This is a list containing the different written works about Madonna, including biographies and other literary forms. Many authors have written more than one book about Madonna and these have been published in multiple languages other than English, including German, French, Dutch, Spanish and Italian. The releases have sometimes become bestsellers and have faced varied reception from critics and academics. The staff of Xtra Magazine commented that "she has inspired a mini publishing industry all her own". Maura Johnston said that "the appetite for books on Madonna is large, and the variety of approaches writers, editors, and photographers have taken to craft their portraits is a testament to how her career has both inspired and provoked". On the report of Eric Weisbard "only Madonna books proliferated" compared to her other contemporary fellows from the 1980s. Evelyn Briceno from La Tercera described her as a character worthy of biographies, photo books and various analyses.
According to critic Paul Northup who wrote in Third Way magazine, "eminent authors and academics have pored over her tirelessly since she burst onto the pop scene in the early Eighties." The continual interest by many writers towards Madonna was expressed by Rodrigo Fresán in 2008: "and the years go by and life changes but something remains constant: one continues to write about Madonna", while J. Randy Taraborrelli wrote in 2018, "I have never stopped writing about Madonna since that day I first met her thirty-five years ago". The literature about Madonna is "extensive" according to associate professor Robert Miklitsch of Ohio University, and Stephen Brown from University of Ulster described "is almost mind-boggling in its abundance". Pamela Church Gibson from University of the Arts London realized it saying in Fashion and Celebrity Culture (2013), "there is a veritable library of literature available" on Madonna.
Biographies released about the singer include Madonna: An Intimate Biography (2002) by Taraborrelli, Madonna (2001) by Andrew Morton, Madonna: Like an Icon (2007) by Lucy O'Brien, Madonnaland (2016) by Alina Simone, Life with My Sister Madonna (2008) by her brother Christopher Ciccone and Madonna: Bawdy and Soul (1997) by Karlene Faith. Morton's biography was criticized by Madonna herself and she was also against the release of Ciccone's book, which ultimately led to a rift between the siblings.
Books written in English 1980s Book title Year Author(s) Publisher Pages Identifiers Notes Madonna: Lucky Star1985Olympic Marketing Corp 94The biography concentrated on Madonna's childhood.Madonna1985Hal Leonard Corporation48A photography book containing images from Madonna's tour.Madonna!1985Pinnacle Books189Bego talks about Madonna's life in Detroit and New York City.Madonna1985Anabas Books28A board book containing Madonna's biography in words and pictures.Holiday with Madonna1985Simon & Schuster63Matthews analyzed Madonna as a new singer in the music business.Madonna1986Lerner Publishing Group40Talks about how Madonna achieved fame and her appearances in music videos and films.Madonna: An Illustrated Biography1988Omnibus Press96Analyzes Madonna's early fashion style. Another version was released in 1992. 1992 version – Madonna: The Biography1989Pan Books160Biography which also includes the singer's business acumen and her marriage to actor Sean Penn.
1990s Book title Year Author(s) Publisher Pages Identifiers Notes Madonna in Her Own Words1990Omnibus Press128 Contains direct quotes from the singer about her career. A German version was released in 1991 by Goldmann publishers, titled Madonna: Selbstbekenntnisse. There were two other version released, one in 1999 and another in 2004.1991 version – 1999 version – 2004 version – Madonna1991Gallery Books96Chronicles Madonna's music and film career, her marriage to Penn and her concert tours. Another version was released in 1992 through Omnibus Press, and in 1993 a Spanish version was released, translated by Silvia Rodríguez Díaz.1992 version – 1993 version – Madonna: Unauthorized1991Simon & Schuster350Includes commentary from Madonna's family, friends, former lovers, and associates. Two other versions include a Danish one (1991) and reprinted one (1992). 1991 version – 1992 version – Like a Virgin: Madonna Revealed1991Blake Publishing240Detailed information about the singer's personal relationships. Another version was released in 1992 with the name Madonna Revealed: The Unauthorized Biography. 1992 version - Madonna Superstar: Photographs1991W. W. Norton & Company93Photography book about Madonna's career from her first album to the end of 1987.Madonna: Her Complete Story An Unauthorized Biography1991Publications International Ltd.80Includes numerous unseen photographs.Madonna: The Book1992William Morrow and Company256Contains direct quotes about Madonna from academics.1992Carol Publishing Group220A scrapbook with the singer's concert pictures, album and magazine covers and spreads.Madonna Illustrated1992Hyperion Books112Features more than 100 photographs with anecdotes by the author.Madonna: The Style Book1992Omnibus Press94Analysis of Madonna's fashion from her early career to more sophisticated clothing. A new edition was released in 1999 covering till the Ray of Light album era styles. 