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Beatleness: How the Beatles and Their Fans Remade the World
“A must-have for Beatles fans looking for new insight . . . Leonard uncovers fresh ideas [that] . . . six decades of Beatles literature passed over." -The SpectrumPart generational memoir and part cultural history of the sixties, Beatleness is the first book to tell the story of the Beatles and their impact on America from the fans’ perspective. When the Beatles arrived in the United States on February 7, 1964, they immediately became a constant, compelling presence in fans’ lives. For the next six years, the band presented a nonstop deluge of steadily evolving sounds, ideas, and images that transformed the childhood and adolescence of millions of baby boomers and nurtured a relationship unique in history. Exploring that relationship against the backdrop of the sexual revolution, political assassinations, the Vietnam War, and other events, Beatleness examines critically the often-heard assertion that the Beatles “changed everything” and shows how-through the interplay between the group, the fans, and the culture-that change came about.Beatleness incorporates hundreds of hours of in-depth fan interviews and includes many fan vignettes. Offering a fresh perspective and new insights on the Beatles phenomenon, it allows readers to experience-or re-experience-what it was like to be a young person during those transformative years.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2014
103 people are currently reading
264 people want to read
About the author
Candy Leonard
2 books4 followersCandy Leonard grew up in a progressive and politically engaged household in Queens, NY, and, as a precocious and inquisitive young person, witnessed the transformative events of the 1960s, including the Beatles.
After getting a BA in Communication, a master’s degree in Human Development and a doctorate in Sociology, Candy began a career in academic research, exploring the effects of media and popular culture on child development, gender relations, and family life.
On her long journey from Queens to her current home, Cambridge, MA, she has been a professor, a talk show host, a child and family advocate, and qualitative research consultant to the healthcare industry. She’s also a mother and a grandmother.
Through it all, she maintained her life-long passion for the Beatles. She is intimately familiar with their entire body of work, biography, commentary, fan culture, and has written and lectured on them from her unique social science vantage point.
After getting a BA in Communication, a master’s degree in Human Development and a doctorate in Sociology, Candy began a career in academic research, exploring the effects of media and popular culture on child development, gender relations, and family life.
On her long journey from Queens to her current home, Cambridge, MA, she has been a professor, a talk show host, a child and family advocate, and qualitative research consultant to the healthcare industry. She’s also a mother and a grandmother.
Through it all, she maintained her life-long passion for the Beatles. She is intimately familiar with their entire body of work, biography, commentary, fan culture, and has written and lectured on them from her unique social science vantage point.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 26, 2018
"The Beatles gave fans a kind of nurturing or sustenance they weren't finding anywhere else . . . [They] consistently fired fans' young brains on all cylinders . . . This space-age generation, growing up with television yet attending schools designed for the industrial age, could not resist the pleasure of this persistent and decidedly modern stimulus . . . [they] saved the world from boredom." - Candy Leonard
I should describe what this book is NOT - it's not a history of the relatively short-lived group; not a track-by-track / album-by-album examination of the music; nor a salacious tell-all about their lives. This is the kind of book where George Martin isn't even mentioned until after 200 pages . . . and his name appears only twice in the entire thing! (Just an observation, not meant as criticism at all.)
Leonard interviewed numerous U.S. baby-boomers - those born between '46 and '64 - who were the original generation of fans, and uses the band's initial and legendary 'Ed Sullivan Show' appearance in early February 1964 as the 'shot heard round America' (to mangle a phrase). From that date until the break-up in mid-1970, Leonard and these fans explain and/or give opinions on what the Beatles and their music personally meant to them and how it impacted their lives.
So while the thrust of the book is Beatlemania's effect on these 'kids' and the changes in America during the turbulent 60's, I think Leonard crafted a very interesting sociological take on that brief but fascinating (at least to me) era. Yes, these fans talk about the music - I happen to agree with some quoted that the 'Sgt. Pepper' / 'Magical Mystery Tour' period was sort of odd, and it was not my favorite - but also about lifestyle / personal appearance, politics, religion and other types of alterations that were made, partly or largely because of the far-reaching influence of the 'Fab Four.'
I'll point out two errors - which weren't even Beatle-related - in the text which briefly bothered me, from a simple research standpoint: Leonard refers to The Monkees as an ABC network show (it premiered on NBC), and she repeats the common misconception that the Rolling Stones were performing 'Sympathy for the Devil' at the infamous 1969 Altamont concert when a man was murdered in front of them (it was 'Under My Thumb'). However, these are really minor complaints.
So I'll say this is a book that might be appreciated best by the band's fans, although (in the spirit of a well-written or engaging college text-book that is a joy to read) those with limited knowledge of the Beatles and the decade could possibly gain a better understanding of it with Beatleness.
I should describe what this book is NOT - it's not a history of the relatively short-lived group; not a track-by-track / album-by-album examination of the music; nor a salacious tell-all about their lives. This is the kind of book where George Martin isn't even mentioned until after 200 pages . . . and his name appears only twice in the entire thing! (Just an observation, not meant as criticism at all.)
Leonard interviewed numerous U.S. baby-boomers - those born between '46 and '64 - who were the original generation of fans, and uses the band's initial and legendary 'Ed Sullivan Show' appearance in early February 1964 as the 'shot heard round America' (to mangle a phrase). From that date until the break-up in mid-1970, Leonard and these fans explain and/or give opinions on what the Beatles and their music personally meant to them and how it impacted their lives.
So while the thrust of the book is Beatlemania's effect on these 'kids' and the changes in America during the turbulent 60's, I think Leonard crafted a very interesting sociological take on that brief but fascinating (at least to me) era. Yes, these fans talk about the music - I happen to agree with some quoted that the 'Sgt. Pepper' / 'Magical Mystery Tour' period was sort of odd, and it was not my favorite - but also about lifestyle / personal appearance, politics, religion and other types of alterations that were made, partly or largely because of the far-reaching influence of the 'Fab Four.'
