This is a no holds barred biography of entertainer Mickey Rooney. Rooney was definitely talented - actor, singer, dancer, composer, live performer, and accomplished in playing numerous musical instruments. He was the number one box office star in 1939 - over Clark Gable. During many film conventions - Hollywood's old guard have always said he was the most talented of them all. You only have to see his work in films like Boys Town or The Human Comedy to be awed by his talent. And for someone to have been in films for 10 decades is an accomplishment that I think few other actors can boast of. However, as a human being, Rooney was dysfunctional. As soon as his father learned his mother was pregnant he was essentially abandoned by his father. His early work in vaudeville made him the breadwinner of the family by the age of 5. His signing with MGM would have been a blessing except for the fact that MGM micro-managed all the stars so they knew nothing about basic things such as how to write a check and certainly not how to manage money. Between gambling, women, and drinking, Rooney lived the high life including eight marriages and nine children, none of which he had a real relationship with. At the end, Rooney is blaming everyone but himself for not having the fortune he should have had. The authors interview many who knew Rooney - including wives, children, co-stars, managers, and even Rooney himself. In the end, you don't feel sorry for Rooney because of his arrogance and lack of feeling for anyone but himself. There is a complete filmography as well as Broadway appearances. This is currently the most complete study of Rooney and for any film fan, well worth reading. ( )