Life: Remembering John Lennon: 25 Years Later

By LIFE Magazine eds. (Author)

Book Overview

Out of the hard scrabble port city of Liverpool, there emerged a rock 'n' roll group that would become the most celebrated of all time. And the soul of that group was John Lennon, the smart Beatle, who with his mates changed the way the world looked, partied and lived. From the days in a Hamburg basement club to the Ed Sullivan Show to the movies to the White Album, the music traced a phenomenal trajectory. Along the way came his beloved Yoko and sons Julian and Sean, the break up of the Fab Four, the fascinating solo albums, and finally, in the end, as assassin's bullet. Life was there with John and the Beatles from their first visit to these shores till the final days. This exultant tale is told in vivid photography and words, as John is brought to life in a truly special volume.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932994238
• ISBN13: 9781932994230
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Life
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 2.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.1" x 0.6" x 9.3"
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Lennon is GOD

This is a nice book of memories of the world's best musical genius of all time.I still miss him. We lost a lot when we lost him.

What was it about John Lennon?

I can't figure it out. What is it about John Lennon that makes his photographs so fascinating, fresh, and appealing all these years after he was killed? Is it because he is the only Beatle that didn't grow old? Is it because he is the image of my generation's youth? Is it because of the music he created that still resonates today? Is it simply because he was so photogenic? Is it because he was an enigma, someone we thought we knew, someone we wanted to know better? Is it all of these things, or some combination? I don't know; but this book is a haunting joy. It features John alone, with the Quarry Men and Beatles, with his family, in shots there were staged, but often shots that gave us a hint of the real person. The book is composed of the work of several photographers that spent time with John and got to know him. The photos and brief write-ups give some insight into the real person, one that is nicer and more vulnerable than the persona that he fronted. You get a real sense of personal loss that the photographers felt after he was killed by a madman in 1981, a loss that was personal for the rest of us too - for some reason. (Again, what is it about John Lennon?) Not a bad retrospective.

Imagine...

An eerie photo of John Lennon signing an autograph in a book, as Mark David Chapman looks on just hours before he would shoot our beloved John dead, is absolutely chilling. Another of Chapman holding his finger to his head like a make believe gun(depicting him as the madman he was),brought back the reality of what happened, made me shiver and lose the smile that accompanied me through this otherwise beautiful look at the beautiful life celebrated cheerily in Life's "Remembering John Lennon: 25 Years Later". 128 pages of wonderful photos, including fabulous shots on both the front and back cover of this must have keepsake for loyal fans. A compilation from the Photojouranlists that were lucky enough to capture and immortalize, Lennon and the Beatles at work and at play.Astrid Kirchherr, Terence Spencer, Robert Whitaker, Bob Gruen, Allan Tannenbaum and Harry Benson's pictures and words tell the story. There are black and whites, as well as color shots that chronicle and celebrate John's life. Pictures from his childhood, a wonderful shot of the"Quarry Men" at their first gig,his life and loves, family portraits with his children, candid shots with the likes of Elton John and Andy Warhol, and of course the rest of the FAB FOUR, all make for a sentimental look at the treasure we lost. So, this is not a biography. This is a fabulous photo album, with three main sections. "A Liverpool Lad", "The Fab Four", and "John & Yoko", along with the photojournalists remembrances weaved through the book. My copy is a large(magazine size), softcover of excellent quality , I purchased at my grocery store. It would make a wonderful gift for the Lennon or Beatle fan. Probably would be nice for the coffee table as well, but I think I'll keep my copy in a safe place for now. If you are looking for a more in depth ride with the Beatles, from a journalists point of view, I would recommend "Ticket To Ride" by Larry Kane, who covered their 1964-65 American Tour. "Imagine" all that could've been....Laurie

Wonderful, except...

Wonderful book! I found this book at a grocery store bookstand. I had only $20.00, and I needed to buy some groceries. When I saw this book, I immediately put back $12.00 worth of food to buy it. The book is pretty much what you would expect. There are a lot of pictures, and short stories. I saw a couple of childhood photos of John that I haven't seen before. And just like every other person (so far) who has reviewed this book, there was no need to included a picture of John's killer. ``Katrina

Life with John Lennon, you know, I can imagine it without him.

In my life, I remember John Lennon and he is still with us with his music, with his influences, with his lasting words. I think this is a great tribute of pictures and words to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his exit from our world. Personally I prefer to look at the positive rather than the negative. Remember what he gave us, rather than what we lost. I just picked this up, I was near the check-out line at the supermarket when I noticed it and I couldn't help but pick it up and thumb through it, once I did, I couldn't put it back down. I really am grateful to John for what he gave me in the music he created with The Beatles mostly, but some of his solo work is good too. He has left a lasting impression on me that will last my lifetime. Pick-up a copy of this for yourself today.