100 Best The Beatles Books of All Time
We've researched and ranked the best the beatles books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more
The product of almost a decade of research, hundreds of unprecedented interviews, and the discovery of scores of never-before-revealed documents, Bob Spitz's The Beatles is the biography fans have been waiting for -- a vast, complete account as brilliant and joyous and revelatory as a Beatles record itself. Spitz begins in... more
Ten years in the making, Tune In takes the Beatles from before their childhoods through the final hour of 1962—when, with breakthrough success just days away, they stand on the cusp of a whole new kind of fame and... more
For the Beatles, writing songs was a process that could happen anytime -- songs we all know by heart often began as a scribble on the back of an envelope or on hotel stationery. These original documents have ended up scattered across the world at museums and universities and with collectors and friends. Many have never been published before. More than 100 songs and lyrics are reproduced in The... more
The time has come when I feel ready to tell the truth about John and me, our years together and the years since his death. There is so much that I have never said, so many incidents I have never spoken of and so many feelings I have never expressed: great love on one hand; pain, torment, and humiliation on the other. Only I know what really happened between us, why we stayed together, why we parted, and the price I have paid for being John’s wife. —From the Introduction less
During the past year Paul McCartney has been in the public's eye more than at any time since the peak of Beatlemania over thirty years ago. His fans have been treated to the best-selling Flaming Pie and Standing Stone albums, a full hour of Paul on "Oprah," and this thoughtful and comprehensive biography that brings us closer to the man than ever before. Based on hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews over a period of five years, and with complete access to Paul's own archives, Barry Miles has succeeded in letting Paul tell the story of his life as a Beatle in his own words. It includes...
moreWas there really a Polythene Pam? Where are Strawberry Fields? What connection does the actor Peter Fonda have with the song She Said She Said? In this book music journalist Steve Turner shatters some well-worn myths and reveals many unknown stories behind every Beatle Song, from "I Saw Her Standing There" to Abbey Road's "The End." The lyrics that have been etched in our collective memories take on new meaning as the ordinary people and events behind each song are revealed. Arranged chronologically by album and packed with color and black and white... more
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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... more
About The Awful
I was bored on the 9th of Octover 1940 when, I believe, the Nasties were still booming us led by Madolf Heatlump (who only had one). Anyway they didn't get me. I attended to varicous schools in Liddypol. And still didn't pass—much to my Aunties supplies. As a member of the most publified Beatles my and (P, G, and R's) records might seem funnier to some of you than this book, but as far as I'm conceived this correction of short writty is the most wonderfoul larf I've ever ready.
God help and breed you all.
lessThis masterly biography takes a fresh and penetrating look at every aspect of Lennon's much-chronicled... more
In this behind-the-scenes look at the most famous musical group in history, Hunter Davies gives the complete story of the Beatles. As the only authorized biographer, Davies had full access to the Fab Four as well as their help and encouragement. He spent eighteen months with them when they were at the peak of their musical genius and at the pinnacle of their popularity, and he remained friends with each of the members as they went their separate ways. This updated edition addresses recent changes in the lives of the Beatles:... more
John Lennon was one of the greatest songwriters the world has ever known, creator of "Help!", "Come Together", "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Imagine", and dozens more. But it was in his correspondences that he let his personality and poetry flow unguarded. Now, gathered for the first time in book form, are his letters to family, friends, strangers, and lovers from every point in his life. Funny, informative, wise, poetic, and sometimes... more
Don't have time to read the top The Beatles books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Now, for the first time, You Never Give Me Your Money tells the behind-the-scenes story of the personal rivalries and legal feuds that have dominated the Beatles' lives since 1969....
moreSince the age of twenty-one, Paul McCartney has lived one of the ultimate rock-n-roll lives played out on the most public of stages. Now, Paul's story is told by rock music's foremost biographer, with McCartney's consent and access to family members and close friends who have never spoken on the record before.
