What do you think?
Rate this book
The Walrus Was Paul: The Great Beatle Death Clues
PAUL IS DEAD. It was the late 1960s, the Beatles hadn't toured since 1966, and some truly bizarre indications began appearing, pointing to the unthinkable: Paul McCartney had been killed in a car accident and replaced by a look-alike. The Walrus Was Paul unearths every single clue from one of rock 'n' roll's most enduring puzzles and takes you on a magical mystery tour of baffling, yet fascinating, hints for solving this mystery.
Test your "Paul is dead" trivia knowledge.
Test your "Paul is dead" trivia knowledge.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
4 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
February 7, 2008
Conspiracy theory books are always a hoot to read, but when they're rock conspiracy theory books they're even more fun.
Patterson goes to town with a myriad string of clues hinting at Paul McCartney's untimely death at Wednesday morning at 5 o'clock (She's Leaving Home) in a car crash (A Day In The Life) and basically lets us know that "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was his funeral album. I don't buy a word of it, but who cares? It's an insanely funny book and I wouldn't loan it out for a million dollars!
Patterson goes to town with a myriad string of clues hinting at Paul McCartney's untimely death at Wednesday morning at 5 o'clock (She's Leaving Home) in a car crash (A Day In The Life) and basically lets us know that "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was his funeral album. I don't buy a word of it, but who cares? It's an insanely funny book and I wouldn't loan it out for a million dollars!
January 25, 2011
This was an interesting book. I am, by no means, saying that I believe this conspiracy theory. However, it is very interesting. I am not old enough to remember any part of the actual death rumors, but I read the book because I was interested in anything I could get my hands on that involved the Beatles. While it is a little ludicrous to think that this death hoax was believable to people, it is interesting to see how the theorists found SO many clues that they felt supported the idea that McC... (show more)
This was an interesting book. I am, by no means, saying that I believe this conspiracy theory. However, it is very interesting. I am not old enough to remember any part of the actual death rumors, but I read the book because I was interested in anything I could get my hands on that involved the Beatles. While it is a little ludicrous to think that this death hoax was believable to people, it is interesting to see how the theorists found SO many clues that they felt supported the idea that McCartney had died and was replaced by some random wannabe. I also thought it was very humorous. The book discusses some of the "clues" that the Beatles planted and encouraged for their own entertainment....and I would expect nothing less from them. In all, I think most fans of the band would be interested in reading this as long as they take it with a grain of salt. It is a pretty short and easy read but still very interesting.
This was an interesting book. I am, by no means, saying that I believe this conspiracy theory. However, it is very interesting. I am not old enough to remember any part of the actual death rumors, but I read the book because I was interested in anything I could get my hands on that involved the Beatles. While it is a little ludicrous to think that this death hoax was believable to people, it is interesting to see how the theorists found SO many clues that they felt supported the idea that McCartney had died and was replaced by some random wannabe. I also thought it was very humorous. The book discusses some of the "clues" that the Beatles planted and encouraged for their own entertainment....and I would expect nothing less from them. In all, I think most fans of the band would be interested in reading this as long as they take it with a grain of salt. It is a pretty short and easy read but still very interesting.
January 10, 2016
I really liked this book and have always enjoyed reading the Beatles conspiracies. In fact, this is the best read I have found regarding the whole "Paul is dead" theory, but I may be partial because I met the author in Chicago at the 1996 Beatlesfest. I already owned a copy of the book but didn't bring it with me, so I bought another copy there just so he could sign it.
March 15, 2016
Tedious, rambling, and amateurish. The only mystery here is that Simon and Schuster published this. VERY disappointing.
February 19, 2020
Entertaining. Way too long. You can get half of the information in the book by just reading the captions of the few pages of photos at the center of the book.
December 26, 2020
This book is preposturous .. But you gotta have it
February 27, 2014
Though I have read it several times, this is still the absolute best book on the "Paul is dead" theory. And some of the clues still send chills down my spine.
February 2, 2023
Hey, remember when conspiracy theories were fun and involved dead rock stars being alive or live rock stars being dead, not crybaby presidential candidates losing elections and inspiring their followers to overthrow the government? Good times...
I found "The Walrus Was Paul" by R. Gary Patterson at a thrift store locally, for a buck, and figured "what the hell." I was honestly unable to tell initially if the book was actually saying "Paul is dead" or was merely recounting the insane theory that Paul McCartney was dead and replaced by a lookalike for the last three years of the Beatles' career, as well as the fifty-plus years of Macca's solo career. Turns out it's the latter, but it's pretty entertaining nonetheless. There are some minor issues with chronology and grammar errors, but nothing huge. All in all, this is kind of a fun read.
In October 1969, the world was rocked by the supposed revelation that Paul McCartney, one-fourth of the world-famous band known as The Beatles, had died in a car crash in 1966 and been replaced by a lookalike (and soundalike) actor and musician who was now filling in for Paul. The theory, of course, was BS, but it was a different time: with the speculation about who had really killed John and Bobby Kennedy, as well as Martin Luther King, all bets were off in the minds of a lot of people coming of age during the Sixties. And in subsequent years, the untimely death of Elvis Presley would prompt rumors of his decision to fake his own death to avoid the spotlight (and fulfill his desire to eat at every Waffle House across this great land of ours), and the death of Kurt Cobain would be attributed not to suicide but to the machinations of his widow Courtney Love. Biggie and Tupac's deaths within months of each other would be linked forever in the public imagination, especially as no one was ever brought to justice in either case of obvious murder. So maybe believing that the world's most popular band could find someone to replace a lost band mate in order to keep the money train rolling isn't that far-fetched.
I have to say, again, that I didn't anticipate that I'd enjoy this book much (especially if it turned out to say that Paul was in fact dead). And in Patterson's view, the real conspiracy isn't that Paul died in 1966 and the Beatles covered it up, but that they played games in their lyrics and imagery that contributed to fans seeing things that weren't there, all because of the Beatles' legendary sense of humor. It's not hard to see that the Beatles were pranksters like that, because many of their songs (including "I Am the Walrus") speak directly to the tendency of fans and scholars to see more in their work than was originally intended. But I think it's a bit of a leap to then say that the Fab Four started planting "clues" in their work about Paul being deceased as a way to mess with their fans. Then again, I wouldn't put it past them to try and do something to mess with people.
"The Walrus Was Paul" ended up being more enjoyable than I anticipated. I love The Beatles, but I do think Paul is kind of a tosser in some ways. He is fantastically talented, of course, but I think he and John both lost something when their musical partnership dissolved. It wasn't because Paul McCartney was no longer the real Paul and being played by an actor, though. But this book is pretty fun speculation in parts about why the rumor would start in the first place, and how delusional fans can sometimes be.
I found "The Walrus Was Paul" by R. Gary Patterson at a thrift store locally, for a buck, and figured "what the hell." I was honestly unable to tell initially if the book was actually saying "Paul is dead" or was merely recounting the insane theory that Paul McCartney was dead and replaced by a lookalike for the last three years of the Beatles' career, as well as the fifty-plus years of Macca's solo career. Turns out it's the latter, but it's pretty entertaining nonetheless. There are some minor issues with chronology and grammar errors, but nothing huge. All in all, this is kind of a fun read.
In October 1969, the world was rocked by the supposed revelation that Paul McCartney, one-fourth of the world-famous band known as The Beatles, had died in a car crash in 1966 and been replaced by a lookalike (and soundalike) actor and musician who was now filling in for Paul. The theory, of course, was BS, but it was a different time: with the speculation about who had really killed John and Bobby Kennedy, as well as Martin Luther King, all bets were off in the minds of a lot of people coming of age during the Sixties. And in subsequent years, the untimely death of Elvis Presley would prompt rumors of his decision to fake his own death to avoid the spotlight (and fulfill his desire to eat at every Waffle House across this great land of ours), and the death of Kurt Cobain would be attributed not to suicide but to the machinations of his widow Courtney Love. Biggie and Tupac's deaths within months of each other would be linked forever in the public imagination, especially as no one was ever brought to justice in either case of obvious murder. So maybe believing that the world's most popular band could find someone to replace a lost band mate in order to keep the money train rolling isn't that far-fetched.
I have to say, again, that I didn't anticipate that I'd enjoy this book much (especially if it turned out to say that Paul was in fact dead). And in Patterson's view, the real conspiracy isn't that Paul died in 1966 and the Beatles covered it up, but that they played games in their lyrics and imagery that contributed to fans seeing things that weren't there, all because of the Beatles' legendary sense of humor. It's not hard to see that the Beatles were pranksters like that, because many of their songs (including "I Am the Walrus") speak directly to the tendency of fans and scholars to see more in their work than was originally intended. But I think it's a bit of a leap to then say that the Fab Four started planting "clues" in their work about Paul being deceased as a way to mess with their fans. Then again, I wouldn't put it past them to try and do something to mess with people.
"The Walrus Was Paul" ended up being more enjoyable than I anticipated. I love The Beatles, but I do think Paul is kind of a tosser in some ways. He is fantastically talented, of course, but I think he and John both lost something when their musical partnership dissolved. It wasn't because Paul McCartney was no longer the real Paul and being played by an actor, though. But this book is pretty fun speculation in parts about why the rumor would start in the first place, and how delusional fans can sometimes be.
August 8, 2025
I've passed this book over several times over the years, but when I saw what seemed to be a brand new copy at a library book sale, I decided to pay the $2 for it. While I never bought into the "Paul is dead" theory, as a teenager I was intrigued by it and had fun looking for all the "clues" I'd read about. It was weird and entertaining, and, I admit, sometimes even a little eerie. But after that initial intrigue, I didn't give it much thought.
