigadier general during World War II; as a maverick professor at Harvard Business School; and as the architect and founder of the first venture capital firm, American Research and Development. It artfully chronicles Doriot's business philosophy and his stewardship in startups, such as the important role he played in the formation of Digital Equipment Corporation and many other new companies that later grew to be influential and successful.