In My Life: The Brian Epstein Story

by Debbie Geller, Anthony Wall (Editor)

Without the determination, magnetism, vision, good manners, respectable clothes, and financial security of Brian Epstein, no one would ever have heard of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. In Liverpool, in December 1961, Brian Epstein met the Beatles in his small office and signed a management deal. The rest may be history, but it’s a history that Epstein created, along with a blueprint for all pop groups since.

Out of the public eye, Epstein was flamboyant and charismatic. He drank, gambled compulsively, and took drugs to excess. But people remember his wit, charm, and capacity to inspire affection and loyalty. That’s when he wasn’t depressed, or even suicidal. Epstein was Jewish in a society filled with anti-Semitism. He was homosexual at a time when it was a crime to be gay, and from his teenage days to the end of his life he suffered arrests, beatings, and blackmail—all of which had to be kept secret.

This book tells the story of Epstein’s complicated life through the reminiscences of his friends and family. Based on dozens of interviews—with Paul McCartney, George Martin, and Marianne Faithfull, among others—plus many of Epstein’s personal diaries, this book uncovers the truth behind the enigmatic young man who unintentionally caused a cultural revolution, and in the process destroyed himself.

Genres: Biography, Music

208 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2000

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a lifelong fan of The Beatles, I've read numerous books on them as a group and as individuals. I knew quite a bit about their manager, Brian Epstein, but had never read a book about him. In My Life: The Brian Epstein Story by Debbie Geller was published in 2000 and is written in oral history style plus with some interviews with Epstein scattered throughout the book. The positive aspect of this style is getting an inside look from the individuals who knew him personally and mostly those who worked for him and with him. The only one of the surviving Beatles who contributed to the book was Paul McCartney. There is a negative to oral history books and that is you get so much of the same information over and over again and that's what happened with this biography. Maybe if I knew absolutely nothing about Mr. Epstein, I would have enjoyed the book a little more. It would have been nice to have a photo section, but the only photograph was the cover. Overall, it was good and I although my rating is 3 stars on Goodreads, I give it a 3.5.

[Pm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Respectful and interesting biography. Amazing tale really. A closeted gay Jewish man in 1960s England one day makes a bizarre business decision - to manage a scruffy group of musicians playing in a club near his music shop - and, without exaggeration, changes the world. Fascinating as part of queer history and Jewish history.

The book is open about his liking of rough trade and pills, but is not salacious.

It is composed of interviews from the people who knew him and cared about him, and excerpts from his diaries

The ending is of course very sad. The ghastly humour of people near the cemetary recognising the mourners' car, and thinking it was the Beatles until they got out. And the disgusting speech the rabbi made over his coffin. I had to skip a lot of this part, as it upset me so much.

Poor Brian. He was a visionary and should have lived to find peace.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

#23 of 120 books pledged to read during 2021

[Rox]

DNF