This is another exceptional biography on Marilyn, and like my last assessment of the Icon books, this is part one of a two volume set. This volume has been 15 years in the making so may be a while before we see Volume 2. The concept is one I like, based on meticulous research from magazines and newspaper articles about her life up until 1954 as seen through the media and her own observations.
With interviews from her colleagues and acquaintances giving the book and insightful, personal feel. There’s a lot of information here and anecdotes often overlooked so no detail has been spared in the writing of this book. It’s packed with solid information and interesting tit-bits. The book has an individual charm, with Stacy’s own sketches of Marilyn’s transition from child to adult, from Norma Jeane to Marilyn, showing a real flair for art as well as writing.
By Fraser Penney
