After reading “Remember The Time: Protecting Michael Jackson In His Final Days,”  by Bill Whitfield and Javon Beard with Tanner Colby, I went and looked at Goodreads to see what the consensus was of this book. What I saw first were his diehard fans’ comments saying both Whitfield and Beard betrayed Jackson by writing this book. I think that is misguided. I honestly felt their sincerity and loyalty to Jackson in the book, which tells of their time providing security for the pop star towards the end of his life.

And what a fascinating tale they tell. You get a big glimpse of how life was with Jackson, and how sometimes times were turbulent. This book is a page-turner, as I found himself devouring its 350+ pages in less than a day. Jackson’s image is, of course, larger than life, but their accounts here humanize him. This is not a tell-all nor a hatchet job, or at least it did not feel like one to me. What we do see is a multi-layered complex personality not unlike some other larer-than-life figures who preceded him. I even felt that Jackson was in so much pain towards the end of his life – mentally, psychologically – that it opened my eyes about him, thus making me more sympathetic. This was a fabulous read that’s dishy but not malicious.