Helpful Score: 5
From reading this book, I learned that Tom Cruise is an a$$hole, a 'merchant of chaos' & quite possibly may be the anti-Christ. Tom is one scary dude & I hope I don't turn up 'missing' by saying this LOL! I do like the author though & enjoyed his book about Monica Lewinsky too.
Helpful Score: 5
I was curious to read this but had fairly low expectations. As it turned out, I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put it down. This is a fascinating look at a top Hollywood player whose celebrity power enables him to move mountains for his personal agenda. I'll never watch a Tom Cruise movie the same way after reading this.
Helpful Score: 3
This is a good, and I believe factual bio of Tom Cruise, who is a decent actor, but who I never really liked. He sceeves me out. Now i get why. The book is pretty good...but Scientology stuff is really enlightening for those who are curious about it. And just as I suspected, it is a cult...and a dangerous one at that...more dangerous than I ever imagined. I dated a Scientologist for awhile and tried a few classes, but opted out of that and of the relationship...now I am REALLY glad I did. Scary. TC is really an a$$wipe. And the book is worth reading if you are interested in a perspective on Scientology other than their own.
Helpful Score: 3
Review from Amazon!
This book about Tom Cruise goes in-depth into his childhood and the author went through great lengths to talk to Tom's classmates, teachers, neighbors, etc. There are obscure interviews (that in the past, Tom would prevent journalists from talking to them - even going as far as to sue them) that help explain why Tom is WHO is he today - everything from being beat up by bullies in school to his love life. This talks about his successes and failures both in love and career, but most importantly, it also discusses in impressive detail: scientology and how it affected Tom and the people around him in a very objective way.
As you all may know, Tom and his lawyers have had threatened numerous lawsuits to many newspapers and tabloids (when they discuss his alleged gay life, which Morton also talks about) and I was surprised that the author got away with all the things he said. I think Morton did an UNBELIEVABLE job being objective, speaking truthfully, and from the heart. At the time of this writing, Tom and his lawyers are already discussing a lawsuit against the author for simply speaking the truth. The only people who have claimed anything in this book are falsehoods are the scientologists themselves, and even that was greatly explained in this book because the author went through great lengths to protect himself by showing the previous history of what scientologists did to OTHER authors in the past. Oh yeah. It's quite the story!!!
I'd recommend this book to ANYONE who wants to know the real truth about what's going on with him. Tom holds superior power in the acting industry, and if he doesn't like something, he has many companies "in his pocket" if you know what I mean. The book also talks about the highly-controversial issue where Tom threatened not to promote the movie MI: 3 because Viacom owned Comedy Central and Tom was embarrassed that South Park was making fun of him (and scientologists).
This book discusses EVERYTHING and I do mean - EVERYTHING: his relationships to Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Katie Holmes, etc.... down the detail, including little notes he'd leave around the house for his love interests.
Read it while you can, before Tom threatens the publication house to stop the presses! This TELL-ALL book will answer every Tom-question you've ever wanted to know, including his personal issue against Brooke Shields.
This book about Tom Cruise goes in-depth into his childhood and the author went through great lengths to talk to Tom's classmates, teachers, neighbors, etc. There are obscure interviews (that in the past, Tom would prevent journalists from talking to them - even going as far as to sue them) that help explain why Tom is WHO is he today - everything from being beat up by bullies in school to his love life. This talks about his successes and failures both in love and career, but most importantly, it also discusses in impressive detail: scientology and how it affected Tom and the people around him in a very objective way.
As you all may know, Tom and his lawyers have had threatened numerous lawsuits to many newspapers and tabloids (when they discuss his alleged gay life, which Morton also talks about) and I was surprised that the author got away with all the things he said. I think Morton did an UNBELIEVABLE job being objective, speaking truthfully, and from the heart. At the time of this writing, Tom and his lawyers are already discussing a lawsuit against the author for simply speaking the truth. The only people who have claimed anything in this book are falsehoods are the scientologists themselves, and even that was greatly explained in this book because the author went through great lengths to protect himself by showing the previous history of what scientologists did to OTHER authors in the past. Oh yeah. It's quite the story!!!
I'd recommend this book to ANYONE who wants to know the real truth about what's going on with him. Tom holds superior power in the acting industry, and if he doesn't like something, he has many companies "in his pocket" if you know what I mean. The book also talks about the highly-controversial issue where Tom threatened not to promote the movie MI: 3 because Viacom owned Comedy Central and Tom was embarrassed that South Park was making fun of him (and scientologists).
This book discusses EVERYTHING and I do mean - EVERYTHING: his relationships to Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Katie Holmes, etc.... down the detail, including little notes he'd leave around the house for his love interests.
Read it while you can, before Tom threatens the publication house to stop the presses! This TELL-ALL book will answer every Tom-question you've ever wanted to know, including his personal issue against Brooke Shields.
Helpful Score: 3
World-class actor or egomaniacal religious dictator? You decide.
In a ground-breaking, eye-opening move, biographer Andrew Morton provides a revealing look at Hollywood's Top Gun. From his "average" childhood to his relationships with Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Katie Holmes, Morton covers it all, including Cruise's most dominating trait: his dedication to controversial religion Scientology.
Morton's approach to the recapping of Tom's life is relatively unbiased, providing insight into his supposed battle with dyslexia, his popularity and academic performance in school, and his daredevil reputation. However, the view shifts when his devotion begins to lie with the increasingly popular religion, which counts actors John Travolta, Kirstie Alley and Erika Christensen & singers Isaac Hayes and Beck among its followers.
Almost every secret behind Cruise's and actress Kidman's marriage-gone-awry is on the table, including her two miscarriages and the intimate events that occurred with actor Gary Goba during the filming of Eyes Wide Shut. Similarly, Morton elaborates on Cruise's doomed relationships with Spanish actress Cruz and Hispanic model Sofia Vergara, both of which Cruise supposedly used to promote Scientology through celebrity popularity. His current marriage to Dawson's Creek alum Katie Holmes is said to have been used in a similar fashion, but unlike the family-influenced Cruz and independent-minded Vergara, Holmes abided with the religion swap.
Unlike many biographies, Morton branches off from the main topic of Cruise to familiarize the reader with the workings of Scientology on several occasions. Although the view of the religion is unarguably one-sided against the religion, founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, it is a side built on totalitarian principles, dictatorial regime, manipulative forces and, as a whole, world domination.
That brings his role as Adolf Hilter's attempted murderer in the upcoming movie Valkyrie right into perspective, doesn't it?
In a ground-breaking, eye-opening move, biographer Andrew Morton provides a revealing look at Hollywood's Top Gun. From his "average" childhood to his relationships with Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Katie Holmes, Morton covers it all, including Cruise's most dominating trait: his dedication to controversial religion Scientology.
Morton's approach to the recapping of Tom's life is relatively unbiased, providing insight into his supposed battle with dyslexia, his popularity and academic performance in school, and his daredevil reputation. However, the view shifts when his devotion begins to lie with the increasingly popular religion, which counts actors John Travolta, Kirstie Alley and Erika Christensen & singers Isaac Hayes and Beck among its followers.
Almost every secret behind Cruise's and actress Kidman's marriage-gone-awry is on the table, including her two miscarriages and the intimate events that occurred with actor Gary Goba during the filming of Eyes Wide Shut. Similarly, Morton elaborates on Cruise's doomed relationships with Spanish actress Cruz and Hispanic model Sofia Vergara, both of which Cruise supposedly used to promote Scientology through celebrity popularity. His current marriage to Dawson's Creek alum Katie Holmes is said to have been used in a similar fashion, but unlike the family-influenced Cruz and independent-minded Vergara, Holmes abided with the religion swap.
Unlike many biographies, Morton branches off from the main topic of Cruise to familiarize the reader with the workings of Scientology on several occasions. Although the view of the religion is unarguably one-sided against the religion, founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, it is a side built on totalitarian principles, dictatorial regime, manipulative forces and, as a whole, world domination.
That brings his role as Adolf Hilter's attempted murderer in the upcoming movie Valkyrie right into perspective, doesn't it?
Helpful Score: 2
This extensive biography about one of our most beloved stars shows his flaws, his strengths & his weaknesses. It is amazing that such a bright man would get caught up in a "religion" such as Scientology and furthermore, bring along his mother, sisters & groom his latest wife for it as well. This book is an interesting portrait of Tom Cruise and a fascinating look into his "religion".
Helpful Score: 2
I'm really glad I read this book, it cleared up a lot of questions for me. I was a fan of Tom Cruise back in the 80's, then was confused by what seemed to be a series of weird events with him. Getting this book was interesting, and I'm glad I read it. It's a big book, with lots and lots of details. Lots and lots. Depending on which part of the story interests you most, you might find some of it drags. The most interesting parts to me were the breakup with Nicole Kidman, the level of involvement in the religion, and the very early days (pre-religious involvement). I'd still recommend this book whether you were a fan or not, just the detail on so many high-profile people and the description of a very complicated life is worth the length of the book.
Helpful Score: 1
This book took me a long time to read. Although there are some revealing items about Tom Cruise in the book, there is a lot of detail about Scientology that bored me to tears. I was most interested to read about the Nicole Kidman split and relationship, but there really wasn't anything more to discover about the divorce. With all that said, I do think Andrew Morton, the author, did show Tom Cruise in a true light. I grew up watching Tom Cruise on the big screen, and I absolutely loved him in Top Gun, but unfortunately, his behavior in recent times had caused me to look at him differently. The bottom line: In my humble opinion, this biography is best skimmed through as opposed to reading it from cover to cover, page by page, sentence by sentence.
I listened to this book on CD and for the most part, I found it boring. The author focused so much on details that it took too long to simply describe what took place. The book is also drowning with Hollywood name-dropping. To me, it felt as though the author had an agenda: exposing Scientology and was using Tom's story to demonstrate. Nevertheless, I learned a lot about Scientology, Tom Cruise and how he got where he is today.
