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The Beatles: The Biography Paperback – October 10, 2006

by Bob Spitz (Author)

329 customer reviews

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As soon as The Beatles became famous, the spin machine began to construct a myth--one that has continued to this day. But the truth is much more interesting, much more exciting, and much more moving. In this bestselling book, Bob Spitz has written the biography for which Beatles fans have long waited. 32 pages of b/w photos.

The Beatles: The Biography

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. With this massive opus, veteran music journalist Spitz (Dylan: A Biography) tells the definitive story of the band that sparked a cultural revolution. Calling on books, articles, radio programs and primary interviews, Spitz follows the band from each member's family origins in working-class Liverpool to the band's agonizing final days. Spitz's unflinching biography reveals that not only did the Beatles pioneer a new era of rock but they also were on the cutting edge of rock star excess, from their 1961 amphetamine-fueled sets in the clubs of Hamburg to their eventual appetites for stronger drugs, including marijuana, LSD, cocaine and, eventually for John Lennon, heroin. Sex was also part of the equation; in 1962, when the band cut its first audition for Sir George Martin, all four members had a venereal disease, and both John's and Paul McCartney's girlfriends were pregnant. Spitz details the tangled web of bad business deals that flowed from novice manager Brian Epstein (though the heavily conflicted Epstein can be forgiven since he was in uncharted territory). Although this is a hefty volume steeped in research, Spitz writes economically, and with flair, letting the facts and characters speak for themselves. In doing so, he captures an ironic sadness that accompanied the Beatles' runaway success—how their dreams of stardom, once realized, became a prison, forcing the band to spend large parts of their youth in hotel rooms to avoid mobs and to stage elaborate escapes from literally life-threatening situations after appearances. As with all great history writing, Spitz both captures a moment in time and humanizes his subjects. While some will blanch at the unsettling dark sides of the Beatles, most will come to appreciate the band even more for knowing the incredible personal odysseys they endured. 32 pages of b&w photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Edited down from a staggering 2,700 pages, The Beatles took eight years of research and writing. But with some 500 books chronicling their lives, loves, and legacy, one would think The Beatles’ story had been adequately told. Adequate isn’t authoritative, however, and most critics believe that Spitz, a former manager for Bruce Springsteen and author of Dylan: The Biography, has synthesized his subject masterfully. Though some would prefer hagiography (Charles Taylor of Newsday seems particularly aggrieved the biography doesn’t live up to the Beatles’ artistic standard—but what has?), the general consensus is that if it’s pop-culture history you desire, The Beatles tops the charts.

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Product details

Paperback: 992 pages
Publisher: Back Bay Books; Reprint edition (October 10, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316013315
ISBN-13: 978-0316013314
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.6 x 9.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 329 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #74,360 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #15 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Pop Culture > Beatles
- #34 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Biographies > Pop
- #87 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Musical Genres > Popular

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Top customer reviews

1000 pages, and something revealing on every page

ByGary Rubinsteinon March 13, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

You really get your money's worth on this one. Nearly 1000 pages, and pretty much something I never knew before about The Beatles on every one. Spitz really makes you feel like you are right there, with The Beatles during the wild tours, with them in the studio, and with them for all the bickering and for the good times. I don't want to give too much away, but just to say that this is probably the best biography I ever read. Spitz really took his time in developing the characters so you felt like you knew them by the end. I would like to read more by this author, but it doesn't seem like he has written much else recently.

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A Terrific Book!

ByPat Rothellon September 18, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This may sound a little wacky, but I'm reading this book for the fourth time! I've never enjoyed a book as much. It's extremely well written and grabs my attention with every reading. There is a lot of Beatles history in this book which I find to be extremely interesting as well as informative. Also, surprise! I'm in my 80s and sorry that I didn't pay real attention to what my young sons found so compelling in those days. I find it a super read!

0Comment 10 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Intimate view of The Beatles' shortcomings & triumphs

ByTamaron November 21, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I have never read a book this long. However the stories about my all time favorite musical artists were so compelling, interesting, and amazing that I plowed through this book in about 3 and a half weeks. Each day I couldn't wait to find some time to get back to the boys and see what was going to happen next. I have read books about the Beatles before but this one had so many stories and tales that I had never read anywhere else. I heard Bob Spitz interviewed on late night radio and he told of how each of the Beatles (except John, of course) had given permission to their friends and associates who were close to them through the years to go ahead and tell the truth about what really went on.

It's starts off a bit slowly with in depth accounts of their parents and even grandparents for gosh sakes, but then launches into their early years when they met each other -- before they were even the Beatles. Great stories. So many behind the scenes views of their inner lives and inner circles of friends, associates, and the people who came into their lives who made them what they were. Lots of explanations of their failures and shortcomings too. I really felt like I was there., day by day. Great photos too.

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BEYOND THE SCREAMING

ByKate Meyerson September 21, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I can't stop thinking about this book. It is so amazing to be a Beatles fan and then read about each member's history and how hard they worked and what they went through before they actually became the Beatles as a musical success story. There are many layers of depth here and it puts the music in a different kind of perspective. It's also mind blowing to realize that everyone in the band was 30 or less when they broke up. They lived many lifetimes before it ended and went through an amazing amount of heartache, hardship and turmoil. I found this to be a page turner!

