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The Beatles: A Diary
A chronological account of the daily activities of John, Paul, George, and Ringo from their childhood in Liverpool to the breakup of the Beatles
- GenresMusicNonfictionBiography
360 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 1989
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About the author
Barry Miles
79 books152 followersBarry Miles is an English author best known for his deep involvement in the 1960s counterculture and for chronicling the era through his prolific writing. He played a key role in shaping and documenting the London underground scene, becoming a central figure among the poets, musicians, and artists who defined the decade’s rebellious spirit. A close associate of figures such as Allen Ginsberg and Paul McCartney, Miles not only witnessed the cultural revolution firsthand but also actively participated in it through ventures like the Indica Gallery and the alternative newspaper International Times.
In the early 1960s, Miles began working at Better Books in London, a progressive bookshop that became a hub for the avant-garde. While there, he was instrumental in organizing the International Poetry Incarnation at the Royal Albert Hall in 1965, an event that marked the emergence of the British underground movement and featured prominent poets like Allen Ginsberg. The same year, Miles co-founded the Indica Bookshop and Gallery, which became a gathering place for creatives and countercultural icons. It was here that John Lennon first met Yoko Ono, at one of her art exhibitions.
Miles also played a role in launching International Times, one of the UK’s first underground newspapers, which Paul McCartney discreetly funded. Miles introduced McCartney to the people behind the project and facilitated many of his early connections with the underground scene. In 1967, he co-organized The 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, a legendary multimedia event at Alexandra Palace featuring Pink Floyd, Yoko Ono, and John Lennon, among others.
Later in the decade, Miles took on the management of Zapple Records, an experimental subsidiary of Apple Records. During this time, he produced poetry albums, including one by Richard Brautigan. However, his personal relationship with Brautigan became strained after Miles became romantically involved with Brautigan’s partner, Valerie Estes. The fallout led to communication only through legal representatives. Although Zapple closed before releasing the Brautigan album, it was eventually issued by another label in 1970.
Miles also produced a recording of Allen Ginsberg’s musical interpretation of William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience, which was released in 1970. He briefly lived with Ginsberg in New York before returning to England following the breakdown of his first marriage. He later married travel writer Rosemary Bailey and continued to live and work in London.
In addition to his memoirs In the Sixties and In the Seventies, Miles has written definitive biographies of cultural icons such as Paul McCartney (Many Years From Now), Frank Zappa, William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski, and Allen Ginsberg. He is also the author of Hippie, a visual and narrative exploration of the 1960s counterculture. His writings often reflect a mix of personal experience and historical documentation, offering insight into the worlds of rock, literature, and art.
Miles is known not only for his historical accounts but also for his critical views, including pointed commentary on musicians like Rush and Frank Zappa, examining the political and commercial aspects of their work. With a career that spans over five decades, Barry Miles remains one of the most insightful chroniclers of the countercultural and musical revolutions of the 20th century.
In the early 1960s, Miles began working at Better Books in London, a progressive bookshop that became a hub for the avant-garde. While there, he was instrumental in organizing the International Poetry Incarnation at the Royal Albert Hall in 1965, an event that marked the emergence of the British underground movement and featured prominent poets like Allen Ginsberg. The same year, Miles co-founded the Indica Bookshop and Gallery, which became a gathering place for creatives and countercultural icons. It was here that John Lennon first met Yoko Ono, at one of her art exhibitions.
Miles also played a role in launching International Times, one of the UK’s first underground newspapers, which Paul McCartney discreetly funded. Miles introduced McCartney to the people behind the project and facilitated many of his early connections with the underground scene. In 1967, he co-organized The 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, a legendary multimedia event at Alexandra Palace featuring Pink Floyd, Yoko Ono, and John Lennon, among others.
Later in the decade, Miles took on the management of Zapple Records, an experimental subsidiary of Apple Records. During this time, he produced poetry albums, including one by Richard Brautigan. However, his personal relationship with Brautigan became strained after Miles became romantically involved with Brautigan’s partner, Valerie Estes. The fallout led to communication only through legal representatives. Although Zapple closed before releasing the Brautigan album, it was eventually issued by another label in 1970.
Miles also produced a recording of Allen Ginsberg’s musical interpretation of William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience, which was released in 1970. He briefly lived with Ginsberg in New York before returning to England following the breakdown of his first marriage. He later married travel writer Rosemary Bailey and continued to live and work in London.
