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When They Were Boys: The True Story of the Beatles' Rise to the Top
This is the story of the Beatles' harrowing rise to focusing on that seven-year stretch from the time the boys met as teenagers to early 1964, when the Fab Four made their momentous first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. From the boys' humble beginnings in Liverpool, to the cellars of Hamburg, When They Were Boys includes stories never before told, including the heartbreaks and the lucky breaks. Included are an eyewitness account of that first meeting between Lennon and McCartney, the inside story of how Ringo replaced Pete Best, an exploration of the brilliant but troubled soul of manager Brian Epstein, and the real scoop on their disastrous first visit to Germany and the death of Stu Sutcliffe. With an eye for life in Liverpool during the 50's and 60's and over 65 eyewitness accounts from those closest to the Beatles, Larry Kane brings to life the evolution of the group that changed music forever.
418 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
June 2, 2013
I was hoping that an editor seriously attacks this before it's published, but since that's in two months it probably won't happen.
Here's the problem: repetition. Every time Joe Ankrah is mentioned, there's also a mention of his group the Chants and how Paul (and the Beatles) broke through racial lines for them. Once would have enough. And then Kane falls into Dan Brownian writing when he says "Life model June Furlong" (or some variation on that theme). This is always a problem when reporters write a book, because they're used to short attention spans and people who may not have read previous articles. But in a book? We can remember or flip to the first mention should we need the reminder. I'm also not a huge fan of reporters inserting themselves into the story; in this case, it was understandable, but it happened too often.
So the writing was a problem. And then there's the inequity of the coverage. John and Paul get quite a bit on their upbringing, while Stu, George, Ringo and Pete get virtually none. Even though we're told what a huge role Pete played in their early years, he's barely there (the time in Hamburg is talked about as though it was the three Beatles and Stuart. That's what happens in most books, so it was particularly disappointing here. And the mention of John's affair/Lost Weekend with May Pang? Still not sure why we had to hear about that so often.
Tighter storytelling, more background on the key players and perhaps less Larry would have made this book truly special.
ARC provided by publisher.
Here's the problem: repetition. Every time Joe Ankrah is mentioned, there's also a mention of his group the Chants and how Paul (and the Beatles) broke through racial lines for them. Once would have enough. And then Kane falls into Dan Brownian writing when he says "Life model June Furlong" (or some variation on that theme). This is always a problem when reporters write a book, because they're used to short attention spans and people who may not have read previous articles. But in a book? We can remember or flip to the first mention should we need the reminder. I'm also not a huge fan of reporters inserting themselves into the story; in this case, it was understandable, but it happened too often.
So the writing was a problem. And then there's the inequity of the coverage. John and Paul get quite a bit on their upbringing, while Stu, George, Ringo and Pete get virtually none. Even though we're told what a huge role Pete played in their early years, he's barely there (the time in Hamburg is talked about as though it was the three Beatles and Stuart. That's what happens in most books, so it was particularly disappointing here. And the mention of John's affair/Lost Weekend with May Pang? Still not sure why we had to hear about that so often.
Tighter storytelling, more background on the key players and perhaps less Larry would have made this book truly special.
ARC provided by publisher.
September 22, 2017
Awful book
This has to be one of the worst Beatles biographies out there. To be frank, I only finished it because it was a gift from my son.
Larry Kane who also wrote the very readable Ticket to Ride about his experiences traveling with the Beatles on their American tours, seems to have embraced every questionable source and rumor to provide a book worthy of Albert Goldman for its accuracy. He is clearly trying to milk his passing connection to the Beatles as far as he possibly can.
First of all his writing style in this volume is so corny and overblown that my eyes were sore from constantly rolling. I found it helped to imagine an old newsreel announcer narrating the text. Sort of. But the entire book, particularly the chapter introductions are written like bad newsreel narration.
One of the annoying pretentious of the book is to give characters stupid nicknames that no one else uses to describe them. For example, John is the Milkman, Horst Fascher is the Protector, Freda Kelly is the Believer, etc. Sometimes he gives characters multiple nicknames and uses them interchangeably.
Another annoying trait that carries throughout this tedious account is he feels the name to insert his own name in the responses to nearly EVERY quote he uses (“you see, Larry”). The reason I know these are insertions is 1. most people don’t talk that way when being interviewed. 2. Audio exists of his interviews with the Beatles. They almost never say his name except in the form of a greeting (“Hello John” “Well, hello Larry!”)
Yet his book is filled with examples of the Beatles and others randomly inserting his own name in their quotes. It’s annoying. I think he’s doing it to try to provide the illusion of being an insider well-known to all the players.
Again, the audio evidence available shows that the Beatles showed Kane no more deference or warmth than they showed any journalist. They answer seriously sometimes and they make fun of him sometimes.