I'll point out two errors - which weren't even Beatle-related - in the text which briefly bothered me, from a simple research standpoint: Leonard refers to The Monkees as an ABC network show (it premiered on NBC), and she repeats the common misconception that the Rolling Stones were performing 'Sympathy for the Devil' at the infamous 1969 Altamont concert when a man was murdered in front of them (it was 'Under My Thumb'). However, these are really minor complaints.
So I'll say this is a book that might be appreciated best by the band's fans, although (in the spirit of a well-written or engaging college text-book that is a joy to read) those with limited knowledge of the Beatles and the decade could possibly gain a better understanding of it with Beatleness.
May 13, 2023
An interesting perspective on the Beatles, but I think it’s main weakness is the same as a lot of books that try and measure their impact, it attributes too much to them. Sure the world changed after the Beatles but not all that change was due to them.
October 1, 2016
You had to be there at the time
This book is a self-described 'fan's-eye view', written by a Beatle fan for Beatle fans. If any of you reading this are not a self-described fan or someone who feels that the Beatles played a very vital role in their development and their way of looking at the world, you might want to look elsewhere. The fact that the Beatles are still celebrated and talked about 50 years after they made their initial impact and began cranking out hits that consistently hit the top of the charts is a testament to the fact that they, unlike the condescending establishment naysayers at the time, WOULD last and were not a passing fad that would go out of fashion within a year or two.
The fact that they are still being discussed and celebrated is also testament to the fact that they still speak to people who were born decades after the group split up. This book, however, is written by someone born in 1956, one year later than me, the first batch of the youngest fans i.e. pre-teens that saw the TV and movie appearances and heard and bought the records right after they came out. To understand the impact they had on that world, one needs to understand the pre-Beatles world. One viewing of the first 'Ed Sullivan' broadcast on which they appeared is a good indication of what the entertainment world looked like that they descended upon. I think it's ironic that Ed Sullivan, once the host of the 'must see' variety show for all American homes on Sunday nights at that time, is probably now chiefly remembered as the man who had the shrewd perception to strike while the iron was hot and capitalize on a current, hot act that was captivating the 'youngsters' as Ed referred to them.
Candy Leonard is a journalist and social historian now so she has definitely done her homework by researching the events of that time period as well as the cultural fabric of America, in particular the time just before the Beatles arrived. The Beatles and the Kennedy assassination will be linked together forever due to that historic timing. They certainly were for me. It appears that I misremembered the NBC nightly Huntley-Brinkley news report where I first heard of 'the Beatles' as the closing 'lighter note' story at the end of the Friday November 22 newscast dominated by the coverage of the JFK assassination. As she points out, on Monday of that week they did a four-minute feature on a new British rock'n'roll group that was eliciting massive crowds of screaming teenage fans, mostly girls. I had fused this news story with assassination coverage in my mind, thereby doing exactly what many young people were doing. The Beatles filled a void left by the assassination for American kids in particular. They were certainly a diversion, inflicting 'a joyful trauma' as Leonard calls it, as an antidote to the collective national one.
Not only does Leonard fill in gaps of the 60's scene setting politically, socially and culturally, she pins down exact dates of every Beatles appearance on American TV, including what songs they played and how they looked while playing them, on Ed Sullivan, Shindig, Hullaballoo, Hollywood Palace, Smothers Brothers; all popular shows of the time—as well as other new acts of the time period—The Dave Clark Five, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Kinks, The Byrds, etc. This is very useful information for the chronologically rooted reader such as me.
While she quotes extensively from journalists and critics writing at the time, she provides very voluminous quotes from fans, retrospectively describing their reactions at the time. After all, this is the fan's-eye view. At this point there have been hundreds of biographies and critical, book length analyses of the music and speculation after the fact without substantiation from any of the Beatles themselves. Reading this book provides a wider perspective on what each of us was feeling individually and how it resembled what millions of others were feeling.
While she doesn't provide detailed track-by-track analysis as the aforementioned critical books have done, she provides the context in which each record appeared and the impact 'the pleasure of constant surprise' as Pauline Kael described it, made on the fans. This is the aspect of the writing that will affect a fan who was alive at the time more strongly than a fan born many years after the band's breakup who has become a fan at a time when the entire body of the Beatles' work is accessible. She also describes the impact the U.S. releases had on American fans because that is the form in which we first heard the music, butchered and patched together by Capitol Records for increased profit, a way to stretch an album from one release into two, a practice mercifully abandoned with the 1967 release of 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. American fans heard 'Beatles '65' and 'Beatles VI', not 'Beatles for Sale'. They heard a 'Help!' soundtrack featuring only seven actual Beatle tracks with the rest of the album comprised of instrumental music from the film, not a fourteen-track album that contained the popular "Yesterday" as well as its American B-side "Act Naturally" and 'Beatles VI' refugees such as "Dizzy Miss Lizzie," "Tell Me What You See" and "You Like Me Too Much", plus two previews of American release 'Rubber Soul' tracks—"I've Just Seen a Face" and "It's Only Love".
I fact-checked her to the best of my ability although I caught her in one slip, where she claimed that at the beginning of 1968 there would be no new Beatle product until much later in the year. This is belied by the fact that a few pages later she describes the February release of "Lady Madonna/"The Inner Light". Otherwise, names and dates of releases are accurate and, as I said, she includes those TV appearances with dates cited that filled in gaps for me.
She also speaks directly to current fans when she cites the Facebook pages where members of this worldwide fan community "can 'come together' in cyberspace for interactive Beatleing." One of the main services this book provides is an extensive explanation of what all these baby-booming fans see in them and why they are still so important to us. So for anyone that's curious and wants to understand 'what the fuss was all about' this is Exhibit A.
This book is a self-described 'fan's-eye view', written by a Beatle fan for Beatle fans. If any of you reading this are not a self-described fan or someone who feels that the Beatles played a very vital role in their development and their way of looking at the world, you might want to look elsewhere. The fact that the Beatles are still celebrated and talked about 50 years after they made their initial impact and began cranking out hits that consistently hit the top of the charts is a testament to the fact that they, unlike the condescending establishment naysayers at the time, WOULD last and were not a passing fad that would go out of fashion within a year or two.
The fact that they are still being discussed and celebrated is also testament to the fact that they still speak to people who were born decades after the group split up. This book, however, is written by someone born in 1956, one year later than me, the first batch of the youngest fans i.e. pre-teens that saw the TV and movie appearances and heard and bought the records right after they came out. To understand the impact they had on that world, one needs to understand the pre-Beatles world. One viewing of the first 'Ed Sullivan' broadcast on which they appeared is a good indication of what the entertainment world looked like that they descended upon. I think it's ironic that Ed Sullivan, once the host of the 'must see' variety show for all American homes on Sunday nights at that time, is probably now chiefly remembered as the man who had the shrewd perception to strike while the iron was hot and capitalize on a current, hot act that was captivating the 'youngsters' as Ed referred to them.
Candy Leonard is a journalist and social historian now so she has definitely done her homework by researching the events of that time period as well as the cultural fabric of America, in particular the time just before the Beatles arrived. The Beatles and the Kennedy assassination will be linked together forever due to that historic timing. They certainly were for me. It appears that I misremembered the NBC nightly Huntley-Brinkley news report where I first heard of 'the Beatles' as the closing 'lighter note' story at the end of the Friday November 22 newscast dominated by the coverage of the JFK assassination. As she points out, on Monday of that week they did a four-minute feature on a new British rock'n'roll group that was eliciting massive crowds of screaming teenage fans, mostly girls. I had fused this news story with assassination coverage in my mind, thereby doing exactly what many young people were doing. The Beatles filled a void left by the assassination for American kids in particular. They were certainly a diversion, inflicting 'a joyful trauma' as Leonard calls it, as an antidote to the collective national one.
Not only does Leonard fill in gaps of the 60's scene setting politically, socially and culturally, she pins down exact dates of every Beatles appearance on American TV, including what songs they played and how they looked while playing them, on Ed Sullivan, Shindig, Hullaballoo, Hollywood Palace, Smothers Brothers; all popular shows of the time—as well as other new acts of the time period—The Dave Clark Five, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Kinks, The Byrds, etc. This is very useful information for the chronologically rooted reader such as me.
While she quotes extensively from journalists and critics writing at the time, she provides very voluminous quotes from fans, retrospectively describing their reactions at the time. After all, this is the fan's-eye view. At this point there have been hundreds of biographies and critical, book length analyses of the music and speculation after the fact without substantiation from any of the Beatles themselves. Reading this book provides a wider perspective on what each of us was feeling individually and how it resembled what millions of others were feeling.
While she doesn't provide detailed track-by-track analysis as the aforementioned critical books have done, she provides the context in which each record appeared and the impact 'the pleasure of constant surprise' as Pauline Kael described it, made on the fans. This is the aspect of the writing that will affect a fan who was alive at the time more strongly than a fan born many years after the band's breakup who has become a fan at a time when the entire body of the Beatles' work is accessible. She also describes the impact the U.S. releases had on American fans because that is the form in which we first heard the music, butchered and patched together by Capitol Records for increased profit, a way to stretch an album from one release into two, a practice mercifully abandoned with the 1967 release of 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. American fans heard 'Beatles '65' and 'Beatles VI', not 'Beatles for Sale'. They heard a 'Help!' soundtrack featuring only seven actual Beatle tracks with the rest of the album comprised of instrumental music from the film, not a fourteen-track album that contained the popular "Yesterday" as well as its American B-side "Act Naturally" and 'Beatles VI' refugees such as "Dizzy Miss Lizzie," "Tell Me What You See" and "You Like Me Too Much", plus two previews of American release 'Rubber Soul' tracks—"I've Just Seen a Face" and "It's Only Love".
I fact-checked her to the best of my ability although I caught her in one slip, where she claimed that at the beginning of 1968 there would be no new Beatle product until much later in the year. This is belied by the fact that a few pages later she describes the February release of "Lady Madonna/"The Inner Light". Otherwise, names and dates of releases are accurate and, as I said, she includes those TV appearances with dates cited that filled in gaps for me.
She also speaks directly to current fans when she cites the Facebook pages where members of this worldwide fan community "can 'come together' in cyberspace for interactive Beatleing." One of the main services this book provides is an extensive explanation of what all these baby-booming fans see in them and why they are still so important to us. So for anyone that's curious and wants to understand 'what the fuss was all about' this is Exhibit A.
October 15, 2020
I myself am not a Beatles fan but their impact on the entertainment world and huge success are pretty interesting just like the 60's themselves.
This book takes us back to the Beatles time and talks about them from the view of the young fans relating to the history of that time as well. It was pretty interesting. I learned a lot about them that I didn't know which isn't surprising because like I said I am not a fan but it made me curious to listen to some of their work I didn't know based on how it was described in the book and how it was looked at by the fans at that time.
I wouldn't trade my great 90's for anything but the author made a great job portraying the joy and excitement the Beatles fans felt back then so I almost feel jealous. Just kidding, but this was definitely a great time music wise for young people.
This book takes us back to the Beatles time and talks about them from the view of the young fans relating to the history of that time as well. It was pretty interesting. I learned a lot about them that I didn't know which isn't surprising because like I said I am not a fan but it made me curious to listen to some of their work I didn't know based on how it was described in the book and how it was looked at by the fans at that time.
I wouldn't trade my great 90's for anything but the author made a great job portraying the joy and excitement the Beatles fans felt back then so I almost feel jealous. Just kidding, but this was definitely a great time music wise for young people.
March 15, 2015
For anyone expecting a sugary-coated “for dummies” style overview of The Beatles, you are in for a surprise. This is a very intelligent and well-researched book on a phenomenon that has reached the half-century mark and is still evolving. At first I was worried it might read like a Master’s thesis on 1960’s pop culture, but that notion quickly vanished after the first few pages. What followed was a journey into every Beatles fan’s memory of, and relationship to, the band that changed and shaped the U.S. baby boomer generation within six short years.
*
Each step in the Beatles’ career from "The Ed Sullivan Show" to their breakup is examined. Perspective is also given into why the group’s popularity and personalities are so embedded into the psyche of a generation and has been handed down like family heirlooms to the generations that have followed.
*
Many adjectives have been used to describe the impact The Beatles had on U.S. teens and preteens that were growing up with The Cold War and nuclear armament, racial segregation, and the fear and chaos that ended the year 1963 in mourning. Would they have been as popular if all the pieces, including JFK’s assassination only 79 days earlier, had not fallen into place? Perhaps, but who knows for sure. What we do know, and what is the backbone behind "Beatleness," is these four young men from England were unlike anything or anyone else in the U.S. Many boomers related to their music and personalities at a level that made them seem more like family members than pop musicians from a foreign country. And even for those who didn’t, there was no way they could escape their influence.
*
In addition to the obvious research and thought put into this book, much of the supporting evidence comes from fan memories and experiences. The boomer generation covers a wide age range, with the oldest to the youngest explaining how the Beatles influenced their lives in different ways.
*
Is this for the kids screaming out that Kanye West or One Direction should ever be compared to the Beatles individually or as a group? No. But should they read it? Yes. For boomers it’s a valid explanation on how we turned out the way we did. For everyone else it’s good insight into how you turned out the way you did. Give thanks to, or blame it on The Beatles. It’s your choice - and your reasons why are what "Beatleness" is all about.
*
Each step in the Beatles’ career from "The Ed Sullivan Show" to their breakup is examined. Perspective is also given into why the group’s popularity and personalities are so embedded into the psyche of a generation and has been handed down like family heirlooms to the generations that have followed.
*
Many adjectives have been used to describe the impact The Beatles had on U.S. teens and preteens that were growing up with The Cold War and nuclear armament, racial segregation, and the fear and chaos that ended the year 1963 in mourning. Would they have been as popular if all the pieces, including JFK’s assassination only 79 days earlier, had not fallen into place? Perhaps, but who knows for sure. What we do know, and what is the backbone behind "Beatleness," is these four young men from England were unlike anything or anyone else in the U.S. Many boomers related to their music and personalities at a level that made them seem more like family members than pop musicians from a foreign country. And even for those who didn’t, there was no way they could escape their influence.
*
In addition to the obvious research and thought put into this book, much of the supporting evidence comes from fan memories and experiences. The boomer generation covers a wide age range, with the oldest to the youngest explaining how the Beatles influenced their lives in different ways.
*
Is this for the kids screaming out that Kanye West or One Direction should ever be compared to the Beatles individually or as a group? No. But should they read it? Yes. For boomers it’s a valid explanation on how we turned out the way we did. For everyone else it’s good insight into how you turned out the way you did. Give thanks to, or blame it on The Beatles. It’s your choice - and your reasons why are what "Beatleness" is all about.
January 23, 2015
"Love the Beatles!!!"
If you could sum up Beatleness in three words, what would they be?
Beatlemania
FANtastic
Beatles
Who was your favorite character and why?
Ringo has always been my favorite. I root for the underdog! LOL I will admit to a crush on Paul and loving John's humor and the quiet wit of George. But Ringo just captured my heart with his awkwardness.
What does Tamara Marston bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
She has a great voice for audiobooks. I love that little rasp and would love to hear her on a Paranormal/Urban Fantasy read. She has a terrific pace that keeps you listening, even when the material gets slower.
Any additional comments?
I love the Beatles and it was fascinating reading about their rise to fame through the eyes of their fans. I wasn't around at the time, so it was great to hear all the little things people thought and felt in the moment. Being a child of the technology age, it was eye-opening to see how they took the world by storm in a time when there was no internet or viral content to launch artists to stardom. It was a history lesson while finding out new information about one of my favorite bands. Definitely a must for any Beatles fan!
Disclosure – I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts opinions and ratings are my own.
*** If you found this review at all helpful, please take a moment to let me know. I love reading and sharing my opinions with other readers. Thanks for taking the time to read my review! You can see more audiobook reviews on my blog www.eargasmsaudiobookreviews.com ***
If you could sum up Beatleness in three words, what would they be?
Beatlemania
FANtastic
Beatles
Who was your favorite character and why?
Ringo has always been my favorite. I root for the underdog! LOL I will admit to a crush on Paul and loving John's humor and the quiet wit of George. But Ringo just captured my heart with his awkwardness.
What does Tamara Marston bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
She has a great voice for audiobooks. I love that little rasp and would love to hear her on a Paranormal/Urban Fantasy read. She has a terrific pace that keeps you listening, even when the material gets slower.
Any additional comments?
I love the Beatles and it was fascinating reading about their rise to fame through the eyes of their fans. I wasn't around at the time, so it was great to hear all the little things people thought and felt in the moment. Being a child of the technology age, it was eye-opening to see how they took the world by storm in a time when there was no internet or viral content to launch artists to stardom. It was a history lesson while finding out new information about one of my favorite bands. Definitely a must for any Beatles fan!
Disclosure – I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts opinions and ratings are my own.
*** If you found this review at all helpful, please take a moment to let me know. I love reading and sharing my opinions with other readers. Thanks for taking the time to read my review! You can see more audiobook reviews on my blog www.eargasmsaudiobookreviews.com ***
June 27, 2019
This is a fascinating exploration of the phenomenon that was the Beatles. The author explores the social, societal and historical forces that came together to make this band so influential on a generation of listeners, as well as their children.
As a child in 1964, I remember clearly the Beatles’ first trip to the U.S. and the release of their first singles for radio play. This was the point at which my lifelong interest in music was kicked off, in a large part thanks for the Beatles. Having a brother who is 10 years older than me and a sister 11 years older, I was a kindergartener listening to the records they played. Even at that early age, I knew these songs were something new, not like the ballads my sister listened to or the rock and roll my brother preferred. As the band evolved over the next 6 years, I found myself listening to the lyrics as well as the music. I also chose bands to follow that put out more than the usual pop fodder.
For anyone who enjoys the music, this book is a must-read. Put on your favorite Beatles record and start reading.
As a child in 1964, I remember clearly the Beatles’ first trip to the U.S. and the release of their first singles for radio play. This was the point at which my lifelong interest in music was kicked off, in a large part thanks for the Beatles. Having a brother who is 10 years older than me and a sister 11 years older, I was a kindergartener listening to the records they played. Even at that early age, I knew these songs were something new, not like the ballads my sister listened to or the rock and roll my brother preferred. As the band evolved over the next 6 years, I found myself listening to the lyrics as well as the music. I also chose bands to follow that put out more than the usual pop fodder.
For anyone who enjoys the music, this book is a must-read. Put on your favorite Beatles record and start reading.
January 10, 2019
Leonard has an interesting premise: the profound effect this British rock-and-roll band had on the huge cultural shifts of the United States in the 1960's. This is a premise I believe and have argued myself. But somehow she oversells it and I got tired of her relentless advocacy of the Beatles seemingly having sparked every great idea of that decade. It was also tiresome for every interviewee to be identified by first name, gender, and year of birth. As I type this, I realize that's all important information sociologically, but I guess something lacked in the presentation because it really bothered me. I was disappointed because this was a good idea for a book and I enjoyed revisiting the sheer excitement of the Beatles’ arrival, but was left deflated in the end.
August 10, 2021
As a first-generation Beatle fan whose first true love was Paul McCartney, the title of this book interested me so I decided to read it and am really glad I did. As the title states, this is written by a fan and for the fans, and is furthermore geared to the first-generation fans of this incredible group, so if you don’t belong to this special group of people, this book might not interest you.
I was 15 when the Beatles first made their appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, and I was mesmerized. I had not really made the connection of their appearance coming on the heels of President Kennedy’s assassination until the author mentioned that, and how it was a light during that tragic time for so many people. As an “older” fan, I did find myself more enamored with the early Beatles compared to the group they transitioned to once I started college. By that time I was confused with the direction they were taking, and became obsessed with Simon and Garfunkel - but still found many of their later songs to my liking. Their obvious talent is without question, and their effect on the world is undeniable. I feel so very lucky that I was there to witness and be a part of that special moment in time. And I was one of the lucky ones who saw the Beatles in concert on September 4, 1964, in Milwaukee. Couldn’t hear much of what they sang due to the screaming, and only saw the top of Ringo’s head since all the girls were standing on top of their chairs, jumping up and down. It was pandemonium!
The book walks you through the time period of the Beatles from beginning to end, and discusses each album and its impact on the fans. I found myself googling facts about all the different songs, as well as the lyrics. Included in the book are many interviews from fans all over the country. The author was born in 1956, so I found that the bulk of her interviews were taken from people born in the early to mid fifties - not so many from my age group. That is actually understandable because I believe, as the author stated, that particular group of people truly “grew up” with the Beatles as a central part of their lives. That being said, I will never forget their effect on me, and I enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane with this book.
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
I was 15 when the Beatles first made their appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, and I was mesmerized. I had not really made the connection of their appearance coming on the heels of President Kennedy’s assassination until the author mentioned that, and how it was a light during that tragic time for so many people. As an “older” fan, I did find myself more enamored with the early Beatles compared to the group they transitioned to once I started college. By that time I was confused with the direction they were taking, and became obsessed with Simon and Garfunkel - but still found many of their later songs to my liking. Their obvious talent is without question, and their effect on the world is undeniable. I feel so very lucky that I was there to witness and be a part of that special moment in time. And I was one of the lucky ones who saw the Beatles in concert on September 4, 1964, in Milwaukee. Couldn’t hear much of what they sang due to the screaming, and only saw the top of Ringo’s head since all the girls were standing on top of their chairs, jumping up and down. It was pandemonium!
The book walks you through the time period of the Beatles from beginning to end, and discusses each album and its impact on the fans. I found myself googling facts about all the different songs, as well as the lyrics. Included in the book are many interviews from fans all over the country. The author was born in 1956, so I found that the bulk of her interviews were taken from people born in the early to mid fifties - not so many from my age group. That is actually understandable because I believe, as the author stated, that particular group of people truly “grew up” with the Beatles as a central part of their lives. That being said, I will never forget their effect on me, and I enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane with this book.
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
November 6, 2023
I think this book rather focuses a bit much on American fans, to truly look at how they changed the world, one ought to have a perspective on reactions across the rest of the globe when the Beatles happened. Their influence on Soviet Russia, for one thing, was notably subversive and arguably a major reason the Berlin Wall, and the USSR itself, eventually fell. There aren't any recollections from Russian Beatle fans as to either how they learned of the band, and by extension, the hippie movement in the West, nor does it focus at all on their effects on French and German teenagers. The girls screamed everywhere, anyway. Still, this book is worth checking out even with its USA-centric position, and it's always nice hearing the things other people had to say about when the Beatles entered their lives. As for me, that's a story for my own book.
April 15, 2025
3.75 stars
This is definitely a book for fans of the Beatles, rather than a general interest kinda book. Instead of going into the details of Beatle history, the author pretty much focuses on how fans of the Beatles received their music and interpreted the events of the 60s. The author has a background in sociology and psychology, which was really refreshing! Honestly, I could’ve used even more of that. When the book strays from the sociological and social psychology bits, I got bored. This book has a tendency to repeat itself, which makes sense in a way; Beatlemania was kind of a loop of screaming and fainting, after all. Still, a bit more editorial trimming wouldn’t have hurt. Also, it would’ve been nice to hear from fans outside the U.S. I mean, the Beatles were British, last I checked. Overall though, I really enjoyed getting a fan-first perspective of the Beatles!!
This is definitely a book for fans of the Beatles, rather than a general interest kinda book. Instead of going into the details of Beatle history, the author pretty much focuses on how fans of the Beatles received their music and interpreted the events of the 60s. The author has a background in sociology and psychology, which was really refreshing! Honestly, I could’ve used even more of that. When the book strays from the sociological and social psychology bits, I got bored. This book has a tendency to repeat itself, which makes sense in a way; Beatlemania was kind of a loop of screaming and fainting, after all. Still, a bit more editorial trimming wouldn’t have hurt. Also, it would’ve been nice to hear from fans outside the U.S. I mean, the Beatles were British, last I checked. Overall though, I really enjoyed getting a fan-first perspective of the Beatles!!
May 29, 2022
I was 14 when the Beatles lit up my TV screen and my world, so I expected a joyful saunter down memory lane. This book is joyful, alright, but eye-opening too. Pretty much everyone fell hard for the lads from Liverpool--not just teenage girls but little boys and grownups of all ages. Less than three months after JFK's assassination plunged us all into mourning, the Beatles lifted us up. More than an electrifying band, they were a transformative experience that Candy Leonard brings to life with wide-ranging interviews and a social historian's eye for the nuances of a time both mythologized and oversimplified in the popular imagination. BEATLENESS would make a great gift for all students of the 60s.
February 4, 2015
True rating: 4.5 stars.
Candy Leonard prefaces Beatleness by defining what she means by that word. Of the three definitions she gives, it is the second that most applies to her book: “An emotional or spiritual state, condition, or feeling resulting from exposure to or thinking about the Beatles and their works”. What the reader gets for the next 300 absorbing pages is an understanding of those feelings and states as experienced by the first generation of young Beatles fans — those who witnessed the initial stages of the phenomenon, willingly and lovingly accepted it into their daily lives, and who were never the same afterwards.
A member of that first generation, and a sociologist by trade, Leonard does a terrific job of sorting through the vast amount of data she collected and presenting it in a way that makes for an entertaining and enlightening read. You will not find tales about John, Paul, George, and/or Ringo in Beatleness; it is not “laden with minutiae about the lives of the Beatles or their inner circle”; it does not offer commentary by Beatle ‘experts’. There is an endless supply of other books that ably accomplish those tasks. Instead, Leonard gives us “the perspective of people who possess authentic expertise about the Beatles’ impact — the fans”. She gathered her data through “hundreds of hours of phone and face-to-face interviews”, as well as through social media and an online questionnaire. Quotes from fans abound, many of them offering fascinating insight into the power of personality and music to sway the adolescent mind.
The author does an excellent job of setting the stage, which in this case means describing the state of the country and the world in the early Sixties. She touches upon most of the major issues of the day — the programs of Kennedy’s New Frontier, the burgeoning fight for equality for women and blacks, the Cold War, and so on — as well as what was transpiring in the literary and entertainment fields, and, of course, in the musical scene. It was a chaotic and, for many, a frightening period, with change being the watchword, and into it, and out of it, came the Beatles.
And here I must mention my only complaint about the book: Leonard’s furthering of the myth that JFK was universally adored. To some extent this was true in 1960, and for a year or two beyond, but by the end of 1963 that bloom had long since faded, thanks in large part to the Bay of Pigs fiasco and the escalation of the conflict in Vietnam. Two months before his death, a full 44% of the country did not approve of the job Kennedy was doing. America mourned his loss, as it would have the sudden and violent death of any president, but what truly sundered the nation’s collective heart that November was the image of daughter Caroline’s shocked face, and that of an uncomprehending, 3-year-old John John saluting his father’s coffin as it passed. Contrary to one theory — and to Leonard’s credit, she does not entirely embrace it — the arrival of the Beatles in February 1964 was not the balm that healed a sorrowing nation; the U.S. is ever resilient and Christmas and the new year had already seen its people beginning to move on. Still, as Leonard rightly notes, “[the Beatles] were a national diversion and the national mood was lifted”.
Of course, history continued its march after the Beatles burst onto the stage, and Beatleness follows their career throughout the Sixties, examining how fans were affected by the evolution of their music and their assumption of the role of leaders of the youth culture. And how, in turn, America and the world at large was altered. Leonard treads especially carefully here, certainly giving the foursome their just due, but cautious not to over credit their influence. In honesty, though, finding a corner of American society entirely untouched by their giant shadow would be extremely difficult to do. Beatleness demonstrates that.
Leonard’s writing is always clear, concise, and a pleasure to read. She never wanders away from her subject, nor does she fill her pages with needless trivia or insignificant sidebars. Beatleness is a time capsule in which may be found a trove of engaging, thought-provoking material. Leonard’s analysis of that information is sure-handed, scholarly, and well-supported by notes and an extensive bibliography. But it is the many quotes from fans which are a joy to read that are the true treasure of this book.
For someone born after the 1970 breakup of the Beatles it must be hard to comprehend how a rock band could change the world so dramatically. What Beatleness does uniquely and effectively is explain through the voices and experiences of those first generation fans how that happened, and why Beatlemania still thrives today, fifty years later.
This review was originally published at my friend Dawn Teresa's blog, ReadLove (https://dawnreadlove.wordpress.com/ ), where it has the following Verdict:
4.5 of 5 Hearts. An Outstanding Sociological Study of Beatlemania from the Fans’ Perspective. A rarity among the thousands of books written about the Beatles, Beatleness is required reading for anyone, fan or otherwise, who wants to learn exactly what the Fab Four meant to their fans, and how, in a mere half-dozen years, they were able to rock the establishment and help thrust the world in a new direction.
June 17, 2019
Joy
Get back to where you once belonged. Discover the Beatles as we the fans discovered them. With all that has been written about the magical joy that was the Beatles, this book is unique. This is exclusively the fan perspective, the almost religious waiting for the next album, the tv appearances, "16" Mag, and listening over and over. As you read, you are surrounded by quotes of like-thinking fellow fans. I "rationed" this book, and was sad when I came to the end.
