Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth

I own two other Molly (Margaret) Brown biographies. This is by far the most accurate and separates the movie myth and legend from the real Margaret Tobin Brown. I think the fact that the author had access to the Brown family made a huge difference in the accuracy of the biographical information. If anything, I do think this book slightly underplays her heroism in the wake of the Titanic disaster. I am a native Coloradan and have been enthralled with Margaret Brown, partly because of the wonderful Debbie Reynolds MGM musical, and more-so by frequent visits to the Molly Brown House Museum located in Denver. I was pleased to finally get a book with a more accurate picture of the real Margaret Brown. The one thing I would have suggested for this book, would have been more pictures of Margaret Brown, her family and side-by-side of the 1910 pictures of her house and how it looks now.

I bought this as a gift for a loved one who loves to read. The subject matter I knew she would like and she prefers a story with some historical value. The biggest negative feedback I got was that the book does NOT start out from the beginning of Ms. Brown's life and she did not like that. Also, it seems the book has a tendency to jump around in the timeline of her life. When the story does go back to her beginnings, a lot of information is already known. The book goes into a lot of detail about her family as well. If you want an adult version of "Molly" Brown I believe this maybe the best book available. I also believe some facts in the book are based on speculation. Overall, the book was interesting and informative and has been passed on to another member of the family. So, I would recommend giving "Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth" a try and see for yourself if it flows to your liking.

This is an amazingly well-researched book about an oft-mentioned historical figure. I had no idea about her background prior to her Titanic experience, and this book laid it out beautifully. If you've see the movie (or show), or are interested in the story of the Titanic, I would definitely read this.

I got this book about Molly Brown after visiting her former home in Denver, CO. It's interesting to learn about Margaret and all the wonderful things she did for others, but I found it hard to read through all the miniscule details of her life.

It was refreshing to finally read a book that contains the FACTS of Margaret Brown. Kristen Iversen does a wonderful job in her research with the Brown family and the forward is written by Muffet Brown (Margaret's great grand daughter). This book is a true celebration of women. It covers so much of her life and the important role she played in womens sufferage. Margaret was truly a remarkable, kind, and generous woman, far beyond her time. Talk about a MODERN woman! She traveled ALONE around the world without her husband, something that was UNHEARD of in the early 20th century. I coulnd't put this book down! If you are interested in the Titanic, the history of remarkable women and Newport, New York and Denver society - read this book. Margaret was a well respected and well regarded woman who WAS Denver society. Forget any of the trash you have read about this woman being a foul mouthed, tacky, Denver soceity wannabe....this books contains only the facts of what Margeret was, is and why all the myths of her live on...... Truly a fascinating woman!

Essential for anyone who appreciates an honest history. The story of Margaret Brown has been shrouded in myth through most of her social rememberance, Kristen Iverson corrects the myth with the truly astonishing facts of Margaret's true life story! It makes you wonder why they would ever mess with the real thing in the first place. A quick read of this will definitely make you want to explore the home of Mrs.Brown at the Molly Brown House Museum in Denver.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book on the "unsinkable" Molly Brown, probably the most famous Titanic survivor. There are so many myths out there about this woman, hopefully this book will help to set the record straight. For one thing, Mrs. Brown was never called "Molly" while she was alive, but "Margaret". She was a very generous, caring and compassionate woman and was definitely ahead of her times. She was independent and was not afraid to stand up for her rights and worked tirelessly toward women's equal rights. She also spent a lot of time, energy and money in helping the not so fortunate people. She was involved in many charities and philanthropic organizations. She even worked toward improving working conditions for miners even though her husband owned mines. She loved to travel and was passionate about learning different languages especially French, as she loved the French culture. Also, it was very interesting to see how the upper class lived, traveled and entertained in the turn of the century in Colorado and Newport, Rhode Island.The author Kristen Iversen does a splendid job in researching the life of this amazing woman and putting together all the facts without making it boring. A very interesting book on a very interesting lady!

My grandmother adored this book. She loved the Debbie Reynolds movie and I bought this for as a birthday gift. She learned so much about Molly Brown and was very surprised to find out she was actually a bright lady who brought a lot to the table in Denver. I can't say anything too specific as she was the one who read it.....and hasn't let me borrow it yet....but she reads A TON and is very critical...she loved it. I can't wait to read it.

A bargain price, speedy delivery and a good read about an incredibly resilient woman.Excellent.

good read

Debunks the legends and delivers the truth. Lots of background detail would interest history buffs as well as Titanic fans.