Throughout the book he mentions “people who would rewrite history” without citing who he means. Is he implying his book is the only true account? If so, there are egregious errors throughout that will argue against such an assertion. For example, he has Yoko Ono in conversation with John’s long-dead Uncle George. He also claims John called Paul and George “cowards” for firing Pete Best. The actual quote John gave was referring to the way in which Pete was fired. He actually said, “We were cowards. We got Epstein to do the dirty work for us.” We. Not Paul and George. We. Who is rewriting history here?
He also claims Pete Best is an awesome drummer. We have significant audio evidence to the contrary (take a listen to the version of Love Me Do on the Beatles Anthology if you want to hear how awesome he is).
He has the tendency to elevate minor players in the Beatles story to prominence which by extension elevates himself. A very minor player indeed. He claims people like Mal Evans or Pete Best are not given their due despite all books that are out there. The names of those he cites as not getting credit are well-known to Beatle fans and those who have read more than the most basic Wikipedia entry. Is he doing this so that by extension is own minor connection to the group is also elevated?
He likes to reintroduce the same characters over and over and over again and repeats several stories and facts multiple times (how many times do we need to hear that Tony Barrow coined the term “Fab Four” or that Joe Ankrah was helped by Paul and the Beatles?)
He cites multiple unsubstantiated stories such as saying Mal Evans contributed “so much” to Sgt. Pepper. What did he contribute? Who can corroborate it? I know he counted on A Day in a Life. Is that “so much”?
Other complaints I have are relatively minor mistakes, but still errors that he should have taken the time to correct. For example, he refers to Silver Spring, Md. as Silver Springs. I know that’s easy for someone who isn’t local to make, but it’s still shows a lack of effort.
He references Horst Fascher’s father referring to rock and roll as “Hottentot music.” Hottentot is an offensive term used by Dutch and Germans to refer to African people. Yet Kane seems completely unfamiliar with the word and instead says “hot and tot.” Interestingly, there’s an audio clip on Youtube of Kane interviewing John and claiming John called something “daffy” which John disputes saying he’s never said that word in his life. Again, the word is most like “daft” from the context of the audio, but Kane is so “daft” he doesn’t pick up on it.
I only mention that clip to give you an idea of the depth and comprehension level the author seems to have. His intuition seems off completely.
So give this book a pass. If you want to read a good book about the Beatles, try Tune In by Mark Lewisohn or Magical Mystery Tours by Tony Bramwell, or Many Years from Now by Barry Miles or …
This has to be one of the worst Beatles biographies out there. To be frank, I only finished it because it was a gift from my son.
Larry Kane who also wrote the very readable Ticket to Ride about his experiences traveling with the Beatles on their American tours, seems to have embraced every questionable source and rumor to provide a book worthy of Albert Goldman for its accuracy. He is clearly trying to milk his passing connection to the Beatles as far as he possibly can.
First of all his writing style in this volume is so corny and overblown that my eyes were sore from constantly rolling. I found it helped to imagine an old newsreel announcer narrating the text. Sort of. But the entire book, particularly the chapter introductions are written like bad newsreel narration.
One of the annoying pretentious of the book is to give characters stupid nicknames that no one else uses to describe them. For example, John is the Milkman, Horst Fascher is the Protector, Freda Kelly is the Believer, etc. Sometimes he gives characters multiple nicknames and uses them interchangeably.
Another annoying trait that carries throughout this tedious account is he feels the name to insert his own name in the responses to nearly EVERY quote he uses (“you see, Larry”). The reason I know these are insertions is 1. most people don’t talk that way when being interviewed. 2. Audio exists of his interviews with the Beatles. They almost never say his name except in the form of a greeting (“Hello John” “Well, hello Larry!”)
Yet his book is filled with examples of the Beatles and others randomly inserting his own name in their quotes. It’s annoying. I think he’s doing it to try to provide the illusion of being an insider well-known to all the players.
Again, the audio evidence available shows that the Beatles showed Kane no more deference or warmth than they showed any journalist. They answer seriously sometimes and they make fun of him sometimes.
Throughout the book he mentions “people who would rewrite history” without citing who he means. Is he implying his book is the only true account? If so, there are egregious errors throughout that will argue against such an assertion. For example, he has Yoko Ono in conversation with John’s long-dead Uncle George. He also claims John called Paul and George “cowards” for firing Pete Best. The actual quote John gave was referring to the way in which Pete was fired. He actually said, “We were cowards. We got Epstein to do the dirty work for us.” We. Not Paul and George. We. Who is rewriting history here?
He also claims Pete Best is an awesome drummer. We have significant audio evidence to the contrary (take a listen to the version of Love Me Do on the Beatles Anthology if you want to hear how awesome he is).
He has the tendency to elevate minor players in the Beatles story to prominence which by extension elevates himself. A very minor player indeed. He claims people like Mal Evans or Pete Best are not given their due despite all books that are out there. The names of those he cites as not getting credit are well-known to Beatle fans and those who have read more than the most basic Wikipedia entry. Is he doing this so that by extension is own minor connection to the group is also elevated?
He likes to reintroduce the same characters over and over and over again and repeats several stories and facts multiple times (how many times do we need to hear that Tony Barrow coined the term “Fab Four” or that Joe Ankrah was helped by Paul and the Beatles?)
He cites multiple unsubstantiated stories such as saying Mal Evans contributed “so much” to Sgt. Pepper. What did he contribute? Who can corroborate it? I know he counted on A Day in a Life. Is that “so much”?
Other complaints I have are relatively minor mistakes, but still errors that he should have taken the time to correct. For example, he refers to Silver Spring, Md. as Silver Springs. I know that’s easy for someone who isn’t local to make, but it’s still shows a lack of effort.
He references Horst Fascher’s father referring to rock and roll as “Hottentot music.” Hottentot is an offensive term used by Dutch and Germans to refer to African people. Yet Kane seems completely unfamiliar with the word and instead says “hot and tot.” Interestingly, there’s an audio clip on Youtube of Kane interviewing John and claiming John called something “daffy” which John disputes saying he’s never said that word in his life. Again, the word is most like “daft” from the context of the audio, but Kane is so “daft” he doesn’t pick up on it.
I only mention that clip to give you an idea of the depth and comprehension level the author seems to have. His intuition seems off completely.
So give this book a pass. If you want to read a good book about the Beatles, try Tune In by Mark Lewisohn or Magical Mystery Tours by Tony Bramwell, or Many Years from Now by Barry Miles or …
September 18, 2013
Author Larry Kane first met the Beatles as a 21 year old reporter in 1964 when he accompanied them on their first US tour - he was also on the 1965 and part of the ill fated 1966 tour of the States and has written A Ticket to Ride: Inside the Beatles' 1964 Tour That Changed the World about his experiences, as well as other books on the band. It is a brave man who releases a new biography about the band's early years, claiming to be "the true story", especially with Mark Lewisohn's epic work about to have it's first volume released in a few weeks. This claims to be the story of how the Beatles became the Beatles, from their childhood up until the end of 1963. In a way, it reminded me of the fanciful account by Allan Williams, "The Man Who Gave the Beatles Away"; entertaining, but more fiction than fact. Some books, for example, "The Day John Met Paul" by Jim O'Donnell have used a fictional feel to good effect - recreating an era, but getting the facts right. This book is a muddled account, which reuses often used myths and stories from those who have their own personal agenda in play.
To be honest I became worried from almost the first chapter - when we are once again treated to the story of Mimi dodging the bombs to visit newborn John in hospital. There was no air raid on the night John was born, which is historical fact. Other reviewers have already mentioned Yoko's story of Uncle George meeting her, when he had died while John was still of school age. Also worrying is the assertion that Mimi had an affair with a boarder. She may, or may not, have had a love affair with a boarder, but it was not an, as implied, marital affair. Mimi only took in paying boarders after the death of her husband, in which case she was a single, widowed lady and perfectly entitled to have a romance if she wished. Few people in the Beatle's story have been as maligned as Aunt Mimi who, surely, had her faults, but certainly did care for John and who he certainly loved deeply.
One of the good things about this book are the number of interviews with people who knew the band in these early days - and it is always interesting to hear their stories, especially those of people who have not written their own memoirs, such as Billy J Kramer. I was unsure why every quote had to be in capital letters though, which was quite jarring to read. Also, there is a real Lennon bias in the whole book, plus a real over emphasis on the influence of Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best. Pete Best and Ringo Starr may have been comparable drummers in the early 1960's, but it was Ringo's charm, humour and personality which made him easily the most popular member of the band when they first went to the States. The recent book by Brian Epstein's friend and Liverpool promotor, Joe Flannery, "Standing in the Wings", has a much more convincing explanation (to my mind) about why Pete was ousted but read "Drummed Out" by Spencer Leigh to assess all the possible reasons for yourself. George's sly sense of humour and his talent are almost overlooked in this book as is the fact that, if there could have been no Beatles without John Lennon - it certainly would not have been the success story it was without the huge influence and massive talent of Paul McCartney. I recently read a huge history of modern pop music, "Yeah Yeah Yeah" by Bob Stanley, in which the author reflects on the Beatles and makes the very sad, but honest, comment that when Paul is no longer with us he will be everyone's favourite Beatle. The tragedy of John's death has made him a myth, which many perpetuate to both Paul's disservice, but also to John's. As for Stuart Sutcliffe; yes, he was John's friend and he certainly was involved in the early styling of the band, but musically he was far less involved. For example, reading Johnny Gentle's book, "The First Ever Tour" reveals that Stuart was always more interested in his art - taking art supplies along to the general mirth and, also irritation, of the other band members. Stylistically he was an influence and he was certainly John's dear friend - but so was Pete Shotton, who continued to be involved in John's life closely, certainly throughout the entire Sixties.
