Good Beatles biography

Meursault

Howdy all. Any recommendations on a good Beatles biography? Cheers, M.

Prettyblack

It depends what you are looking for. Good history, the facts laid out, the whole story, or the "inside truth"?

Some of the best Beatles books I've read have been about their music, songs, and recording practices in particular, rather than the telling of the story. However I can give you a few recommendations to start off:

1. Shout! - Phillip Norman - probably the best place to start, a really good book, originally written in 1980 and updated after Lennon was killed.

2. The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions - this was my first Beatles book and while it is trainspotter-y in places, its written in a nice easy style, and makes you realise how quickly and efficiently all those albums were recorded. Think its out of print, but worth looking for, for the pictures alone.

3. The Beatles by Hunter Davies - the only Beatles book published within their lifespan, and the only "authorised" biography. Only goes up to 1968 but still fascinating.

4. Revolution In The Head - Ian McDonald. This is one of those "song by song" books, but its a brilliant read and while you may not agree with all of his opinions, its still a book I go back to time and time again.

5. Many Years From Now - Paul McCartney. If you want a more individual approach, try this one. Also "McCartney" by Christopher Sandford is a good, funny kind of book which gives equal time to his solo career, as well as the Beatles (and isn't shy of creating scandal).

I'm reading a great one at the moment called The Mammoth Book of The Beatles, by Sean Egan, got it in HMV for 3 euro. Its a combination of the author's reviews and opinions of the records, interspersed with written material from the 60s as things were happening.

There's a ton more I'd recommend, but Shout! is probably the best place to start. I generally only read music books, mostly Beatles ones, so I do know a good few of them! :-)

delbertgrady

Revolution in the Head is the bible. Even if you don't agree with his opinions, as mentioned above, it's still head and shoulders above the majority of the Beatles books out there. You can read it from start to finish, or you can dip in and out of it. More than any other book (including the Complete Recording Sessions), it'll send you back to listening to the records all over again.
I'd recommend Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney by Howard Souness. It's a very balanced, critical-but-fair assessment of McCartney, up to and including his divorce from Heather Mills.

Spiritinthesky

The Beatles Diary by Barry Mills is a great book, day by day events.

Meursault

thanks again guys. appreciate the response

Frankie_Lee

Another vite for Many Years From Now - Paul McCartney.

I dislike people who give all the credit to John and I think this book was good at describing how significant Paul was in their groundbreaking later work.

Latchy

Not so much autobiography but books written by those very close to to them during the heyday of Beatlemania .

Ticket To Ride by Larry Kane ,which I have a copy of .

The only American journalist on the official Beatles press group on 1964-65 which includes a cd of interviews he did with the Beatles as the traveled around the states .( recommended )



John Paul George Ringo & Me - Tony Barrow .

He was a Liverpudlian and the Beatles press officer and was as close to the Beatles than anybody .He sets out to dispel some myths and untruths about the Beatles ,from the man who was there at the beginning with Love me Do up until the end .( recommended )




John Lennons life has been covered and dissected in many books and the man himself gave countless interviews over the years ie, Lennon Remembers from 1970 for one but it's a pity he never lived long enough to write the 'Definite biography ' which due to his bad memory loss from his substance abuse , would have needed a ghost writer or somebody to fill in the times , places and events .