The Beatles, Lennon, and Me [Paperback]

Product Details

• Paperback: 399 pages
• Publisher: Stein & Day
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812880722
• ISBN-13: 978-0812880724
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,725,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some Great Stories But Is It Exaggerated?, February 23, 2004

By 

Heidi Crabtree (Kennesaw, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Beatles, Lennon, and Me (Paperback)

Pete Shotton was Lennon's buddy from childhood on. Pete was a stabilizing factor in Lennon's crazy life. You'll read about how, as boys, they made life miserable for the teachers at school. Some of the stories seem a bit exaggerated for effect; it's a bit hard to swallow that the headmaster can't tell the difference between rain on a window and a child urinating on the floor. Pete tells us about not surprising young days indulging in group masturbation and sex, on to the Dakota Days, with Dragon Lady Yoko obviously hating anyone who was ever friends with John. If you're a Lennon fan, find a copy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book By John Lennon's Best Friend, June 20, 2011

By 

James L. Desper Jr. - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beatles, Lennon, and Me (Paperback)

John Lennon and Pete Shotton grew up together in Liverpool, so Mr. Shotton has a unique perspective on his best buddy's life. His love and respect for the man is obvious on every page of this superb book. Any reader who wishes to get a glimpse of the real John Lennon should read it. Not only are there valuable insights into Mr. Lennon's character and personality, but also details of his songwriting techniques - making this book an important addition to the literature on both Mr. Lennon and The Beatles.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Beatles, Lennon and Me, August 2, 2010

By 

Martin Rots "Author" (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Beatles, Lennon, and Me (Paperback)

I'm a writer. I write about classic rock and when I learned of this book's existence, I had to have a copy. No matter it's been out of print for years. A book about the Beatles and John Lennon written by Lennon's best friend was not to be missed, a fresh new perspective on the story that has been told so many times.

I couldn't afford a hardcover copy. The cost was prohibitive for a struggling writer such as myself. I found a used paperback copy on Amazon that was affordable. When it arrived, the book was a little beat up, but servicable. I immediately dug into it to discover whether it was a gripping memoir or another white-washed tome.

Pete tells the story without slandering his best friend. This does not make for fascinating reading. He does reveal some of the details of Lennon's fledgling affair with Yoko and his experimentation with LSD during the mid-sixties, but there is nothing new of any consequence. Almost everything Shotton touches on has been covered in more detail by Bob Spitz in The Beatles.

Being out-of-print adds a substantial premium to the cost of a copy of this book, hardcover or paperback. If you're a casual fan of the Beatles, save yourself some money and buy Spitz.

Lennon, Hendrix, Morrison and Joplin...all dead
Did the counter-culture die or was it murdered?
[...]