100 Things Beatles Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die

by Gillian G. Gaar

Few music groups have been able to sustain a fan base over half a century that is as significant and devoted as those of the Beatles, and this entertaining guide to all things Fab Four rewards those fans with everything they need to know about the band in a one-of-a-kind format. Packed with history, trivia, lists, little-known facts, and must-do adventures that every Beatles fan should undertake, it ranks each item from one to 100. Fans of any generation will appreciate the songs, albums, places, personalities, and events that are relived and revealed from five decades of Beatles lore.

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2013

About the author

I write regularly about music, entertainment, and travel. I enjoy taking pictures for my articles and books as well. My very first book was "She's A Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll," first published in 1992, and updated in 2002; Yoko Ono wrote the book's preface, and it still gives me a thrill to see her name on the cover. Other areas of expertise include Nirvana, the Beatles, and Elvis, all of whom I've written books about. I've also written for a variety of publications around the world, including Mojo, Rolling Stone, Goldmine (where I had regular Beatles and Elvis columns), and many others. I was also a senior editor at legendary Seattle music publication "The Rocket."

Reviews

[Rita · Rating 2 out of 5]

100 Things Beatles Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die was just an okay read. The book was divided into 100 chapters, each relating to a different fact about The Beatles (either individually, as a group, or someone else related to the group in one way or another). It seemed to bounce around from an earlier date to a later date and then back again...didn't have a flow to it. I would have enjoyed it more had it been written in chronological order. Although there were a few interesting tidbits I learned from the book, I wouldn't recommend it.

[Michelle "Champ" · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I am pretty sure that I did not learn anything new. I found this entertaining. I must admit while reading song titles I would start singing said song in my head and even got out a couple of albums I had not played in a while. This book may not be for the Beatles SUPER fan because you will know it all, but it is for anyone wanting to learn more about the Beatles or just a person that likes Beatles facts. I only wish the facts were in chronological order, because I like order and I think it would flow better than back and forth.

enjoyable.

[Tammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a bad book, but there are so many that are better. I didn't like the bizarre/random nature of the numbered facts. They jumped backward and forward in time and didn't seem to have any reason for being numbered the way they were. I would say this is a better book for Beatles Beginners than for fans.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really more of a primer of the highlights of the Beatles (having been an avid fan I can't say I learned anything new, although I have to admit the author writes well). I would have given this four stars if there was any logic at all to the organization of the 100 things. They are certainly not in chronological order, which would have made the most sense to a newer fan. And I cannot come up with any organizational approach for what the author has done. Seems each essay must have veen assigned a number when it was completed and that's the way they appear in the book. (BTW: a birthday gift from my daughter; thanks, Jessica!)

[Mallory Folk · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have been like five pages long. There were some interesting insights but it didn’t accomplish its title and the timeline is whacked. Probably would have been 3 or 4 stars if I hadn’t read a bunch of Beatles books before and didn’t already know this stuff.

[Faith Younce · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was good. It was interesting but I read this like right after I read the HUGE Beatles biography so I was a little Beatlesed out.

[Robb]

100 is an arbitrary number. To many fans most of these facts are already known, none the less, it is always fun to brush up and this is like reading Cliff Notes. I enjoy that it isn't written in chronological order.

[Tim Gaskill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, quick read. However, some notable errors and a lack of attribution to some of the best books on the subject like Revolution in the Head.