Os Últimos Anos de Michael Jackson - Brochura

by Ian Halperin

No fim de dezembro de 2008, Ian Halperin disse ao mundo que Michael Jackson tinha apenas seis meses de vida. Sua investigação sobre o estado de saúde declinante de Jackson tornou-se manchete ao redor do globo. Seis meses e um dia depois, o Rei do Pop estava morto. Conheça os detalhes dos últimos anos de vida da maior estrela pop do mundo vistos por quem o conheceu de perto.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Music, Biography Memoir, Celebrity, Audiobook, Memoir

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Ian Halperin is a Canadian investigative journalist and writer whose 2009 book, Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson, which was a number one best seller on the New York Times list on July 24, 2009. He is the author or coauthor of nine books, including Celine Dion: Behind the Fairytale, Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Story and Hollywood Undercover. He coauthored Who Killed Kurt Cobain? and Love and Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain with Max Wallace. Halperin has contributed to 60 Minutes II and is a regular correspondent for Court TV.

Reviews

[Treyvion Chambers · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't have a clue in the world why someone would write such a HORRIBLE book about such a gorgeous, kind, giving person. This portrays Michael Jackson as a petophile which is cleary not true.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a VERY quick read (under 4 hours) and confirmed many of my thoughts and opinions regarding the unfortunate occurrences of MJ's life.

I don't want to spoil it for people that are interested / haven't read it yet. But, Halperin does his homework / under cover work. Considering that he went in to prove that MJ did the molestations - and uncovered a web of batshit bullshit and deceit where one man vowed to take down MJ over a "screenplay and money" (basically), the book is an interesting reflection of the sacrificial nature of the public. The witch hunt that was "Wacko Jacko's" life was sobering to read.

The fact of this matter is that this book makes sense. All of the pictures, all of the rumors, all of the suspicious activities are connected. Halperin write a story of a legend that is touching to read. Combined with the interviews that his bodyguards gave to the Today show a few weeks back and you are left with a humbling picture of a man living in the shadow of his former self, in a world that seemed not to want him. Even with the final concert of his career, the push of the organizers to have him do 10 - which soon turned into 50+, his failing health, his family and his children -- Halperin paints a picture of a man that understood his mortality, who had a foreshadowing of his death, and in the end, was too weak and needed money too badly to stand up to members of Islam that controlled his life.

With the trial of Dr. Murray underway and the inevitable scapegoating that will happen, this was a great book to read and reflect on.

[Jessica Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admittedly I have always been an MJ fan. I feel this author was fair and not out to trash him. I found the book to be interesting and seemingly factual and authentic. It wasn't overly wordy. I think it sheds light on what made the start tick and why he was the way he was. Ultimately I feel he was very misunderstood and while I personally don't think he was a child molester, I do think he put himself into horribly inappropriate situations that lent themselves to negative publicity and scrutiny. I think he was simply too innocent minded to realize the danger there. He was certainly genius ans sometimes those types of people can be lacking in common sense and social savy.

[Leanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like to think of myself as the biggest Michael Jackson fan in the entire world. He saved my life.
I went to the library and checked out this book because I am interested in reading about my role model.
This book is not what I expected at all. This book made me cry. I was reading it in tears. What kind of right does Ian Halperin have to insult Michael this way? This book absolutely broke my heart into millions of pieces. The things in this book are untrue! This author is not just stating facts; he is clearly biased. He insulted Michael with words like 'Disgusting pervert' and 'child molester' and he says he won't rest until Michael is brought to justice for being so evil.
Michael was none of those things. He was the greatest man ever to walk this earth other than God and Jesus.
I can't even comprehend how someone could be so terrible to write this kind of disgrace to literature.
Michael ment more to me than most people will ever know. He inspired me to become a singer and follow my dreams. This book made me physically ill to read. I cried and vomited.
Allow me to back up my opinions.
1. Michael was not gay. He was married twice (both to women) and had an obvious interest in women as he states in his autobiography, Moonwalk.
2. I honestly believe that if Michael would've molested a child, it would have been Macaulay Culkin because they had such a close relationship.
3. How could Michael be a pervert if he has the innocence of a child? Children are not perverts.
4. The things that Chandler said were so detailed. He was young. A young person does not know the words that he used. Obviously he was trained by someone to say those things.
No matter what is said about Michael, I will always be by his side because his memory should carry on. Ian has lost a temendous amount of readers due to this book.
This is the worst book I have ever read. Do not read it. Especially not if you are a fan of Michael Jacksons.
Moonwalkers (his biggest fans) know the truth.
"Just beause it's in print doesn't mean it's the gospel." -Michael Joesph Jackson

