The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe (Audio Cassette)

~ (Author), John Glover (Narrator), Alyssa Bresnahan (Narrator), William Atherton (Narrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Although the title clearly states that this program encompasses only the last days of Monroe's life, the listener will quickly notice that it reveals more than that. It is actually an overview of her distressed and enigmatic life and all the events that, in the author's opinion, led to her sudden death. Was it a suicide or a ruthless murder? Wolfe boldly wants to end our doubts and speculations and put the pieces of the puzzle together once and for all. And he does so painstakingly and intelligently, making the account believable and interesting from start to finish. William Atherton and Alyssa Bresnahan's fitting use of their acting skills enhance certain passages and contribute to the authenticity of the well- narrated and easy-to-follow story. There is also an unabridged set available from the same publisher (ISBN 0-7871-1807-9. $30), but owning this version is sufficient because it includes Wolfe's earnest attention to detail. Highly recommended.AMirela Roncevic, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

With explosive new revelations concerning the "National Security Matter" that led to the cover-up of her murder, The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe is a page-turning account of one of the most shocking crimes of the century. Donald H. Wolfe meticulously chronicles her final days, names the killer, documents the mode of death, and identifies those who orchestrated the cover-up. The pieces of the puzzle regarding Monroe's mysterious death finally lock in place with the testimony of the remaining two key witnesses who have come forward for the first time.

Assistant District Attorney John Miner, present at the autopsy, reveals his secret interview with Dr. Ralph Greenson, Monroe's psychiatrist. He also explains why Marilyn Monroe was a homicide victim, and why he is calling for a new investigation and the exhumation of her body.

Newly discovered CIA and FBI files document the dark secret in Marilyn's relationship with the Kennedys, the truth behind her break-up with the President, the shocking facts about the star's last weekend at Cal-Neva, and the many bizarre events that took place at Marilyn's home the day she died.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Audio Literature; Unabridged edition (November 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787118079
• ISBN-13: 978-0787118075
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,627,677 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You must read this book!, December 13, 1998

By	Talking [e-mail] "Mark" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe (Hardcover)

When I first started reading this book, I thought to myself, "Oh no, not another book re-hashing the already revealed inconsistencies surrounding MM's death!" Boy, was I wrong! This book is one of the best ever written on the subject of MM's life and, especially, the mysterious and sinister circumstances surrounding her death. Someone should send a highlighted copy of this book to the LA District Attorneys office because this womans death screams out for justice! What amazed me was how Marilyn had no one in whom she could place her trust. The circle of people surrounding and insulating her in her last years were people who had known each other for years. They formed a tight circle around Marilyn and slowly but surely cut her off from people that really cared about her. Little did MM realize that anything she told one person in that circle (supposedly in confidence) was being shared with everyone else. The two most important new voices heard are those of John Minor (who strongly suspects foul play) and Mrs. Murray's (the maid's) nephew, who states that he was at Marilyn's home the night of her death. Their revelations alone are reason enough to re-open the investigation. History should reflect an accurate portrayal of past events, even if that accuracy serves to cast dark shadows on people that were once shining in the public spotlight. The people involved in the death of Marilyn Monroe should be no different. To this point, the "official" story as to MM's death has been nothing more than a piece of fiction. The question now is whether the LA District Attorney's office will have the courage to re-open the case with the new information provided, knowing that some big names might be implicated in a heinous crime. Let us all hope that they will find the strength of character and fortitude to do so.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stunning and engrossing, October 30, 1999

By	Jeffrey J. Lyons (Pembroke, NH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe (Hardcover)

I must agree with the other people who have offered reviews about this book. If you have been teetering over the suicide/murder scenario since that fateful day in August, 1962...then this book should put to rest any questions you may have over how Marilyn Monrie died. There is no question in my mind that it was murder. It's right there in black and white and it is totally infuriating that a new, honest investigation has never taken place. Wolfe thoroughly researched this with all resources he could get his hands on. It's disgusting that so much vital evidence has mysteriously disappeared. A new investigation needs to take place now. We've already lost some major witnesses over the years and survivors like Pat Newcomb and Norman Jeffries won't live forever. As far as the book itself. It is hard to put this book down. However, the only reason I don't rate it a "5" is because a lot of pages are spent on Marilyn's life story. I've read that all before. But these new revelations from Jeffries cannot be ignored.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Everything fits in the murder theory except Communism., August 12, 2000

By	Thomas Hughes (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe (Hardcover)

It is certainly one of the three best books about Marilyn. As for the other two, one is Maurice Zolotow's book that was published while she was alive (many libraries have it) and Anthony Summers' paperback "Goddess" that's still in print after 13 years.

Mr. Wolfe fits together many pieces of the puzzle, such as the bizarre role Patricia Newcomb has played in covering up the murder for 35 years. As late as the 1990s, when elder statesman Ted Kennedy had given up running for president, Patricia helped Donald Spoto write a wimpy book that tried to exonerate the Kennedys in the murder. Wolfe takes it apart very well. It is clear that Patricia, who now handles publicity for Barbra Streisand, never will divulge the truth unless a good district attorney puts her under oath.

May I please liberate us Marilyn fans from the book review format here and ask a question? Someone please post a "book review" to explain the following. Mr. Wolfe goes on for many pages about Eunice Murray, Ralph Greenson, Henry Weinstein and Walter Bernstein all belonging to the Communist Party. It's the one part of the mystery I don't get. Did these people's party memberships make them pro-Kennedy, anti-Kennedy or some shades in between? All right then, forget Weinstein and Bernstein, who were busy making silly film comedies that few people watch today. Why would Murray and Greenson, who spent so much time spying on Marilyn, do that for the sake of the Communist Party?

Also, Mr. Wolfe neglects to explain something about the day of the murder. Did Dr. Greenson push that needle into her chest with the intent to kill her? Maybe he was unaware of the drug that Bobby Kennedy and intelligence agent James Hamilton had given her a short time earlier. Maybe Dr. Greenson was trying to resuscitate Marilyn, and his needle hit the wrong place. We don't read about him using needles in other parts of this book or in any other Marilyn book. Maybe he was your typical 1960s psychoanalyst who spent 99 percent of his practice talking with patients and giving them pills, which they voluntarily swallowed. So the cause of Marilyn's death could be the homicidal dose given by RFK and Mr. Hamilton complicated by the clumsy resuscitation effort of Greenson. Mr. Wolfe doesn't explain how or if Greenson allied himself with the Kennedys before the moment of death. All we get is an alliance that started immediately after the death. True, an LAPD officer stopped their car for speeding as they sped away from Marilyn's house that night.

But that still makes it possible that Greenson accidentally finished her off, totally unaware of Bobby, and *then* Bobby approached him to say, "It's not your fault, doc, you just help us cover it up, please. The public is too stupid to understand your diagnosis of her mental state, so we'll make Mrs. Murray look like a kindly bespectacled old lady with no connection to show business or politics. Reporters aren't going to ask her about us Kennedys, J. Edgar Hoover, the telephone company records, Frank Sinatra, etc. Let Mrs. Murray and the coroner handle everything. They'll bore the Dickens out of everyone and the reporters will go away after a few days."

That's exactly what happened. Robert Slatzer and two newspaper people did some digging in 1962 (Florabel Muir and Joe Hyams, both based in New York), but no one published anything then.

Can anyone shed light on these issues of the Communist connection and Dr. Greenson's motive? The odds are great that never again will we get a book that addresses these issues. Future books on Marilyn will focus on her movies. Norman Jeffries, Eunice Murray and Ralph Greenson are all dead. Patricia Newcomb is still a professional liar, now doing damage control for Barbra Streisand. (Patricia doesn't want Bahh - bra to make a fool of herself over Vice President Lieberman.)

So, in the absence of another book on the Marilyn murder, and in the absence of a magazine or television piece, could someone please explain what the Communist memberships of Eunice Murray and Ralph Greenson have to do with Marilyn's death? And what was he doing with that needle as the Schaefer ambulance crew watched helplessly? Please post a "book review" with your thoughts. Thank you. If you haven't read the book, please do so. You can order it via the Web.