Paul McCartney reveals the complex character behind the favßade and sheds new light on his childhood -- blighted by his mother's death but... more
The music and lyrics of the Beatles have proven them to be artists of the page as well as the stage and have here provided inspiration to dozens of artists. Rendered in full color on every page are extravagantly colorful scenes and images, from the psychedelic visions evoked by “Strawberry Fields” to the youthful innocence that springs from “She Loves You.” Witty commentary and candid insights from John, Paul, George and Ringo... more
Hold On to Your Kids... more
Genevieve Von LobHe talks in this book about what I’ve been talking about a lot: about how maintaining your relationship with your child is the most important thing you can do as a parent. (Source)
"Brings the era to vivid life. The mythic moments are all here. Magical Mystery Tours is a tour de force." ---Entertainment Weekly
Growing up in a postwar Liverpool suburb, Tony Bramwell was boyhood friends with three of the Beatles long before they were famous. And by the time he caught up with George Harrison on the top of a bus to check out "The Beatles, direct from Hamburg"---one of which George turned out to be---Tony was well into a life story absolutely... more
Beginning with their adolescence in Liverpool, Gould describes the seminal influences––from Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry to The Goon Show... more
Don't have time to read the top The Beatles books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
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‘These are shots that no one else could have. I just loved taking pictures and I still do.’ – Ringo Starr
See Ringo growing up in Liverpool amidst the excitement of the emerging Merseybeat scene, as he remembers his time in hospital, his first car, drum-kits, girls and bands on his ‘road of happy drumming’. Ringo’s lens captures his Beatles bandmates in pensive and playful moments,... more
All the Songs delves deep into the history and origins of the Beatles and their music. This first-of-its-kind book draws upon decades of research, as music historians Margotin and Guesdon recount the circumstances that led to the composition of every song, the recording process, and the instruments used. Here, we learn that one of... more
Winner of the 2017 Virgil Thomson Award for Outstanding Music Criticism
“This is the best book about the Beatles ever written” —Mashable
Rob Sheffield, the Rolling Stone columnist and bestselling author of Love Is a Mix Tape offers an entertaining, unconventional look at the most popular band in history, the Beatles, exploring what they mean today and why they still matter so intensely to a generation that has never known a world... more
Peter Asher met the Beatles in the spring of 1963, the start of a lifelong association with the band and its members. He had a front-row seat as they elevated pop music into an art form, and he was present at the creation of some of the most iconic music of our times.
Asher is also a talented musician in his own right, with a great ear for what was new and fresh. Once, when Paul... more
Don't have time to read the top The Beatles books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Who was "just 17" and made Paul's "heart go boom"?
Was there really an Eleanor Rigby?
Where's Penny Lane?
What inspired "Happiness is a Warm... more
? Includes a CD featuring an hour of Kane?s rare interviews with the Beatles
? Features a foreword by Dick Clark
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Sheff gives a rare and last glimpse of John and Yoko, one that seemed to look beyond the kitchen table to the future of the world with startling premonitions of what was to come.
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Kyle RussellFound my new "recommends in every coffee meeting" book - "Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood," telling the stories behind the 5 Best Picture nominees in 1968 https://t.co/xpghc74OWy (Source)
Josh Charles@MarkHarrisNYC I love this so much Mark. Can’t wait to read this book! (Source)
Among this virtual army of hometown participants were numerous professional and amateur photographers, each with full access to the production's inner workings--for the first time ever this compiles their behind-the-scenes photographs and stories into a treasure trove of Jaws rarities.