Read this book - much of it is very enjoyable, especially the interviews. However, do not for one moment consider it as the true story - or even a very well researched account. It was undoubtedly written with good intentions, but the Beatles are not fictional characters, but real people. This makes a good story, but anybody who knows anything about the Beatles will spot flaws just a few pages into the book which will make them doubt anything they read from that point on. It is good for both the Beatles, and for the fans, that Mark Lewisohn's forthcoming book will be THE honest, unbiased and impeccably researched account they have waited for.
To be honest I became worried from almost the first chapter - when we are once again treated to the story of Mimi dodging the bombs to visit newborn John in hospital. There was no air raid on the night John was born, which is historical fact. Other reviewers have already mentioned Yoko's story of Uncle George meeting her, when he had died while John was still of school age. Also worrying is the assertion that Mimi had an affair with a boarder. She may, or may not, have had a love affair with a boarder, but it was not an, as implied, marital affair. Mimi only took in paying boarders after the death of her husband, in which case she was a single, widowed lady and perfectly entitled to have a romance if she wished. Few people in the Beatle's story have been as maligned as Aunt Mimi who, surely, had her faults, but certainly did care for John and who he certainly loved deeply.
One of the good things about this book are the number of interviews with people who knew the band in these early days - and it is always interesting to hear their stories, especially those of people who have not written their own memoirs, such as Billy J Kramer. I was unsure why every quote had to be in capital letters though, which was quite jarring to read. Also, there is a real Lennon bias in the whole book, plus a real over emphasis on the influence of Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best. Pete Best and Ringo Starr may have been comparable drummers in the early 1960's, but it was Ringo's charm, humour and personality which made him easily the most popular member of the band when they first went to the States. The recent book by Brian Epstein's friend and Liverpool promotor, Joe Flannery, "Standing in the Wings", has a much more convincing explanation (to my mind) about why Pete was ousted but read "Drummed Out" by Spencer Leigh to assess all the possible reasons for yourself. George's sly sense of humour and his talent are almost overlooked in this book as is the fact that, if there could have been no Beatles without John Lennon - it certainly would not have been the success story it was without the huge influence and massive talent of Paul McCartney. I recently read a huge history of modern pop music, "Yeah Yeah Yeah" by Bob Stanley, in which the author reflects on the Beatles and makes the very sad, but honest, comment that when Paul is no longer with us he will be everyone's favourite Beatle. The tragedy of John's death has made him a myth, which many perpetuate to both Paul's disservice, but also to John's. As for Stuart Sutcliffe; yes, he was John's friend and he certainly was involved in the early styling of the band, but musically he was far less involved. For example, reading Johnny Gentle's book, "The First Ever Tour" reveals that Stuart was always more interested in his art - taking art supplies along to the general mirth and, also irritation, of the other band members. Stylistically he was an influence and he was certainly John's dear friend - but so was Pete Shotton, who continued to be involved in John's life closely, certainly throughout the entire Sixties.
Read this book - much of it is very enjoyable, especially the interviews. However, do not for one moment consider it as the true story - or even a very well researched account. It was undoubtedly written with good intentions, but the Beatles are not fictional characters, but real people. This makes a good story, but anybody who knows anything about the Beatles will spot flaws just a few pages into the book which will make them doubt anything they read from that point on. It is good for both the Beatles, and for the fans, that Mark Lewisohn's forthcoming book will be THE honest, unbiased and impeccably researched account they have waited for.
August 8, 2017
Larry loves the sound of his own voice. The book seems as if it is written by a fan who is strangely in love with the band. The book has no structure. You will find yourself reading about sometime in 50'S and then jump in the next paragraph into the 70's. I found myself rereading a million paragraphs trying to understand how he got onto a different subject so quickly. I am only finishing the book because I can't not finish a book.
September 11, 2017
I should have read this many years ago when I first got it. I truly enjoyed Kane's other book on the Beatles entitled Ticket to Ride because it covers things the author personally witnessed; specifically, the U.S. tours of 1964-1966. This, on the other hand, attempts to piece together stories from the band's early years. However, having just read the massive, not to be outdone, magnum opus, Tune In (which covers the exact same ground), this cannot help but fall short of the high bar set by that book. The writing style also reminds me of the over-the-top laudatory narration on The Beatles Story, a 1964 double album docu-disc biography of the Fab Four (which I own and listen to from time to time because it is funny as a time capsule).
Having said all that, I still found this book to be enjoyable despite the non-linear timeline and repetitive anecdotes because hey, it's Larry Kane (my favorite news anchor in Philadelphia) and the Beatles....so you know that can't be bad. And as you can tell by my avatar, I am kind of a massive Beatles fan (and it was from Larry Kane that I actually heard the news of George Harrison's passing).
