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John Lennon Series #1
Shoulda Been There
In Jude Southerland Kessler's expanded biography of John Winston Lennon, you'll learn the truths behind the Lennon legend as you read this first novel of her nine-book series. You'll discover why the famous singer and leader of The Beatles called himself a "Nowhere Man," and later wrote "Help," "Revolution," and "Imagine." Come back and actually visit the Liverpool of the 1940's, 1950's, and 1960's to meet the lonely, abandoned boy, and later the angry teenager who was John Lennon. Walk with him as he forms the world's most famous rock band with musicians Stu Sutcliffe, Pete Best, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, and becomes famous working with managers Allan Williams and Brian Epstein. Follow John Lennon from his birth through the birth of The Beatles and discover why he craved love from those who "shoulda been there."
1035 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 21, 2007
19 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Jude Southerland Kessler
11 books31 followersI was reared in Alexandria, LA and spent my teen years in the town where "Steel Magnolias" actually took place, Natchitoches, Louisiana. Louisiana was a great place to grow up in the 60's...and Beatlemania was everywhere! I grew up knowing that I wanted to be an author and that I loved The Beatles, and God has blessed me with a career that has encompassed both.
I have spent the last 38 years traveling to do interviews, researching, and writing The John Lennon Series, which will be a 9-book series on John's life (and of course, The Beatles' lives as well). The first 5 volumes are in print, taking the reader along with John up to mid-1965. In March of 2025, Some Forever will be released which will extend John's trek into 1966. The books are written as narratives (like novels) but each sentence is documented. I take great pains to tell only what The Beatles said, wore, ate, sang, and did. There are over 4,000 footnotes in each book as you walk with them, almost daily, through the rise to Beatlemania and its apex.
I am a proud mother to two...Cliff and Paige. (Paige is really my daughter-in-law, but she's my daughter.) They have two amazing sons, Maverick and Tucker, whom I adore. And I work side by side with my husband of 47 years, Rande. He does the cover art for each book and the entire business end of The John Lennon Series. Without him, The John Lennon Series wouldn't exist...he does the heavy lifting while I write.
I am blessed to be the official blogger for The Fest for Beatles Fans, and I'd love to see you there in New York and/or Chicago each year. I also write for Culture Sonar and host the podcast, "Tell Me Why." For the last 10 years, I've shared the "She Said She Said" podcast with my friend Lanea Stagg. And you're also invited to my free webinar "Focal Points."
For updates on articles, tours, webinars, and podcasts, join me at https://www.johnlennonseries.com
My passions are Christ, my family, John Lennon, The Beatles, Ireland, running, and reading. I welcome new friends on this site. Can't wait to meet and chat with you all!
I have spent the last 38 years traveling to do interviews, researching, and writing The John Lennon Series, which will be a 9-book series on John's life (and of course, The Beatles' lives as well). The first 5 volumes are in print, taking the reader along with John up to mid-1965. In March of 2025, Some Forever will be released which will extend John's trek into 1966. The books are written as narratives (like novels) but each sentence is documented. I take great pains to tell only what The Beatles said, wore, ate, sang, and did. There are over 4,000 footnotes in each book as you walk with them, almost daily, through the rise to Beatlemania and its apex.
I am a proud mother to two...Cliff and Paige. (Paige is really my daughter-in-law, but she's my daughter.) They have two amazing sons, Maverick and Tucker, whom I adore. And I work side by side with my husband of 47 years, Rande. He does the cover art for each book and the entire business end of The John Lennon Series. Without him, The John Lennon Series wouldn't exist...he does the heavy lifting while I write.
I am blessed to be the official blogger for The Fest for Beatles Fans, and I'd love to see you there in New York and/or Chicago each year. I also write for Culture Sonar and host the podcast, "Tell Me Why." For the last 10 years, I've shared the "She Said She Said" podcast with my friend Lanea Stagg. And you're also invited to my free webinar "Focal Points."
For updates on articles, tours, webinars, and podcasts, join me at https://www.johnlennonseries.com
My passions are Christ, my family, John Lennon, The Beatles, Ireland, running, and reading. I welcome new friends on this site. Can't wait to meet and chat with you all!
