I Read the News Today, Oh Boy: The Short and Gilded Life of Tara Browne, the Man Who Inspired The Beatles' Greatest Song

by Paul Howard

Few people rode the popular wave of the sixties quite like Tara Browne. One of Swinging London's most popular faces, he lived fast, died young and was immortalized for ever in the opening lines of 'A Day in the Life', a song that many critics regard as The Beatles' finest. But who was John Lennon's lucky man who made the grade and then blew his mind out in a car?

Author Paul Howard has pieced together the extraordinary story of a young Irishman who epitomized the spirit of the racing car driver, Vogue model, friend of The Rolling Stones, style icon, son of a peer, heir to a Guinness fortune and the man who turned Paul McCartney on to LSD.

I Read the News Today, Oh Boy is the story of a child born into Ireland's dwindling aristocracy, who spent his early years in an ancient castle in County Mayo, and who arrived in London just as it was becoming the most exciting city on the planet.

The Beatles and the Stones were about to conquer America, Carnaby Street was setting the style template for the world and rich and poor were rubbing shoulders in the West End in a new spirit of classlessness. Among young people, there was a growing sense that they could change the world. And no one embodied the ephemeral promise of London's sixties better than Tara Browne.

Includes a sixteen-page plate section of stunning colour photographs.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Biography, Irish Literature

402 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 20, 2016

About the author

Paul Howard is a journalist with The Irish Times on Saturday.
Howard is best known as the author of the paper's Ross O'Carroll-Kelly columns and has written a series of books based on the the character of Ross.

Howard is the former chief sportswriter for the Sunday Tribune, and a former Irish Sports Journalist of the Year. He has written several nonfiction books, including The Joy, an account of life in Mountjoy Prison, The Gaffers: Mick McCarthy, Roy Keane and the Team they Built, an account of the McCarthy–Keane clash during the run-up to the 2002 World Cup. He also co-authored Steve Collins' "autobiography", Celtic Warrior.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the moment, I'm going through a tunnel that is cold/ill based, and it is books like "I Read The News Today Oh Boy" that makes me want to live. The comprehensive biography of a young man who didn't live long, and didn't do anything, except was an exceptional presence in various people's lives. My favorite sort of person. Tara Browne was a wealthy fellow who was fortunate to have a money background, but also the grace of being a very nice gentleman in the world of the 1960s London pop culture. A friend of Brian Jones, Paul McCartney, as well as his brother Mike (McGear), this is very much a narrative of England throughout the early and mid-20th-century. Paul Howard does an excellent job of capturing an era in a positive light that is readable and fascinating.

Tara was very much of a 'now' personality. He lived his life in such a manner that is full of love, respect, but also he was blessed to have a mother that was very much a bohemian herself. As a boy, he was raised among adults and participated in parties and social outings. He hated school, and in a sense, you can say he was spoiled, but alas, that is not totally true. I think he was a good spirit that people attached themselves to him.

Tara Browne died when he was 21 years old. He was driving fast in London and avoiding another car; he rams his vehicle into a parked car. Tara was obsessed with cars and speed. By all accounts, he was an excellent driver. In a nutshell, Browne was a dandy, car racer, and knew the more beautiful things in life. He introduced L.S.D. to McCartney, for instance.

His death inspired Lennon by writing "Day in the Life," but to many who knew him, they felt his death was the end of the 60s utopian dream. For anyone who has an interest in Brian Jones, The Beatles, and London 60s, this book is a must-read.

[Lynx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born into Irish aristocracy, Tara’s upbringing was anything but normal. Surrounded by some of the worlds most famous writers, artists, and politicians, Tara spent his childhood absorbing culture and learning by experience. By 14, Tara was already influencing those around him, always ahead of everyone else when it came to music, fashion and fast cars. When Tara moved to London he became a central figure in the Swinging London scene, bringing people like Paul McCartney, Brian Jones, Marianne Faithfull and Anita Pallenberg together with fellow socialites, muses and influencers.

“He was the living, breathing quintessence of Swinging London, a dandy with the air of a young prince. The hippest of hip cats, he always seemed to be right on the heartbeat of the moment in everything he did, whether introducing Paul McCartney to the mind-expanding possibilities of LSD in his Mayfair flat, turning heads in his psychedelically coloured AC Cobra or gadding about Londons West End with a Beatle or Rolling Stone, or perhaps Peter Sellers or Roman Polanski by his side.”

