Joe and Marilyn

Although Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe’s marriage was short-lived, the late Heymann (Bobby and Jackie), in his final work, reveals why their Hollywood love affair remains one of the most famous in celebrity history. DiMaggio’s and Monroe’s dynamic personalities fueled romance and the attention of the media, and Heymann recounts with great skill the couple’s close, tumultuous, and tragic relationship. When they met (a double date Monroe almost skipped), DiMaggio had finished his baseball career and Monroe’s career was rising. Although their affection for one another was genuine, they were certainly not happily married. Celebrity gossip aficionados will thoroughly enjoy Heymann’s well-researched yet approachable style. Using archival research and interviews with family and friends as well as contemporary secondary sources, Heymann renders impressively intimate portraits of both DiMaggio and Monroe, while demonstrating an understanding of their close friendship. Weaving their histories into a detailed narrative, Heymann provides room for analysis of their characters, and the result is as entertaining as it is informative. Agent: Mel Berger, William Morris Entertainment. (July)