The Beatles

By Hunter Davies

Book Overview

During 1967 and 1968 Hunter Davies spent eighteen months with the Beatles at the peak of their powers as they defined a generation and rewrote popular music. As their only authorized biographer, he had unparalleled access--not just to John, Paul, George, and Ringo but also to friends, family, and colleagues. Davies collected a wealth of intimate and revealing material that still makes this the classic Beatles book--the one all other biographers look to. He remained close with the band and had access to more information over the years. This edition brings the story up-to-date with new material on the Beatles's solo careers and lives, as well as the stories of many other people who appear in the book. Drawing on new material from the author's archives and from the Beatles themselves, including a newly discovered song lyric by George Harrison, this edition brings new insights to the Beatles legend.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393338746
• ISBN13: 9780393338744
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 528 Pages
• Weight: 2.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.6" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

One of the 1st True Books on the Beatles!

I'm sure there were books about the Beatles written before this, but this book was written with the Beatles (complete with interviews). Hunter Davies includes some of his own opinions in later editions but this is about the Fab 4, their rise, and where they were in 1968 when this book originally came out (John admits to be bored with life as Yoko Ono had not yet been a household name to us and George was already sick of being a Beatle at the time). The later editions have a section about the breakup, what they did individually in the 1970's, the tragedy of John Lennon in 1980 and more recent interviews with Paul, George, and Ringo. You can trust Davies since he got the Beatles' authorization and respected their privacy (he mentions that George Harrison asked that certain things not be printed). As Davies points out, this story is about the rise and not the fall.

Vital source

Thank heaven for Beatle scholarship that this book was written. Competent journalist Hunter Davies spent a year observing the Beatles and interviewing them in their own homes during the heady, fascinating year of 1967. He emerged with a time piece: the Beatles as they were at that time, reflecting on what came before and unaware of what was yet to come. A chapter describing the writing and recording of "With a Little Help From My Friends," "Getting Better," and "Magical Mystery Tour" offers unique and especially valuable glimpses of the Beatles at work. Chapters depicting the home life and personal outlook of each Beatle are also very interesting. I must also say that for an authorised biography, this is remarkably honest. Perceptive readers will be able to detect the whole truth here, and a fine introduction written by the author years later helps fill in any gaps. Apart from being hugely entertaining, this book is a tremendous boon to historians interested in the Beatles.

A Great Biography of the Beatles

This is a great book. It is good to read one that was written by someone who actually knew the Beatles. I get sick of authors who think they know everything about the Beatles writing books about them. Hunter Davies truly knows the fab four as people, and his book is great from cover to cover. Cheers to Davies!

Important

This is an essential document for Beatles scholarship. At the time it was simply a pop bio by a competent writer, but it depicts the Beatles at a fascinating juncture in their career. It is particularly notable for its accounts of songwriting and recording sessions, for a glimpse of their home lives, and for their opinions about life in general at the time. Since this is an authorized biography, critics may complain that it is whitewashed - but one can read between the lines and gather the full meaning of everything pretty well. All in all, it is remarkably honest. This updated edition features a sterling introduction by the author about the writing of the book and offers further insight into the personalities of the Beatles.