Having said all that, I still found this book to be enjoyable despite the non-linear timeline and repetitive anecdotes because hey, it's Larry Kane (my favorite news anchor in Philadelphia) and the Beatles....so you know that can't be bad. And as you can tell by my avatar, I am kind of a massive Beatles fan (and it was from Larry Kane that I actually heard the news of George Harrison's passing).
May 24, 2014
A deeply disappointing read: a repetitive, disorganized, and not comprehensive telling of the early careers of the Beatles. It says many, many times that the Beatles "went to Hamburg" four times, but leaves out any discussion of what happened on trips #3 and #4. (This by way of example of how the book sets up expectations and then doesn't fulfill them.) It also talks about Epstein's death of a drug overdose but is completely silent on just how much, how long, and what types of drugs he used, who knew about his drug use and what, if anything, they did to counteract his proclivities. The book goes over and over the same anecdotes of people close to the Beatles - friends and family - when they were in their late teens and early twenties, but doesn't get into any territory beyond their first two 45 rpm hits in the USA, which brings us up to about 1964. It mentions tours of the USA in the summers of 1964,65, and 66 but gives few details of the tours except for the 1964 trip. And how does something like this get past an editor of any ability? Don't waste your time if you want to know about the rocket-like rise of the Fab Four. This book has more about the personalities of the people in the immediate, first circle of acquaintances but not much story-telling of how the Beatles honed and refined their sound and their act, and virtually nothing past the first couple of albums. There's too much gushing fandom and not much hard history, especially musical history.
June 12, 2014
Sorry, but in my opinion, this book isn't worth reading. There are so many other books that tell the story of how the Beatles became famous much better! While Mr. Kane may have traveled with the "boys" during their American tours in '64 and '65, he wasn't around when they were making it! So most of this book is researched. Admittedly, he did ask John, Paul, George and Ringo questions about their rise but after they were famous.
I found the book very hard to read because I'm a very big fan and already know (having lived through that time period) much of what happened and how they influenced music so much. It was hard to read because of the author's style. He was talking to the reader most of the time. What was especially annoying was how so many facts were repeated like who someone was and to whom they were related. Mr. Kane would say "I told you about this before" or "I will discuss this more in the a future chapter" so it was all very scattered. It just didn't work for me!
I found the book very hard to read because I'm a very big fan and already know (having lived through that time period) much of what happened and how they influenced music so much. It was hard to read because of the author's style. He was talking to the reader most of the time. What was especially annoying was how so many facts were repeated like who someone was and to whom they were related. Mr. Kane would say "I told you about this before" or "I will discuss this more in the a future chapter" so it was all very scattered. It just didn't work for me!
December 4, 2013
I'm probably being generous giving this book a three, when I really think it deserved about a 2.5, but Goodreads apparently doesn't care if you're torn on ratings. Really, I don't have much to say that hasn't been said already-- I found the writing style overly sentimental, there were glaring factual errors at the beginning of the book that made me wary of everything else, the repetition of phrases and stories got very old, very fast. The most redemptive qualities to Kane's book were the interviews, and an emphasis on people who don't get a very long moment in the spotlight of the Beatles' history. I also liked being able to tell that Kane really did care for the boys, as well as their extended entourage, but I would have rather had factual accuracy... as well as a better editor.
October 19, 2016
Is there an echo in the room? In order to bolster his view of the events surrounding the Beatles early in their career, he cites multiple sources. After a while, I began to feel like I was in a Hall of Mirrors. While there is the occasional nugget here, you have to do a lot of panning to find it and frankly, I don't have the time. When it gets down to it, it's all about the music, not the personalities for me. If you going to cite a bunch of people saying essentially the same thing, use footnotes for heaven's sake!
August 11, 2016
Eh. The content should be interesting but there is so much chaff to plow through to get there. Not sure if I'm going to finish. I'm basically skimming now. Skimmed the rest of the book. There were interesting bits of information and characters that added details to the story of the early Beatles. However,there was way too much repetition. A good editor could have helped a lot.
October 7, 2013
I love the Beatles, but I just could not get into Mr. Kane's writing style at all. I read a lot of adult nonfiction and biographies, and I prefer them with a straightforward, narrative style. This was neither, and I ended up not making it in more than 50 pages or so.
May 27, 2015
I enjoyed the information in this book, but the way it was presented drove me a little crazy. There was so much skipping around the timeline, and retelling things that had been told in previous chapters! The writing was good, the information was good, but the layout wasn't my cup of tea.
December 8, 2017
I was so looking forward to reading about the life of the Beatles. But what a disappointment this book was. You’re better off reading about them on Wikipedia then spending hours on this boring book.
March 8, 2018
A pretty poor account on the Beatles.
December 27, 2018
If you've read as many bios of the Lads from Liverpool as I have, you'll not find anything new in this one.