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Despite factual errors, I think this is the best group-biography of the Beatles

BySolipsoon September 1, 2011

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

A few months ago I searched amazon for a good biography of the Beatles. Before reading any reviews, I was most attracted to Bob Spitz's THE BEATLES: A BIOGRAPHY. It seemed the most comprehensive (856 pages of narration in hardcover), and it was recent (2005). But I hesitated. It's average rating was low--right now it is only 3.7--and reviewers who rated it low shared a condemnation: TOO MANY FACTUAL ERRORS. Still, it was the most attractive. I was afraid that other, shorter biographies either left out too much information or glossed over the Beatles' dark side.

Here are summaries for the three lengthy--but NEVER boring--parts of this grand book:

"Mercy": The childhood stories of John, Paul, George, and Ringo are related as smoothly as a bestselling novel. We learn how they meet, merge into a band, and gain a reputation.

"Mania": The Beatles conquer Britain, America, and the world. They endure hardships, and they profit. Eventually they stop making live performances before the masses because the masses misbehave.

"Mastery": Are the Beatles true masters of music? Though the four wealthy young men run into snags in their lives away from music, they never lose their ability to make good music. Right up to the time they split, at least some of their new songs are topnotch. Maybe Beethoven SHOULD roll over, and beg for quarter.

Last month I read Ron Chernow's Pultizer Prize winning biography of George Washington. Except for factual errors, Bob Spitz's book is just as good. Regarding the Beatles' dissolute life styles, Spitz is bold and direct. But he praises their music. I was especially pleased with his descriptions of the songs. He doesn't describe all of them, only about twenty, but he describes them well. He tells the origin of the title, lyrics, and music. He reveals sources that were borrowed from, how the lyrics were written, how the music was composed, and how well the song played.

The book's extras include thousands of notes, a large bibliography, an index with subtopics, and two sections of photos. I would have welcomed more photos. For example, of the Beatles' cars (including the Magical Mystery bus), children, and estates. (We do get one photo of John's Kenwood estate.) Also, I wanted photos of album covers, though I found them on the Internet. My favorite photo in the book was of the mural painted on the Apple Boutique. Subsequent to the photo, the mural was removed upon demand of neighboring businesses.

Because so many reviewers here on amazon have condemned this book because of its factual errors, I want to address that issue. The only error worth mentioning is the photo of the child that John is holding. It is supposed to be Julian Lennon, but trusting other reviewers I believe that child is not Julian. It is some girl. Yes, the errors are there, and there are plenty of them, and Spitz could have made a more dedicated effort toward accuracy. Then how can I, appreciating truth as much as anyone, award Bob Spitz with five stars?

I ask myself, "If another author were to write a Beatles' biography containing the same information as Spitz's but with corrections of all his errors, would I buy that book?" My answer is a firm no. Because I have read Spitz's thorough account, despite his errors, any new group-biography of the Beatles would be boring. The value of Spitz's book lies not with the individual trees, but with the forest. Within a few months, I will have forgotten more than ninety percent of the book's details. So my advice is, do not worry about the inaccurate details. True or false, within a few months you will have forgotten most of them.

This is a rewarding biography that paints a high-definition picture of a legend.

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The Beatles: The Biography

ByMichael T. McCaffreyon December 2, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Mr. Spitz is a story teller in the very best sense of the word. His writing style is excellent, lending so much to the unlikely tale of four youths from working class Liverpool, England, making it to the ultimate rung in show business. I've always been a Beatles fan. They brought a freshness to a music scene which had become stagnant with the Philly singers popularized by Dick Clark and his American Bandstand empire. I likened the arrival of the Beatles to the arrival of Elvis Presley when I was just a kid in junior high: he changed the music scene from a steady diet of "old fogey" music to super exciting fare that we kids totally loved (adding Fats Domino, Little Richard, etc., and Alan Freed, the disk jockey who so successfully promoted Rock 'n Roll). If you want to know EVERYTHING about the Beatles, from inception to dissolution, then this is THE BOOK you will want!

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Most recent customer reviews

Five Stars

This colorful, well-researched, well-written book is a must read for any Beatle fan.

Published 4 days ago by Cherie Shelton

Five Stars

Excellent book. Well structured. An easy read!

Published 20 days ago by Todd Owens

If you're a fan, there's probably not a lot ...

If you're a fan, there's probably not a lot here you haven't read before. When SiriusXM debuted The Beatles Channel in May 2017 I was moved to read a new bio and I hadn't seen...Read more

Published 1 month ago by bud

Five Stars

Great book, love the Beatles.

Published 1 month ago by b k

Not quite definitive Beatles, but a worth read.

The author tried to write the definitive Beatles biography, which my have bogged him down a bit at times.Read more

Published 1 month ago by C. Aquilino

I have to say I find it somewhat boring. He talks about every person they encountered in ...

This book is way too detailed for my taste. It goes very slow, I have to say I find it somewhat boring.Read more

Published 1 month ago by Maria Petrova

Five Stars

great

Published 1 month ago by Donald C. Mowry

Ehhh.....

There is so much mis- information in this book, I have a hard time believing it was very well researched.Read more

Published 1 month ago by Darcy D

A lot of detail about the Fab Four

Pretty comprehensive...if you're a fan of John Lennon you may find some of this book distressing.

Published 2 months ago by M. Taylor

My review of the Beatles

I'm still reading this book,so far it's an excellent book,if your interested in the Beatles then get this book..

Published 3 months ago by Margie Serrapere

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