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that intially was meant persecute Jackson and label him once and for all as a pedophile, but turned in light of the evidence. Perhaps the most unbiased view of Michael Jackson to date with admissions on strange or outright stupid behavior but also a look into who Michael Jackson was, shedding some light on why he did some of the things he did. Not nearly as editorial as I figured it would be, so much of the book is based on fact and confirmed reports that it is hard to just dismiss it.

The end of the book left me with a heavy heart as it exposes the lonely and painful life led by Michael Jackson as portrayed by those closest to him. After reading this and in light of ongoing investigations, I am 98% certain he killed himself, although I think there are countless professionals that gave him a helping hand along the way. Hard to believe that someone with so much (not just money, but ability) saw this as an only means to an end and was manipulated and handled by so many.

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't planning to read this book until a friend urged me to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised by the author's attempt to be fair and present Michael as neither a saint nor a total monster. I don't think we'll ever know the true story of Michael Jackson's life. This book did help me see him as a person, not just a music legend or sideshow attraction.

I learned something important from this book. I got a glimpse of how far a person will go when he doesn't like who he is at heart. It helps me see that how I feel about myself isn't as dependent on how I actually look as I thought it was. His rejection of his own body was extreme. No matter how many fans adored him, he saw an ugly man in the mirror. He ended up becoming the thing he feared most.

What this book can't explain, what I'll never understand, is why parents continued to allow their children to visit Jackson and sleep with him after the charges of sexual abuse in 1993. Whether he did it or not, I can't fathom letting my child spend the night with a grown man and sleep in his bedroom. I see why Jackson did it. What I just can't grasp is what the parents were thinking, or not thinking.

[Isabel Rebelo da Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book and to know what was behind the mask of one of the most fascinating figures in the entertainment industry. His story is painful but I was also surprised by his power and how he controled his life. I believe he created his own misery by hiding so much his life.

[RNOCEAN · Rating 3 out of 5]

In late December 2008, Ian Halperin told the world that Michael Jackson had only six months to live. His investigations into Jackson's failing health made headlines around the globe. Six months later, the King of Pop was dead.
Whatever the final autopsy results reveal, it was greed that killed Michael Jackson. Friends and associates paint a tragic picture of the last years and days of his life as Jackson made desperate attempts to prepare for the planned concert series at London's 02 Arena in July 2009. These shows would have earned millions for the singer and his entourage, but he could never have completed them, not mentally, and not physically. Michael knew it and his advisors knew it. Anyone who caught even a fleeting glimpse of the frail old man hiding beneath the costumes and cosmetics would have understood that the London tour was madness. Why did it happen this way? After an intense five year investigation, New York Times bestselling author Ian Halperin uncovers the real story of Michael Jackson's final years, a suspenseful and surprising thriller.

Rate this 3/5. Before starting this book, I thought that it would another malicious expose, but it was not. I have never read this author before, but I will read some of his other books. Even though he focused mainly on Jackson's trial for alleged child molestation, which is olds news, I enjoyed the book. I feel that he was fair and researched his material very well. He felt, as I do, that Michael was used horribly by his syncophants for greed and that is in essence, what eventually killed him.

[Mary BookHounds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am such a sucker for tabloid-like books. This one was a quick read and bring forth some interesting facts that present some of the stories published by the media might be sensational. Was Michael Jackson the victim of extortion or did he actually molest children?