August 25, 2023
I enjoyed this book. Larry Kane was a local newscaster in Philadelphia and on my tv screen throughout most of my childhood and into adulthood. I had no idea he knew the Beatles. I am a huge Beatles fan but too young to have experienced Beatle-mania since I was a a newborn. I read a similar book by an early promoter “ the man who sold the Beatles “ . I took it out of library in like 1979. That book introduced me to the Beatles experiences in Hamburg Germany before their big break. Eye opening story. This book goes there again but also adds a lot of detail of all the folks and family who really helped them become successful. However much I liked the stories they were often repeated several times. This book needed a good editor. I enjoyed it regardless but sometimes boring.
February 18, 2025
Hard work and luck played a huge part in the success of the Beatles. They also had a very extensive support team. This one is for the Beatles fan.
April 6, 2026
I decided to read When They Were Boys: The True Story of the Beatles’ Rise to the Top by Larry Kane after I came across a glowing review of it, but now after reading the book for myself I have to wonder what the reviewer was even thinking. Kane is a veteran journalist and news anchor who accompanied the Beatles across the US on their 1964 and 1965 tours and part of their 1966 tour. He was around for various publicity events and had interviews with the members of the Beatles after the breakup, yet did not speak to Paul or Ringo specifically in the creation of this book.
Kane as a journalist filled his book with quotations. He did interview the Beatles and as a reporter took notes, so I believe he actually had these conversations. What I found so unappealing was his annoying habit of inserting his name into the dialogue of his interview subjects. I bring this up first because it was so prevalent. The effect was that of a partial memory full of recreated and ungenuine quotations, where his beloved Beatle boys are all too happy to utter his name. “Well you know, Larry…” permeated the Beatles’ quoted speech. Instead of being just another interviewer hanging around a crowded backstage press room or tour bus, Kane came off as trying to ingratiate himself within the Fabs’ inner circle with this false level of intimacy bestowed upon him, by himself no doubt.
Of all the Beatles, Kane took an immediate liking to George, whom he found to be the least jaded and most spiritual member of the group. Even before George discovered Indian music, religion and meditation, he showed a side that valued spiritual enrichment over material success. Kane also liked John, who enjoyed teasing him and giving him a good ribbing, which was probably John’s way of letting off some of the pressure he felt by constantly being in the media spotlight. Kane had nothing positive to say about Paul, whom he portrayed as a media-wary control freak even from the earliest days of the Beatles, before Beatlemania even existed. He created a portrait of Paul, before he even turned twenty, of knowing about the Beatles’ destiny and wanting to wrest control of the group away from John.
For a journalist, Kane should have used a proofreader to check the spellings of names. I recorded multiple instances where he either got names wrong, or alternated between the correct and incorrect spellings. Klaus Voormann, whose surname I have reported in past reviews will go down in Beatles history as being misspelled more often than spelled correctly, was yet again N-amputated as Klaus Voorman. To get an idea of how many times authors have misspelled his name, use the Search option at my blog for the term Voorman. Seven books that I have reviewed have misspelled it, including one by legendary Beatles journalist and historian Bill Harry.
Kane alternates between Harry Nillson and Nilsson, Allan and Alan Caldwell, Strawberry Field and Fields when referring only to the orphanage, and misspells Lord Snowden.
The Beatles gave a concert that has gone down in history as the genesis of Beatlemania. The hysteria that ensued following the show at the Litherland Town Hall north of Liverpool spurred word-of-mouth raves. But when did this show take place? On facing pages (148 and 149) Kane tells of two different dates. When quoting Bob Wooler:
“In Who’s Who, the British edition, in McCartney’s entry, of all the bookings and appearances they made around the world, like Shea Stadium or the Cavern dates, it singles out as the most significant date that the Beatles performed the one I got them on Tuesday, the 27th of December, 1960.” (p. 148)
yet writes himself:
“The show happened December 26, 1960, Boxing Day, a secular holiday that occurs the day after Christmas (or the first or second weekday after Christmas).” (p. 149)
Kane restates the date of this concert as occurring on December 27, and so do my other sources. Thus I find it careless as well as humorous that the author went out of his way to explain Boxing Day to his readers, only to wind up with December 26 as the wrong date for this particular concert. While on the topic of “restating” things, Kane also reintroduced the people he wrote about again and again, reminding the reader who such-and-such a person was, in case we had forgotten what he had told us in the prior chapter.
In spite of the book’s title, Kane does write about Beatles history after their rise to the top, but the emphasis is on their evolution up to the British Invasion of the US. The Hamburg years were well documented, however the reminiscences of Horst Fascher, club manager and bouncer, seemed exaggerated and reinvented for the sake of history. Astrid Kirchherr, a photographer who befriended the Beatles from their earliest days in Hamburg, provided interviews. Kane portrayed her as a low-key intimate member of the Beatles’ inner circle, a reputation she maintained until her death in 2020. Kirchherr shared her stories about meeting the group and falling in love with Stu Sutcliffe. One can tell that her stories were genuine and not sensationalized or recreated through rear-view rose-coloured lenses. I took other reminiscences, by members of other Merseyside bands and minor personalities in the Beatles organization with a grain of salt.
