In The Destruction and Creation of Michael Jackson, Ellis Cashmore takes a unique look at the life and career of one of the most controversial and ubiquitous figures in popular culture in this brilliantly written and well researched biography-in-reverse. Starting off with a timeline that runs backwards from 2022 to a dozen years before Jackson’s birth, Cashmore sets up his ‘destruction to creation’ model with cultural and personal milestones in Jackson’s life, running from the ruination of his latter years to the revelation of his early career.

Although this can make all the court allegations and settlements a little confusing, looking at the Prince of Pop’s life from end to beginning is an effective approach. For a start, it makes it easier to understand where Jackson ended up: still polarising opinion, damned by many due to allegations of child abuse, idolised by as many again for his incredible gifts as a musician, writer and performer. It also makes the end of the book less predictable, and the reader gets the chance to see Jackson in his innocent, yet troubled youth.

But that’s not to say this is a biography for the fans. Cashmore asks the difficult questions – can and should we separate the art from the artist? And, most uncomfortably, are we responsible for Jackson’s destruction if we, as consumers, aided in his creation?