Writing: 4.5; Theme: 5.0; Content: 4.5; Language: 4.5; Overall: 4.5

This was the first in Bill O'Reilly's "Killing" Series that I've read. It was a very eye-opening revelation of these three entertainers and icons. I knew some about each of these figures, but the author shares inside information on each of these individuals that most probably were not aware of. Two of the three (Presley and Lennon) of course died early in life and Ali suffered through Parkinson's disease a good part of his life. O'Reilly shares with his readership what haunted all three of these men- they all had great fame and they all allowed others to control them and their lives which led to very troubling ends for each one. Highly recommend.

***November 20, 2023*** ( )

I listened to this as an audiobook. From the cover, I knew it would focus on Elvis Presley, John Lennon, and Muhammed Ali. To me, it seemed that Elvis got the most "airtime". I was surprised that more information on why Lennon's murderer did what he did wasn't included. (These authors have included details on motive in other books in this series.).

For Ali's story, it was hard for me to follow the boxing part. Perhaps it is because I'm not that familiar with the boxing world (how it's determined who will fight the champ next etc.). I think Ali kept going back because boxing was what he knew--particularly since his manager didn't have him pursue other avenues such as acting. I can understand him wanting to feel the way he felt when he was at the top of his "game" one more time.

One takeaway is surround yourself with people who will look out for your best interests in multiple areas of your life (financial, health, etc.). Then, carefully consider what they have to say. Both Elvis and Ali had managers who, at some point, looked at their celebrity as a "cash cow" and, regardless of the cost to their client, kept the performer going. ( )

I have not read any of Bill O'Reilly's Killing books, but this one intrigued me for some reason. The book looks at the lived of Lennon, Presley, and Ali and shines light on their lives at pivotal points. I think that most of the information related in the book can be easily found on the internet and most is pretty well known already. The tying together of these three celebrated celebrities was interesting however and was summed up in the author's note at the end of the book. Read this if you are interested in any of these people, but don't expect to learn much as far as new information about them. ( )

3.5 -4 Stars ( )

3.5- 4 stars ( )