Customer Reviews

Jacko, His Rise and Fall: The Social and Sexual History of Michael Jackson

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I've read a couple of Michael Jackson books, just because he's a very interesting person. One thing I found very annoying about this book was that, the author seems to have problems staying at one chapter of Michael's life and continue with the same story until its actual finished, and then start with another. The time line is also very confusing; there were a lot of mistakes. Like, when he tells one part about Michael's life in the late 70's, it'll suddenly skip to Michael's Thriller days then back again to the late 70's and some of his facts are just absolute Bull. Another thing I got annoyed by was the fact that the author kept addressing Michael Jackson as Wacko Jacko (Thus, the cover title). Which professional writer goes by a tabloid name that was given to Michael, rather then just simply using Michael Jackson? Obviously the author believes more to that Michael, is a pedophile. Not only is the title unprofessional, the ads at the end of the book, that was lame. Some of the references the author made in this book are already made public as rumors, and yet he puts them as facts. There's no doubt that there are some interesting TRUE facts in this book, and you can find these facts in other more interesting Michael Jackson books. Now if you're an Obsessed Michael Jackson fan, who takes every word seriously and who are overly sensitive over Michael Jackson's life should not buy this book.

When reading this book, I kept an open mind and I know what sounds right and what smells like BS. Most of the author's sources are from other books about Michael Jackson, and it seems like every tabloid story (That were written in the books the author used as reference) was the author's main interest. I guess this book is what the author believes, All the rumors, all the accusations, all the stories, he compiled them told Michael Jackson's story the way the author feels is what happened in Michael's life. Some are true, some are completely ridiculous. It all comes down to opinion, and my opinion is that this book is the author's point of view on Michael's life.

For people who want to know about Michael Jackson out of curiosity/love/hate or whatever, just buy the book by J Randy Taraborrelli, The Magic and the Madness, the latest edition. It's the most realistic book ever written about Michael and very interesting. Again, if you're obsessed with Michael Jackson you should probably buy books that say "Michael the king/Angel/God", if that only satisfies you. [Some fans criticize me for buying this book and actually reading it] Another book that is very good (About the trial in 2005) is Michael Jackson conspiracy by Aphrodite Jones.

Overall, this book is based on rumors and it may be interesting but it's not factual.

I think this author lacks credibility. He makes basic factual errors like writing that Michael Jackson wrote the song "She's Out of My Life" when Michael Jackson, did not write that song he only recorded it. This is something you can verify by just reading the linear notes of the "off The Wall" album. I cannot trust an author who cannot get his basic facts straight. The author blantantly steals from Bob Jones's book, J. Randy Tamborelli's book and a whole host of other author's books.

Including 'Jacko' in the title should have warned me this book would not show MJ favourably at all. It is full of 'well informed sources' who don't wish to be named and who generally have a 'bone to pick' over some issue or other. Early into the book the writer comments on how Michael Jackson in spite of being old enough to have a girlfriend, showed no interest in sex. Porter then proceeds to make negative comments about this. And then he says Michael was 13 at the time. I found this disgusting. He was merely a child. I wondered whether Porter is some kind of sexual deviant.

The book shows no matter what Michael Jackson did, he would be crucified from every angle possible and from many 'players'. He simply couldn't win in the end. He is one of the greatest, if not the greatest entertainer of all time, clearly demonstrated by his phenomenal record breaking sales. Eccentric yes but he was a creative genius. Yet he is put down for not being sophisticated, well read, aware of all the classic movies, who starred in them, that he wasn't politicised, that he wasn't very articulate, on and on it goes - all this when he was in his late teens and early twenties. These skills take time to develop. When was he supposed to have 'clocked up' expertise in all these other areas as well is what I'm curious about. Porter's tone throughout the book is one of mockery and sarcasm rather than objectivity. Considering MJ came from a poor Afro American background where he was severely abused, the guy should be hailed as a miracle rather than put down and demonised as he is in this book. He must've had a phenomenal amount of inner personal strength and spirit to have merely survived as long as he did let alone reach such heights of creativity and success.

Michael Jackson was acquitted of molestation charges. What I am baffled about is why didn't ALL the boys and their parents come up and give evidence against him before, during and even after the hearing or start their own new prosecution against him if he molested them? Virtually every page however, shows Porter's biase towards Michael Jackson being a pederast or gay or both.

I felt incredibly frustrated and angry reading this book. I can honestly say I had one of Michael Jackson's CD's prior to his death but wasn't a passionate fan prior to his death but since his death, I have become rather curious about him. I have purchased a number of books and other reading material. After buying 4 DVD's and another 4 CD's I am now a passionate fan and can't believe what I have missed for all these years. What this book shows is that no matter what he did, he couldn't win. Virtually everyone he came in contact with wanted his money and would try to get it from him in any way possible.

If you're a Michael Jackson fan, don't read it. It is very upsetting. Go for Aphrodite Jones instead. Much better writer. Respectful, clear thinking and has a conscience.

I feel that this book was more about gossip than actual fact. I also felt that the author was biased on his views of Michael Jackson and he wanted him to be portrayed as the author himself felt.

This book is not what I expected. It is poorly written, jumps back and forth in terms of topics and timing, and is written in a more goosipy style than some of the other more factually written books about Michael Jackson. I have read several books on Michael Jackson and this is the most poorly writtn of the 4 I have read.

I'm an avid reader of Michael jackson books, and since I'm also screenwriting my own version of Michael Jackson's story I have been trying to find reliable books, this WAS NOT ONE OF THEM. What this book does is read like a interesting, quirky yet funny tomb of Michael's encounters with celebrities similar to Warhol's Diaries but what intrigued me the most is the retelling of stories of michael's most intimate secrets ranging from dinner at Liberace's house to being the most desired virgin in the 70s and lastly sexual trauma endured in his youth. But what I hate , HATE the most about this book is its biased perspective of michael as a pederasty across every page. After buying this book, 60 pages in I wanted to return it because I had read some of it before hand in B&N which seem okay but the more I read I was disgusted. The best chapter is the sexual pursuit of michael in 1977 from everyone from Calvin Klein, Halston to Margeauz Hemingway. If your a Jackson fan, skip this and go straight to MJ's Moonwalk or Tamborelli's Magic and Madness(MY FAVORITE) but if your looking for a good gossip rag on Michael Jackson than this is the novel for you, you use this book to compare the fact of Tamborelli in situations that happen to Michael, but this novel is NOT RELIABLE. Handle with CARE.

ANY book that refers to Michael Jackson as "jacko" is not worth buying.
In my opinion, the only person who can write a legit biography, is the person themself.
Anyone looking for some FACTS and TRUTH about Michael Jackson, I highly recommend buying "Moonwalk" written by Michael Jackson.
You get to know the real him, minus the tabloid junk!

The disrespectful title alone tells you that this so called book is based on media propaganda and fiction! As MJ said himself, his name is JACKSON. This is nothing more than an expensive tabloid magazine. It doesn't deserve one star!

For a real book on Michael, read Aphrodite Jones's book.

This book was the worst book I have ever read. It is a one subject (whether Michael Jackson was gay)mess! Author doesn't claim validity for statements made and it is boringly repetitive. No one deserves this type of treatment in the guise of a biography. A total waste of paper and money

I read many books about Michael Jackson because I loved what he did for music and he was a great person. Unfortunately this book is not what any fan wants to read and proved to be another bunch of lies and an attempt at getting money. I could stop right there but it would be too easy to say unflattering things about Darwin Porter's work "Jacko, His Rise and fall: The Social and Sexual History of Michael Jackson" without giving a deeper explanation. I should have known better the name alone Jacko is not respectful .The book starts with Michael's youth and seems quite positive at first and seemed like a good read. However, it didn't take too long for the author to give his annoying and unbiased comments on nearly every page, and then he comes up with tabloid subjects and he goes into each of them unsuccessfully trying to prove something bad about Michael.

I didn't like that author was focused on Michael's sexuality even at a very young age, after reading this book I can say that he clearly thinks Michael is homosexual and doesn't even make you think that he could be hetero for just one second. But he goes in details as he says writes like "Michael is a Jehovah's Witness and homosexuality is against his religion" and offers that Michael went to some bars in New York where he met homosexuals who were interested in him but he denied them because of his religion and he doesn't approve of their choice. He also writes that Michael might have been sexually abused when he was just a child and many other subjects without any true sources or much to prove that some of the things he wrote here were really said or true which is sad for him.

The only positive thing about the book is that it covers Michael's entire life from his childhood to adult, and that there are many, many pictures of the celebrities he mentions in the book so you have an idea of who said what according to Darwin. Not that it's exactly positive but it's the best thing about the book. There were not any pictures of Michael (except at the beginning of the book) though for a book in which he's the subject there aren't many. The book dates from 2007 but the 2009 edition has a new chapter after the death of Michael not that it matters much.If you're looking for collection of the tabloids subjects over the years, this is the one you're looking for but I don't know why you would want that unless you're not a fan of Michael. He writes that Michael is the one who was behind the story of the Elephant Man and wanted to gain extra publicity, while that may seem like an interesting theory he has NOTHING to demonstrate ANY proof at all! Oh and the author's adds in the end were terrible! I'm giving this a one star rating. I don't recommend it to any fans of Michael.