I have always been fascinated my MJ. This book. Was a good look at his life and how fame made and destroyed

Unfortunately, I have been locked out of my netgalley account for a few months and was not able to see which books I had on my list or even know to check if they downloaded properly, in order to properly read and review. I do apologize and am doing a 3 for neutral. Will update once I’m able to obtain a copy and read!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a huge Michael Jackson fan. I watched him grow and change throughout the years. He was a very misunderstood and manipulated person. So sad what happened to him. I enjoyed this book but found the writing style rather difficult.

I have no idea where to begin with this review. I would give this book 2.5 stars; as whilst informative and interesting it is a very very heavy read and I was ready to DNF on numerous occasions but I struggle to do this for any book as I don’t find it fair on the author.
The story itself is saddening and largely left me feeling sorry for MJ as opposed to horrified by his behaviour. We will never truly know what actually went on behind closed doors and instead there will continue to be speculations, accusations and fabrications of stories which may or may not have happened.
If you want to know more about the life of MJ, both the extraordinary and the obscure then this is a great example and really well written. It just might take awhile or need to be read in instalments.

So, I found this one very difficult to read, I took so long that I wasn't sure I would even get through it as some points, like a mammoth weight was leaning on me when I came to pick it back up again. I finally won but it seriously didn't feel worth it.

I expected it to have a bit more meat to it than it really did, it felt like a play by play of Jackson's life but with out all the personality and the character of a book written by someone who even liked him, it just didn't feel like there was even any personality of the author.

Lots of dates and events in Jackson's life and that's what made it so hard to read, it was more like a timeline, I did think that it would have been more like a perspective biography, with thoughts and perspectives as it couldn't be a like for like from the author's mouth biography as clearly MJ has been dead for a while now but it just seemed to lack any structure or even feeling of the person it was writing about.

I couldn't tell if the author liked or felt anything for the superstar it just seemed like the author at points wanted to talk about how black celeb's have had difficult and tragic person lives and went on about that a lot and then in between lots of dates about things it touched on everything we have all read and seen in the public eye so there is nothing new to add, and really whether you love or hate Michael Jackson, I can't really see what difference it would make to someone interesting in reading about this book,
Also the title to me seems a little off, I did expect the author didn't really like MJ as it starts with the "Destruction" of MJ and then later on the "Creation" - surely you would start with the creation first as the destruction came a lot later than he was created, it seems a little odd, to put it first reads as though Cashmore has some kind of beef already with the author.

It seemed that Cashmore just wanted to get his name out there off the back off Jackson by producing a book about a well known muscial legend that went south towards the end for his own financial gain.

The only piece of information I found interesting in this book was how much MJ made during his life in comparison to his death, the only fascinating piece in the whole book.

I'm not really sure who anyone could recommend this book to, it doesn't really add anything to the conundrum that MJ was and there certainly isn't any new information, it's not like it can be recommended to fans because there is nothing to give to the fans.
I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone as I struggled to even finish it myself.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Academic for the free ARC in return for my review.

Every time I picked this book up, I almost always would put it back down after reading a few pages. It has nothing new to offer. It also spends a lot of time talking about the broader scheme of Black, prolific celebrities with tragic personal lives; it makes me wonder if this author should have written this book in the first place. It feels like Ellis Cashmore had nothing to add to the subject but wanted to exploit the celebrity figure for financial and professional gain. It is too conversational and general about celebrity life and brings up the trials and fodder around the descension of Michael Jackson's stardom that most people, who would be interested in reading about him, would already know. So, I'm not sure who to sell this book to because it lacks appeal.

As a huge Michael Jackson fan, I was very excited when I saw this book available to request on Netgalley but sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations.

It was a very slow read, with lots and lots of information which I found myself getting lost in. I was expecting more of a biography but this wasn't the case.

This is a very different book about M.J. and a worthwhile read at that. This is not biography per se but a study about Michael Jackson and the world in which he lived. The ‘warts and all’ are certainly there. We witness the oddities and the often mysterious world he lived in amidst the complexities and intricacies of his personality. Supremely talented, he was a child star that never was allowed to be a child but would choose to live as such in his ‘Neverland’.
Jackson’s story is told within the backdrop of what was happening globally and culturally at the time. Using a reversed timeline, the author provides a unique perspective of who he was. Jackson the accused, abuser, father, husband, celebrity/pop icon, brother and son. This method gives the reader a most unique view of the multi-faceted Jackson.
This book answers questions but also provides food for thought. One thing is for sure, his legacy and controversial personality will live on.
Thanks to NetGalley, Ellis Cashmore and Bloomsbury Academic for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review.

I don't know why I want to read Michael Jackson as I never found him to be interesting and I was reminded of that with this book.

Sorry, but this is more a rehash displayed in chronological order.

PASS>

The Destruction and Creation of Michael Jackson by Ellis Cashmore I enjoy reading books like this but I just found this book a big let down from start to finish. There is so much informations within this book, was it all true about him?....or was it just fantasy? I find People are just making money out of Michael Jackson and his life.

Thank you NetGalley, Bloomsbury Academic and Ellis Cashmore for giving me the opportunity to read this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Very interesting read for those looking to learn more about MJ. Whether you are a fan or his or not
it is an extremely interesting and thought provoking read about one
Of the most biggest musical legends of our time,

Very interesting read if you are a fan of mjs or looking to learn more about the man behind the mask

However people remember Jackson, no one can deny that, in cultural terms, Jackson remains a compelling subject: an icon of the late 20th century, he reflects not only the changes in the circumstances of the African American population, but changes in white America. Jackson was idolized, perhaps even reified and, for many, objectified into an extraordinary being, an Other, for whom there were no established reference points in white people's conceptions.

The Destruction and Creation of Michael Jackson places Jackson at the center of its argument, but maintains he was a creation of, at first, American and, later, global culture at a time when it seemed desirable, if not necessary to exalt a

Black person on merit. America had become a society in which someone of Jackson's indisputable genius not only can, but must, rise to the top.

However people remember Jackson, no one can deny that, in cultural terms, Jackson remains a compelling subject: an icon of the late 20th century, he reflects not only the changes in the circumstances of the African American population, but changes in white America. Jackson was idolized, perhaps even reified and, for many, objectified into an extraordinary being, an Other, for whom there were no established reference points in white people's conceptions.

The Destruction and Creation of Michael Jackson places Jackson at the center of its argument, but maintains he was a creation of, at first, American and, later, global culture at a time when it seemed desirable, if not necessary to exalt a

Black person on merit. America had become a society in which someone of Jackson's indisputable genius not only can, but must, rise to the top.

A decent read. Took 2 days but found some interesting facts that I never previously knew.

This was an interesting read and I was interested in the facts that were presented, unfortunately though there was just so much of them and it made this book feel like hard work, like I was reading it for school and not for pleasure. The writing style was hard to gel with as well sadly.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I had read so many books about Michael Jackson, was excited to read this one but it was just ok.

It always pains me when I can't give a great review, and unfortunately this is the case.
I love biographies and autobiographies, but there was something in the writing style that didn't work well for me: too many dates and facts and information that made it hard to read.
It might probably be someone else's cup of tea for sure, but not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Bloomsbury Academic and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I had a tough time with this one. Although the subject was fascinating, I thought this book was really tough to read. It was bogged down with a lot of facts (there were dates and facts listed in the first chapter or so in this book) and it was just not well written. There have just been so many books written on Michael Jackson, I think this one will just get lost in the stack. I love Biographies and Autobiographies but this one wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Bloomsbury Academic and Ellis Cashmore for giving me the opportunity to read this book, in exchange for an honest review.

It breaks my heart to say, I could not do it. I read halfway through the book and had to give up. My head started spinning. I don’t remember when I last did not finish a book I started.

I felt conflicted with this one. First of all, I am usually a fiction reader. This is non fiction, which I knew. I thought more along the lines of reading a biography. This was very much cold facts on the table. Not biased, which is a pro. But freeing up “idolising” MJ, it ruined the fantasy and the memories for me. Will we ever know all the facts? No. For my part, I am grateful that I grew up with his music. I don’t need to know about every dollar he made and is still making after his death. I don’t need the destruction of an idol. I don’t mean this in a bad way. The book is very matter of fact and neutral. But it was just not for me. I could invent a raving review, because I got this book for free. But it would not be honest. I learned again about what I am comfortable in reading and I will stay in my ignorant little bubble. I guess I am at fault here, in a way.