Tara’s life would be a short one, but his influence on the 60’s and those around him would shape the culture forever.

Paul Howard has certainly done his research. Not only do you learn about Tara and his entire family history, you learn about literally everyone he comes in contact with. Packed full of information about fascinating people in a fascinating time.

I discuss Tara's life and his influence on 60's culture on my podcast Muses and Stuff. To learn more check it out here

[Helen Carolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an o.k read. More like a tabloid newspaper article than an autobiography. Tara Browne lived fast and died young at the age of 21 in a car crash. Part of the cursed Guinness dynasty he knew everyone in swinging 60's London. A childhood spent travelling the globe ended in London. More gossipy than i would have liked.

[Natasha]

The fascinating story of the life of Tara Browne - Guinness heir, Swinging Sixties socialite, and the inspiration behind the Beatles song 'A Day in the Life'. The 'lucky man' who 'blew his mind out in a car' packed more into his twenty-one short years on earth than most people would in a century. Meticulously researched and thoroughly engaging read. I don't read much non-fiction but this is the type of book that makes me want to read more.

[Aoibhín Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a very interesting book about an era I have a keen interest in. It was very informative and I learnt a lot! I know Tara had a very short life so there’s not a whole pile to document but I found the first part drags through his (albeit very unique) childhood.

I’m not sure if repetitive phrases such as “chauffeur driven Rolls Royce” was to drill a point (we know — he’s astronomically wealthy) but it gave the impression that the author had a word count he needed to pad out. But would recommend if you have any interest in the Guinnesses or sixties London.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started reading this book I thought it a little boring but I have to say that once I got into it I changed my mind. For anyone interested in a really good historical account of the swinging sixties in London and a way of life a lot of us can only imagine. Tara Browne was like a beautiful butterfly, admired by all but unfortunately short-lived. Well worth a read.

[Mdaly · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about the life of a carefree wealthy young man of privilege that gives an idealised snapshot of how reaction to postwar austerity in the UK & Ireland gave rise to the Swinging Sixties through the eyes of one of its poster boys.

In many ways the author was too close to some of the people he interviewed for this book to be objective. There is an awful lot of name dropping throughout. Despite the hedonism, fecklessness and debauchery on display there is nothing in the book that would have any of the still living protagonists running to the libel courts. It was in effect quite a select group of wealthy individuals with more money than sense to spend on drink, drugs, cars and foreign travel. And as a result a surprising number paid the ultimate price with their early deaths.
If one looked at this dispassionately one would have to conclude that Tara's mother Oonagh was an utter villain, a vacuous serial divorcee socialite whose wealth allowed her to surrounded herself with interesting people from whom Tara got his 'education'. She deprived him of a proper childhood which is evident throughout by his recurring laments on his place in the world.

Given the recent revelations about wealthy individuals using their power and wealth to repeatedly abuse women I found the almost celebratory tone of the immoral self-indulgence a bit out of place. At no point is the author in anyway critical of these people and their lifestyle. There is much social comment now that the free availability of the contraceptive pill in the 60's was exploited by unscrupulous men to rape women.

Almost laughably in contrast Paul Howard saves his ire for DeValera's arch conservative neo-Catholic colourless, censorious country! It's interesting that Ireland's cultural poverty is blamed by Howard on Ireland's rigid neo-Catholicism but England's colourless postwar austerity isn't blamed on it's neo-Protestantism! Another glaring historical blindspot for Howard is the French conflict over Algeria to which Tara was once an unwitting bystander while staying in Paris. Howard reduces the turmoil, torture and conflict to two short paragraphs where de Gaulle 'offered Algeria ... the chance to decide its own fate'. I guess it's lucky that de Gaulle, despite being Catholic, was the leader of a secular state.
Despite my exasperation at Howard's naive social and political commentary in the early part of the book it improved as we followed Tara into the early adulthood and his restless inability to settle down and mature. No matter who he met in his short life it's never 'lucky' to die at 21 and leave two young sons fatherless, Paul. The closing line left me scratching my head but neatly encapsulates Howard's inability to offer anything like an objective assessment of Tara Browne.

[Sharon Colarusso Roarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Read The News Today, Oh Boy is such an extremely well written book I was compelled to keep turning the next page. Although I knew the subject I wasn't sure how said subject would equate to a whole book but author Paul Howard doesn't just delve into the life, and early, tragic death of Guinness heir Tara Browne, he gives us a history lesson in a sort of 'changing of the guard' way of London of the 1920s and the Bright Young People, to Churchill and World War ll to, ultimately, the swinging sixties that gave us The Beatles, The Stones, the music, the changing fashion norms and invention of the mini skirt, fast cars, the drug scene and the 'faces' of the beautiful and in crowd of that era.

Ultimately, though, it is the life and death of Tara Browne that it seems all these things revolve around. Not the other way around. Tara's wealth as an heir to the Guinness throne afforded him a lifestyle and limitless opportunity to be able to travel in the same circles as many incredibly talented and wonderful people. Unfortunately, though, his death, like his friend Rolling Stones' Brian Jones, was too soon and Tara never got to grow old, raise his two sons, and leave the era behind that changed the face of music, norms, and conventions. With his death, he is a part of that world forever.

[Adrian Fingleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not going to detail the entire story behind this book, because I really hate when people feel the need to tell the reader the entire book-plot in their review. Netting it down, this is a fascinating expose into the Irish country house set, the Guinness connection, the fragmented lives that many people lived from the fifties into the early sixties, and the advent of ‘swinging London’. It’s underpinned by the short, gilded life of Tara Browne, and his almost-inevitable young death, which is posited as a watershed for the 60s decade.

It may or may not have been ‘when the dream turned sour’, but this is a compelling, interesting and informative account of the era and the main players who featured at this time. In fairness to the author, the level of the detail in the book points to exhaustive research, extensive interviews, and a real interest in the subject. It’s also a sort of modern history book and an interesting chronicle of the 20th century, up to the mid-late Sixties. It’s never dull, very absorbing, sympathetic to Tara Browne (as opposed to regarding him as a spoiled brat, which he probably was as well), and overall a really good and easy read. Highly recommended.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mother was living in London in 1966 when Tara Browne was killed. She wrote to tell me about it because she thought she might be related, Browne being her name and we had Irish ancestry. I had dipped into the story on line over the years and knew about the Beatles connection from the book by Hunter Davies about the story behind their lyrics. When I read that Paul Howard had written this book, I found it on Amazon, ordered it and received it the following day. I demolished it in a weekend! This was an era of which I was a product and followed from a distance in Sydney. I longed to be in London, wearing those clothes and being a dolly bird. Howard's book made me feel very nostalgic! But he also painted a picture of a poor little rich boy, whose mad mother, Oonagh, created a creature for her own pleasure. The tragedy isn't just Tara's but also his two sons whom Oonagh was able to wrest from their mother with her money and power. Their stories are the next episode in this real life drama. I wish Paul Howard would write it.

[Nicola Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engrossing account of Tara Browne, Guinness heir, whose untimely death signalled the end of the swinging sixties for the likes of Paul McCartney, Anita Pallenberg and Brian Jones. Having thoroughly researched his subject, Paul Howard's gift for storytelling turns a short-lived life into a page-turner that deals with one extraordinary character after another, not least Tara's mother Oonagh, Lady Oranmore and Browne. It's also a great read about the lives of aristocrats, the rich, wild love affairs, along with the explosion of drugs onto London's 1960s social scene and the consequences for the fashion and music industry. Really enjoyed it!

[Michael Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read quite a few biographies, but this one about Tara Browne the Guinness heir who inspired The Beatles greatest song who lived a short, but gilded life, was hard to put down.

Tara seemed to be at the right place at the right time including his arrival in London during the 1960's and who was one of swinging London's most popular faces.

He lived fast and tragically died young, and was immortalized forever in the Beatles song 'A Day in the Life' It was well researched and I would highly recommend this book.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am teaching temporarily in Ireland, and someone suggested I read this book. I am so glad that I did! Learning about the life and history of Tara Browne and his connection to The Beatles was amazing. I enjoyed the anecdotes from friends and family and the photos Paul Howard provided to give the reader an idea of what exactly Browne's life was like. ALSO! If anyone can visit the area where Browne grew up in County Wicklow, I highly suggest it! One of the most stunning places I have ever visited.

