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With the Beatles
The first full biography of the group in nearly 20 years.
Written by bestselling author and music journalist Patrick Humphries. Contains previously unpublished interviews with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr conducted by the author during his 40-year career as a music journalist.
Written by bestselling author and music journalist Patrick Humphries. Contains previously unpublished interviews with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr conducted by the author during his 40-year career as a music journalist.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published August 12, 2024
4 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Humphries
44 books9 followersWriter and journalist Patrick Humphries is the author of acclaimed biographies of Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, and Richard Thompson. He lives in London, England.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 1, 2026
As someone who's only read a couple of Beatle-related biographies (I shall read more in due course), as well as watching Get Back and Anthology, I found this to be very informative and generally enjoyable. There's a wealth of asides and anecdotes throughout. The section dealing with the sixties didn’t drag (a lot of familiar territory) and felt necessary to the book. And the final post-Beatles section was a treasure-trove of interesting content.
But...the book is very poorly presented. The margins are tiny, and the text is littered with erroneous line breaks, which is jarring. Pull quotes could have been handled better, and the whole thing could have been broken down into more manageable and focused chapters. These - easy(?) - fixes might have made the book seem longer, but would have improved the reading experience significantly. It also really needed a good edit. There is straight repetition in the final section, which should have been corrected - or at least acknowledged.
I was on the fence about whether to give this three or four stars, but I did enjoy it, and I felt it covered some new ground with fresh insights, so I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt.
But...the book is very poorly presented. The margins are tiny, and the text is littered with erroneous line breaks, which is jarring. Pull quotes could have been handled better, and the whole thing could have been broken down into more manageable and focused chapters. These - easy(?) - fixes might have made the book seem longer, but would have improved the reading experience significantly. It also really needed a good edit. There is straight repetition in the final section, which should have been corrected - or at least acknowledged.
I was on the fence about whether to give this three or four stars, but I did enjoy it, and I felt it covered some new ground with fresh insights, so I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt.
August 25, 2024
'With The Beatles: From The Place Where They Were Born to Now and Then' by Patrick Humphries promises to take readers on an in-depth journey through the Fab Four's storied history. Unfortunately, it ends up feeling like a meandering road trip that never quite reaches its destination.
Humphries, a seasoned biographer, attempts to weave a comprehensive narrative of The Beatles' rise from Liverpool's gritty streets to their global domination. However, what could have been a tight, insightful read instead drags on with ridiculously long passages that often feel more like a test of endurance than a pleasure. The lack of chapters only adds to the frustration, making it difficult to find a clear thread through the endless tangents and exhaustive detail. The book's structure—or lack thereof—makes it easy to lose interest long before the final page.
Despite the slog, Humphries does bring a wealth of knowledge to the table, and his conversation with historian Spencer Leigh at International Beatleweek 2024 will likely be a treat for die-hard fans. But for those looking for a fresh take on The Beatles without the task of taking the long and winding road through The Beatles' history, this book is a tough sell. Two stars, but only for the most dedicated completists.
Humphries, a seasoned biographer, attempts to weave a comprehensive narrative of The Beatles' rise from Liverpool's gritty streets to their global domination. However, what could have been a tight, insightful read instead drags on with ridiculously long passages that often feel more like a test of endurance than a pleasure. The lack of chapters only adds to the frustration, making it difficult to find a clear thread through the endless tangents and exhaustive detail. The book's structure—or lack thereof—makes it easy to lose interest long before the final page.
Despite the slog, Humphries does bring a wealth of knowledge to the table, and his conversation with historian Spencer Leigh at International Beatleweek 2024 will likely be a treat for die-hard fans. But for those looking for a fresh take on The Beatles without the task of taking the long and winding road through The Beatles' history, this book is a tough sell. Two stars, but only for the most dedicated completists.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews