“Her brief, anecdotal chapters and their personal tone make this far more touching than most other Beatles histories, and a story like hers will simply not happen again.”

“The breathless debut memoir from TV executive Gendler recounts how she caught the Beatles bug in 1963 and, 60 years later, remains obsessed.”

“I Saw Them Standing There surprised me on every page. Every time I thought Gendler had experienced “the best thing that could happen to a Beatles fan,” something better occurred. If you love The Beatles…if you ever dreamed of being on a first-name basis with Brian, Neil, Sid, or the lads, this book is for you.”

In this heartfelt, personal and engaging memoir, Debbie Gendler has perfectly captured the fun, the passion, the insanity and all of the raging hormones surrounding 1960s Beatlemania. Having lived through it myself, it was a thoroughly enjoyable—and accurate—trip back in time.

"A terrific insider’s look at those heady early days ... Excellent."

60 years after they conquered the world, The Beatles' fandom still numbers in the millions. And not one of these fans wouldn't trade places with 13 year-old Debbie Gendler: if there's a title for first American Beatle fan, Debbie qualifies. Long before the 1964 Ed Sullivan Show debut, she was tuned in. This is her story - the closest any of us will get to trading places. Written with immediacy, passion and an observant eye, she shares her life-changing journey that took her from small-town New Jersey to the group's inner circle. Stories like this are no longer possible, but thankfully Debbie shares her's beautifully with us, the present day fans.

Debbie, I remember you at the Ed Sullivan Show!

An engaging, vivid account of a first-generation Beatles fan, In My Life lets readers vicariously experience everything, from Ed Sullivan to Shea Stadium and beyond, through Deb's eyes. Her account helps reclaim the voice, savvy, and reputation of the female fan after generations of dismissive portrayals.

When the Beatles arrived in the United States in early February 1964, their critics deemed the Liverpool band a passing fad—certain that the exuberant, female-led fandom that followed them would soon fade away. While history has proved otherwise, it is only more recently that this first generation of fans has come forward to share what the Beatles have meant to them. As a leading participant in the earliest days of American Beatlemania (complete with a ticket to the band's debut on The Ed Sullivan Show), Debbie Gendler gifts readers with a page-turning memoir that vividly depicts how the twentieth century’s most joyful cultural phenomenon has shaped her life in meaningful and often surprising ways.

With a one-of-a-kind, front row perspective, Debbie Gendler shares what being a part of Beatle-mania truly felt like from the beginning until today.

The most interesting part for me [of Ron Howard’s film The Beatles: The Touring Years] was the bonus feature about the “3 Fans” [ with Debbie Gendler] who were there at the beginning of the US hysteria. I liked hearing their stories.

As a last minute stand-in for the ailing George Harrison during the historic Sullivan Show rehearsal I felt the excitement, frenzy and screams that Debbie conveys so enthusiastically in this story she is finally ready to share. Deb tells it like it was!

Debbie Gendler is a 4-time Emmy nominated Talent and Development Executive and Producer formerly at CBS New York and Los Angeles, and ABC, and who also served as Women in Film’s (LA) first Executive Director. Debbie is responsible for developing over 9,000 episodes of television with Weller/Grossman Productions for thirty-six broadcast and cable networks including the launches of HGTV and the National Geographic Channel in the United States. Identifying talent and building show concepts is Debbie’s expertise with many of today’s notable hosts and experts being introduced to networks by Debbie. As an “original” Beatle fan who was in the studio audience for the group’s first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, she has given countless interviews on television, radio and podcasts including the CBS Grammy 50th Beatle Anniversary Show where her interview traveled around the world as part of a Grammy Exhibit, and on the accompanying DVD to Ron Howard’s feature documentary on the Beatles. Now sixty years later Debbie works as a research consultant and co-producer at SOFA Entertainment, owner of The EdSullivan Show.

Debbie is a magna cum laude graduate of Boston University’s College of Communication and enjoys the non-housewife life with her husband in Beverly Hills, California.