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Editorial Content for Killing the Legends: The Lethal Danger of Celebrity

Reviewer (text)

Barbara Bamberger Scott

In KILLING THE LEGENDS, TV journalist Bill O’Reilly and bestselling author Martin Dugard collaborate to bring into focus the lives of three icons of the 20th century: Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Muhammad Ali. Their commonality arises from the disturbing circumstances of their rise to fame, their fall into relative obscurity, and the violence and self-destructive patterns that may have contributed to their demise.

"The theme of the Killing series is undeniably eerie and its name morbidly memorable. But its purpose, as in this case, is noble, offering history, mystery and fascinating facts for contemplation."

Elvis was, more than anyone else, the father of rock ‘n’ roll music. As a young man with a mellow, sexy and powerful voice, a handsome face and physique, and a memorable way of moving his hips, he had women screaming and men snapping their fingers, live on stage and TV or on vinyl. His service in the military only boosted his career, even as his finances were quickly taken over by a former carnival trickster, whose name --- Colonel Tom Parker --- was as fake as his underhanded business dealings. Still, without him, Elvis might have passed into obscurity. As it was, he fed himself so many drugs for his up-and-down life that in the end, he passed himself away. Many mourned, but few truly understood the problems that led to his death.

John Lennon was a musician, too, and a brilliant songwriter. His iconic group, The Beatles, were as screamed after as Elvis at his prime --- again, by lustful ladies and music lovers across generations. The Beatles rode the hippie riptide until it shrank to a mere current, while Lennon gained notoriety for his bizarre relationship with Yoko Ono. Only his former bandmates could see up close that the couple was as devoted to heroin as they were to each other. Yet Lennon’s death came not from his habits, but from the gun of an assassin who confessed willingly that he just had to kill the man --- in public.

Muhammed Ali, born Cassius Clay, was arguably the greatest boxer who ever jumped in the ring. Adored by his fans, world-traveled and always ready to make a prediction of upcoming victory, Ali’s troubles began with plummeting success and ended in Parkinson’s disease, disabilities associated with the hard knocks his body was subjected to for most of his adult years, and death in his 70s. His alignment with the Nation of Islam was costly financially, and for some, it detracted from his clear talent as a boxer. Still, for the majority of those who saw him in person or on TV, he was and always would be “the greatest.”

O’Reilly and Dugard have arrayed a notable number of details about each of these figures, including the later lives, careers and legacies of their families, spouses and children. Each man was at one time an innocent young person cosseting an innate wish for upward trajectory. Each could have been nobody; manipulation by canny players boosted them at times to greater fame or kept them from disappearing like fallen stars in the night. All were to experience the pleasures and pressures of fame, and to become its victims. Each was a prime mover in his realm, making a mark that can never be erased.

The theme of the Killing series is undeniably eerie and its name morbidly memorable. But its purpose, as in this case, is noble, offering history, mystery and fascinating facts for contemplation.

Teaser

Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Muhammad Ali. These three icons changed not only the worlds of music, film and sports, but the world itself. Their faces were known everywhere, in every nation, across every culture. And their stories became larger than life --- until their lives spun out of control at the hands of those they most trusted. In KILLING THE LEGENDS, Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard explore the lives, legacies and tragic deaths of three of the most famous people of the 20th century. Each experienced immense success, then failures that forced them to change; each faced the challenge of growing old in fields that privilege youth; and finally, each became isolated, cocooned by wealth but vulnerable to the demands of those in their innermost circles.

Promo

Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Muhammad Ali. These three icons changed not only the worlds of music, film and sports, but the world itself. Their faces were known everywhere, in every nation, across every culture. And their stories became larger than life --- until their lives spun out of control at the hands of those they most trusted. In KILLING THE LEGENDS, Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard explore the lives, legacies and tragic deaths of three of the most famous people of the 20th century. Each experienced immense success, then failures that forced them to change; each faced the challenge of growing old in fields that privilege youth; and finally, each became isolated, cocooned by wealth but vulnerable to the demands of those in their innermost circles.

About the Book

In the latest book in the multimillion-selling Killing series, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard tell the larger-than-life stories of Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Muhammad Ali.

The King is dead. The Walrus is shot. The Greatest is no more.

Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Muhammad Ali. These three icons changed not only the worlds of music, film and sports, but the world itself. Their faces were known everywhere, in every nation, across every culture. And their stories became larger than life --- until their lives spun out of control at the hands of those they most trusted.

In KILLING THE LEGENDS, Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard explore the lives, legacies and tragic deaths of three of the most famous people of the 20th century. Each experienced immense success, then failures that forced them to change; each faced the challenge of growing old in fields that privilege youth; and finally, each became isolated, cocooned by wealth but vulnerable to the demands of those in their innermost circles.

Dramatic, insightful and immensely entertaining, KILLING THE LEGENDS is the 12th book in O’Reilly and Dugard’s Killing series: the most popular series of narrative history books in the world, with more than 18 million copies in print.

Audiobook available, read by Robert Petkoff