In addition to his memoirs In the Sixties and In the Seventies, Miles has written definitive biographies of cultural icons such as Paul McCartney (Many Years From Now), Frank Zappa, William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski, and Allen Ginsberg. He is also the author of Hippie, a visual and narrative exploration of the 1960s counterculture. His writings often reflect a mix of personal experience and historical documentation, offering insight into the worlds of rock, literature, and art.
Miles is known not only for his historical accounts but also for his critical views, including pointed commentary on musicians like Rush and Frank Zappa, examining the political and commercial aspects of their work. With a career that spans over five decades, Barry Miles remains one of the most insightful chroniclers of the countercultural and musical revolutions of the 20th century.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
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August 22, 2020A must-skim book for all true Beatles fans. I found the concert I attended on September 4, 1964 in Milwaukee. Too bad there was not any interesting stories like some of the other concerts. I guess Milwaukee teens were well-behaved, even back then. Enjoy!
October 16, 2009
I've had this book for 5 years, and the binding is falling off from me reading it so much, that I've had to cover it up with Duct Tape!! Where do I even start on how amazing this book is? Every day of the greatest band in Rock N' Roll History documented alongside extremely rare pictures, unheard quotes, and enticing info. If you see a copy of this book at the library or bookstore, GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!!!!!
June 20, 2022
Barry Miles, escritor britânico nascido em 1943, fez parte da cena artística britânica nos agitados anos 60, sendo um dos fundadores do jornal “International Times” e fundador da “Indica Books and Gallery” frequentada por Paul McCartney e onde John Lennon e Yoko Ono se conheceram.
Barry gozou da intimidade dos Beatles e da cena rockeira de uma maneira geral, escrevendo obras sobre o Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa e elaborando, a quatro mãos com Paul McCartney a ótima biografia do ex-Beatle “Many Years From Now” de 1997.
Esse “Diário dos Beatles” é resultado de uma pesquisa meticulosa da vida e da carreira dos Beatles do nascimento de cada um de seus membros até a dissolução da banda em 1970.
Cada show, cada sessão de gravação, cada lançamento são relacionados na obra em ordem cronológica e, para completar, espalhados pelo livro encontramos textos muito bem escritos sobre temas como a polêmica condecoração dos membros da banda pela rainha, o encontro dos Beatles com o "rei” Elvis, a influência e a amizade com Bob Dylan, o “fator Yoko Ono”, a relação da banda com as drogas, os icônicos álbuns, as desavenças que levaram à separação e outros mais.
Mas, mesmo com tudo isso, a parte mais atraente do livro é a parte visual. Dezenas e dezenas de excelentes fotos, muitas, inclusive, que eu não conhecia mesmo com mais de 4 décadas de “Beatlemania”.
É licito afirmar que o livro é indicado basicamente para fãs inveterados da banda (entre os quais eu orgulhosamente me incluo).
Boa pedida!
Barry gozou da intimidade dos Beatles e da cena rockeira de uma maneira geral, escrevendo obras sobre o Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa e elaborando, a quatro mãos com Paul McCartney a ótima biografia do ex-Beatle “Many Years From Now” de 1997.
Esse “Diário dos Beatles” é resultado de uma pesquisa meticulosa da vida e da carreira dos Beatles do nascimento de cada um de seus membros até a dissolução da banda em 1970.
Cada show, cada sessão de gravação, cada lançamento são relacionados na obra em ordem cronológica e, para completar, espalhados pelo livro encontramos textos muito bem escritos sobre temas como a polêmica condecoração dos membros da banda pela rainha, o encontro dos Beatles com o "rei” Elvis, a influência e a amizade com Bob Dylan, o “fator Yoko Ono”, a relação da banda com as drogas, os icônicos álbuns, as desavenças que levaram à separação e outros mais.
Mas, mesmo com tudo isso, a parte mais atraente do livro é a parte visual. Dezenas e dezenas de excelentes fotos, muitas, inclusive, que eu não conhecia mesmo com mais de 4 décadas de “Beatlemania”.
É licito afirmar que o livro é indicado basicamente para fãs inveterados da banda (entre os quais eu orgulhosamente me incluo).
Boa pedida!
April 4, 2013
Using Lewisohn's Complete Chronicles almost verbatim and adding a few bits of interviews here and there, it makes probably a less academic than the former and thus a lighter read for a more casual Beatles fan.
Still good, though.
Still good, though.
January 24, 2024
The Beatles career is chronicled in a day by day format a definite must read if your a fan of the fab four
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews