by Susan Roberts
This is really going to show my age, but I still remember seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show in February 1964. I was 15 years old, and as my dad complained about the music and their hair, I became a Beatles fan for life. My friends and I talked incessantly about the band and had long discussions about who our favorite was. We lived in Detroit, and the Beatles toured there twice, and my group all managed to find the money to see them both times. It doesn’t sound like a lot of money today, but it took a lot of allowances to be able to afford this ticket.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.
Over the years, music has changed, and my taste in music has changed, but I still enjoy reading books about the Beatles back in their early years. June 25 is Global Beatles Day, so I thought it might be time to highlight some of the books about them. There are probably hundreds of books available about this music phenomenon, and I’ve highlighted a few of my favorites.
Shout! The Beatles in Their Generation by Philip Norman
 |
| February 2005; Touchstone; 978-0743235655 audio, ebook, print (608 pages); biography |
Philip Norman’s biography of the Beatles is the definitive work on the world's most influential band—a beautifully written account of their lives, their music, and their times. Now brought completely up to date, this epic tale charts the rise of four scruffy Liverpool lads from their wild, often comical early days to the astonishing heights of Beatlemania, from the chaos of Apple and the collapse of hippy idealism to the band's acrimonious split. It also describes their struggle to escape the smothering Beatles’ legacy and the tragic deaths of John Lennon and George Harrison. Witty, insightful, and moving, Shout! is essential reading not just for Beatles fans but for anyone with an interest in pop music.
Buy Shout! at Amazon
John Lennon: The Life by Philip Norman
 |
| September 2009; Ecco; 978-0060754020 audio, ebook, print (864 pages); biography |
Honest and unflinching, as John himself would wish, Norman gives us the whole man in all his endless contradictions—tough and cynical, hilariously funny but also naive, vulnerable and insecure—and reveals how the mother who gave him away as a toddler haunted his mind and his music for the rest of his days.
Buy John Lennon: The Life at Amazon
Paul McCartney: The Life by Philip Norman
 |
| May 2016; Little, Brown and Company; 978-0316327961 audio, ebook, print (864 pages); biography |
Paul McCartney reveals the complex character behind the favßade and sheds new light on his childhood -- blighted by his mother's death but redeemed by the father who introduced him to music. This is the first definitive account of Paul's often troubled partnership with John Lennon, his personal trauma after the Beatles' breakup, and his subsequent struggle to get back to the top with Wings -- which nearly got him murdered in Africa and brought him nine days in a Tokyo jail. Readers will learn about his marriage to Linda, including their much-criticized musical collaboration, and a moving account of her death. Packed with new information and critical insights, Paul McCartney will be the definitive biography of a musical legend.
Buy Paul McCartney The Life at Amazon
The Beatles Anthology
The Beatles Anthology tells the complete story of The Beatles, from growing up in Liverpool to their rise to global phenomenon and ultimate breakup. Created originally with the complete support of Paul, George, Ringo, and Yoko Ono Lennon, with the words of John painstakingly compiled from sources worldwide, this 25th anniversary reissue offers the only story of The Beatles by The Beatles.
Buy The Beatles at Amazon
Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is three hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west. She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.
Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us. Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter today! Or Follow Girl Who Reads with Bloglovin. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment