Posted on: July 15, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, announced today the acquisition of J. Randy Taraborrelli’s long out-of-print biography on Michael Jackson, considered to be the definitive chronicle of the turbulent life of the “King of Pop,” who died suddenly at age 50 in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 25. MICHAEL JACKSON: THE MAGIC, THE MADNESS, THE WHOLE STORY, 1958-2009 which has not been available in the United States for over a decade, has been fully updated throughout to reflect Taraborrelli’s extensive continuous research since the original – and now totally out-of-date – publication in 1990. The new book will also include information from the past five years of the singer’s life including the most recent developments surrounding his death and the aftermath. It will be released as a hardcover in July 2009. Grand Central Publishing is the publisher of Taraborrelli’s previous bestsellers Elizabeth; Once Upon a Time; Jackie, Ethel, Joan and, upcoming, The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe.

Reacting to both the news of the pop icon’s passing, and to the acquisition, Taraborrelli said “I’ve known Michael since he was 10 years old and interviewed him at every milestone since then. I’ve always worked to set the record straight – popular or not – on his life and career. This is a tribute to that extraordinary life.”

Jamie Raab, Executive Vice President and Publisher, Grand Central Publishing, who acquired U.S. rights, added, “If anyone should have the final word on Michael Jackson, it should be Randy, who has documented accurately his career almost from day one. This book stands as the classic biography on Jackson, and readers have been requesting this updated edition.”

J. Randy Taraborrelli is the foremost authority on Michael Jackson. He’s interviewed him and his family members countless times and written more than one hundred articles about him. When Michael Jackson turned 18, Taraborrelli was there to report the story with an exclusive interview. As he did when Michael turned 21. And then 30. When Michael recorded “Thriller,” Taraborrelli was in the studio. The author also reported on his first marriage to Lisa Marie Presley and his second to Debbie Rowe, the mother of two of his children. Taraborrelli got the first interview when Jackson settled molestation charges against him. And when Michael Jackson was on trial for child molestation charges the second time, Taraborrelli was in the courtroom every day sitting directly behind the defendant. He reported on the events for CBS News and Court TV. In fact, Taraborrelli was the only CBS News reporter in the courtroom for the surprising “Not Guilty” verdict. In short, no reporter has had more experiences with Michael Jackson.

MICHAEL JACKSON: THE MAGIC, THE MADNESS, THE WHOLE STORY, 1958-2009 is the only New York Times bestseller about Jackson. First published in 1990, the book was a runaway success, ultimately selling more than 250,000 copies in six printings. Taraborrelli updated the book for the foreign marketplace four years ago in an edition that was nominated for a W.H. Smith Literary Award in the U.K. The book has sold more than 500,000 copies around the world and is considered the foremost – and only – credible Michael Jackson biography.

Long unavailable and out-of-print in the United States, this newly updated hardcover edition of MICHAEL JACKSON: THE MADNESS, THE MAGIC, THE WHOLE STORY, 1958-2009 is now the final word on the life and times of the world’s most famous man; the icon; the child star; the “King of Pop” – Michael Jackson.

About Hachette Book Group:
Hachette Book Group is a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the second-largest publisher in the world. Hachette Book Group’s product lines include adult, illustrated, religious, children’s, and audio books under the imprints Little, Brown and Company, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Grand Central Publishing, FaithWords, Center Street, Orbit, Yen Press, and Hachette Book Group Digital Media. Its bestselling authors include Ansel Adams, Marc Brown, David Baldacci, Michael Connelly, Nelson DeMille, Malcolm Gladwell, Robert Kiyosaki, Walter Mosley, Joyce Meyer, Stephenie Meyer, James Patterson, David Sedaris, Anita Shreve, Nicholas Sparks, Cecily von Ziegasar, and Paula White.

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