There are a bit too many transcriptions of interviews and depositions taken by others and that really detracts from what the author writes. He does present cases for both sides. I think the ultimate message of the book is that Michael Jackson was really a disturbed person.

[Ozma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost want to give this book one less star b/c it is a sad book. Michael Jackson's story and life are just so sad and tragic. This book is all the more sad b/c Halperin came into writing it thinking that Michael was a child molester/bad guy and came out absolutely positive that he was not. Halperin's main focus was on this issue, and he gets into the gory details. As a new mom to a young boy, it was hard to read the account of the first accuser. Halperin included a lot of these gory bits for the sake of having the full record and letting the reader decide. However, he also puts forth all the evidence he found on his own, including interviews with housekeepers, celebrity child friends of Michael's (including Macauly Culkin and Sean Lennon). B/c of Halperin's own background and connections, he was able to meet others who knew MJ too, and he shamelessly chased every lead down. He also would reflect back on what he had found and would give his honest opinion that the allegations against Michael didn't add up. I do not recall Halperin analyzing or pursuing the allegations of a 3rd child, Wade Robson, which was surprising to me. However, his hard work is evident. He tracked down every child visitor of Neverland that he could, and none that he found said that anything had ever happened. In addition, Halperin makes a good point that there were many young girls that also were Neverland visitors, yet the media never talks about them. I still don't know what to think b/c I find it hard to imagine that the 1st accuser would have so many graphic details and that he made those up. I also don't want to think about it too much b/c it's a lose-lose. Let's say Michael did not do it; then, as Halperin points out, we basically vilified the guy for the last decade or so of his life. If Michael did do it, then that's still sad for the victims. There is no way to see any positive in this. To return to the book itself though, I think it was a nice touch that Halperin credited other authors and writers rather than trying to present the idea as his own and then burying that this was another author's point in an endnote. (It's shocking to me how many nonfiction authors will write a text w/ ideas as if they are their own but put in a small note in an "endnotes" or "bibliography" section. There's a fine line between quoting a fact and usurping someone else's thoughts. And to give credit/attribution by burying in an endnote but not giving credit in the actual text seems very sketchy to me.) Halperin talks a lot about himself too in this book, which he doesn't do as much of in his other books that I have read. To a small degree, some of this self-talk strikes me as a little egotistical. But it also gives the books a lot of personality. In this one, Halperin talks about how, after weeks of trying, he ends up meeting MJ personally at pizza parlor where Michael was with his kids. Halperin had taken on a fake persona of a homosexual makeup artist to get in w/ the person who knew MJ, and he maintained this. He said that he was positive, at the meeting, after chatting and talking, that MJ seemed to hit on him. I'm not sure what Halperin's sexual preferences are, but his description of MJ's charm and energy evidences the charisma that MJ clearly had. Even Halperin, an investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker, was taken with him. There was something about this particular passage, the honesty w/ which Halperin wrote about the experience, that feeling of having the attention of Michael on him, that I thought was really great. I think other writers may have tried to make it wistful, nostalgic, weird, sentimental, or something else, but Halperin just really tapped into what happened and bared how the whole thing made him feel in an honest manner. He didn't try to eulogize it or anything else. I think that kind of writing, to recognize your feelings and put it into words, even where it's uncomfortable or likely to be received awkwardly, is really hard to do, and very few writers do it or are capable of it. There is too much pride or shame for many. Second, I admire the commitment of Halperin. How many people would create a fake persona to infiltrate a circle of homosexual entertainment industry support staff (mainly makeup artists), taking weeks/months, and then be on call basically every minute in the hope of a chance meeting with the world's biggest star of maybe all time, running the risk they learn absolutely nothing? I dare say most people would be far too lazy to even try, much less succeed. The incident also reminds one that, yes, although Michael was weird, he had that spark about him, that star quality you see in very special people. Halperin, during the research and writing of this book, accurately, and surprisingly, predicted that MJ was going to be dead w/i the next year, something no one believed. His comments were published, and he was dead on accurate w/ the sad passing of MJ about 6 months later. This is not the most comprehensive bio of MJ at all, but it's a quick read that is a must read for any MJ or Halperin fans or for those looking to learn a little bit more. It is not "happy" read though. You won't come away uplifted at all but just sad.