June 24, 2022
"I say to you, Larry, here in 1965, that the children of 2000 will be listening to the Beatles."
Author, journalist, Larry Kane, traveled with the Beatles' "North American tour in 1964, 1965, and part of 1966." In case you missed that, Mr. Kane will repeat the info multiple times throughout his memoir: When They Were Boys: The True Story of the Beatles' Rise to the Top
If you read the book, I suggest skipping the long introduction. Read the book and if so inclined, read the introduction last, to refresh your memory. It will summarize everything you just read. Reading the book is a bit like listening to someone with Alzheimer's disease ~ too much repetition. At one point I thought I had accidentally scrolled back Kindle pages because I knew I already read "this." No, just more repeating of info.
Chapters begin with quotes. Those quotes are repeated in the paragraphs. The story is told in Parts. Most Parts begin with a hard to decipher paragraph, describing events of the time period. "The prince walked down the steps," was meaningless to me. Was Kane trying to be cute or clever or sounding like he was under the influence when he wrote such drivel? Was he imitating someone else's style? Who knows.
I enjoyed most of the book, although it was a chore to read due to the repeations. I learned things about the Beatles that I never read about previously. Such as "the boys" refusing to play at Gator Bowl stadium concert if "Negroes were to be segregated." I used to watch Philadelphia news with Larry Kane; did not know he toured and wrote about the Fab Four.
Reading When They Were Boys: The True Story of the Beatles' Rise to the Top. lead me to doing a lot of research on other Liverpool artists. It also caused me to watch a lot of You Tube videos. A good read, that needed to have less repetition.
Author, journalist, Larry Kane, traveled with the Beatles' "North American tour in 1964, 1965, and part of 1966." In case you missed that, Mr. Kane will repeat the info multiple times throughout his memoir: When They Were Boys: The True Story of the Beatles' Rise to the Top
If you read the book, I suggest skipping the long introduction. Read the book and if so inclined, read the introduction last, to refresh your memory. It will summarize everything you just read. Reading the book is a bit like listening to someone with Alzheimer's disease ~ too much repetition. At one point I thought I had accidentally scrolled back Kindle pages because I knew I already read "this." No, just more repeating of info.
Chapters begin with quotes. Those quotes are repeated in the paragraphs. The story is told in Parts. Most Parts begin with a hard to decipher paragraph, describing events of the time period. "The prince walked down the steps," was meaningless to me. Was Kane trying to be cute or clever or sounding like he was under the influence when he wrote such drivel? Was he imitating someone else's style? Who knows.
I enjoyed most of the book, although it was a chore to read due to the repeations. I learned things about the Beatles that I never read about previously. Such as "the boys" refusing to play at Gator Bowl stadium concert if "Negroes were to be segregated." I used to watch Philadelphia news with Larry Kane; did not know he toured and wrote about the Fab Four.
Reading When They Were Boys: The True Story of the Beatles' Rise to the Top. lead me to doing a lot of research on other Liverpool artists. It also caused me to watch a lot of You Tube videos. A good read, that needed to have less repetition.
March 28, 2024
I like Larry Kane but his books always feel unnecessarily repetitive - they could benefit from a little editing. I thought the choices made by the audiobook performer were odd as well. He would do voices for some of the characters but none had British accents. I would have been fine if he would have just read all the dialogue in his own voice but since he was doing voices, it was weird that he didn't make an attempt at authenticity.
Kane makes much of the various version of many stories and then asserts certain things has true or untrue without much more authority than anyone else. Ultimately, I take each of the stories with a grain of salt but they are interesting nonetheless. It was interesting to hear about the way that the Beatles, especially Paul, have worked to manage their story over the years.
The thing I liked the best about this book was the personalities - not just of the boys, but of many of the other people I've heard about before but never really "got to know." The portraits of the people themselves felt authentic even if the stories themselves remain shrouded in myth.
Kane makes much of the various version of many stories and then asserts certain things has true or untrue without much more authority than anyone else. Ultimately, I take each of the stories with a grain of salt but they are interesting nonetheless. It was interesting to hear about the way that the Beatles, especially Paul, have worked to manage their story over the years.
The thing I liked the best about this book was the personalities - not just of the boys, but of many of the other people I've heard about before but never really "got to know." The portraits of the people themselves felt authentic even if the stories themselves remain shrouded in myth.
