Andrew Morton, infamous for his exposé biographies of Diana, Princess of Wales and Monica Lewinsky, turns his steely gaze toward the champagne-tinted world of Mr and Mrs Beckham. Be warned--he does not like what he sees. As he has made his name in the world of the high-profile, headline-grabbing exposé, Morton's fans expect a certain edge to his writing. The antithesis of the current trend for syrupy "so-then-I" works, the biographer is known for pulling no punches in his quest for a page-turning, titillating read. Certainly the research here is thorough (although fans will notice it is not exhaustive). The facts, which are not obviously tampered with, form the framework for the narrative... although it is not the facts per se which will make this book a talking point. Already the subject of a courtroom battle and sturdy pre-hearing settlement, Posh & Becks is basically one man's interpretation of the motives of the millennium's golden couple. While seeming to harbour certain affections for David Beckham, who is depicted as a long-suffering under-the-thumb kind of bloke, Morton returns to familiar black widow territory when he paints his portrait of Victoria.

The writer's great skill, for better or worse, is his ability to colour a portrayal through editing the story he is here to tell. By his pen, Victoria Beckham is in parts controlling, intelligent, needy, narcissistic and entrepreneurial. Having (albeit only as part of the Spice Girls) surrounded herself with media professionals who guide her well, be it in publicity, marketing or whatever, Victoria is chided for being power-hungry, where Morton would (perhaps?) deal a man astute instead. Character witnesses are produced, of course, to back up his case, but it is his choice of anti-Posh testimonies, rather than what they actually say, which is most telling. As Andrew Morton seems to be so shocked by the goings on in the industry which is entertainment, perhaps he should write an exposé of the business as a whole. In doing that, however, he would not be able to use the name of a superstar beside his own in order to sell his product. In the meantime, Madonna Louise Ciccone had better watch out. Apparently the drafts are already underway. --Helen Lamont

2008-01-26 All the Dirt in a Single Handy Volume

Morton must receive his praise for putting together all the dirt there was on Posh and Becks. Is it morally wrong? By no means. Instead of digging through old glossy magazines you can check one book with a glossy cover.
One question which this book fails to answer is how a player who is apparently passed his prime and a girl who never was a good singer could become such celebrities world-wide. But this is not a question which has anything to do with this charming couple but with us.