Get back to where you once belonged. Discover the Beatles as we the fans discovered them. With all that has been written about the magical joy that was the Beatles, this book is unique. This is exclusively the fan perspective, the almost religious waiting for the next album, the tv appearances, "16" Mag, and listening over and over. As you read, you are surrounded by quotes of like-thinking fellow fans. I "rationed" this book, and was sad when I came to the end.
April 13, 2019
My Beatles Infatuation Now has a Storyline
I grew up in the heart of Beatlemania. I followed them throughout the 60s, mostly through their singles, but have had a lifelong love with them and their story.
This book put an explanation and storyline around the entire generation for those of us who grew up with these guys. Thank you it’s an excellent read!
I grew up in the heart of Beatlemania. I followed them throughout the 60s, mostly through their singles, but have had a lifelong love with them and their story.
This book put an explanation and storyline around the entire generation for those of us who grew up with these guys. Thank you it’s an excellent read!
September 16, 2017
This is an oral history of Beatle fandom. The thesis in the beginning is very interesting, but the details were skimmable. Some of the generalizations left me cold. But a worthwhile effort to document the social relationship between Beatledom and the 60s-70s progressive movements.
January 5, 2019
Well written very much fun.
This was a well written analysis of the impact that the Beatles phenomenon and their fans had on the world. Well documented, kept me hooked and allowed me to relieve parts of my childhood and love of the Beatles with hindsight. Very much fun.
This was a well written analysis of the impact that the Beatles phenomenon and their fans had on the world. Well documented, kept me hooked and allowed me to relieve parts of my childhood and love of the Beatles with hindsight. Very much fun.
December 6, 2021
A rather dry look at Beatlemania and the surrounding history and pop culture - as well as a straightforward run through the band's chronology. Made better for reading it straight after watching "Get Back". Lol.
June 12, 2021
A fresh perspective on the Beatles phenomenom. Fun and fascinating whether you were there or not.
August 10, 2024
Fun trip down memory lane. Written from a fan's perspective.
October 14, 2014
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5
In keeping with my Beatles reading, we have here another new book with the Fab Four as the subject. This one, Beatleness, by Candy Leonard, might actually be one of the more important books on the subject.
There are plenty of books that look at the beatles themselves and their music (deservedly so) and it seems that there isn't much new to be mined there. So much scrutiny has been made of every single word and note that these four men have produced that it seems unlikely that we can get much more from it. But what hasn't been fully explored, until recently, is the social atmosphere created around and by the Beatles.
Recently I reviewed The Beatles Are Here! which collected essays from a variety of sources (including, most interestingly, the girls pictured in a prominent photograph). This latest book, Beatleness, takes this one step further. Rather than essays by a select few, Candy Leonard interviews a cross-section of individuals and gets to the heart of the people who changed (or formed) a turbulent decade -- the fans.
Arguments can be made over the music of the Beatles and whether or not they were/are incredibly talented or mostly lucky (my personal feeling is 'talent'), but there are musicians and groups all over the world who have incredible talent and push the limits of conventional music, and so few of them get the attention that the Beatles received. Without the fans, the Beatles would never have achieved the status that they did, and the world wouldn't have changed the way that it did.
Of course it's not as simple as all that... the fans were affected by other issues (the assassination of JFK being just one issue) that led to the search for something new, and the Beatles' fit the bill. Candy Leonard's book takes a look at many of these things, ties so much of it together, always using the words of the fans themselves, to highlight the scene. One thing that struck be quite a bit was what I interpreted as a clear difference between the older fans, who grew up with the Beatles from the beginning, and the younger fans who gained their 'Beatleness' a little later (often through an older sibling). Their reactions and interpretations of the music and the era tended to be quite different.
I see this book as being incredibly valuable, particularly to anyone with an interest in sociology and human behavior and a study of the turbulent 60's/70's. The sociological aspects of the fans of the Beatles is a story much greater than a story about four pop musicians.
Looking for a good book? Beatleness, by Candy Leonard, is not a book about the Beatles, but an insightful, well-researched book about the fans of the Beatles and the cause/effect relationship with the Beatles and the troubling times of the 1960's.
In keeping with my Beatles reading, we have here another new book with the Fab Four as the subject. This one, Beatleness, by Candy Leonard, might actually be one of the more important books on the subject.
There are plenty of books that look at the beatles themselves and their music (deservedly so) and it seems that there isn't much new to be mined there. So much scrutiny has been made of every single word and note that these four men have produced that it seems unlikely that we can get much more from it. But what hasn't been fully explored, until recently, is the social atmosphere created around and by the Beatles.
Recently I reviewed The Beatles Are Here! which collected essays from a variety of sources (including, most interestingly, the girls pictured in a prominent photograph). This latest book, Beatleness, takes this one step further. Rather than essays by a select few, Candy Leonard interviews a cross-section of individuals and gets to the heart of the people who changed (or formed) a turbulent decade -- the fans.
Arguments can be made over the music of the Beatles and whether or not they were/are incredibly talented or mostly lucky (my personal feeling is 'talent'), but there are musicians and groups all over the world who have incredible talent and push the limits of conventional music, and so few of them get the attention that the Beatles received. Without the fans, the Beatles would never have achieved the status that they did, and the world wouldn't have changed the way that it did.
Of course it's not as simple as all that... the fans were affected by other issues (the assassination of JFK being just one issue) that led to the search for something new, and the Beatles' fit the bill. Candy Leonard's book takes a look at many of these things, ties so much of it together, always using the words of the fans themselves, to highlight the scene. One thing that struck be quite a bit was what I interpreted as a clear difference between the older fans, who grew up with the Beatles from the beginning, and the younger fans who gained their 'Beatleness' a little later (often through an older sibling). Their reactions and interpretations of the music and the era tended to be quite different.
I see this book as being incredibly valuable, particularly to anyone with an interest in sociology and human behavior and a study of the turbulent 60's/70's. The sociological aspects of the fans of the Beatles is a story much greater than a story about four pop musicians.
