Book Description

Bit by bit, the ravages of age are eroding Marina's grip on the everyday. An elderly Russian woman now living in America, she cannot hold on to fresh memories—the details of her grown children's lives, the approaching wedding of her grandchild—yet her distant past is miraculously preserved in her mind's eye.

Customer Reviews (59)

A Memory Mansion during the Siege of Leningrad
The Madonnas of Leningrad, Dean's first novel, won critical acclaim and several awards including the Quill Award for 2006, and ALA Notable Book of the Year 2006. The book will appeal to readers interested in psychological fiction, historical fiction, art history, World War II and Russian history.

Set during the 900 day Siege of Leningrad, (1940 - 1944) Marina, a docent at the Hermitage Museum, lives in the vast museum basement with her family and hundreds of other starving citizens of the city during the Nazi bombings. Increasingly frail and malnourished, she stands watch nightly on the huge roof of the museum buildings spotting enemy aircraft.

The World War II scenes are interwoven with the present-day story of Marina as an old woman living in Seattle, Washington attending a grand-daughter's wedding. Suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Marina's mind floats freely between the clear memories of her past and her confused experience of the present. During the siege, to distract herself from hunger pains, Marina had memorized much of the huge collection of art treasures, creating a "memory mansion" of paintings and sculptures of the great masters of Western European art. The art lives on very clearly in her disease-riddled brain many decades later giving her the pleasure of viewing the art again as she "walks" through the miles of galleries in her mind.
This book took me to a time and place in history about which I knew very little. Visiting the State Hermitage Museum website to see panoramas from the roof overlooking St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) perhaps showing views that Marina looked at every night added to the experience of reading the book.

A MUST REA
Someone said, "If you know someone who has Alzheimer's, you do not want to read this book." Absolutely not true! My father-in-law has Alzheimers and I found this book to be incredibly insightful and thoughtful in regards to Alzheimer's. Once I started this book I could not put it down.The way Debra Dean weaves the tales in this book just captured me.It is probably one of the best books I have read.Absolutely incredible.I immediately emailed all of my friends and told them they HAD to read this book!Just lovely!

Wonderfully written.
From the title of the book to every sentence in it I was captivated by the Madonnas of Leningrad.

My father has Alzheimers so I had that personal tie to what was going on also.

Simply a great book that grabbed me and held me through its entirety.

Thanks for writing it and thanks for publishing it!

swept away
I was pretty much swept away by this story. I enjoyed the non-linear plotting and all the layering involved. I thought constantly of the film Russian Ark and also a friend who was born in a displaced persons camp where his Russian artist parents ended up after the war. It rang true that the parents, having experienced such horrors, avoided the details with their children.

However, the modern parts of the story seemed perfunctory, particularly in contrast with the richness of the historical portions. That's too bad - it cheats the reader. Marina's daughter lacks passion and intellectual curiosity, which seems false given some of her life choices. I wonder what sort of book it could have been if there were more balance in the presentation of the two eras. My three-star assessment is recognition of a great story idea told half-well: not great literature, not total chick-lit trash, ultimately worth reading.

Love, survival, and the power of imagination
I work with older adults who are in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, one of the most dreaded possible outcomes of aging. The people I work with certainly have problems with their memories, especially short term memory, but they continue to enjoy conversations, reminiscing, music and art. I would like to think their journey is like Marina's, the heroine of Madonnas of Leningrad.

Marina and Dima live in Seattle and on the weekend which opens the book, they are headed to one of the near-by islands for the wedding of their granddaughter. They didn't always live in Seattle. They met in Marina's new school when they were both eleven, after her parents had been arrested by the secret police in Russia. He protected her and taught her to be quietly defiant. They remained friends until the evening before he headed off to fight the Germans. He asked her to marry him when he returned and they became lovers that night, then he was gone.

Debra Dean's story weaves back and forth between the present and the Siege of Leningrad by the Germans. Her vignettes of the rooms in the Hermitage in Leningrad are startlingly vivid, especially when one realizes that the young Marina is reenacting her tours from memory as she faces the empty frames of the great art which has been sent to safe keeping in the event that the Germans reach Leningrad.

Is the Marina who sits on the ferry on her way to the wedding remembering what we read? Is she remembering the vivid details even as she gazes absently at the water? Even as she wonders who the woman next to her is until the woman calls her Mama. Of course, she remembers, Helen, Elana.

Marina is conscious that "[o]ne of the effects of this deterioration that as the scope of her attention narrows, it also focuses like a magnifying glass on smaller pleasures that have escaped her notice for years. She tried once to point out to Dimitri the bottomless beauty in her glass of tea. It looked like amber with buried embers of light and when held just so, there was a rainbow in the glass that took her breath away."

The day of the wedding, Marina sits on the patio of the hotel and finds herself seeing figures from the past. "Marina reaches for [her daughter-in-law] Naureen's hand and grips it tightly in her own. More distressing than the loss of words is the way that time contracts and fractures and drops her in unexpected places."

In the Hermitage, many of the paintings had religious themes and many of them included the Madonna. When Marina accompanied one of the older women, Anya, through the dark and empty halls, Anya would often stop and pray in front of frames which had held different Madonnas. And although Marina felt religion was for the masses, she too began furtively offering prayers. Life did seem to become more bearable. She survived and many others did not.

Dimitri, whose love for Marina never fades, finds that "she is leaving him, not all at once, which would be painful enough, but in a wrenching succession of separations. One moment she is here, and then she is gone again, and each journey takes her a little farther from his reach. He cannot follow her, and he wonders where she goes when she leaves." Perhaps she returns to the Hermitage and the multitudes of Madonnas offering comfort and compassion.

Reviewed by Judith Helburn
For Story Circle Book Reviews
www.storycirclebookreviews.org
reviewing books by, for, and about women
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Customer Reviews (5)

Cher and Madonna
CHER:TOP-GROSSING TOUR BY A FEMALE ARTIST
Billboard 5-28-2005 reports Cher's Farewell Tour grossed $194,683,927 million, selling 2,880,726 tickets from 280 North American shows, realizing 90% of her gross potential and playing to 92% of capacity, and that Cher's Worldwide tour had 325 shows and grossed well over $200 million (Pollstar reports that Cher's average ticket price was about $68.)
Billboard editor 10-14-2006 reports that Madonna's Confessions Tour is the top-grossing tour by a female artist, grossing $193 million from 60 shows, selling about 1.2 million tickets, besting Cher's $192.5 million from 273 shows (Pollstar reports that Madonna's average ticket price was about $184.)
**No Explanation From Billboard On Why Cher's Touring Statistics Were Changed**
Nielsen Media Research reports:
CHER NBC 4-8-2003 9-11pm
#7 -16.6 million viewers
#10 -5.9/15 in the 18-49 demographic
Cher was aged 56
MADONNA NBC 11-22-2006 8-10pm
#73 -4.6 million viewers
#72 -1.8/5 in the 18-49 demographic
Madonna was aged 48
CELINE DION CBS 3-25-2003 9-10pm
#11 -13.8 million viewers
#29 -4.1/10 in the 18-49 demographic
Celine Dion was aged 34

Cher and Madonna are both very successful, But Cher does have the the top-grossing tour by a female artist - actually by any solo artist (Celine Dion's Las Vegas show should earn about $400 million)

Esther-Fest
I love the cover. It's a publicity pic of Madonna (or should I say Esther?) from '06. The rest are live shots and shots from her clothing line which are nice but she doesn't look as flawless. This would be a great Christmas gift for that g-a-y man that has everything. Speaking of Christmas, the Material Girl won't have to worry about what to get her kids this year. Because she has given up X-Mas and won't be buying them a thing. I prefer the old Madonna that was crazy about SEX. The new Madonna is just plain crazy! Ho, ho, ho!

