Beatle Books In Review: Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America by Jonathan Gould

I first read this book when I received it as a Christmas present a few years ago. I was curious as to how it would be different to the other Beatle books I had read, but by the end it had become one of my favourites. Even if you think you know the story already, there is still something about this book that keeps the reader gripped. One of the things I liked most about it was how much detail it went into regarding the songs themselves. Gould also does a wonderful job at setting the scene - by this I mean telling the band's story in a wider social context.

Review by Sarah Stacey

Beatle Books In Review: John Lennon: The Life by Philip Norman

Quite simply one of the best biographies of any rock musician I have ever read. There has been a lot of crap written about John (one mention of Albert Goldman's book The Lives of John Lennon is enough to send most fans into a rage) but Philip Norman's book is fantastic. It is respectful without glossing over any of the less savoury aspects of John's character. Norman interviewed all the key people in John's life, including Yoko Ono of course, and emerged with the best and most detailed account of his life to date. The only gripe I have is that the ending was a little too abrupt, but Sean Lennon's memories of his father are a nice way to finish off the book.

Review by Sarah Stacey

Beatle Books In Review: I, Me, Mine by George Harrison

This book is the closest George ever got to an autobiography. The first part is filled with his recollections of his childhood and being a Beatle, as well as his thoughts on life, religion, gardening and even motor racing, as told to Derek Taylor. The next section of the book contains photographs. My personal favourite is the section featuring the original handwritten lyrics to many of George's songs, accompanied by explanations from the man himself. It's great to see where he got his inspiration from, and nothing offers a better glimpse into the mind of a great songwriter. Olivia Harrison's foreword is very moving.

Review by Sarah Stacey

Beatle Books In Review: The Mammoth Book of the Beatles by Sean Egan

This one's for the nerds among us! It contains the author's own assessment of every album and single The Beatles ever released, plus their films. There are also numerous articles, including Maureen Cleave's now famous interview with John Lennon in which he made his "bigger than Jesus" remark, and interviews with key people such as Pete Best, George Martin, Pattie Boyd, Cynthia Lennon and Astrid Kirchherr - the latter three as part of the 'Beatle Women' section of the book. There is even a section dedicated to articles by people who don't like The Beatles, so read with care! I really enjoyed this book, despite the fact that I disagreed with quite a lot of Egan's opinions on the songs (he seems to dismiss quite a high number of renowned classics as "not great").

Review by Sarah Stacey

Beatle Books In Review: 'The Beatles Irish Concerts' by Colm Keane (2008)

I have to talk about a book that's close to my heart for no other reason than the fact I am an Irish fan of The Beatles. This is the story of the time Beatlemania hit Ireland in November 1963, when the group played two shows on our shores, at the Adelphi in Dublin and the ABC Ritz in Belfast, followed in 1964 by King's Hall in Belfast. There are interviews with the teenage Beatles fans who were there - all now well into their sixties, with children and grandchildren. There are also interviews with George Harrison's Irish cousins, who met their famous relative when he stopped by on that first visit in 1963. Whether you're Irish or not, it's still a highly enjoyable book to read if you simply love The Beatles.

Review by Sarah Stacey.

Beatle Books In Review: Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles

I always remember this book being around the house when I was little, and when my fascination with The Beatles developed, I read it and found it really enjoyable. If you're looking for Paul's side of the story, this is exactly what you get - you won't be disappointed. Paul speaks candidly about all aspects of his life and The Beatles, from his childhood in Liverpool to his relationship with John and beyond. I've written before on my own blog about how overlooked his contribution still is by many people, and I would recommend this book to anyone who feels that way.

Review by Sarah Stacey

Beatle Books In Review: All Things Must Pass: The Life of George Harrison by Marc Shapiro

As George is my favourite Beatle, I was really looking forward to reading a biography of him, particularly one that was - as the front cover of this book proclaimed - "well-written and informative". Unfortunately, it was neither. The author seemed to speed through George's childhood. In fact, he seemed to speed through mostly everything, which makes it seem as though he was in one big rush all the way through the writing process. It's also very short and seems like little more than a cut and paste job, as it features no original interviews (at least not that I recall). Basically, it does a terrible disservice to a genuinely fascinating subject. Avoid at all costs.

Review by Sarah Stacey 

Beatle Books In Review: 'The Beatles' by Hunter Davies (1968)

We're excited to announce our first guest reviewer at The Beatles Through The Years: Sarah Stacey.

Sarah is a first year Multimedia student at Dublin City University in Dublin, Ireland and she, like us all here at Beatles Through The Years, is a massive fan of all things Beatle! For the next few weeks we'll have Sarah reviewing a selection of books about the Beatles and anything else Beatle-related. We also know Sarah is a fantastic guitar player! So welcome aboard Sarah! Very happy to have you here!

The mother of all Beatle books, this is the one that started it all. Written in 1968, with the full co-operation of the band members themselves, Davies gives an up close and personal account that no other author has ever really been able to do. Of course, the passage of time has highlighted a few inaccuracies here and there, but that's down to the fact that while certain people were alive, they didn't want particular things to be known. For instance, certain aspects of John's childhood were glossed over for fear of upsetting his aunt Mimi. That aside, it is still the biography to rival all others.

 Review by Sarah Stacey.

Check out Sarah's blog here