Marilyn Monroe

"Painstakingly examines day-to-day events, sorting through fact and myth to uncover the real story" behind the Hollywood icon's death ( Library Journal ). Marilyn Monroe passed away at the age of thirty-six under circumstances that have remained mysterious to this day. Marilyn Monroe: The Final Years separates the myths and rumors from the facts as Keith Badman takes readers through the concluding months of 1960 to that fateful day in August 1962. In this extraordinary book-the product of five years of exhaustive research, Badman uncovers previously unseen personal records, exclusive interviews, and eyewitness accounts that illuminate the final chapter of Marilyn's life. Badman dispels popular myths, such as her supposed affairs with John F. Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy. Readers learn the long-concealed identity of her biological father. The author also reveals the details of her famous "last sitting" with photographer Bert Stern and describes the horror she endured after being tricked into being institutionalized at the Payne-Whitney Psychiatric Clinic, from which ex-husband Joe DiMaggio had to pull strings to secure her release. Perhaps most shockingly, we learn of the regrettable incident in which a drunken Monroe was sexually exploited by mobsters at a Lake Tahoe hotel co-owned by Frank Sinatra. Finally, contrary to the rumors that Marilyn was suicidal or the victim of a murder and cover-up, Badman discloses new information about her final days alive and reveals, in unequivocal detail, evidence that indicates Monroe's death was accidental. Marilyn Monroe: The Final Years sheds new light on an immortal movie legend. "Unlocks the mystery surrounding the final hours of Hollywood's favourite blonde." - Sunday Express(UK)

KEITH BADMAN is the author of several pop culture books, including The Beach Boys, Beatles Off the Record and Good Times and Bad Times: The Definitive Diary of the Rolling Stones 1960-1969.