Looking for a good book? Beatleness, by Candy Leonard, is not a book about the Beatles, but an insightful, well-researched book about the fans of the Beatles and the cause/effect relationship with the Beatles and the troubling times of the 1960's.
September 26, 2015
Leonard starts with the thesis that significant change in our society over the past fifty years has come as a result of the Beatles. Having arrived at a unique and pivotal time in the advancement of technology, civil rights, the peace movement and the hope of the Kennedy era, the Beatles had a disproportionate influence. They were simply at the right place in the right time to communicate and direct a generation. More than any cultural milestone of our time, the Beatles had measurable social impact that continues to resonate.
The book goes on to tell the Beatles' story through an oral history which Leonard frames and comments on. The book is well written, entertaining, though not particularly scientific in it's analysis. Never the less, I agree with her and in so far as her anecdotal evidence serves to document, she does a nice job. I hope it is a compliment to compare her to Studs Terkel, the journalist and writer who published so many delightful and insightful oral accounts of the 20th century. Leonard's approach is fun and refreshing while inclusive of the good, the bad, the tragic and the triumphant. Good book.
The book goes on to tell the Beatles' story through an oral history which Leonard frames and comments on. The book is well written, entertaining, though not particularly scientific in it's analysis. Never the less, I agree with her and in so far as her anecdotal evidence serves to document, she does a nice job. I hope it is a compliment to compare her to Studs Terkel, the journalist and writer who published so many delightful and insightful oral accounts of the 20th century. Leonard's approach is fun and refreshing while inclusive of the good, the bad, the tragic and the triumphant. Good book.
November 26, 2014
An anecdotal history of how young American fans related to the Beatles, and how together they changed pop culture. The author doesn't say much about her method, simply saying that she drew from "hundreds of hours of phone and face-to-face conversation" and an online questionnaire, so the book is not rigorous enough to be considered academic, and not far-reaching enough to be a solid pop history book. She limits herself to people born from 1945 to 1961, focusing on very young people, but that leaves out people who would have been young independent adults during Beatlemania, who would have been affected as much, if not more, by the Beatles. She does make some interesting observations about the reception of the Beatles by individual children; I was most intrigued by the people who said that various songs (like "Strawberry Fields Forever"), albums or fashions "scared" some young fans. But largely this feels like work only half done. A wider range of ages and a deeper look at the larger culture would make this a more rewarding read.
October 19, 2020
This book is written by a Beatles fan, about Beatles fans, for Beatles fans. Part generational memoir, part cultural history of the Sixties, this book tells the story of the Beatles and their huge impact on America, straight from the fans' perspective. Following the original fans and the band throughout their eight-year reign of the charts, this book includes everything you need to know about how society and culture immediately changed thanks to the Beatles, against a backdrop of the sexual revolution, political assassinations and the Vietnam War. It examines the phrase "the Beatles changed everything" and analyses fans' behaviour as a result of the British Invasion. It allowed me to experience what it was like to be a first generation fan during those dramatic, transformative years. Although the insight from the people who experienced it first time round is valuable, it would have been nice to hear from fans who have inherited their love of the Beatles in later years, and how the Beatles are still impacting on culture fifty years on. A must-read for fans of the Fab Four.
November 14, 2020
I was excited to read this book, having been an American Beatles fan since the very beginning. Basically it was good, with lots of insight, but I disagree with the author when she talks about first-generation Beatles fans who were born later than, say, 1955. Those people would have been just children when the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. One of the people the author interviewed was born in 1961! This person might have grown up to become a Beatles fan, but there's no way at just barely three years old that this child could have had any recollection of the Beatles from the beginning of their "invasion" of the USA. To me, first-generation Beatles fans were people who were teenagers, or just prior to their teenage years, at the time the Beatles first burst on the scene. The author, a Beatles fan herself, keeps referencing people who were much too young to have been influenced by them. If you're one of the truly first-generation Beatles fans, find another book to read.
December 28, 2024
Of nearly fifty books on The Beatles that I've read, as an American born in 1958, this book best describes the Beatles phenomena as my sister, friends and I experienced and lived it. There is historical context, and the basic facts are layed out as the chronology develops, in appealing and nuanced depth, and with a freshness of perspective and obvious deep affection. But front and center throughout (with copious personal testimony) is how young American fans felt, thought, reacted to, and processed each of the major events in The Beatles saga. A top five Beatle book for me. Recommended to any Beatles fan born between 1947-1960.
November 12, 2015
More like a 3.5. I was too young to experience the Beatles as they were happening, but I had an older brother who listened to the Beatles constantly and as a result I have been a life long fan. There are pictures of me and my two brothers pretending to be the Beatles, one brother being John the other Paul both strumming tennis rackets while I was Ringo banging on a potato chip can (remember when the milkman would leave big cans of chips?). It was interesting to read how fans experienced the music when it became available and how they reacted to the evolution of the group.
August 26, 2016
Author had a good concept here - recounting Beatles history through the POV of first-generation American fans. The execution, however, lacked cohesion for me. It's like the book tries to be two different things - a Beatles history and a collection of vignettes. Much of what the fans convey to Leonard seem rather general in that a Beatles fan from any time period could feel the same way.
There are also a few errors in the actual Beatles history. Other than that, it's an nice fun work for fan. Not serious scholarship.
There are also a few errors in the actual Beatles history. Other than that, it's an nice fun work for fan. Not serious scholarship.
November 11, 2016
This should have and could have been a brilliant book, for me, it was a disappointment. First, I tire of opinion masked as fact (e.g., I like the promo films for "Hello Goodbye" and "Lady Madonna"). Second, she misses some big moments, for example Harrison's solo 1969 release of Electonic Sound album, the first all synth album made by a mainstream artist. Hell, there is a magazine out of England that focuses on synth music, and the magazine is called Electronic Sound. She misses the Zapple label, and Ringo's first solo album.
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