John Lennon: In His Life [Paperback]

John Blaney (Author), Valeria Manferto De Fabianis (Editor), Yoko Ono Lennon (Preface)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 2010

Thirty years ago, John Lennon's life was tragically cut short, ending one of the most influential and brilliant musical careers of the 20th century.
This photo-biography, with a preface by his wife, Yoko Ono Lennon, takes a look back at the enigmatic legend, and a life marked by restless exploration-into art and music, consciousness and spirituality, politics and protest, love and peace. Featuring family photos and reproductions of documents that bear witness to momentous events and the origins of his “Imaginative” songs, this compilation, like no other, sheds light on his relationships with Paul, George, and Ringo; his attitudes toward mind-expanding drugs, social revolution, and the Vietnam War; the cataclysmic breakup of the Beatles; and the tenderness of his love for Yoko Ono and their only child Sean.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Although this biography-in-photographs appears in conjunction with the thirtieth anniversary of John Lennon’s tragic death at 40, it concentrates on what Yoko Ono describes in her preface as her husband’s “magical” life. While Ono remembers Lennon as a “curious and highly intelligent man,” Blaney writes of Lennon’s “butterfly mind,” shorthand for his brilliance and impatience. In his extensive commentary accompanying hundreds of remarkably elegant private and public photographs, Blaney notes that while the always-photogenic Lennon appears to be “a confident, happy, normal young boy,” everyone knew he was exceptional. Creative, charismatic, ambitious, daring, and sensitive, Lennon concealed his terrible grief over his mother’s death when he was 17 behind a caustic and aggressive demeanor and struggled with his repressed feelings as the tempest of fame engulfed the Beatles. Image and narrative track the group’s rapid rise and evolution and Lennon’s discovery of his soul mate. Blaney writes, “Ono transformed Lennon; she filled him with confidence, inspiration and energy.” This superior photographic record of Lennon and his and Ono’s love, activism, and mutual artistry is strikingly romantic and poignant. --Donna Seaman

Review

"This superior photographic record of Lennon and his and Ono's love, activism, and mutual artistry is strikingly romantic and poignant." -- Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: White Star Publishers (September 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 8854404497
• ISBN-13: 978-8854404496
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,392,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Where are the boys?, November 21, 2010

By 

Lesa - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Lennon: In His Life (Paperback)

I was very disappointed that his boys were not included in "HIS LIFE"! At least Cynthia Lennon's in a couple of pics ~

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for a browse, February 16, 2011

By 

Enslowe (Concord, NH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Lennon: In His Life (Paperback)

This is a somewhat spotty photobiography of Lennon's life. The black and white photos are reproduced beautifully and in large format. However, there are the usual egeregious errors that devoted Beatlemaniacs are forever complaining about, such as photos from 1964 included in a chapter called "1963," photos of the making of the film "How I Won The War" (filmed 1966) in a "1967" chapter, etc.
etc. Moreover, the chronology of the chapters overall is a hash... there is a vague attempt to put everything in order but pictures from the Beatle's final tour come *after* "How I Won The War," as but one of many examples. Too often the shots simply show Lennon's face and not his surroundings or context; more variety might enhance the story and the visual experience. Surprisingly, there is only one photo of Lennon taken after 1975 in the whole book. The fond introduction by Yoko Ono contains a typo. This book is clearly well-meant and Lennon fans will enjoy browsing it for an hour as with any collection of photographs, but a much better and comprehensive photobio was released back in 1988 to accompany the "Imagine" documentary movie.

3 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars CONTENTS RECEIVE A 5 STAR RATING, BUT..., October 1, 2010

By 

DIRTBAG "DIRTBAG" (HOMELESS) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: John Lennon: In His Life (Paperback)

The contents of this book are incredible, but having waited over six months to receive this book described as "HARDCOVER" I was quite disappointed to receive what would best be described as a thick "PAPERBACK". And at that it was contained in a flimsy soft sided bag allowing the corners and edges to get creased.

THIS IS NOT WHAT I WOULD CALL A "HARDCOVER" BOOK, although the contents are worthy of a nice coffee-table hardcover.