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 24, 2021
This is the first volume in a proposed nine volume series, covering John Lennon's entire life in meticulous detail. This first book takes John from his birth to December 1961 and the arrival of Brian Epstein as the band's manager. So it covers his childhood, formation of the Quarrymen, meeting Paul, Art College, Hamburg, etc in, sometimes, exhaustive detail. Fans will love the copious notes after each chapter and the author is always fair, but you have to be a pretty obsessive fan to tackle this huge project.
Some minor niggles are the Liverpool accents, which sometimes jar, and, likewise, some Americanisms which creep in - somewhere being a couple of "blocks" away, Paul "graduating" from school or dates given as "April one" (?) instead of April first or first of April. However, these are minor quibbles. It is immensely readable, always fair and, as I have read literally hundreds of books about the Beatles, almost always goes with the version I myself would have chosen if there is a choice of alternate versions (for example, whether Stu Sutcliffe suffered a head injury and the reasons for Pete Best's sacking, which I also feel had much to do with Mona Best's interference and prioritising her son's career over the band as a whole). Have already downloaded the second book in the series and looking forward to reading it.
Some minor niggles are the Liverpool accents, which sometimes jar, and, likewise, some Americanisms which creep in - somewhere being a couple of "blocks" away, Paul "graduating" from school or dates given as "April one" (?) instead of April first or first of April. However, these are minor quibbles. It is immensely readable, always fair and, as I have read literally hundreds of books about the Beatles, almost always goes with the version I myself would have chosen if there is a choice of alternate versions (for example, whether Stu Sutcliffe suffered a head injury and the reasons for Pete Best's sacking, which I also feel had much to do with Mona Best's interference and prioritising her son's career over the band as a whole). Have already downloaded the second book in the series and looking forward to reading it.
October 17, 2024
[Note: I have already read volumes 3-5 of the series]
This is volume one of an ambitious series of novels chronicling the life of John Lennon. It covers his birth through the arrival of Brian Epstein.
If nothing else this unique project is an impressive example of the almost religious devotion The Beatles still inspire. This isn’t a novel in the traditional sense. Instead the author is attempting to recreate the life of John Lennon as accurately as possible, based on exhaustive research, including first-hand interviews with many of the real participants. It’s technically fiction, since she recreates situations or conversations for which no documentation exists (these are all noted)
Despite the book’s amazing research I would not recommend this to casual readers. But if you’ve read a dozen books about the Beatles and still want to know more this one is for you. All of the greatest hits are included: Fred & Julia, Paul seeing the Quarrymen, the Reeperbahn, “you’ll never make a living from it” the Cavern, etc as well as weighing in on some of the unsolvable mysteries (the source of Stu’s injuries, who invented their name).
There are some stylistic choices I am not crazy about —someone will use the phrase “as it were” at least once per conversation and this version of the Hamburg Beatles feel rated PG, with characters saying “fuggin” and not doing a lot of “fuggin.” She does an excellent job of recreating the excitement of their Cavern shows and other fun moments of Beatles pre-history.
If you’ve read this far and understood all of these references than you might be a good candidate to check out this interesting and unique series.
This is volume one of an ambitious series of novels chronicling the life of John Lennon. It covers his birth through the arrival of Brian Epstein.
If nothing else this unique project is an impressive example of the almost religious devotion The Beatles still inspire. This isn’t a novel in the traditional sense. Instead the author is attempting to recreate the life of John Lennon as accurately as possible, based on exhaustive research, including first-hand interviews with many of the real participants. It’s technically fiction, since she recreates situations or conversations for which no documentation exists (these are all noted)
Despite the book’s amazing research I would not recommend this to casual readers. But if you’ve read a dozen books about the Beatles and still want to know more this one is for you. All of the greatest hits are included: Fred & Julia, Paul seeing the Quarrymen, the Reeperbahn, “you’ll never make a living from it” the Cavern, etc as well as weighing in on some of the unsolvable mysteries (the source of Stu’s injuries, who invented their name).
There are some stylistic choices I am not crazy about —someone will use the phrase “as it were” at least once per conversation and this version of the Hamburg Beatles feel rated PG, with characters saying “fuggin” and not doing a lot of “fuggin.” She does an excellent job of recreating the excitement of their Cavern shows and other fun moments of Beatles pre-history.
If you’ve read this far and understood all of these references than you might be a good candidate to check out this interesting and unique series.
January 2, 2013
This is the first volume in a proposed nine volume series, covering John Lennon's entire life in meticulous detail. This first book takes John from his birth to December 1961 and the arrival of Brian Epstein as the band's manager. So it covers his childhood, formation of the Quarrymen, meeting Paul, Art College, Hamburg, etc in, sometimes, exhaustive detail. Fans will love the copious notes after each chapter and the author is always fair, but you have to be a pretty obsessive fan to tackle this huge project.
Some minor niggles are the Liverpool accents, which sometimes jar, and, likewise, some Americanisms which creep in - somewhere being a couple of "blocks" away, Paul "graduating" from school or dates given as "April one" (?) instead of April first or first of April. However, these are minor quibbles. It is immensely readable, always fair and, as I have read literally hundreds of books about the Beatles, almost always goes with the version I myself would have chosen if there is a choice of alternate versions (for example, whether Stu Sutcliffe suffered a head injury and the reasons for Pete Best's sacking, which I also feel had much to do with Mona Best's interference and prioritising her son's career over the band as a whole). Have already downloaded the second book in the series and looking forward to reading it.
Some minor niggles are the Liverpool accents, which sometimes jar, and, likewise, some Americanisms which creep in - somewhere being a couple of "blocks" away, Paul "graduating" from school or dates given as "April one" (?) instead of April first or first of April. However, these are minor quibbles. It is immensely readable, always fair and, as I have read literally hundreds of books about the Beatles, almost always goes with the version I myself would have chosen if there is a choice of alternate versions (for example, whether Stu Sutcliffe suffered a head injury and the reasons for Pete Best's sacking, which I also feel had much to do with Mona Best's interference and prioritising her son's career over the band as a whole). Have already downloaded the second book in the series and looking forward to reading it.
February 15, 2012
After finishing a work of magic realism that focuses on the return of John Lennon to the world stage (John Lennon and the Mercy Street Cafe) I set my sights and my Kindle to another fictionalized Lennon story, this one quite ambitious in scope. Author Kessler spent more than twenty years researching the life of Lennon - interviewing people once close to the man and the band he help form, visiting landmarks and poring over countless Beatles archives - in order to take on the monumental task of telling Lennon's life story. There are plenty of biographies already, another one came out last year, but Kessler's take is unique in that her version of Lennon's life is novelized and thoroughly detailed, with practically every move made documented.
As I've gathered from the author's website and other sources, Kessler has intended to write three books to span Lennon's forty years. Shoulda Been There and Shivering Inside are currently available, and She Loves You is forthcoming. I've neither read nor investigated the second book, but I would argue that Shoulda Been There is probably the most ambitious of the three projects. This book alone chronicles half of Lennon's life, beginning with the day of his birth and taking the reader up to the "birth" of the Beatles' relationship with Brian Epstein. These two events bookend just over twenty years of history that include Lennon's childhood at Mendips, tensions between his mother Julia and Aunt Mimi, the evolution of the Quarry Men into the Beatles as they conquered the Hamburg music scene. Each chapter ends with an author's note that dissects fact from conjecture, and in some instances serves to correct myths that have surrounded the Beatles legend. Some readers may be put off by these notes appearing throughout the book, as though they might pull people out of the story. I didn't feel that happened to me, but the notes are rather short and not disruptive.
Having read several Beatles books and biographies over the years, I went into Shoulda Been There knowing the story. As a novel, Lennon's story makes for provocative prose, and Kessler is to be commended for undertaking such a project. Where the writing is concerned, Kessler does well in evoking a sense of place, though there were times I wondered if she relied on reader familiarity with the characters in play. Instances of point of view shifting, or head-hopping, proved distracting. One thing I would suggest if you are unfamiliar with the slang of time is to browse the helpful glossary Kessler offers at the end first before reading the book.