Flawless!
Incredible calendar, awesome pictures, great design. If you want to be with Madonna, buy it!

MADONNA verson 2008
Madonna is undeniably one of the most photographed women on the planet.This is a monthly tribute to her compelling looks.From her H & M ads to her last tour to a freakishly up close centerfold, this calendar delivers to all the true blue fans who feverishly await her tour next summer to celebrate her 50th b-day.I'd say she was 47 in these photos though. Beautiful Madonna.

Madonna is still beautiful...
Wow!!!49 years young and she's still got it!!!

Madonna continues to be both a beautiful woman and the top female entertainer of our time.
... Read more

Book Description
Welcome to the world of the English Roses! Meet each of the English Roses—Nicole, Amy, Charlotte, Grace and Binah—and learn all of their vital statistics. From each girl’s full name, to her favorite pet, to her worst habits, this question-and-answer book will introduce readers to Madonna’s delightfully charming girls. The book has a section for each Rose, plus one for the reader to fill out, and features gorgeous highquality four-color art! ... Read more

Book Description
The English Roses are as tight as five friends can be. Nothing can come between the five girls, Nicole, Amy, Grace, Charlotte and Binah! But then Nicole finds out that her New York pal, Leslie, is moving to London. At first the girls can’t wait to meet her. But when Leslie arrives, the Roses start to worry that she’s stealing Nicole from them! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Very well written
The books are very interesting even though they are written for children. I have never expected from Madonna something like this.

The Cry of Spiritual Side of the Material Girl
This is a super-cute collection and well worth the bucks to buy in the boxed set.I'm one of the jealous Madonna fans who loves to hate her.A fan since Madonna first hit the scene, I never liked her (because I always wanted to BE her). Consequentially, once upon a time Madonna became more than just obnoxious: she's stinking-richie.She's out there, doing the Mrs. Ritchie thing.Ritchie-Rich-Rich!!So I seldom, if ever, purchase anything in the form of a new Madonna product.Lucky for her? she was able to hire state-of-the-art-illustrators to create these little books, which are comforting... Especially when the only thing you can afford is toast.If you like well-made, pretty childrens books, a plus.A percentage of the purchase goes to help poor orphans, and that's cool.Madonna should keep doing more of that kind of stuff (helping people with the money she enmasses).It's true she had her daughter, Lola, going around to schools reading these books as part of her allowance and/or Mom's perceived ritchie-rich duties of the child to some semi-interested or adoring public.(Poor kid.But the drama of it all must be what memories are made of.)These books have a sentimental quality that reminds one, Madonna is a person.An icon, yes, but also a human being.Yet it seems Madonna has had to pay-off every single person in her life.So these books portray an attitude of someone who wants to overcome that (buying people's love and/or pleasing and controlling them with money). She does it by dedicating the books to members of her immediate family and Husband Ritchie...They are a bit of a cry for help I feel.Madonna would love to be remembered for more than just physical things; but wouldn't we all?

Madonna's Five Books For Children
These books are also for grown ups. The illustrations and life lessons are so enjoyable. I'm saving up for a set to donate to our school library.

Loved the books!
Great stories for kids and beautiful illustrations that my daughter and I really enjoyed!! Great collection for any young girl or boy.

Written Beautifully and inspires children
I purchased these books for my 6 and 8 year old nieces, and they absolutely adore them. I read the books with them, and they are wonderful. The illustrations are breath taking as well. All the books carry a positive message and teach young kids how to deal with sittuations they will go through in life on day. A definite proof that Madonna has taken a step foward with her life. Wonderful job, love them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

A book of art
Why was Madonna's 1992 book so shocking? Because this is the first time an A-list star published sexually explicit photographs of herself.

This book isn't just naked pictures. It's much more than that. Madonna gets out all of her sexual frustration in this photographic book. It also includes letters and poems by Madonna's alter ego, Dita. And a comic book with a special edition CD, "Erotic" (a takeoff of Madonna's single "Erotica" which was released simultaneously.)

Everyone thought that Madonna really lived like one big whore in her private life; which could not be further from the truth. Both Warner Bros. and Madonna were only too glad to perpetrate this lie.

Pseudo-arty-farty Crap!
The only value this pseudo-arty-farty book possesses lies in the name of its author, namely, Madonna [the queen of mass market endeavors]. Yes, this is a wonderful collector's item, if you're a fan, and you want to see Madonna in all her 'staged glory', however, this books adds nothing to the genre of erotica. I would have to agree with another reviewer who said it was "an over-priced picture book of amateur erotica" because at the end of the day it's only the price that truly blows you away!

Fascinating Failure
When this book came out in 1992, I was surprised how stark the book was and what a dark tone it took on.This was not a fun, erotic book but a rather somber look at sex and relationships.Back then I was turned off and thought Madonna had made a mistake.By all accoounts, it probably was as Madonna's image suffered and her status as 'pioneer' came to an end.It just wasn't as cool to like Madonna anymore.From 1992 to 1995, Madonna could no right in the public's mind, and although songs like 'Secret' and 'Take a Bow' were major hits and proved Madonna was still a musical force to be reckoned with, 'Sex' was the turning point in Madonna's career as cultural icon.

Now 12 years later, 'Sex' actually does carry some merit.It's still amateurish, particularly the packaging (what were they thinking with the binding??) and some of the phots (ie. with the skinhead lesbians and Naomi Campbell, Big Daddy Kane and Vanilla Ice) are pointless and silly, but some of the text is quite sexy, and Madonna explores some provocative themes such as S/M, power dynamics in relationships and bisexuality and homosexuality that are both sexy, insightful and funny.

I think Camille Paglia said it best in her 1992 review in 'Us' Magazine that the best photos in the book were the ones of Madonna on her own.I agree.The pictures of Madonna playing sexy housewife, hitchhiking nude, hand gliding nude and eating pizza in the nude are both voyeuristic and exciting, as Madonna plays out these roles with the sense of humor and fun that we've come to expect.The rest of the book is quite dark and yet you have to admire Madonna for showing the negative side of sex rather than just flashing her body for a quick buck.She actually makes an attempt to be intellectual about sex and pornography.

'Sex' is interesting reading and viewing.It is a fascinating failure.I think Madonna should have gone the route of playing characters rather than interacting with others and she should have concentrated more on the text.She could have also used a more original title.

As for the Christian reviewer who says that Madonna 'regrets' the book.I don't remember Madonna saying she regrets it but she wishes she had presented it in a different way.Deep down, I think she regrets it from a career standpoint but she should be proud of the things that she presented in this book.Her comments at the beginning of the book where she distinguishes fantasies from the dangers of AIDS are pointed and she also poignantly remarks that there is nothing better than sex with love.

In this book, it's almost like Madonna is searching for that love, and this book admirably points out the loneliness and unfulfillment that even sex brings.

Dita the mistress of fetish!
Creatively thought out and daring concept, the book is more along the lines of fetish and erotica. Maybe this was the inspiration for much of the current fetish/erotica/BDSM scene?
to be read with an open mind and appreciation for fetish.

The best book i've seen that was published in the 90's
I've never been a huge madonna fan but i did like listen to her music sometimes. And i figured this book might be a good investment so i bought it and i now have decided to start collectig madonna stuff. I think this is an exelint book and a must for the collection of any madonna fan. ... Read more

Book Description
The English Roses promised to be friends for life, but now something could be coming between them. Grace’s mom is acting funny, always cleaning the house, and tidying up. Something is up, and the Roses suspect the worst: Grace’s mom is getting ready for a move. Could Grace be moving away from the rest of the Roses? The rest of the Roses need to come up with ways to keep the group together . . . and fast! ... Read more

Book Description
In a masterful evocation of Italian Harlem and the men and women who lived there, Robert Orsi examines how the annual festa of the Madonna of 115th Street both influenced and reflected the lives of the celebrants. His prize-winning book offers a new perspective on lived religion, the place of religion in the everyday lives of men, women, and children, the experiences of immigration and community formation, and American Catholicism. This edition includes a new introduction by the author that outlines both the changes that Italian Harlem has undergone in recent years and significant shifts in the field of religious history. Awarded the Alpha Sigma Nu National Book Prize (sponsored by Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States) for outstanding book in the humanities. Winner of the 1986 American Catholic Historical Association's John Gilmary Shea Prize. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

THE THEOLOGY OF THE STREETS
Robert Orsi's Madonna of 115th Street is a brilliant multi-dimensional research on the meaning of "popular religion" in the Italian community of Harlem in New York. However, to be just, Orsi himself is rather cautious about labeling his study by the term "popular". It is "religion in the streets," Orsi says, that is in the center of his examination: "This study began in a sense of the limitations of the meaning of popular religion and a desire to broaden and deepen our understanding of this phenomenon" (Orsi, 1985:xiv). Robert Orsi raises pertinent and engaging questions regarding the melding of ethnicity, religion, and community values which have implications beyond the scope of the present work.
The study of Italian American religion begins with the people themselves as a story of suffering, conflict, and hope intimately related to Mary. The men and women of Italian Harlem, the Sicilian refugees brought to the United States along with their modest material goods their incredibly rich religiosity and devotion to the Marian cult. The latter, unlike in the case of Polish Catholics (Orsi, 1985:xvi), was hardly controlled by the Church structures. This unique feature of the Southern Italian Catholicism defined people's religion as the totality of their ultimate values, their most deeply held ethical convictions, their efforts to order their reality, their cosmology: "This also could be called their "ground of being", but only if this is understood in a very concrete, social-historical way, not as reality beyond their lives, but as the reason that, consciously and unconsciously, structured and was expressed in their actions and reflections" (Orsi, 1985:xvii). Orsi's analysis resembles Durkheim's research on The Elementary Forms of Religious Life who believes that religion is "a fundamental and permanent aspect of humanity". The reality of religious forces is to be found in the real experience of social life, according to Durkheim (Durkheim, 1995:36). Interestingly enough, in the same way as Durkheim finds the birth of that idea in rites, as moments of collective effervescence, Orsi finds the annual festa of the Madonna of Mount Carmel in the 115th Street in the heart of the socio-religious dynamics of the Italian Harlem.
Symbol, ritual, and myth - the entire experience of Mount Carmel emerged from and referred back to the people's lives; the men and women of Italian Harlem shared and found themselves in the destiny of symbolic meanings when they attended the festa of the Madonna of 115th Street. In turn, their experience of the Madonna shaped their American destiny.

The Madonna: A Vivid and Complex Examination of the Festival
In this lucid and eloquently written book, Orsi places the Madonna of 115th Street into the full context of the Italian Harlem community.I found the most interesting part of this extrememly insightful book to be Orsi's examination of the Italian-American domus, and how the complexities of the domus are played out in the festival itself.The book is a brilliant examination of the role of women in Italian Harlem; Orsi shows how the Madonna embodies both the power and restrictions of Italian-American women in this time.Orsi also effectively demonstrates how the Italian immigrants, with their annual festival, carved out an identity "niche" for themselves, apart from but no less legitimate than other immigrant groups and other, more church-oriented forms of Catholicism.For the Italian immigrants, the festival provided both an essential link to Italy and a way to define their particular community.This book is easily accessible to scholars, students, and the general public, and includes many interviews so the reader gets a vivid sense of the period and the people of Italian Harlem.Highly recommended.

Best Depiction of Italian-American Life I Have Ever Read!!
Great book! Covers not only the Catholicism of Italian Americans, but also a great deal about their home and family lives.Neither PC nor arrogant, this book depicts the Italian American world better than anything I have read! I kept nodding in agreement and underlining passages while reading. Forget the movie stereotypes and sentimental recollections;this is the real thing.It helped me understand my own culture a great deal.

The only letdown was the part about a "Theology of the Streets." That section struck me as a tad unrealistic.

How religion plays out in the everyday lives and experiences
In The Madonna Of 115th Street, Robert A. Orsi (Charles Warren Professor of American Religious History, Harvard University) offers a seminal and ground breaking study of faith and community in New York City's Italian Harlem. The focus of this treatise is the annual Catholic festival called "Madonna of 115th Street" and how it has both influenced and reflects the lives of the men and women of the neighborhood. The Madonna Of 115th Street reveals a compelling perspective on how religion plays out in the everyday lives and experiences of American Catholics and the formation of a distinctive immigrant community. This Yale "Nota Bene" paperback edition is highly recommended reading and enhanced with a new introduction by Orsi outlining the changes that Italian Harlem has undergone in recent years and the significant shifts that have occurred in the field of American religious history.

Reflective and penetrating
This book helped me think in new ways about the place of tradition and authority in the contemporary world. Orsi's reconstruction of the mental and social schemata of the Italian community in East Harlem is a fascinating, compelling story. His research is impressive and his interpretation persuasive. Three cheers for Orsi's "theology of the streets." ... Read more

Book Description
Money can't buy love and being the wealthiest person in the world doesn't guarantee happiness.

Lotsa de Casha is the richest -- and most miserable -- man in the world. No matter how colossal his castles, how fast his horses, nor how big his sandwiches, he remains a gloomy old sourpuss -- until he embarks on a fantastic adventure that leads him to the discovery of life's greatest treasure...

What is the secret to happiness? Read Lotsa's story and find out... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Fantastic book to teach a beautiful lesson!
All of Madonna's books have a message.This one is about giving to others and that is how you find true happiness.My daughter is 6 1/2 and all of Madonna's books have been on her 'favorites' list for over a year now.We give this book as a birthday gift to all of her 6 and 7-year old friends.The illustrations are like beautiful masterpieces from a museum, and the message is strong.

I don't just recommend this book (especially for girls...although the message is valid for boys as well) but ALL of Madonna's books.I originally doubted Madonna's ability to be a wonderful author, but once again, she rises to the occasion and does a fantastic job!My only regret is that she has only 6 books as I would love a series of her books like Seuss!

Get all of them!
These books are great for all children (and grown-up ones too!)...

A great read
We have bought all of the Madonna books and enjoy each of them but this is, by far, our favorite.Our 5 and 7 year old and I have so much fun reading it.I just love reading Losta's lines as they are written in English but with the Italian pronunciations.Our children laugh every time.The illustrations are gorgeous and there are many morals scattered throughout the book. It can be a bit preachy at times but the messages are all good.

books
I bought this book and the rest of madonna's books for my grandaughter . I love all Madonna's books.

Educational and fun
I read this to my daughter tonight, she is 4.5 and she loved it! She is more advanced in her vocabulary and understanding dialogue then others her age so this book was not too old for her. I always read with animation so using an accent for Mr. De Casha comes easy (one reviewer complained about). We enjoyed discussing it during and afterwards and the art is beautiful. I came to Amazon looking for the rest of her books which are in my cart right now! I would say it is more suitable for most older children (as it says in the description of the book) but it works for my daughter. I am excited to get the other children books in this series Madonna has written as they are entertaining and in addition filled with gorgeous art. ... Read more

Book Description

Material Girl. Immaculate sexpot. Kabbalah enthusiast. British mum.

She has defied categorization for three decades and remained one of our greatest living pop icons

Customer Reviews (3)

More re-hash than definitive
I've almost reached the end of this book. I feel kind of cheated. This was supposed to be the "definitive" Madonna biography. Instead, what you get are the same old stories re-hashed with maybe a bit of extra totally extraneous information. For example, I don't really care to know the exact address of Madonna's family home in Pontiac, but would've liked a bit more insight into what really makes her tick. This book basically runs methodically through every album release, every tour and throws in comments from some people who knew her. It's lazily written, there's no real analysis going on here. O'Brien makes statements about Madonna and just leaves it hanging (or makes comparisons to herself). I did kind of enjoy reading the book anticipating some new information - and there were a few morsels, but not nearly enough. Her family are barely mentioned, but we get what seems every detail of every album she's ever recorded! It just feels impersonal - I wanted to read about Madonna, not about everything I already knew about her career. Only buy this if you know almost nothing about Madonna's life and career. You'll end up knowing alot about her career and chart positions etc. But you'll learn almost nothing about the woman herself. This is the biography of a career, not a person. I think I'll wait for the autobiography....

WHO IS THE "REAL" MADONNA?

Who can properly explicate the woman who is arguably the most famous female pop artist of our time?Many have tried; some have failed.Music critic Lucy O'Brien has a good go at it with Madonna Like An Icon.

O'Brien has been researching the phenomenon that is Madonna since the 1980s, fascinated by what appears to be unbridled ambition and the ability to repeatedly reinvent her image.This biographer's summary judgment is "The only place where she seems truly herself is when she is doing her work.Away from that she can be self-conscious, status-conscious, everything-conscious.Only in performance are those layers stripped away and it's just her."

Whether or not we agree with O'Brien's assessment this biography is meticulously written and researched, taking readers from Madonna's childhood in Detroit, Michigan, where she later danced at gay clubs to her almost fearless pursuit of success, through her tumultuous marriage to Sean Penn, to her Like a Prayer video, her movie roles, her stage appearance as Evita, her embrace of Kabbalah, and finally her marriage to Guy Ritchie.

Noting that Madonna's theatrical shows have made her a "quasi-religious icon", O'Brien cites friend and actor Rupert Everett who called Madonna the "Immaculate Conception."He describes his impression upon first meeting Madonna: ".....there was an energy field around her, like a wave, that swept everyone up as it crashed into the room"

Madonna once said of herself, "I am the work of art."
Who is the "real" Madonna?The answer may not be found in Madonna Like An Icon, but it is fascinating reading and sure to be devoured by her legions of fans.

- Gail Cooke

Top-Grossing Tour By A Female Artist
Tamara Conniff Billboard Magazine Editorial Director 10-14-2006-reports that Madonna set the touring benchmark for a female artist with her Confessions Tour which grossed $193 million, beating Cher's $192.5 million gross- "however, Cher remains one of the top diva's"

Ray Waddell Billboard.com 5-13-2005 -reports that Cher's Living Proof Farewell Tour became the top-grossing trek ever by a female artist, playing 280 shows in North America, selling 2,880,726 tickets, playing to 92% capacity and realizing 90% of her gross potential. He goes on to state that Cher's Worldwide tour had 325 shows, grossing well over $200 million.

BILLBOARD has never explained why Cher's touring statistics were changed.

--Pollstar reports Cher Farewell Tour's average ticket price at $68.34 and Madonna Confessions Tour's at $183.76.

Pollstar reports that Cher's Farewell Tour played 275 North American dates, earning $188.7 million and selling 2,840,151 tickets at an average ticket price of $68.34 (leaving 50 Worldwide dates not included in this tally)
Pollstar reports Madonna's Confessions Tour played 34 North American dates earning 85.9 million with an average ticket price of $183.76.
-- Ray Waddell in Billboard Magazine 8-12-2006 -reported that Madonna's Confessions tour played 34 North American shows earning $85.8 million and selling 467,312 tickets. He goes on to state that Madonna is likely to POST the top grossing tour by a female artist and make $200 million -"and history"

Nielsen Media Research reports the television ratings for the concerts-
CHER: FAREWELL TOUR NBC 4-8-2003 9-11pm
#7 with 16.6 million viewers
#10 and a 5.9/15 rating in the 18-49 demographic
Cher was aged 56

MADONNA CONFESSIONS TOUR NBC 11-22-2006 8-10pm
#73 4.6 million viewers
#72 and a 1.8/5 in the 18-49 demographic
Madonna was aged 48

THE BEAT GOES ON

... Read more

Book Description
This year’s school play is Romeo and Juliet, and the English Roses can’t wait to get involved! Every girl knows what part she wants to play, whether it be on stage or behind the scenes. But the Roses are thrown for a loop when Grace is cast in the lead, and Charlotte is her understudy. Will the big green monster get in the way of their friendship? ... Read more

Book Description

Explores the connection between ancient druidic worship of a virgin at Chartres and the veneration of the Black Madonna

Examines the Virgin Marys origins in the pagan worship of the Mother Goddess

Identifies Mary with the dominant solar goddess of matriarchal societies

The great cathedral of Chartres is renowned the world over as a masterpiece of High Gothic architecture and for its remarkable stained glass, considered alchemical glass, and its mystical labyrinth. But the sacred foundations of this sanctuary go back to a time long before Christianity when this site was a clearing where druids worshiped a Virgo Paritura: a virgin about to give birth. This ancient meeting place, where all the druids in Gaul gathered once a year, now houses the magnificent Chartres cathedral dedicated both to the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and to one of the most venerated Black Madonnas in Europe: Our Lady of the Pillar. Coincidence? Hardly, says Jean Markale, whose exhaustive examination of the site traces Chartres roots back to prehistoric times and the appeal of the Black Madonna back to the ancient widespread worship of Mother Goddesses such as Cybele and Isis.

Markale contends that the mother and child depicted by the Black Madonna are descended from the image worshipped by the druids of the Virgin forever giving birth. This image is not merely a representation of maternal love--albeit of a spiritual nature. It is a theological notion of great refinement: the Virgin gives birth ceaselessly to a world, a God, and a humanity in perpetual becoming.

Customer Reviews (2)

Jean Markale is Brilliant
I love this man and wish more of his books were translated into English.His insight is phenonemal as well as his research.A must read 'before' your trip to Chartres.It arrived after I returned last year, but encouraged me to go again this year.

A stunning labyrinth of discovery
Jean Markale's books are an amazing journey of discovery through philosophy, gnosis, and the wonderful world of esoterica.He is a mystic and a scholar, he is a teacher and a guide.Markale will never force his conclusions upon you, rather he leads you to them and makes you think and feel for yourself.There is no dogma in his work, only wisdom.While he researches with the thorough tenacity of the most intrepid academic, he is never pendantic or stodgy in his conclusions.

There are layers of fascinating historical information within, the kind of detail that isn't found in a library, but that comes from Markale's lifelong love of his French homeland and the folklore and cultures that he was raised in.This is wisdom firsthand.It is experiential and real.

If you have an interest in ancient cultures, goddess worship, the sacred nature of the cathedrals and those who built them, and the path of Gnosis, there is much to love in this book.But don't expect a linear, typical journey.Markale is a genius, and he would never do anything that obvious.

Read it, put it away and read it a few months later.You will see something within it that you did not see before. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

The Most Overrrated Breasts and Body of ANY Sex Symbol
Ridiculous! A friend of mine has this book and as gay man he finds madonna sexually attractive along side men...it's not surprising as this she, who set fitness trends and single handled created the personal trainer fetish, is built like a short small framed boy. For sex fantasies through history women have been shown with AN HOURGLASS figure-HIP TO WAIST RATIO and big breasts-Madonna has none of the three but worst of all NO HIPS- I don't find that a turn on, I also think it's interesting how she's always been hyped as much more curvaceous then she actually she is. The cones come of and she has no nipples and a natural propensity for a the oppiste of Jlo's luscious behind...ok Madonna has an AAcup behind-no backside at all! But once again this would feed into a Gay male fantasy of a woman very well because she looks so boyish and tiny in many photos.A Lucy Pinder spread in a back issue of NUTS or any Russ Meyer photo spread from the 50's blows madonna's Sex book away and (irving Klaw's pics of Bettie Page smoke madonna's attempts) Plus the imagery is very Catholic, generic and very ugly. Meisel is a rookie photographer and makes people look waxy-heavy retouching is a Madonna trademark but he goes too far. BDSNM was great until it was mainstreamed and mass marketed by Madonna who gives it all the lyrical nuance of an IKEA catalog.
Still it does explain why she had to get so raunchy, (precursor to Britney's vaginal displays) it's all she knows how to do-be vulgar and manipulative. It's the true sex symbols :Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch, Uma Thurman who don't have to run around in leotards or nothing, exposing body parts because frankly they have the complete package and don't need to, madonna can't measure up to those standards of raw natural sexuality. An unattractively produced and tacky not too mention VERY DATED schlocky book.

Dad?Dad! You don't give me the attention I need!
This is 2007.I give this book two-stars for those of you interested in pop icons and photography.I'm not too thrilled about purchasing anything by Madonna brand-new, and generally won't.She is lucky to have a large venue of professionals behind her to make her look good.At the time the book was published, many local artists who are photographers, dancers, writers, performers, etc., here in Seattle said Madonna was ripping off their (underground) culture.It's a fine product, simply because you have celebrities and a great photographer.But Madonna was tossing around for attention and in state of desperation when the book was executed.The binding simulates a popular, personal style of the S&M crowd at the time... Which would be to document one's activities and bind it in steel, usually, with a lock and key.(BTW:the binding is notorious for FALLING APART.Smile!So watch what you're doing with it...)I think Madonna was exploring her bisexuality, not too long after a big falling-out with Sandra Bernard.Both were obsessed with getting photo'd in the nude before they got "too old" and their boobs drooped.

The Erotica album is one of her best, however this project didn't go over well in the general media.And other than being jacked-up about getting old, Madonna could never truly speak to WHY she did it.She used a cop-out excuse that she was playing a character.Well, she's a cute woman and photographs well, but she could never act.With her Erotica video, she was shown power-tripping and whipping a bunch of gay-boys on leashes, pretty much the same thing she does in the Confessions tour (sans the the tooth-bling).

Since her main concern came across as being one of aging, the critics jumped on that and queried - will she still be exploiting her music with sex when she's in her 40's and 50's?Isn't this unseemly for an adult?(She gives her daughter much to look forward to.)Well, I think her father threatened to disown her, possibly.(He was also not too thrilled with the out-of-wedlock births of her children.Or the chasing around of Dennis Rodman.But ya know, Madonna put him into retirement with a nice vineyard, so how can the old man complain?)

Madonna overcompensates for all this with her constant yapping about the "truth" and spirituality.But she only seems to be acutely aware of her own truth, which is actually repressed and loaded-down with lots of denial in order to continue do her "work".She does not come across as being the most emotionally available person.Again, so much for the acting!I don't feel she has the authority to discuss spiritual truth until she gets real about her own, relative truths and issues.Sad, because we know money is more important.Probably, this book is the closest representation of who Madonna is:a Catholic who hates being one.With her mentality, nothing comes easily; therefore it must be worked for and slaved for in the form of "sacrifice" and "suffering".(Hmm...What's inside your wallet?)But I think the message comes through loud and clear in this project.Madonna lives in what I would call the man-trap.Her message continues to be redundant.Is it just me, or does it seem that the men in her life simply don't respect her?Think of monetary pay-offs to hang-in there with her.She must also hate and deeply resent what she's creating, if she is so compelled to compete with men like her husband, Ritchie-Rich, and direct.I bet he thinks that's cute!"Bottom" line? Madonna does not do anything (including kiss Britney Spears) unless it's in self-interest.She continues to see others as an extension of herself. She has NOT changed!!And that's the confession.She's a fun and excellent live performer, not worth the bucks she wants you to lay out.