[Pete daPixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born with a silver spoon, lived as few of the other half do and died too young. Paul Howard has produced a highly commendable biography of Tara Browne, his short twenty one years of life and the golden time of those swinging sixties and the facts behind that Lennon song.
Although I was aware of who the subject of 'A Day in the Life' was, I found the life and times of Tara Browne a roller coaster of memories, even though nostalgia is not what it used to be.

[Karen Keane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book about the Guinness heir, Tara Browne, the man who the Beatles immortalised in the song 'A Day in the Life'. Although his life was tragically cut short, Tara epitomises the 60's and the book introduces us the the era and a lot of the major characters of the time. Brilliant, well worth reading.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read, especially after having finished The Glorious Guinness Girls. It’s not just an account of the life of Tara Brown, but a mapping out of key cultural moments through the 60s. I loved learning about how intertwined the lives of so many influential people of the time were - Dali, Bowie, the Stones, The Beatles, The Guinnesses, Brendan Behan, and more. Would highly recommend.

[Andie Roche · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved finding out all about Ireland & London during the Swinging Sixties but I’m just not a biography gal hence the low rating. But god I can’t imagine how much research went into this book. Loved feeling like I had the true inside scoop on all of these famous characters from that time.
I feel this would be loved by Aoife H ✨

[Isabelle Duff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the subject matter and the interesting cast of characters who cropped up, but I think the book was about a hundred pages too long. It was somewhat self-indulgent. Still, a very interesting story.

[Barbara Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by a journalist and it was telling in the format - instead of including anecdotes from Tara’s friends and family in the third person they are quoted like in interviews.
An easy read and one I devoured quickly as it was so engaging. Fascinating short and tragic life.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving and life affirming.

[Mary Hennessy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intetesting insight to the sixties music, lifestyles, cekebrity lives and particularly the Guinness family

[Moya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. A fascinating story really well told. Loved it.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the short, dramatic life of Tara Browne, immortalised in the lyrics of The Beatles 'A Day in the Life'. Biographer Paul Howard will be known to many Irish readers as the author of the comedic Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series of books, here however while there may be a recollection of some comedic episodes in Tara's life, the tone is serious and sober when needed and the context of the era is laid out in detail. The first half of the book gives the family background of Tara Browne and particularly the complex and tangled love-life of his mother Oonagh (née Guinness) and how that influenced his upbringing in Ireland and partly in Paris and London. Most of the second half deals with his life at the heart of the 'Swinging Sixties' scene in London and details his relationships with key icons of the era like Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. A fantastic read!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

i guess the world tara browne lived in is known to almost everyone: the sixties, swinging london, the beatles, the rolling stones, lsd… - they are all on this book, and we all heard and read the stories of this decade a thousand times. but i, personally, wasn’t at all aware about tara’s family, his background or personal affairs. i knew he was an inspiration for the beatles’ “a day in the life” (and also, the pretty things’ “death of a socialite"), and that was all. i can’t believe i didn’t know how important this guy was for the 1960s london scene - he wasn’t a musician or an artist, but it’s like that by simply existing he represented everything that was happening then. “i read the news today, oh boy” is incredibly well written, makes you understand why and tara browne's education and personality defined an era, and brings up small details that make what everyone already knows way more interesting than it already is.

[Eleanor Fitzsimons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! Howard's skilful evocation of an extraordinary turning point in cultural history is an absolute joy to read. The life of Tara Browne offers the perfect conduit into a psychedelic world populated by a legendary cast of characters that you simply couldn't make up. While it's clear that Howard undertook years of rigorous original research, his prose is always gripping and never laboured. The deep but slightly exasperated affection Howard feels for Browne injects pathos into this highly entertaining account of an extraordinary, chaotic, high-octane life

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read. Full of interesting details and facts about a man whom I knew nothing about sadly. Howard really takes you on a journey through Tara's brief life and explores London in the 1960s. Excellent.

[Roni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book very interesting and learnt certain acts about the Guiness empire. Very well written, honest and sad.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific biography about Tara Browne, but as much a biography of 1960s London.