What are your "fab four" Beatles books for the famous desert island?

I really enjoyed "Beatles '66: The Revolutionary Year"
by Steve Turner. I bought it on recommendation by a fellow forum Beatlemaniac.

 

The Beatles & Some Other Guys by Pete Frame
The Encyclopedia Of Beatles People by Bill Harry

 

Definitely the Mark Lewisohn book. I keep it with my Beatle LPs! It's like part of the whole set really. I also like The Definitive Illustrated Chronicle of The Beatles by Tim Hill, the Anthology big book, and The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics. Linda McCartney's Photos also has some great Beatles pics but it's more than just the fabs of course.

 

Drugs Divorce And A Slipping Image....along with all the above.

 

Shouldn't the Complete Beatles Recording Sessions by Lewisohn be constantly in print? I finally got the mono vinyl box and I am ready for some in depth analysis of this historic music. So are used copies on Amazon the way to go? It looks like it's around $35 on the low end.

 

Wow, it's out of print? That seems surprising, especially given the amount of attention The Beatles have had in the past few years. That book is so good that even room mates and friends who have only been casual Beatles listeners have borrowed it and enjoyed it. Yeah this is pretty much required reading if you are dedicated enough to get the mono box. If you are short on cash maybe you might check your library first?

 

It's surprising isn't it? I would have thought this book in particular (along with Chronicles) would constantly be in some sort of demand. I remember getting it day one and I still have the same tattered smoke-stained hard back missing it's dust sleeve - messy but well loved. I don't know how many times I've yanked that book from the shelf to check something and ended up two hours later lost in the details. It's one of the few absolutely essential Beatles books out there along with Chronicles, Tune In and Anthology.

 

Maybe it's one of those books that goes in and out of print regularly? It looks like there have been several different covers throughout the years. I was hoping one of you Beatles experts would chime in here telling me to just wait a few more months for the updated, extra pages added, deluxe, anniversary edition that's about to be released?! I'll probably just end up ordering a used one from a 3rd party seller on Amazon. I guess the original retail price was $20? Is that right?

 

I'm not sure you wanna do that. Makes me think of this.

 

The Beatles Covered - Joachim Noske

 

I wish I still had that illustrated Beatles one . Book was same size as album covers I think . I think there may have been a Dylan one too

 

THE BEATLES FOREVER (Nicholas Schaffner): the first Beatles biography I ever got

TUNE IN (Mark Lewisohn): the definitive biography of the early years

BEATLES 66 (Stephen Turner): the most creative year for the Beatles finally gets its due

PAPERBACK WRITER (Mark Shipper): I've read this fictional re-creation of the Beatles story at least a dozen times and it always cracks me up. The chapter with the "reunion" at Ringo's house may be the most touching, humorous, and ultimately bittersweet piece of writing ever done related to the Beatles.

 

Nicholas Schaffner - Beatles Forever

Still my favorite

 

If I'm going to a desert island, I hope I get there via time machine and arrive in a place where I'm 12 years old again.

In that case, I want the two books that left me daydreaming of the Beatles and their magical world, and my imagined place in it:

Nicholas Schaffner - Beatles Forever

Roy Carr and Tony Tyler - The Beatles: An Illustrated Record

 

Recording Sessions - Mark Lewisohn
The Beatles - Bob Spitz
You Never Give Me Your Money - Peter Doggett
Revolution In The Head - Ian McDonald

Those are all the Beatlebooks I really need, desert island or not.

 

No, Lewisohn has never had it revised. He published Chronicle as an update and expansion (Recording Sessions has quite a few errors).

 

I just finished this one and I also thought it was very good, better than I expected it to be.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a Beatles book to read while we wait for Lewisohn's volume 2.

 

Stunning 'Visualizing The Beatles' Book Due May 1 - Best Classic Bands

 

As Time Goes By - Derek Taylor

 

I also finished this book recently and loved it. AFAIK, it is one of the few books that mentions in some detail the Beatles overlooked late '65 UK tour. I like how that section starts the book because it leads up to McCartney's first acid trip which sets the stage for their upcoming psych phase. Also covers lots of other obscure phases of Beatle life such as John and Ringo's early '66 Tobago vacation and the revelation that Ringo didn't have a set of drums at his house and didn't practice(!) That blew my mind but made sense why I never heard many intricate or inventive patterns or fills from him on Beatles songs in general.

Other recommendations:
* 10 Years That Shook The World (Mojo) - love this book. A collection of different articles and topics covering major phases in Beatles career year by year but filled with a lot of extra detail on topics such as the mystery surrounding Pete Best's departure and lots of details regarding the Fabs various publishing contracts and major blunders made that cost them potential millions, John's Jesus Incident, The Thrilla in Manilla and much more. I should also mention that the writing style of the Mojo contributors is some of the best I have ever read. It's detailed without getting boring, hip without being pretentious, a few $10 words here and there, just awesome quality writing.

* Here There And Everywhere (Geoff Emerick) is a great companion to the Beatles Recording Sessions as it concentrates entirely of details of the Fabs recording sessions that Emerick took part in. Lots of nuggets of behind the scenes events that occured while making their magic, both good and not so good.

 

Lewisohn - Tune In (Extended)

Ryan and Kehew -Recording The Beatles

Chuck Gunderson - Some Fun Tonight!

Andy Babiuk - Beatles Gear (Ultimate Edition)

 

Anthology
The Beatles Recording Sessions
Tune In
Here There and Everywhere

 

Great question, OP.

Definitely, in my case, The Unreleased Beatles: Music and Film, by Mr. Unterberger.

The Unreleased Beatles: Music and Film



I never seem to find the time to sit down and really read that book. But I'm sure I'll pore over every word of it on the "famous desert island."

 

All of Bruce Spizer’s books and a Beatles Gear.

 

I'd take Revolution In The Head, but only because I suspect Anthology weighs enough to sink a desert island...