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As the 1970s began, the Beatles ended, leaving Paul McCartney to face the new decade with only his wife Linda by his side. Holed up at his farmhouse in Scotland, he sank into a deep depression. To outsiders, McCartney seemed like a man adrift—intimidated by his own fame, paralyzed by the choices that lay before him, cut loose from his musical moorings. But what appeared to be the sad finale of... more
This in-depth account of The Beatles’ BBC appearances features transcripts of broadcast interviews plus photographs of the group and fascinating documents from the archives. From the unprecedented excitement of Beatlemania to the mature reflection of the last interviews before the group’s split, it... more
Kurt Cobain filled dozens of notebooks with lyrics, drawings, and writings about his plans for Nirvana and his thoughts about fame, the state of music, and the people who bought and sold him and his music. His journals reveal an artist who loved music, who knew the history of rock, and who was determined to define his place in that history. Here is a mesmerizing, incomparable portrait of the most influential musician of his time. less
Don't have time to read the top The Beatles books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
In 1966, during a brief stint as a receptionist for Town and Country magazine, Linda Eastman snagged a press pass to a very exclusive promotional event for the Rolling Stones aboard a yacht on the Hudson River; her fresh, candid photographs of the band were far superior to the formal shots made by the band’s official photographer, and she was instantly on the way to making a name for herself as a top rock ’n’ roll photographer. On May 11, 1968, when her portrait of Eric Clapton was... more
In February 1969, the Beatles began working on what became their final album together. Abbey Road introduced a number of new techniques and technologies to the Beatles' sound, and included "Come Together," "Something," and "Here Comes the Sun," which all emerged as classics.
Womack's colorful retelling of how this landmark album was written and recorded is a treat for fans of the Beatles. Solid State takes readers... more
They started off as hysteria-inducing pop stars playing to audiences of screaming teenage fans and ended up as musical sages considered responsible for ushering in a new era.
The year that changed everything for the Beatles was 1966—the year of their last concert and their first album, Revolver, that was created to be listened to rather than performed. This was the year the Beatles risked their... more
For the 32nd year, Uncle John and his loyal researchers have teamed up to bring you the latest tidbits from the world of pop culture, history, sports, and strange news stories. If you want to read about celebrity misdeeds, odd coincidences, and disastrous blunders, Uncle John’s Truth, Trivia, and the Pursuit of Factiness has what you need. With short articles for a quick trip to the throne room and longer page-turners for an extended visit, this all-new edition of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader is a... more
McCartney's own ambitions fueled much of the group's progress. But even as he...
moreA fascinating, exhilarating portrait of the Beatles in their early years.
Meet the Beatles . . . right at the beginning of their careers. This gorgeous, high-energy graphic novel is an intimate peek into the early years of the world's greatest rock band.
The heart of Baby's In Black is a love story. The "fifth Beatle," Stuart Sutcliffe, falls in love with the beautiful Astrid Kirchherr when she recruits the Beatles for a sensational (and famous) photography session during their time in Hamburg. When the band returns to... more
Don't have time to read the top The Beatles books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
A Cellarful of Noise, Epstein's long out-of-print autobiography, gives readers the inside story of his discovery and management of the world's most famous rock 'n' roll band. From their initial struggles to their wild rocket ride to the pinnacle of success, this true story...
more"Certainly," I said, "I'm willing to listen to anything. Ask him to come and see me."
"O.K., I will. His name's Brian Epstein..."
All You Need Is Ears is the story of George Martin, the man who spotted the Beatles' talent, who recorded and produced them from the start, and who brought their musical ideas to life. In this witty... more
These photos convey a really happy period for them and for me. It all comes down to music, they were without a doubt the greatest band of the 20th century, and that’s why these photographs are so important. – Harry Benson, 2011
In early 1964, Harry Benson was getting on a plane for a foreign assignment in Africa, when he got a call from his photo editor of London newspaper The Daily Express. He was now going with the Beatles to Paris to document French Beatlemania and what followed was the biggest (ticket to) ride of... more
"High-spirited, hugely enjoyable and generous from start to finish." -New York Times Book Review
"Robust, wry, gritty and wise." --The Wall Street Journal
"Confident and well oiled. At times it has the mythic sweep of an early Terrence Malick movie."--New York Times
On the 40th anniversary of The Band's legendary The Last Waltz concert, Robbie Robertson finally tells his own spellbinding story of the band... more
Don't have time to read the top The Beatles books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
"A dream you dream alone may be a dream, but a dream two people dream together is a reality."
