Martin Dugard

Writing: 4.5; Theme: 5.0; Content: 4.5; Language: 4.5; Overall: 4.5

This was the first in Bill O'Reilly's "Killing" Series that I've read. It was a very eye-opening revelation of these three entertainers and icons. I knew some about each of these figures, but the author shares inside information on each of these individuals that most probably were not aware of. Two of the three (Presley and Lennon) of course died early in life and Ali suffered through Parkinson's disease a good part of his life. O'Reilly shares with his readership what haunted all three of these men- they all had great fame and they all allowed others to control them and their lives which led to very troubling ends for each one. Highly recommend.

***November 20, 2023***… (more)

I am not rating this book because it is quite odd. The first half tells about the vents of Salem, MA between 1620 and 1692 when several people were burned at the stake and others financially ruined. This was a period of mass hysteria. Some way or another, a few teenage girls managed to put on silly shows that, with the aid of two or three clergymen, turned into so-called witch trials. Even at this late date, it is not possible whether the girls were headstrong or if there truly was demonic possession. The book then goes into connecting some peculiar events elsewhere until we get to the case of the young man who truly seems to have been possessed in the early 1920s which Hollywood turned into the movie The Exorcist with the possessed person changed to a girl.

A nagging thought is why were the girls allowed to persist in their antics. Surely some must have thought their antics were off the grid.

That there are bad spirits about is a long-held belief, dating back to the story of Creation. All things considered, one would be wont to dismiss evil as a force.… (more)

I listened to this as an audiobook. From the cover, I knew it would focus on Elvis Presley, John Lennon, and Muhammed Ali. To me, it seemed that Elvis got the most "airtime". I was surprised that more information on why Lennon's murderer did what he did wasn't included. (These authors have included details on motive in other books in this series.).

For Ali's story, it was hard for me to follow the boxing part. Perhaps it is because I'm not that familiar with the boxing world (how it's determined who will fight the champ next etc.). I think Ali kept going back because boxing was what he knew--particularly since his manager didn't have him pursue other avenues such as acting. I can understand him wanting to feel the way he felt when he was at the top of his "game" one more time.

One takeaway is surround yourself with people who will look out for your best interests in multiple areas of your life (financial, health, etc.). Then, carefully consider what they have to say. Both Elvis and Ali had managers who, at some point, looked at their celebrity as a "cash cow" and, regardless of the cost to their client, kept the performer going.… (more)