Ticket to Ride: Inside the Beatles' 1964 and 1965 Tours That Changed the World [Paperback]

Larry Kane (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 3, 2004

Ticket to Ride tells the Beatles' story like it's never been told before. Larry Kane was the only American reporter to travel to every stop of the Beatles' pathbreaking 1964 and 1965 North American tours, giving him more access to the Beatles than any other member of the U.S. media. Kane joined them everywhere-on the airplane, in their hotel suites and limousines, and backstage-making Ticket to Ride the most detailed and intimate look at the four young Liverpudlian innocents as they were transformed into world-renowned musical legends.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

John Lennon once said that the Beatles on tour were as debauched as the ancient Romans in Fellini's Satyricon. Outside of a description of a "happy" Lennon urging his band mates to "take your pick" from a group of hookers provided by an Atlantic City concert promoter, this highly entertaining account by broadcast journalist Kane, who covered the tour at the time, is as discreet about the Fab Four's sexual adventures as they were, although Kane notes that "women came and went from the Beatles' floor in most hotels." But in all other respects, from fiery airplanes and rioting fans to encounters with Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Jayne Mansfield (the latter two seem to spend "quality" time with Lennon), this is a fantastic insider's look at the cultural explosion that was Beatlemania. It helps that Kane was only 21 at the time (the same age as Paul McCartney); unlike "dull-witted" reporters whom the Beatles came to disdain, Kane quickly noted "their indisputable naturalness and, to varying degrees, the depth of their humanity and their lack of phoniness." In turn, the Beatles rewarded Kane with many in-depth interviews through the tour (60 minutes of which are included on an accompanying CD), which Kane skillfully uses throughout provide the Beatles' own insightful view of the ongoing craziness surrounding them, as they travel from one chaotic hotel and concert scene to another. This is the most detailed description yet of the Beatles' American tours, and one of the few books on the band written in the past decade that can be considered indispensable.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Tell-all books by Beatles insiders have become as numerous and indistinguishable as hairs on a Beatle wig. But Kane's journalist's eye--he was the only American reporter to travel with the group for every stop of their 1964 and 1965 tours--sets this one apart. There had never been a cultural phenomenon to match Beatlemania--and nothing has quite equaled it since--and Kane vividly portrays its familiar trappings, from riotous fans whose screaming drowned out the music to chaotic postconcert escapes. More fascinating are Kane's behind-the-scenes views of "the boys," extracted from many interviews (excerpted on an accompanying CD), that disclose, for example, that Kane managed to insult John Lennon during their initial meeting--and wound up eliciting eloquent criticism of the war in Vietnam. Kane gradually fell for the music, and he provides valuable perspective on the performances, which are often neglected in other Beatles tour accounts. Less successful are Kane's attempted pontifications on the band as a harbinger of '60s dissent. Terrific fly-on-the-wall stuff about a unique pop-cultural event. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (August 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014303426X
• ISBN-13: 978-0143034261
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #452,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Read the News Today, Oh, Boy..., August 29, 2003

By 

BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Ticket To Ride: Inside the Beatles' 1964 Tour that Changed the World (with CD) (Hardcover)

This is a sterling, high caliber first rate work.

Larry Kane, a veteran news reporter/broadcast journalist shares anecdotes of his year traveling with the Beatles. He covers the concerts from 1964 and 1965 and gives in-depth analyses of each individual Beatle. Kane's voice, the voice of a newsman rings pure and clear; he not only provides an objective reporting style, but he effectively includes his subjective feelings regarding the events and people he has covered.

This book contains material that is new even to inveterate Beatle fans; this book is a treasure trove of historical information. Kane covers incidents as seemingly humorous as George Harrison aiming his drink at an intrusive reporter to events as serious as the safety and personal observations of each Beatle.

Kane's writing style is very inclusive; in covering the issues and events, he skillfully draws his readers in so that one feels a part of what is taking place in the narratives. He is also quite adept at portraying the individuality of each person mentioned in the book. I like the way he has interviewed fans and included their input as well as updates on them. I was also delighted that Kane included a list of Beatles' concerts, dates and places during 1964 - 1965.

I have had the pleasure of hearing Larry Kane speak several times; he has a real gift and a real flair as a raconteur and this book is proof positive of that. A CD of interviews comes with the book and it is a bonus treat.

This is such a worthwhile book. I can't recommend it highly enough.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dateline meets the Beatles, March 12, 2004

By 

J. Jackson "climaction" (Charlottesville, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ticket To Ride: Inside the Beatles' 1964 Tour that Changed the World (with CD) (Hardcover)

Kane had a wonderful opportunity when he traveled with the Beatles during those early tours. This book certainly gives some interesting highlights of how hectic those days were, but the style of his writing diminishes the work to the level of a Stone Phillips report on NBC. There's way too much foreshadowing, giving it the feel of "When we get back from this commercial, you'll hear how the one of the Beatles made an anti-semitic remark..."

Yes, as one reviewer put it, you'll see how the boys were actually nice, regular people, but Kane writes with an ineptitude typical of our televised society. Or else he doesn't have the story he thinks. And yes, the enclosed cd consists largely of John, Paul, George, and Ringo saying, "Hello, Larry."

Some interesting tidbits for a Beatle afficionado, but overall, a disappointment.

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful read...excellent bonus CD!!!, August 7, 2003

By 

Lowell Jacobsen (Bozeman, MT, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ticket To Ride: Inside the Beatles' 1964 Tour that Changed the World (with CD) (Hardcover)

I 've read almost every Beatles book out there, and this one ranks right at the top. It's one of the few "Beatles books" written by a true insider, and you get to experience the Beatles tours of America as real events and not just as hype. Amazingly, the daily reality of the tours was even more outrageous than the hype!
Kane not only does a great job of capturing the daily madness of the tours, but he also puts them in historical perspective by adding seamless commentary about the hot-button issues of the sixties. It's also interesting to see the author's interaction with the Beatles (especially John) throughout the tour. When most reporters and deejays were asking the Beatles about their hairdos and jellybeans, Kane thankfully took another route, asking them about the things that concerned them, and society at large. The Beatles really seemed to respond to Kane, and opened up to talk candidly about a range of issues that give you a sense of what they were really all about. And they way they playfully harass him is hilarious!
Besides being an excellent book, the bonus CD is a rare treasure, filled with the author's interviews with the Beatles from the '64-'65 tours. I've never heard any of this material before, and I thought I had heard it all when it comes to the Beatles.
If you're a Beatles fan, check this package out.