im going on a vacation and want to read a couple of Beatle related books. I bought Tune In and am looking forward to that. What else would you suggest?
Magic Circles by Bob Mason This book shows how John Lennon and Paul McCartney turned pop song lyrics into private conversations, which gradually extended to other major songwriters of the 1960s, esp. Bob Dylan. These "conversations" often centred on sex and drugs. A very different and illuminating perspective that's different to the usual books on these artists.
My personal faves: You Never Give Me Your Money - Peter Doggett. Essential reading for 1967 until present day Fabs/Apple Corps history. Eight Arms to Hold You - Outdated, but best collection of writing about the musical exploits of the Solo Beatles till 2000. Ten Years that Shook the World - From Mojo magazine. Essential compact history of The Beatle years. Revolution in the Head - Ian McDonald. Critical dissection of The Beatles music. Get Back (Let it Be disaster)- Doug Sulpy Day by day chronology of the I'll fated "Get Back" sessions. Many Years from Now - Barry Miles Tune In - Mark Lewisohn
I have all but one of Spizer's Coffee Table Books. All of them essential and wonders abound throughout.
The Beatles Forever. Not the best necessarily, but probably the most enjoyable and emblematic of the joy that was the fabs.
If you're a Fab 4 virgin (or know someone who is and wants to learn about them) I recommend The Beatles Forever as a good general intro. If you're not a rookie I suggest You Never Give Me Your Money, which I just finished a few days ago. Worth reading for anyone interested in how music is entangled with finance, and a must for Beatles fans -- you'll never look at them in quite the same way again. I just started The Longest Cocktail Party, which is considered one of the classic Beatle books. It's certainly lively so far.
Turn Me On, Dead Man: The Beatles and the Paul Is Dead Hoax by Andru J. Reeve 2004 published by Authorhouse A comprehensive review of the "Paul is dead" hoax and clues. ISBN 1418482943 (ISBN13: 9781418482947)
Like others have said, and will say again, Mark Lewisohn's All These Years trilogy will be the main text for budding Beatleologisits when it is finished. Tune In is staggering. 800 or so pages, and it doesn't even get up to the first album. And to me at least, not one of those pages feels like padding. What Robert Caro's 'The Years Of Lyndon Johnson' is to political biography, 'All These Years' will become for music biography.
Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles by Geoff Emerick and Howard Massey
Agree with many of the above. Here are more that I thoroughly enjoyed and learned from: Shout-Philip Norman Here, There and Everywhere-Geoff Emerick The Beatles-Bob Spitz The Best of the Beatles Book With the Beatles-Bob Whitaker Some Fun Tonight-Chuck Gunderson Many Years From Now-Barry Miles Beatles '66-Steve Turner The Beatles-Hunter Davies Any book by Derek Taylor or George Martin
you must have missed this thread: What are your "fab four" Beatles books for the famous desert island?
I'd second the Spizer recommendations but A.) Only the Parlophone book is still in print (but still recommended) and B.) their size might make beachside or poolside reading a hassle. I also second Hunter Davies' biography.
Ever read John's books, In His Own Write, A Spaniard in the Works and Skywriting by Word of Mouth? I'd avoid the current 2-fer edition of the first two; Spaniard has gone all green.
I'm taking the train to Toronto tomorrow and from the library I just got `Maximum Volume - The Life Of Beatles Producer George Martin' by Kenneth Womack. Looking forward to reading it.
Just to second and third others recommendations. I think if you are a casual Beatles fan than Spizer's book is the way to go. It will give you everything you need and is not as minute as Tune In by Lewisohn. Now if you are really getting into them and want to do a deep dive than get Tune In. Keep in mind that you will spend a lot of time in their childhoods and it only gets you to the beginning of their recording careers. Lastly You Never Give Me Your Money is a fascinating read but I think it's a book better appreciated after you have read other Beatles books and are more familiar with their story.
I've read the general biographies, that's why I chose Tune In, for more detail. I think is like something about the recordings for another book.