"Burn this book after you've read it." -- Yoko Ono
"This is the greatest book I've ever burned." -- John Lennon less
But What If We’re... more
Marc AndreessenWide-ranging meditation on how to think about the reality that we're probably wrong about most things we believe. Hard to read and not emerge humbled. (Source)
Ryan HolidayTo balance out that depressing book, I highly recommend David Brooks’ The Road To Character, Sebastian Junger’s Tribe and Chuck Klosterman’s What If We’re Wrong. (Source)
Bryan Johnson[Bryan Johnson recommended this book on Twitter.] (Source)
Dorian LynskeyThis book shows step by step Lennon’s political awakening in The Beatles, the first time he spoke out against war, the first time he tried to write a protest song and the controversy over the song Revolution, which loads of people on the left hated. (Source)
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will be as one.
Join one little pigeon as she sets out on a journey to spread a message of tolerance around the world. Featuring the lyrics of John Lennon’s iconic song and illustrations by the award-winning artist Jean Jullien, this poignant and timely picture book dares to imagine a world at peace. Imagine will be published in partnership with human rights organization Amnesty International. less
It was fifty years ago today! Some 80,000 leagues beneath the sea, a colorful land of music and laughter existed called Pepperland -- a place where Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts' Club Band was always playing your song. That is, until the Blue Meanies burst onto the scene and chased all the magical music away. . . . So began the classic 1968 film Yellow Submarine, inspired by the eponymous song. With a refreshed... more
Have you ever watched a Beatles film clip and wondered:
• Where was that filmed?
• Is any more of that footage available?
Have you ever heard a Beatles interview and asked:
• When was that taped?
• Where’s the best place to find the complete recording?
Way Beyond Compare has the answers to these and thousands of similar questions. It’s the key to unlocking the secrets... more
Don't have time to read the top The Beatles books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
In the years after World War II, music was evolving from big-band jazz into rock ’n’ roll—and these louder styles demanded revolutionary instruments. When Leo Fender’s tiny... more
In 1986, fledgling Seattle label C/Z Records released Deep Six, a compilation featuring a half-dozen local bands: Soundgarden, Green River, Melvins, Malfunkshun, the U-Men and Skin Yard. Though it sold miserably, the record made music history by documenting a burgeoning regional sound, the raw fusion of heavy metal and punk rock... more
This dynamic visual biography is Jeffers's personal chronicle of an artist who blends his love of creating stories with his love of art and his infectious charm, and is a must-have for art lovers and bibliophiles both young and old.
Oliver Jeffers takes a dive into... more
I’d like to be under the sea
In an octopus’s garden in the shade
He’d let us in, knows where we’ve been
In his octopus’s garden in the shade
Who wouldn’t like to visit an octopus’s garden? Well, now you can! This lively picture book, complete with a CD of the beloved song,... more
Don't have time to read the top The Beatles books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Well, remember when the boys were joined onstage by household names like Tanya Day, Royston Ellis, Simone Jackson and Janice The Stripper? Hmmm. Don't ring a bell?
This is the entire point of Liddypool author David Bedford's newest historical romp,... more
The Beatles: 365 Days is a dazzling photographic survey-in 425 black-and-white and color images, most of which are rarely or never before seen-that follows the Beatles through the arc of their spectacular career from 1963 to 1970. Arranged chronologically, the photos trace the story of the band, from their emergence on the scene in England, through their rise to international superstardom, to their very public breakup in 1970. Every aspect of their evolution... more
Fab is the first exhaustive biography of the legendary musician; it tells Sir Paul’s whole life story, from childhood to present day, from working-class Liverpool beginnings to the cultural phenomenon that was The Beatles to his many solo incarnations.
Fab is the definitive...
Don't have time to read the top The Beatles books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.