April 2, 2018
For Beatles-maniacs, who know the minutiae of the Fab Four's years of renown (1964-1970), this is a fabulous addition that tells the 1957-1963 story, when the boys were just meeting each other and eventually playing together. For the average fan, it is overload. The author, who toured with the group in 1964, 1965 and 1966, mines the Liverpool families, acquaintances, roadies, press folks, former band members and others who can tell any story from the early days. Ground is covered and then re-covered as the same story is told from different people rather than chronologically. The book-on-CD had 12 discs; I had had plenty about halfway through. Some of it is not uninteresting (the group's "look," the replacement of drummers, the battle for "heading" the band, etc.), but there is a lot that is mind-numbingly uninteresting for the average fan who likes the music and appreciates the band's place in music history.
March 19, 2017
For someone just coming into the Beatles (yes I was apparently under a rock this whole time) this was an excellent book to start off with. The writer traveled with the during their first American tour yet this book was written years and years later. What I liked most about this book is that most of the book, if not all, is based on first hand accounts. There is likely a lot of garbage out there about the greatest rock group to ever exist. The challenge then is to find things that enlighten you to what happened, how they became, how they grew and matured. No there aren't many juicy tidbits. There are a few but for the most part the author respected their privacy just as he respected them.
This was a great read. Great starting point if you are just beginning your journey of discovery.
This was a great read. Great starting point if you are just beginning your journey of discovery.
January 3, 2021
Actually 3.5 stars. As a Beatles fanatic, even I found a lot of interesting and unknown (to me) information in this book. And coming from Larry Kane, who I grew up watching anchor the local news in Philadelphia, I was expecting this to be fantastic. But it was just average. This book read more like a collection of essays, loosely cobbled into similar sections. Those essays contained repetitive facts and anecdotes. And Larry’s writing style came off looking rather narcissistic, putting his name in many of the quotes as if he were being addressed that way, as if to hammer home the point, “yes, I was there”.
Generally, not a horrible book, as some other reviewers have written, but I expected this to be a lot better. I do, though, think that this book is a good primer for Larry’s “Ticket to Ride” book, which picks up where this book leaves off.
We shall see.
Generally, not a horrible book, as some other reviewers have written, but I expected this to be a lot better. I do, though, think that this book is a good primer for Larry’s “Ticket to Ride” book, which picks up where this book leaves off.
We shall see.
April 1, 2019
The writing is not chronological, he jumps back and forth across time. In general, he takes one topic or minor person and goes through the whole period with that person, then goes on to another person, starting at the beginning again. You hear the same person, same quote, multiple times throughout the rather long and slow book. There is very little mention of Cynthia. Ringo has a super short back story where John has probably a quarter of the book. Way too many opinions and mentions from super minor people in my opinion. I completely understand how someone like the body guard or the first promoter had a major role in the Boy's lives, but there is a lot of time spent introducing people we never really see again. It makes for a very long and scattered book.
October 10, 2020
I ended up not finishing this book after getting halfway through. Like other reviewers have said, the writing is bad. The author might have toured with the Beatles before they became a household name, but that does not excuse the fact that he keep vacillating back and forth through time periods, going off on tangents then abruptly going back to the original topic, and constantly saying about how he will cover a topic later, and how he keeps repeating himself with no good reason. We don't need to keep hearing about the Beatles' disastrous visit to Hamburg in 1960. Plus other readers have pointed out a number of factual errors and misquotes.
Other reviewers have said that there are other books on the Beatles which are far better. I will find one of those instead.
Other reviewers have said that there are other books on the Beatles which are far better. I will find one of those instead.
October 22, 2018
Meh. You'd have to be a real historian i think to really appreciate this. Really nitty gritty of the early years. Lots of name dropping and interviews with "minor" characters who really just seemed like they wanted to jump up and say "yeah! I knew them! I was there!" (including the author). I really feel like the author wanted to give credit to people who may have been side-lined by the Beatles. Which may be fair, but as a fan, i don't really care about their stories. I didn't really pay attention to the last quarter of this book at all.
*I did this as an audio book.
*I did this as an audio book.
November 22, 2023
You would think I've read enough Beatles biographies but you'd be wrong. This one was good and I feel like there was some new stuff I learned. My one complaint would be sometimes the author would literally repeat basically the same sentence (sometimes even in the same chapter! lol) I also wouldn't say it was the most exciting thing I've ever read, like it didn't feel spectacular but I still quite enjoyed it overall.
Grade: B+
Grade: B+
November 22, 2024
As other reviewers have mentioned, there is some repetition and a few parts that can be tedious, but overall a book that I'm glad that I read (more so with YouTube available to listen to some of the early groups that influenced the Fab Four that I hadn't heard of before). He did a good job with the background of the individuals and groups involved and he acknowledged some of the areas of historical disagreement.
March 7, 2018
Not a fan of the writing. The information was good but so scattered it was hard to follow.
May 12, 2020
It may just be the best book I've ever read about the early days...
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