Madonna: A Biography

As the author of this book, Madonna: a Biography, I'd like to correct the view that it was written for schools. This book was not written for high school students. Yes, Greenwood Press is an academic publisher but its Biography series is published for the general public as well as for university and public libraries and has major academic readership.

The answers to anything you ever wanted to know about Madonna that AREN'T on the gossip pages lie within the pages of this book. Mary Cross unleashes a deluge of well-researched, and accurate, information about Madonna the mega-star and how she came to be. A fascinating and easy read, Cross tells the story of a woman with a "never say die" attitude, in an entertaining way, without resorting to trashy, tell-all techniques. The book is organized in a very accessible format, including a detailed timeline that chronicles Madonna's rise to stardom right from the day she was born. Her #1 hits, albums, music videos, films, books and plays are also organized into individual timelines. The book even includes a section of photographs that takes the reader through the varied incarnations of Madonna's frenetic life. As a lover of historical biographies, I'd rank this book up there with some of the best I've read. I wouldn't be surprised if "Madonna: A Biography" became the official the go-to source for Madonna fans around the world.

I picked up this book on a whim and was captured after the first three pages. The writing is so lively that it kept my interest up even when the subject veered into areas that I might not otherwise care much about. And the author's dry understatements tell volumes. Ms. Cross seems to know just about everything about Madonna and she shows interest and respect for her without being silly on the one hand or critical on the other.

While it's a formidable task to unearth the real Madonna, Mary Cross gets as close as any journalist or writer has to date to penetrating Madonna's multiple reincarnations. Cross offers up a full sketch of Madonna's life in all its complexities and outrage. Cross suggests that Madonna's bad girl teen years, where she learned the power of shock, gave her the instincts for making it and the confidence to succeed--traits which have served her to good advantage throughout her long career. At age 20 she was cocky enough to take herself to Manhattan where she didn't know a soul. Even a series of failed artist ventures didn't dissuade Madeonna. She stayed the course, always with the ability to be on the cutting edge. She was among the first big names to use MTV to her advantage. Madonna was also in the forefront of milking publcity through the power of shock. She shoved her panties in David Letterman's face as a guest on his late night show,and later took delight in the outrage caused by her photographic book, "Sex." Her last concert took aim at political leaders and conveyed an erotic relatinship to horses. Cross is in awe of Madonna's capacity to keep us guessing as she pushes 50. Madonna can still create some of the most imaginative and entertaing concerts around while positioning herself as a loving mother and wife. Maybe the real feminist message here is never to lose faith in what you believe in and to be willing to try the new. "Truth or Dare" is the Madonna story and Cross tells it with juicy details, balance and even respect. This is a well-written (Cross is a seasoned journalist) guilty pleasure supreme. The perfect summer vacation read. I read it over a rainy weekend and, much to my surprise, found myself admiring Madonna in ways I hadn't counted on. Pat Taub Tenants Harbor,Maine