Hello, Norma Jeane

The Marilyn Monroe You Didn’t Know

By Elisa Jordan

Her unforgettable image is seared into the minds of fans everywhere, and her private life continues to inspire headlines and controversy, but Marilyn Monroe is one of the most famous—and misunderstood—women in the world who remains a mystery to most people.

On Marilyn cuts through the rumors and myths to present the real person behind the queen of movies and pop culture. From her chaotic childhood in Depression-era Los Angeles to her rise in the world of Hollywood and finally her untimely death, Elisa Jordan explores the legendary star’s family history, connection to the movies from childhood, her personal life as an adult, and her interest in continually educating herself.

On Marilyn is compulsively readable: Instead of chronological dates and dry accounts of events, there are chapters about specific aspects of her life and career. What did Marilyn like to eat? What types of books did she read? Was she really plus-size? Did she nearly bring down a political empire? And how did she actually die? This book explores everything—and vividly brings to light the truth about the world’s greatest movie star.

Elisa Jordan is a respected writer, editor, and historian whose work has appeared in a variety of publications. She has been studying Marilyn Monroe since the age of five, after seeing Gentlemen Prefer Blondes on TV, and is currently regarded as a leading authority on Marilyn. She also gives tours devoted to Marilyn, Jean Harlow, the Doors, and rock ’n’ roll in Hollywood, a role that led her to help co-found the Los Angeles Tour Guides Association. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

This accessible and comprehensive guide reveals the human being behind the legend of cinema’s brightest star.

Applause

January 2024

360 pages

65 illustrations

Hardback with dust jacket

978 1 4930 5395 7 eBook

978 1 4930 5396 4

Biography & Autobiography •

Entertainment & Performing Arts

Rod Stewart

The Classic Years

By Sean Egan

For some, Rod Stewart embodies all of the conceit and narcissism that susceptible egos are prone to once they make it big in the music industry. Even if that were true, however, that wouldn’t change the fact that he is responsible for some of the greatest recordings ever made. A great number of those songs were recorded for the Mercury label between 1969 and 1975, spread across Stewart’s solo output as well as his side gig as front man for the band Faces. Even when the records were likable more often than they were classic, Stewart was still one of the greatest live attractions in the world, whether on his own or with the band.

Rod Stewart: The Classic Years gives an unprecedented in-depth look at this crucial phase of Stewart’s career. Author Sean Egan brings together interviews with musicians Mick Waller, Pete Sears, and Ray Jackson, engineer Mike Bobak, manager Billy Gaff, Stewart’s then-girlfriend and muse Dee Harrington, his publicist Jonathan Rowlands, and many other key individuals in orbit around Stewart, including a brand-new interview with the man himself for a first-hand account of the Mercury years. Egan offers a striking portrait of big egos, plenty of decadence, and solid-gold rock ‘n’ roll amidst the long post-‘60s hangover.

Sean Egan has contributed to Billboard, Classic Rock, Reader’s Digest, Record Collector, Total Film, Uncut, RollingStone.com, and more. He has written or edited two dozen books, including works on the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Clash. His 2002 book Jimi Hendrix and the Making of “Are You Experienced” was nominated for an Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research.

An unprecedented, in-depth look at a crucial stage in Rod Stewart’s career, recording for the Mercury label from 1969 to 1975.

Backbeat

October 2023

232 pages

25 illustrations

Hardback with dust jacket

978 1 4930 6822 7 eBook

978 1 4930 7348 1

Biography & Autobiography • Music