Complete Idiot's Guide to Beatles (The Complete Idiot's Guide) [Mass Market Paperback]

Richard Buskin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1997 | Series: The Complete Idiot's Guide

You're no idiot, of course. You know Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Abbey Road are considered among the best rock albums of all time; you've seen the classic films A Hard Day's Night and Help!; and you've witnessed the #1 success of all three Anthology CDs and their TV/video counterparts. But now you're wondering...why all this fuss about the Fab Four more than a quarter century after their breakup? Don't pass us by yet! The Complete Idiot's Guide to The Beatles takes you on a yellow submarine ride through The Beatles phenomenon, from their early skiffle days in Liverpool to Anthology and solo projects. In this Complete Idiot's Guide you get:

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Alpha (December 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028621301
• ISBN-13: 978-0028621302
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,870,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book for Beatles beginners, April 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to Beatles (The Complete Idiot's Guide) (Mass Market Paperback)

It is a good book for new Beatles fans. A good start for one to know about the Beatles' life and music. I had more than 20 books on The Beatles before I read this book, and it still gave me some insight which I didn't know before.

I really like the ending bit where the author wrote about the reunion, the Anthology albums and the the two new singles. However it was a little short and I wish that it was much much longer.

It's a must buy for beginners and for hard-core Beatles who like to have more books on their Beatles collection.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars GREAT FOR NEWBIES, BUT LIMITED BY FORMAT, October 11, 2001

By 

Joe (Hellmont, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to Beatles (The Complete Idiot's Guide) (Mass Market Paperback)

As a hippie kid, I grew up in a house where the Beatles were at the top of the musical heirarchy. I knew a lot about them as a result of being into them for so long, but this book fills in the little gaps of knowledge I'd always had. Buskin knows the Beatles history inside and out. His coverage of their career is complete, even delving into the social and historical forces that shaped the Fab Four and set the stage for their ongoing success and eventual demise. I've read few rock history books that go so far to paint such a complete picture of the people and events that shaped a rock and roll band.

So why the four out of five stars? Call me picky, but I can't stand when historical authors fail to move in a chronological sequence. There's just no reason why he couldn't have taken it one year at a time with this book.

But while I dislike the structure of the book (which may not have been the author's fault, it is a complete idiot's guide after all), you still come away knowing a LOT more about the Fab Four by the time you're done. So, while it's not the best format to tackle the subject, it certainly succeeds in making a novice knowledgable, which is what these books are all about.

4.0 out of 5 stars Love me them Beatles, April 5, 2008

By 

D. Breese "Uncle Goopey" (Chase City, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to Beatles (The Complete Idiot's Guide) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book did everything I needed it to do. I wanted to get a good history of the Beatles and know how the got to the top. This book certainly did that. The trivia and asides that the "Idiot's" series always does were great and very illuminating. The chronology and Appendix have proven very helpful to me, too, as I try to experience the Beatles in the same order that they were exposed to the world. I found the book to be engaging and difficult to put down. That's always a good sign.

I did have a problem with the format in one case. The author looked at the Beatles from all the different perspectives (music, tours, movies, etc) both before and after they hit it big. To do that he went from the beginining to the end of the 60's in every chapter. It made it difficult to know what albums were out when they were filming "Help!" or when the went to the Maharishi's place. The chronology appendix helped but it still led to some confusion.

In the end though, I can't give this a lower score simply because I enjoyed the book so much and now am inspired to get more Beatles info.