[Garry · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a die hard Michael fan this is a tough read. However the author works his way through lies told by the scum that surrounded Michael and draws a fair conclusion.
A well written book by an author that did his homework thank you Ian.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is hard to know what to believe here.

[Janet R. Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as I suspected. They crucified an innocent man and for nothing other than greed.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is there to say? Everyone involved in the last two decades of Jackson's life seems sleazy to one degree or another. Even the author of this book, who is constantly promoting himself and his other works within the text. However, Halperin makes a decently convincing case that the child abuse charges were extortion attempts rather than an actual desire to protect kids. The father in the 1990s case was nothing short of a lunatic.

Not really sure why I picked up this book, but it did offer insight into the many troubles the pop legend faced, and why the child abuse charges may have been false.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first, i wasn't planning on reading this book. In face i've never heard of it till i saw it in the "new" shelves at my library. My curiosity then took over.

I am not of the Micheal Jackson generation. I was born in 1986 and frankly only heard of him in passing. I've heard his music, but never really paid much attention to the man. It wasn't till his second child molestation trail that i became knowledgeable of his life. Unfortunately because of this i have never been able to see him as the phenomenon as the world knew him.

I was deeply interested then in reading this book. The author did a lot of research and presented Micheal in a fair light. This book really has some incredible reveling facts about the singer though.

Such as:

* Micheal Jackson was gay. He preferred teenage boys and young men. The author managed to track down numerous past lovers and a few even had private photos shown.

* John Travolta is gay. The author found this out by successfully infiltrating the Scientology religion. They highlight Travolta as proof that their cure for "homosexuality" works.

* It is more than likely the scienteology center arranged Michaels and Lisa Marie's marriage.

* Micheal contracted a lung disease called "Alpha 1" and had recently discovered he had skin cancer before he died.

* Micheal was highly depressed and told many people in his final months that he wanted to die.

* Chances are that because he was so weak and sickly he would have died sometime in the summer anyways.

* The two older kids are not biologically Micheal's.

And these are just some of the facts that Ian unraveled about his life. The book was a really good read and one that fills in some of the mystery of Micheal Jackson's life.

[Shannon Mitrovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pretty sure he was framed before reading this but now I am 100% sure he was innocent. I cannot believe only two children came forward out of the millions he helped and people believed it. Yes, it was still 2 kids but when you hear about the background you know they were liars who were only doing what their awful parents told them what to do. How was it even taken seriously when the same parent tried to get money from Larry King, Jay Leno and Chris Tucker?? There was not one tiny but of evidence that showed he did anything wrong. Poor guy is giving his money and heart to help people while everyone just shits on him and takes advantage. Yes, he may have been weird and even gay but not a molester. The only people to come forward and say anything bad about him were liars and known crooks. What a shame!! I stand with Elizabeth Taylor in her beliefs of his wrong doing and society owes him and his children a deep felt apology. Even the author went into this trying to prove his guilt and came back shock to realize how wronged Michael Jackson was. You don't have to be a fan to enjoy this book. Very interesting and very educational.

[Dinara Yarulina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I loved for now is about the person I respect. Michael has always been a freak for me, and in this book I learnt him better. His amazing talent was interweaved with psychological complexes. His lost childhood never gave him to be a real adult. I do declare that he never molested a child. It's disgusting how he became a victim of greedy and mean people, which were everywhere. Even his sister.. Even scientology church.. Well, the worst I disliked and learnt for myself - is that you should never ever let anyone hurt your child! I think Michael's mom should have found the way not to let Jo beat him. No matter who, no one! can hurt your baby! So many people betrayed and didn't protect him. His life was flashing and difficult, but music he made will always touch my soul and heart :)

[Dna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep writing and re-writing the comment on this book, but can't seem to say it right. So I'll just say that no matter what side of the fence you sit on with Michael Jackson, this could be considered a crucial read because it exposes the catastrophic results of putting a man on trial by public opinion without shedding light on ACTUAL evidence.

Michael Jackson? Not guilty. Never was. I never believed it, and Halperin's painted the picture in one volume. His conclusion is not only a COMPLETE surprise, but gut-wrenching if you feel any compassion for Michael Jackson as a human being, stripped of his celebrity. Very, very sad.

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, I was confused throughout the book, one minute the author was against Michael, then the next, he was for Michael. It is absolutely sad how those 2 boys and their families couldn't care about him at all, all they cared about was his money. As far as this author claiming that he heard from "trusted sources" that Michael was gay was absolutely ridiculous, unless that source was Michael himself, you really can't believe what these "trusted sources" say. Then at the end this author states that Michael wasn't the person he thought he was. May Michael finally have his peace

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I've stated before, you always have to wonder how true books like these are. But if this book is even HALF true, it makes you realize how tragic Michael Jackson's life truly was. This book just really left me depressed every time I read it--I mean just way too many people were willing to take advantage of MJ and he brought so much of it upon himself--but this is definitely worth reading. Halperin does a really good job giving you a picture of the world inside Neverland, etc.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author set out to write a book that would prove Michael Jackson guilty of being a child molester. In the end what he found was a very sick man who was innocent of all charges. There was no way in those around Michael that he would never be able to finish a 10 concert tour never mind a 50 concert tour. Those who wanted money used a man who was slowly dying and hastened his death. Many crimes were committed in MJ's life but it was by those around him, not by him.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting. I especially liked the chapter on his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley and how it was engineered by the Scientologists. The author never does come to a definite conclusion about whether Michael Jackson actually did molest children or if the parents were just trying to take advantage of his millions.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really engrossing and did change my opinion of Jackson's guilt in the child molestation charges he faced. The research from this book sounded like an interesting ride - almost makes me want to return to reporting.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually a very interesting book. And this is coming from a person who’s been a fan of MJ since I was 10, less than even. I’m 18 now. Despite what the reviews may say, this book isn’t mean-spirited. It’s just honest. And it’s a lot of info MJ fans don’t wanna hear.

It goes into great detail about the 1994 allegations and the 2004/5 trial. It also goes into how MJ may have been gay. It also goes into how MJ may have had Alpha-1, a lung disease which would explain why he always wore masks and why his health was in such shambles closer to the time of his death. It also goes into how MJ apparently really didn’t want to live towards the end of his life. I think this is a great book to read, especially if you’re an MJ fan.

Ian Halperin (the author) set out making this book to prove that MJ was guilty, and the fact that he’s realised and proven otherwise makes him a fairly credible person in the MJ community, especially to me. I’ve never been 100% positive of his innocence, sexuality and so much more, but this book has solidified a lot of my beliefs about Michael now. I’m almost positive he’s innocent. I’m leaning more towards the side that he may have been gay. I think he ultimately wanted to die towards the end of his life, not that he was murdered. A lot of MJ fans may hate me for even thinking that he may have been gay or not murdered, but we will never 100% know the truth about anything. I’ll admit, I’ve taken some of Halperin’s statements with a grain of salt just because he didn’t name a lot of his sources. But I’m really glad I read this book, and you should too.

[Madie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had an interesting breakdown of the child abuse cases against Michael Jackson; the authors whole goal with researching these cases against Jackson was to find him guilty of it & after extensive research & interviews he discovered the 1993 case & 2003 case was a big giant money scheme or bullsh*t you could also say. He also made sure to suggest that Jackson settling in the 1993 case was not at all an indication of guilt & had interviewed plenty of people who work in law & insurance. This man did a fair job at representing Michael in these cases as he doesn’t believe he is guilty at all after he did the proper research. He even called out the media on their misrepresentation on Jackson. A lot of what the press posts now about Jackson regarding these cases are fabricated for clicks & paid off by unreliable sources.

But I definitely disagree with a large portion of the book due to some things the author suggests that I just don’t particularly think it is matches who Michael was but I don’t think this book is bad.

Ignore the MJ fans who claim they read this book when their reviews show they clearly did not.

I grew up a big MJ fan so I really wanted to read a non-bias opinion on Michael & his final years. An average book. You got to read this with an open-mind otherwise you’ll be upset.

3/5.⭐️

[Shibapriya Mukhopadhyay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives a detailed information on only the child sexual abuse cases, and proves them wrong as Michael Jackson was Innocent, he always maintained his innocence. Go for this book as if you are a true Moonwalker like me, You will find pleasure reading this book. All the cases are proven false and when you read the people admitting that yes it was a lie, it gives a different happiness to a Typical moonwalker like me. Contains many rare pics including a few of his houses, and two awesome stills from the smooth criminal video.
The book was hard for me to read because the author first thinks that Michael was guilty but later changes his mind cause in his investigation, he finds out that he was Innocent. I read the book with tears and WTFs as I was literally shocked to learn that how rude and inhumane this world can be to an Angel who only tried to help the world. I am a beLIEver and I believe that Michael is alive, i don't know, but wherever he is, On earth or in heaven he is a free soul now! He did not deserve this BS from the people

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed that most of this book was about the accusations and trials for child molestation. That dominated Jackson's final years. I was more interested in his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley (arranged by the Church of Scientology) and Debbie Rowe. Jackson's three children were conceived through in vitro fertilization. The children obviously are not African American. Jackson used creams to lighten his skin. He had a genetic lung disease, which is why he wore surgical masks. People who worked for Jackson were concerned for the last 6 months of his life that he was sick enough to die. He was taking so many prescribed medications that he was at high risk for death from that. He became involved with the Nation of Islam and they kept him medicated and swindled him out of money. People close to Michael Jackson say that he said he was tired of living and felt he was too sick to make a comeback. He said Goodby to several people. It sounds like he was expecting to die.

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest, I am not sure why I chose to listen to, Unmasked: The Final Years Of Michael Jackson by Ian Halperin. But I saw the book and decided to listen. To be clear, I found this book to be a horrible, misrepresentation of any truth. What bothered me most was that Halperin began the book indicating that he was going to expose Michael Jackson as a pedophile, a liar and deceiver of all, and then spent the entire book praising him and declaring him ‘innocent’, and the most normal person on the earth! It is like FOX News declaring that they want Hillary Clinton to win the Presidency and then do what they always do and lie, deceive and present all manner of false claims. The book is a deceptive mess. Halperin takes insignificant, inconsequential and pointless pieces of information, ties them together and declares a conclusion that substantiates his senseless beliefs. The book is propaganda, pure and simple. My recommendation is to stay away from this ‘trash’ of a book.

[Willow Schroyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how the author took an approach to how he wasn't the best person alive but he defiantly wasn't the worst human alive either. This book showed an insight to how Michael got accused of molestation. The kids were following what they were told to say so their parents could get some money. Or at least that's how I saw it. it was originally meant to show who he truly was but it did more it provided the evidence to show he wasn't guilty and how those accusations almost ruined his career. His life is truly a sad one but we need to understand that there are more people out there like him whose life is messed up by a false accusation and very little evidence. Overall a fantastic book.

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative. The Author seems to have his investigations well formed as well as his sources. This is the most in-depth account I have ever read/watched. I find it interesting that the author admits to having wanted to prove the accusations against the entertainer but learned throughout all of his investigations that he was unable to do that. I've watched documentaries on TV that didn't cover this much information. Those television shows tend to gloss over everything. Ian Halperin was much more in-depth about several issues that those never touch on. Michael may have been guilty of being an eccentric childlike man, but it appears he was never a pedophile.