Product Description

As the Material Girl, Eva Perón in Evita, and most recently, queen of the disco floor, Madonna's transformations and assumed identities keep her fans wanting more. She has inspired university professors and cultural critics to enshrine her as a postmodern icon. Known for her persona as much as for her music, Madonna has stirred controversy through her use of religious and sexual depictions in her songs, music videos, concerts, and in one notorious publication. This biography traces Madonna's ambitious journey from a Midwest upbringing as part of a large family to achieving fame on a global scale. It also brings readers up to date on her latest incarnation as a wife and mother, living on a country estate in England. Students researching cultural studies topics will accurate information on the musician's life and body of work, as well as critical commentary on her impact and lasting significance as one of the most influential female entertainers of our time.

She has been the subject of countless magazines and newspaper stories around the world, whether for her sold-out concerts or as an advocate for Kabbalah, the spiritual movement rooted in Jewish mysticism. This book shares her story and provides a way to consider the influence Madonna has had through her ever-evolving career in shaping our popular culture. A timeline of significant events and a bibliography of print and electronic sources for additional research round out this volume.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #964454 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-30
• Released on: 2007-05-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 152 pages

Review
“Madonna once said that: "You'll never know the real me." The editor of scholarly works on American culture sheds light on the maverick entertainer's many roles to date (including bad girl, material girl, movie star, "trailer park feminist," "a marketing genius," and mother). In a series intended for high school students, the biography includes photos; a timeline of events in Madonna's life; and list of her music, videos, films, and plays.”–Reference & Research Book News

“[A] fast, accurate and concise biography written by Mary Cross. Just the facts, ma'am, and not too much overanalyzing.”–New York Post

“The latest book about Madonna is the first biography of the singer to be written by a woman....Her latest work has a timeline of the life of Madonna Louise Ciccione of Bay City, Mich., from her birth to the adoption of a son in Malawi this year.”–Key West Citizen

About the Author
MARY CROSS is the author of A Century of American Icons: 100 Products and Slogans from the 20th-Century Consumer Culture (Oryx, 2002). She is also the editor of Advertising and Culture: Theoretical Perspectives (Praeger, 1996). She has taught at the University of Delaware, the City University of New York, and Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she was chair of the English Department. She is a former advertising copywriter.

Customer Reviews

Buy This Book!
The answers to anything you ever wanted to know about Madonna that AREN'T on the gossip pages lie within the pages of this book. Mary Cross unleashes a deluge of well-researched, and accurate, information about Madonna the mega-star and how she came to be.

A fascinating and easy read, Cross tells the story of a woman with a "never say die" attitude, in an entertaining way, without resorting to trashy, tell-all techniques. The book is organized in a very accessible format, including a detailed timeline that chronicles Madonna's rise to stardom right from the day she was born. Her #1 hits, albums, music videos, films, books and plays are also organized into individual timelines. The book even includes a section of photographs that takes the reader through the varied incarnations of Madonna's frenetic life.

As a lover of historical biographies, I'd rank this book up there with some of the best I've read. I wouldn't be surprised if "Madonna: A Biography" became the official the go-to source for Madonna fans around the world.

Unearthing the Real Madonna
While it's a formidable task to unearth the real Madonna, Mary Cross gets as close as any journalist or writer has to date to penetrating Madonna's multiple reincarnations. Cross offers up a full sketch of Madonna's life in all its complexities and outrage.


Cross suggests that Madonna's bad girl teen years, where she learned the power of shock, gave her the instincts for making it and the confidence to succeed--traits which have served her to good advantage throughout her long career. At age 20 she was cocky enough to take herself to Manhattan where she didn't know a soul. Even a series of failed artist ventures didn't dissuade Madeonna. She stayed the course, always with the ability to be on the cutting edge. She was among the first big names to use MTV to her advantage. Madonna was also in the forefront of milking publcity through the power of shock. She shoved her panties in David Letterman's face as a guest on his late night show,and later took delight in the outrage caused by her photographic book, "Sex." Her last concert took aim at political leaders and conveyed an erotic relatinship to horses.


Cross is in awe of Madonna's capacity to keep us guessing as she pushes 50. Madonna can still create some of the most imaginative and entertaing concerts around while positioning herself as a loving mother and wife.


Maybe the real feminist message here is never to lose faith in what you believe in and to be willing to try the new. "Truth or Dare" is the Madonna story and Cross tells it with juicy details, balance and even respect. This is a well-written (Cross is a seasoned journalist) guilty pleasure supreme. The perfect summer vacation read. I read it over a rainy weekend and, much to my surprise, found myself admiring Madonna in ways I hadn't counted on.





Pat Taub


Tenants Harbor,Maine

A lively and interesting read!
I picked up this book on a whim and was captured after the first three pages. The writing is so lively that it kept my interest up even when the subject veered into areas that I might not otherwise care much about. And the author's dry understatements tell volumes. Ms. Cross seems to know just about everything about Madonna and she shows interest and respect for her without being silly on the one hand or critical on the other.