I found Shoulda Been There enjoyable and true to the Lennon history as I have known it. It's obvious Kessler takes great care in presenting her subject and is devoted to authenticity. With more than half of Lennon's life covered here, it will be interesting to see how the pace of the other books differ.
As I've gathered from the author's website and other sources, Kessler has intended to write three books to span Lennon's forty years. Shoulda Been There and Shivering Inside are currently available, and She Loves You is forthcoming. I've neither read nor investigated the second book, but I would argue that Shoulda Been There is probably the most ambitious of the three projects. This book alone chronicles half of Lennon's life, beginning with the day of his birth and taking the reader up to the "birth" of the Beatles' relationship with Brian Epstein. These two events bookend just over twenty years of history that include Lennon's childhood at Mendips, tensions between his mother Julia and Aunt Mimi, the evolution of the Quarry Men into the Beatles as they conquered the Hamburg music scene. Each chapter ends with an author's note that dissects fact from conjecture, and in some instances serves to correct myths that have surrounded the Beatles legend. Some readers may be put off by these notes appearing throughout the book, as though they might pull people out of the story. I didn't feel that happened to me, but the notes are rather short and not disruptive.
Having read several Beatles books and biographies over the years, I went into Shoulda Been There knowing the story. As a novel, Lennon's story makes for provocative prose, and Kessler is to be commended for undertaking such a project. Where the writing is concerned, Kessler does well in evoking a sense of place, though there were times I wondered if she relied on reader familiarity with the characters in play. Instances of point of view shifting, or head-hopping, proved distracting. One thing I would suggest if you are unfamiliar with the slang of time is to browse the helpful glossary Kessler offers at the end first before reading the book.
I found Shoulda Been There enjoyable and true to the Lennon history as I have known it. It's obvious Kessler takes great care in presenting her subject and is devoted to authenticity. With more than half of Lennon's life covered here, it will be interesting to see how the pace of the other books differ.
August 28, 2008
This book is a gem in the wide range of John Lennon and Beatles books that litter the world. Written in prose, the author keeps the reader's attention easily, with conversation that is written casually and never seems forced. Each chapter is carefully constructed from multiple interviews, and TONS of research. At each close of a chapter, the author has notes that explain the research for the chapter, including her interviews with various people in John's life. A well-crafted bibliography sits in the back of the book. What made this biography really stand out, however, is the sheer perfection of the characters' speech. Liverpudlian Scouse is very hard to understand, let alone duplicate. The author made it clear she visited Liverpool and studied their mannerisms and sayings no fewer than 7 times, if I'm not mistaken. An amazingly detailed Scouse dictionary is included in the text.
As to the content, the detail is breathtaking. Each stage of John's life is mapped out, nothing ever rushed. Indeed, the novel is around 725 pages in length, yet only spans half of John's life. Starting in 1940 when he is born, she writes his childhood as if she was there, leaving nothing to the imagination. When something is an elusive rumor, a fact that cannot be verified, she speculates with the reader, and lets us know that the facts surrounding that particular story may never be verified. She lets us know what she thinks happened, what could have happened otherwise, and what each of her sources state. The book tops off in 1961, just as Mr. Epstein takes on the boys, before Stuart ever meets his untimely end, before Pete Best is released from the group, and as such, before Richard Starkey joins, making up the charismatic, legendary Fab Four.
I eagerly await the second book in this "Trilogy", which she has corresponded to me will be out in October of 2009, if all goes well. Titled, "Shivering Inside", it will span the boys' career, and I'm sure will be just as wonderful as "Shoulda Been There".
As to the content, the detail is breathtaking. Each stage of John's life is mapped out, nothing ever rushed. Indeed, the novel is around 725 pages in length, yet only spans half of John's life. Starting in 1940 when he is born, she writes his childhood as if she was there, leaving nothing to the imagination. When something is an elusive rumor, a fact that cannot be verified, she speculates with the reader, and lets us know that the facts surrounding that particular story may never be verified. She lets us know what she thinks happened, what could have happened otherwise, and what each of her sources state. The book tops off in 1961, just as Mr. Epstein takes on the boys, before Stuart ever meets his untimely end, before Pete Best is released from the group, and as such, before Richard Starkey joins, making up the charismatic, legendary Fab Four.
I eagerly await the second book in this "Trilogy", which she has corresponded to me will be out in October of 2009, if all goes well. Titled, "Shivering Inside", it will span the boys' career, and I'm sure will be just as wonderful as "Shoulda Been There".
May 24, 2016
I just finished reading Shoulda Been There and rated it five stars.
This book seemed to me amazing and this rating reflects how much I liked a mix of the subject, the style, the research, the effort, the time, and the love that Jude Kessler is putting in her project, The John Lennon Series, of which this is just the first volume of nine; three have been published and the fourth volume is on the way.
I had bought the book time ago, directly from Jude Kessler who was very kind to sign it to me with a lovely inscription, and I only came to read it now. In the interim, I have also bought volumes 2 and 3.
The book is a work of fiction using her thorough and detailed research to weave an enormous amount of facts into a chronological account of the events put in the voices of the characters. Here is where the warmth of the fiction melts with the coldness of facts to produce scenes and recreate possible situations and imagine dialogs and discussions that may have actually happen. Like this, the author manages to put you in the very same room, house, bar, pub, stage, van, train, school, or wherever the action takes place and lets you participate in events that today are history by almost listening to, rather than reading, the voices of the people with their accents and slang. It is interesting also that she plays with the lyrics of Beatles songs by interspersing into the text verses from songs, much to the pleasure of the fans who can catch them. In the same way, she plays with the future, by making subtle mentions to what the time to come will bring to the characters.
(You can read the complete review here: http://librosmario.blogspot.com.co/20...)
This book seemed to me amazing and this rating reflects how much I liked a mix of the subject, the style, the research, the effort, the time, and the love that Jude Kessler is putting in her project, The John Lennon Series, of which this is just the first volume of nine; three have been published and the fourth volume is on the way.
I had bought the book time ago, directly from Jude Kessler who was very kind to sign it to me with a lovely inscription, and I only came to read it now. In the interim, I have also bought volumes 2 and 3.
The book is a work of fiction using her thorough and detailed research to weave an enormous amount of facts into a chronological account of the events put in the voices of the characters. Here is where the warmth of the fiction melts with the coldness of facts to produce scenes and recreate possible situations and imagine dialogs and discussions that may have actually happen. Like this, the author manages to put you in the very same room, house, bar, pub, stage, van, train, school, or wherever the action takes place and lets you participate in events that today are history by almost listening to, rather than reading, the voices of the people with their accents and slang. It is interesting also that she plays with the lyrics of Beatles songs by interspersing into the text verses from songs, much to the pleasure of the fans who can catch them. In the same way, she plays with the future, by making subtle mentions to what the time to come will bring to the characters.
(You can read the complete review here: http://librosmario.blogspot.com.co/20...)
October 10, 2014
I must admit that when I first heard about this series I was skeptical --both regarding the magnitude of the project--nine rather lengthy books projected, and by the idea of novelizing the life of the subject. After having read this book and the next two (which at this writing are the only ones published) I am a convert. Ms. Kessler has done a magnificent job in researching the background of her subject and then in presenting the story of his life. The achievement humanizes John Lennon in a way that I have never before seen and has the ring of truth regarding not only the events that shaped him in his youth, but how he came to view the world. You truly feel that you are inside of his head in a way that is empathetic and also very likely realistic. You can feel his angst, his pain and frustration, and his futile search for happiness as he comes to find that things are never what he expected, even when he succeeds beyonds anyone's imagination.
May 19, 2008
A good biography is supposed to make you feel like you knew the subject and went along for the ride of his life. This historical novel really does that--you get right inside Liverpool in the 1950s and 1960s, John Lennon's family background and the beginning of the Fab Four. If only you had brought your guitar that day, maybe YOU could have been a Beatle! Anyway, if you ever felt like you "shoulda been there," when you're done reading you will feel like you "coulda been there." Great book...Read it!
May 16, 2008
Excellent book. Jude really made me feel like I was there. You do not have to be a John Lennon fan to appreciate her fine craft for writing. I highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews