Baby's in Black: Astrid Kirchherr, Stuart Sutcliffe, and The Beatles

By Arne Bellstorf

Book Overview

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A fascinating, exhilarating portrait of the Beatles in their early years. Meet the Beatles . . . right at the beginning of their careers. This gorgeous, high-energy graphic novel is an intimate peek into the early years of the world's greatest rock band. The heart of Baby's In Black is a love story. The "fifth Beatle," Stuart Sutcliffe, falls in love with the beautiful Astrid Kirchherr when she recruits the Beatles for a sensational (and famous) photography session during their time in Hamburg. When the band returns to the UK, Sutcliffe quits, becomes engaged to Kirchherr, and stays in Hamburg. A year later, his meteoric career as a modern artist is cut short when he dies unexpectedly. The book ends as it begins, with Astrid, alone and adrift; but with a note of hope: her life is incomparably richer and more directed thanks to her friendship with the Beatles and her love affair with Sutcliffe. This tender story is rendered in lush, romantic black-and-white artwork. Baby's In Black is based on a true story.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1596437715
• ISBN13: 9781596437715
• Release Date: May 2012
• Publisher: First Second
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.09 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.9" x 6.5"