Title didn't lie
ok i have mixed feelings about this. I was wondering what's the hype about this book, and now I've read it, I still don't quite understand why people are giving too much hype over a bindful of Madonna in erotica poses? It's not even porn. I guess Madonna's point when she thought about this book flew over most of people's head. From what I see, she's telling how women are mostly associated with sex. how they are subjected. There's a topic somewhere and I doubt she was piling this just for people to yell banned for.

Oh, I applaude Madonna for having the guts this book together cause I am sure she expected what came after, the mostly bad response of the public. I guess the title really covers what's the whole book is about. I must say it's a good art form.

Overall, if you're pretty much close-minded and not quite into graphical erotica, I say you should stay away from this book.

A unique and memorable book
I bought and read this book, back in 1992. My girlfriend was really surprised and she said that she's been discussing this book with her friends, but nobody actually owned it.
The book is amazing, both outside and inside. Outside, it has a shiny wrapping and a hard alumium cover. I have never seen a book with such a cover.
It had a CD too, with the song "Erotic, erotic, put your hands all over my body".
It describes Madonna's life, from her early sexual experiences, to where she is today. It has pictures of Madonna nude, and it explains some of her views on sex.
She thinks that if you are a guy with lots of money, you can have a pretty girlfriend, even if you are not handsome.

It is a remarkable book and it will impress all of your friends to whom you show it.
So, don't hesitate, buy it. I did.

I'm lovin' it!
This is Madonna's 1992 book, and it's filled with provocative and surprising photos.It's in high demand, selling for steep prices all over the internet.It just goes to show that Madonna is still on top of her game as an artist, and she's also a beautiful model, too!Buy now while they last. ... Read more

Amazon.com
With Mr. Peabody's Apples, her gorgeous sophomore venture into the realm of children's literature, Madonna sustains her transformation from material girl to mom. Inspired by a 300-year-old Ukrainian story and illustrated by the talented Loren Long, Madonna's tale is about the dangers of gossip. As a frequent target of the rumor mill, who better to teach the young ones about the "power of words" and their potential to cause "harm to others" than the newly reformed diva?

Set in a tiny American town, Madonna's story features the big-hearted and much beloved Mr. Peabody, an elementary school teacher and Little League coach who dedicates his summer Saturdays to the local losing team. The kindly teacher seems to savor life the way he savors his weekly apple--taking pleasure in the little things. One weekend after the game, Tommy Tittlebottom watches Mr. Peabody take his apple without paying for it. The following weekend Tommy calls in reinforcements to witness Mr. Peabody's transgression. By the next Saturday, Mr. Peabody's apparent theft has become grist for the Happville rumor mill and no one comes to Little League practice. These moments truly highlight Long's talents as an illustrator--the handsome Mr. Peabody (part Harry Connick Jr., part Robert Redford) comes to life on the page, his disappointment as palpable as that of Billy Little, the young boy who idolizes him. A simple explanation puts the rumors to rest, but as Mr. Peabody points out in a poignant demonstration, small talk can often lead to big trouble for everyone.

In a wonderful departure from her debut children's book The English Roses, Madonna has created a tribute to 1940's small-town America that delivers a fundamental message about respecting others. Children will love Mr. Peabody and parents will appreciate the gentle nudge with which he delivers his message. Mr. Peabody's Apples unfolds slowly, but readers young and old will want to linger over each illustrated page lovingly rendered in a muted pallet of rich color. --Daphne DurhamBook Description
"Mr. Peabodyís Apples takes place in 1949 in Happville, USA. Mr.Peabody is the beloved elementary school teacher and baseball coach,who one day finds himself ostracized when rumors spread through thesmall town. Mr. Peabody silences the gossip with an unforgettable andpoignant lesson about how we must choose our words carefully to avoidcausing harm to others.

Madonna dedicates Mr. Peabody's Apples to teachers everywhere." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (95)

gorgeous and good
The art is fabulous, the lesson is a good one which teaches sensitivity to other people's feelings, and reading it to my 5 year old felt wholesome and right.I am cruising around the website right now looking for something like it to buy.Happy reading.

I enjoyed this book and appreciated the underlying moral
I enjoyed Mr. Peabody's Apples.While I believe that Madonna is quite liberal and I am quite conservative, I applaud Madonna for her efforts to provide children's books that capture a kid's fancy, yet provide a moral under the surface.My daughter is in 6th grade now, and last year much of the typical cattiness involved with preteen girls reared its ugly head with the excitement of spreading rumors.My daughter would come home with tales of this girl and tales of that girl (thankfully they were pretty tame tales) and we would talk about whether the stories were true, why somebody would act that way, and how would she feel if people were talking about her like that.During her 5th grade year I ran across Mr. Peabody's Apples and immediately correlated Mr. Peabody letting the feathers out of the pillow to the gossip spread at her school.I bought it for her to read and we discussed afterwards how you can't get back things you've said.Around this time my daughter's school had "Muffins for Mom", a day when moms come and read books to their kids' class.I choose to read Mr. Peabody's Apple to her class.I went to a craft store and bought a couple of bags of colorful feathers.BEFORE I read the book to the class, we all went outside and each student took a handful of feathers and on the count of 3, we threw them into the air (it was quite a beautiful site).We left the feathers on the playground and went inside and read the story.When the story was over, we talked about rumors and how it is impossible to get them back (just like the feathers).We then went outside and tried to get ALL of the feathers back, which was impossible. I think they had fun and got the point.Occasionally I run across the little baggy of feathers in my daughter's room, and it reminds me of that day and the moral of the story.I hope it remind her too.

From a teacher's point of view...
I used this book in my 4th grade Reading/Language Arts class as a "Somebody-Wanted-But-So" writing lesson with bilingual/ESL students. It lent itself very well to that lesson (my principal had my partner & I give a staff development lesson using this). The students enjoyed the book because they all could relate to jumping to conclusions and repeating gossip. I have Madonna's other books, and this is by far my favorite.
I've read the other reviewers' comments about the book as well. I think some have taken too deep a look into the book's purpose. Forget who authored it...I'm not a Madonna fan myself (not my genre of music). Enjoy it for what it is: a simple story with a simple lesson that's important.

peabody's apple
If you like 300 year old stories, this book is for you. Mr. Peabody's Apples was inspired by a 300 year old story. The author is Madonna. I don't know if it is the real
Madonna or not. I don't think it is. Mr. Peabody's Apple is good for 2nd grade to 5th.

This book has good illustrations. The art is by Loren long. This story takes place in Happville. I don't think it is real. It started off with a baseball game. Mr. Peabody also went to congratulate his little league team. My favorite part is when the wind carried thousands of feathers to Happville. Each represents one person in Happville.


The characters are of course Mr. Peabody and Billy little. Everybody thinks Mr. Peabody is a thief. Mr. Peabody is a teacher, but then he steals an apple. Another character is Tommy.

I think that the story teaches you not to steal. This book has proper English. It dose not have words like, "yo" or "dude." I think that is good for kids. If I was able to give it a rating I would give it a five star ratting.

I think this book is great. It is better then the The Cat In Hat. I really like Mr. Peabody's Apple. I think you should read this book. This book would be good for you. I hope you like my book review.

Parents, beware the website invitation to "visit" Madonna
I borrowed this book from the library. I consider these books, written by a person who is the antithesis of a children's book author, to be nothing more than an indoctrination into Madonna's lifestyle, and her religion. Parents should keep this in mind-that's all I'm trying to say.

I remember the old Ford ad campaign, "Quality is job 1." I also recall a parody of it, in which the faux pitchman, speaking of his cheap imports, said, "With us, quality is job 2. Job 1 is getting the damn things into the country!" It seems the first job of these books is to get Madonna's website address into a child's hands. If not, why is it there? Is Madonna's website a children's website? Well? Would you send a child to that website and just leave them alone with it? No? Then why is Madonna asking kids to visit her official, grown-up website? What "professional" idiot in this book's development path let that in?

This book could have been based on any fruit or vegetable, but it's about apples. It is also dedicated to "teachers everywhere." As such, I'd imagine this thing has found its way into many schools, which is a shame. I'll get to the story in a minute. First, let me point out what else this book is bringing.

Inside the dust jacket, we're told this is an interpretation of a story told to Madonna by her Kabbalah teacher. Okay; fair enough. But if your kids get curious, they'll do an internet search on the word and the first thing which will show up is the trademarked Kabbalah website, where you can pay over 26 bucks for some trademarked "Kabbalah Red String." I don't want to turn this from a review to a discussion about the Kabbalah website, but there is plenty to buy there, it is expensive, the folks there are very serious about your need for these items, and some regard Kabbalah as a cult. Parents should know that.

Madonna's profits are cited in the credits page as being earmarked for the "Spirituality for Kids Foundation." Fine. But parents should also know that this is a branch of the Kabbalah, as set up by the people who run the trademarked website. And, I keep saying "website" as it is there where you will find everything for sale. Whereas, if you want a Bible, you can get one for free from the Salvation Army or the Gideons or the internet or very inexpensively at a used book store...but I digress. Anyway, the "charity" is the Kabbalah itself. Parents should know.

Also in the credits page is an invitation to "Visit Madonna," at her website. As we all know, Madonna's videos and lyrics are not meant for kids. If that''s something you've forgotten, please try to recall the video she made for Like a Prayer when she portrayed herself as having Jesus' wounds on her hands, and the Erotica video with the pain/pleasure lyrics of "Only the one that hurts you can make you feel better/Only the one that inflicts pain can take it away."

Verrrry nice for her adult fans. Not for kids. At all. End of story. Period!

Parents should know. It's all in the book, so it's part of the review. There.

Now, for the rest of it. The illustrations by Loren Long are very well done. It's a shame (and an indication of the size of Madonna's ego) that Madonna refuses to give the artist credit on either the front or back covers. I just can't imagine how people can accept "lessons" from somebody who won't share credit for a project (Madonna should be READING a children's book about "sharing"). And, while the illustrations are very good, it's a little odd that everyone depicted is rail-thin, much like all the girls were depicted in Madonna's earlier book, the English Roses.

Ostensibly, the moral of this story is that spreading rumors is bad. Okay...but the way the story is told is full of holes, and the hidden message seems to be that children should be punished for honest mistakes, while adults should not.

The Peabody guy is seen taking apples without paying by one of the kids, who then tells his friends. But, it turns out that Peabody is paying for them in advance, and then picking them up later when he feels like it. This makes no sense. Who pays for an apple, or anything, in advance, and then walks into a store and grabs it and leaves? It looks like theft. What the kid saw looked like theft. Telling others is the right thing to do. The kid didn't make this up, like a tabloid story.

This weird behavior by Peabody earns him the rep of being a thief. When he finds out that the kid spread this "rumor (which is really an honest mistake by the kid)," he punishes the kid. The end.

There ya go, kids. Better keep quiet if you ever see big grown-ups doing weird stuff, or else you'll get punished like you deserve to be, you little brats.

Madonna is such a clumsy storyteller, it's obvious that no editor would dare to interfere in the contributions of a celebrity who thinks she's a genius in every area she dabbles in. I can only guess that the lack of mercy shown to the kid is somehow reflecting Madonna's own hard feelings toward the tabloid press, which produces rumors as a matter of course.

The pictures are good, but it's just a lousy book. Borrow it from the library if you must, and get disappointed with it, but don't buy it. And, if you don't want little kids being given the official website address of a woman who often depicts herself hanging naked from chains in an S&M club (remember her other book, SEX?), you might want to offer to buy the school or library another book, and ask them to please destory this one.

If the school teacher you speak with seems not to have a problem with Madonna asking little kids to visit her official adult website, do remember that Madonna dedicated the book to "teachers everywhere," so take the book and hit the teacher over the head with it a few times, as it has a roughly 8.5 X 11" hardcover footprint and might do a good job of knocking some sense into the teacher. Then, leave the book with the teacher who refuses to remove it from the school, take your kid, and go home to begin homeschooling, for in your home, YOUR decisions, and not those of the State, will be the final decisions. ... Read more

Book Description
The explosive New York Times bestseller-- MadonnaFrom motherless child to wife and mother, from "boy toy" to fiercely independent diva, Madonna is one of the most remarkable women of our time. With a career that spans two decades and ranges from the scandalous to the transcendent, she is a bigger phenomenon than ever. But who is the private woman behind the public image?Andrew Morton, whose #1 New York Times bestsellers about Princess Diana and Monica Lewinsky have proven his ability to gain access to insiders who won't talk to anyone else, answers that question in this decidedly unauthorized new biography. Morton's extensive, in-depth interviews with members of Madonna's inner circle-- lovers, friends, and business connection, many of whom have never spoken out before-- allow him to go beyond the carefully constructed myths to unmask the real Madonna. Andrew Morton is able to make startling revelations, among them the real story of Madonna's family background; the events behind the violent attack that changed her views on sex and men; her relationships with Michael Jackson, Prince, John F. Kennedy Jr., Vanilla Ice, and other rock and Hollywood stars; the mystery man she wanted to marry; and the darkest days of her career when she threatened to quit show business. In this fascinating, richly detailed biography, Andrew Morton reveals Madonna in an entirely new light.With 16 pages of photographsDownload Description
The newest bestseller from biographer Andrew Morton, about the life of celebrity performer Madonna.Morton is the New York Times bestselling author of Diana, Princess of Wales and Monica's Story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Saintly Songbird
Andrew Morton's fascinating biography of Madonna is well researched and elegantly written. Her life has been thoroughly chronicled in several lesser biographies, but Mr Morton, during a candid interview with the Archbishop of Dublin, was given unprecedented access to a previously unpublished letter that related to the star's earliest attempt to unsuccessfully adopt from Ireland. Handwritten on parchment and in immaculate Gaelic script, it is a literary light illuminating Madonna's sincere desire to embrace not only the concept of adoption but also the selfless act itself. It is in stark contrast to the raunchy, erotically-energized Madonna seen in explicit videos and heard in steamy lyrics, and for the first time we are able to glean the 'real' Madonna; not the vixen of popular culture but a vulnerable woman in search of fulfilment. Morton himself describes the letter as 'a celebration of this saintly songbird's empathy and passion.' The poignant document, quoted on page 78, reads:

'National Council for Adoption
26 Kildare Street
Dublin 2
Ireland
October 27 2003

Dear Ms Madonna

The National Council for Adoption would like to thank you for your recent enquiry expressing interest in adopting.

Unfortunately, there are no 25-year-old Irish males registered with our organisation, and even if there were, we would be slightly hesitant to supply the '157 strong-shouldered, six-packed, sun-tanned, slow-loving, shamrock-shaking sugar-studs' that you so generously offered to nurture.

To mitigate your undoubted disappointment, the Council has arranged for the Eveready Company to send you a truckload of AAAs and a download of Enya singing 'Batteries Are A Girl's Best Friend'.

Yours sincerely

Phil O'Pastry

CEO National Council for Adoption
Dublin'

The pathos embodied in this unique correspondence brought a lump to my throat and a stye to my eye.

Beware - this just might inspire a teenage girl to run to New York
Fiona Apple once sang "everybody wants to be Madonna but no one wants to pay the price". And the price Madonna/Madge PAID - Oh dear! Since her 1981/2 club hit "Everybody" to the very first video "Burning Up" ... no other female singer has been able to eclipse Madonna. Not Britney, Jessica, Pink, Alannis, J.Lo, etc... They have come close but Madonna is the genuine article for which no replica is possible. Madonna is the Patron Saint of Ambition. Nothing less. Her numerous incarnations and transformations keep us getting and intrigued.

The teenage Madonna ate the whole Big Apple before becoming the Queen of the Pop World. And she inspired alot of fresh faced girls just out of high school to say YES to their dreams and have the courage of heart to jump on a plane to big cities all around the world, never looking back!

When the 17 year old Madonna Ciccone ran off to New York in the summer of 1977 ... a cab driver dropped her off at Times Square, the center of everything. Now she remains in pop culture the epicentre of what it means to be cultural icon. She inspired the Spice Girls (based on various versions of herself), Sex and the City, and many other attempts to be versions of her.

Madonna was once called the Gold Standard of Timeless Blonde Ambition. And it's obvious why. The material girl is still strong over 20 years later! She was born under one hell of a lucky star!

Couldn't Put It Down
I really liked this book.I thought that the book was well written without a slant either way.It was really insightful
to the ambition involved with achieving a goal.

Lackluster "Madonna"
Andrew Morton will always be known as the guy who wrote a groundbreaking biography of Princess Di. And he will be known for nothing else, apparently. At least, he won't be remembered for "Madonna," a quickie biography that covers no new ground and -- horrors! -- makes a once-controversial pop icon... boring.

Madonna Louisa Ciccone started off as a motherless child, whose mom (also called Madonna) died of breast cancer. But she rapidly turned from pitiful to outrageous, travelling to NYC to become a dancer. Instead, she became a blossoming singer, an aspiring actress, and one of the first big stars to grace MTV.

But more than her music was the controversy that surrounded her: Madonna dated men such as Michael Jackson, JFK Jr., Prince, and then-hot rapper Vanilla Ice, and married actor Sean Penn, while still pursuing relationships with other men and women. After their tumultuous union fell apart, she created the then-shocking book "Sex," the peak of her sexually-charged career. But then her life took a more domestic turn, with children, marriage and religion (in about that order).

It's not hard to have an opinion on Madonna -- either you love her or hate her. But if the only exposure to Madonna was through this book, it would be difficult to decide which. Morton paints Madonna in bland hues, describing her exploits, affairs and then-shocking concerts in the most uninspired prose imaginable. However, not once does he reveal anything new -- despite input from lovers and friends, Morton can only add detail to what people already knew.

There are some interesting facets of her rise to stardom, particularly how she and her pals changed the NYC club life, and the odd details of her first recordings. For example, she wasn't pictured on her first album, in the hopes that she would be thought to be black. But once we get back to Madonna's personal life, things get dull.

Morton himself seems to presume too much on his knowledge of Madonna: he constantly claims that she was miserable, depressed, et cetera. Apparently he disapproves of her wild past. Entertainingly, he claims that Madonna is just a "Catholic girl who wants to get married." If that is how "just Catholic girls" live, then I want to know why I'm not having that much fun.

Yet, at the same time, he glosses over most of her present, peaceful, monogamous life -- when she gets involved with Guy Ritchie and has her second child, he loses interest and crams the last several years into a matter of pages. One would think that her first solid relationship and her children would be worthy of a little more attention.

Nobody expected Pulitzer-worthy journalism in "Madonna." But surely Andrew Morton could have done better than a tepid recounting of what her fans already knew.

Even-handed and relatively informative
Morton writes in a pretty straightforward journalistic style about Madonna's life from childhood through to her marriage to Guy Ritchie. As a fan but not an expert on Madonna, I found the book to be very informative, particularly about her early years in NYC. I enjoyed reading about her relationships with people like the Gilroy brothers, and up until reading this book did not realize the extent of her days in NY, for example, that she had played gigs at Max's Kansas City. The info comes off as being very fair to Madonna in terms of her drive and her progress. She is often portrayed as a heartless climber, but Morton paints the picture of a bright personality who is extremely energetic, motivated, and also loving and caring, even if she does crave the spotlight and need to be the center of attention. The book is more telling about her than the typical Madonna mythology we so often hear. He details her generosity with certain friends, and with AIDS charities, her struggle to make her first marriage work, while also citing incidents of cheapness and bitchiness. Also interesting are the descriptions of her various business ventures, and her non-stop work ethic which spills over into every aspect of her life, from songwriting to running six miles and then working out with weights for an hour. My criticism is that, around the 3/4 point, Morton jumps back and forth a bit erratically in time after his initial description of the birth of Lourdes and the making of Evita. Up until that point, the format was chronological. The content of the book, including Morton's analysis of Madonna's personality, makes for a good bio despite the minor flaws of format. ... Read more