1999 version – Madonna: Blonde Ambition1992Harmony Books308Bego conducted personal interview with the singer and her close friends for the book. American academic and social critic Camille Paglia called it the "strongest of several [Madonna] biographies" in her book, Vamps and Tramps.1993Westview Press352Compilation of essays about Madonna.Madonnarama: Essays on Sex and Popular Culture1993Cleis Press200Margot Mifflin from Entertainment Weekly gave a positive review, saying that "with only minimal self-indulgence, Madonnarama smartly unravels [the singer's] tangled politics".Desperately Seeking Madonna: In Search of the Meaning of the World's Most Famous Woman1993Delta Publishing Inc316Talks about Madonna's cultural impact and received positive review in Publishers Weekly.Madonna: The Early Days1993Worldwide Televideo Enterprise95 Picture book with 65 photographs of Madonna and her friends from her early days.I Dream of Madonna: Women's Dreams of the Goddess of Pop1993HarperCollins127Turner collected the dreams of 50 women about Madonna, accompanied by color collages. The book was described by Publishers Weekly as a Dada art project.Madonna Speaks1993Tribune Publishers122Book of Madonna quotations.Madonna Megastar: Photographs 1988–19931994Schirmer Books136Picture book with anecdotes by Paglia.Encyclopedia Madonnica1995St. Martin's Griffin207Compilation structured like an encyclopedia and touches every aspect of Madonna's life, from her music career to personal relationships, film roles and books. An updated version was released in 2015. 2015 version – Material Girls: Making Sense of Feminist Cultural Theory1995University of California Press221Focuses on Madonna, Murphy Brown and Thelma & Louise, with numerous case studies.Madonna: Her Story1996Music Sales Group96The book starts with MacKenzie's favorite memory of Madonna.Guilty Pleasures: Feminist Camp from Mae West to Madonna1996Duke University Press208Theoretical discussion of female performance and spectatorship.Madonna: Bawdy and Soul1997University of Toronto Press226Analysis of Madonna from a feminist perspective.Madonna: The Ultimate Compendium of Interviews, Articles, Facts and Opinions From the Files of Rolling Stone1997Hyperion Books272Collection of articles till the release of Evita (1996).1998Omnibus Press130The author analyzed every recorded song in Madonna's catalog. An updated edition was released in 2004.1999Schirmer Books312A collection of journalistic and academic writing on the singer.
2000s Book title Year Author(s) Publisher Pages Identifiers Notes Madonna: An Intimate Biography2001Simon & Schuster416The book received positive reviews from The Birmingham Post and London Evening Standard. There were other versions released in 2002, 2007, 2008 and 2018. 2002 version – 2007 version – 2008 version – 2018 version – Goddess: Inside Madonna2001HarperCollins432Victor traveled to places inhabited by Madonna and interviewed the singer's close relatives, family members, friends and associates.Madonna: Queen of the World2001John Blake Publishing290Thompson interviewed Madonna's school friends and wrote about the singer's relationship with her father.Maximum Madonna: The Unauthorized Biography of Madonna2001Chrome Dreams 8The audiobook was recorded at Echo Base, New Malden, Surrey and read by Laurel Lyko.Madonna2002St. Martin's Press256Detailed about Madonna's ambitions, her relationships and her lifestyle. The author interviewed about 70 people who had known Madonna since her youth. The singer was critical of Morton contacting people about her life.Madonna as Postmodern Myth2002McFarland & Company264 Analysis of Madonna's cultural significance and the way she formed her fanbase throughout the world.Madonna Style2002Music Sales Group175Included Madonna's most memorable moments, her sexuality exploration, her struggles with Catholicism and her concept of motherhood.Madonna in Art2004Chaucer Press192Pictures of the singer in art form by over a hundred artists, including Andrew Logan, Sebastian Krüger, Al Hirschfeld, and Peter Howson.Madonna's Drowned Worlds: New Approaches to Her Cultural Transformations2004Ashgate Publishing223Analysis of different topics like sexuality, ethnicity and celebrity culture through Madonna's work.Madonna: Inspirations2005Essential WorksAndrews McMeel Publishing160Madonna's quotes and explanations about her work.Madonna: A Biography2007Greenwood Publishing Group152The biography was described by the New York Post as a "short, concise account" of Madonna.Madonna: Like an Icon2007Bantam Press432Author gave detailed analysis of the singer's music, complete with interviews she conducted with the musicians and producers who had collaborated with Madonna on her albums.Madonna: Express Yourself2007Enslow Publishers160The book concentrated on Madonna's early life prior to arriving in New York.2007The Friday Project Limited48Biography told through cartoons illustrated by David Whittle.From Mae to Madonna: Women Entertainers in Twentieth-Century America2008University Press of Kentucky256Author examined the historical impact of women in the entertainment industry and American culture, including mythological figures like Eve, Mary or Lillith.Life with My Sister Madonna2008Simon Spotlight Entertainment352Biography by Madonna's brother, based on his life, growing up and working with his sister. It received negative reviews, with The Guardian calling it a "misery memoir".Madonna v Guy: The Inside Story of the Most Sensational Divorce in Showbiz2009John Blake Publishing288Chronicled Madonna's life with her second husband Guy Ritchie after they were married in 2000, till the circumstances that led to their divorce in 2008.
2010s