So when I saw the book again last week, I thought it might be a fun diversion from real life problems, taking me back to the silliness of my youth.
"Perhaps", "it appears", "it seems", "could have".... The book - hell, each page! - is full of such qualifying words and phrases. I guess it would have to be, as the whole subject of the book is an outlandish conspiracy theory that can't be proved. The better-known "clues" (e.g. "28 IF", the supposed grave on the Sgt. Pepper cover, Paul in the trunk on Yesterday...and Today) were all speculative, of course, but fairly straightforward. But Patterson dives down a rabbit hole so deep that he must live in China now. An example:
"Notice that the last four letters in Oldies are dies. Then, if the letters O and L are advanced one letter each, we get the letters P and M. When the phrases is read together it *appears to suggest* P (Paul) M (McCartney) Dies."
Oh, for the love of Pete. After reading nearly 100 pages of this rubbish, I skimmed through the rest of the book, saw that it was a lot more of the same, and decided to waste no more time. What I'd hoped would be silly but provocative fun was outlandish bunk, presented by someone who took it entirely too seriously. Or pretended to, in order to appeal to the lunatics out there. And they still exist! I regularly come across comments on social media claiming that Paul is actually Billy Shears or William Campbell. I imagine they also question the moon landing and think Elvis is alive.
At 83, Paul is alive and well, and, amazingly, still touring. And I'm thankful for that. And if I someday learn that it really was some guy named Billy Shears all this time, well, he deserves all the accolades he gets.
So when I saw the book again last week, I thought it might be a fun diversion from real life problems, taking me back to the silliness of my youth.
"Perhaps", "it appears", "it seems", "could have".... The book - hell, each page! - is full of such qualifying words and phrases. I guess it would have to be, as the whole subject of the book is an outlandish conspiracy theory that can't be proved. The better-known "clues" (e.g. "28 IF", the supposed grave on the Sgt. Pepper cover, Paul in the trunk on Yesterday...and Today) were all speculative, of course, but fairly straightforward. But Patterson dives down a rabbit hole so deep that he must live in China now. An example:
"Notice that the last four letters in Oldies are dies. Then, if the letters O and L are advanced one letter each, we get the letters P and M. When the phrases is read together it *appears to suggest* P (Paul) M (McCartney) Dies."
Oh, for the love of Pete. After reading nearly 100 pages of this rubbish, I skimmed through the rest of the book, saw that it was a lot more of the same, and decided to waste no more time. What I'd hoped would be silly but provocative fun was outlandish bunk, presented by someone who took it entirely too seriously. Or pretended to, in order to appeal to the lunatics out there. And they still exist! I regularly come across comments on social media claiming that Paul is actually Billy Shears or William Campbell. I imagine they also question the moon landing and think Elvis is alive.
At 83, Paul is alive and well, and, amazingly, still touring. And I'm thankful for that. And if I someday learn that it really was some guy named Billy Shears all this time, well, he deserves all the accolades he gets.
July 31, 2020
In high school, I thought the Paul is Dead clues were the coolest. I read this as light nostalgia. If there’s a spectrum of A) the clues are fun B) the Beatles knowingly placed the clues C) Paul actually did die, I’m at A and would be willing to entertain B. The author seems to be between B and C which I just couldn’t take seriously. I guess it’s a conspiracy theory book, but still. Some of the history of the rumors is interesting. For most of it, a list of clues along with pictures would have been more effective. It’s a passion project for the author and he was somewhat in the scene, so that’s good.
November 10, 2018
It was interesting for me to finally see all of these clues in print after the hysteria that they produced in 1969. The "clues" continue in Paul McCartney's albums, the Anthology series and Free As A Bird videos. It only goes to show that you can see what you want to see. Or as the Beatles have said,
"Do what you want to do
And go where you're going to
Think for yourself
Cause I won't be there with you"
"Do what you want to do
And go where you're going to
Think for yourself
Cause I won't be there with you"
September 21, 2018
Yo!!!!! I’ve been saying this for years! This book confirms all the conspiracy theories in my head about the death of Paul. I’m a music History need & music lover & if you are at all thinking this is possible READ THIS BOOK!!! You’ll finish it quick & go back and listen to Beatles songs & really study the album art! Holy moly, this is what’s up!!
July 31, 2018
Went through quite The Beatles obsession towards the end of high school and that certainly didn’t stop when I learned of the Paul McCartney death theories. This work was well thought out and had lots of interesting facts but still seemed to reach a bit for me, even at the age of 16.
November 11, 2022
I thought this would be a humorous look at the 'Paul is Dead' rumors going around for so many years. It turned out to be a more serious look at what the rumors were about and all the clues in the albums. It was interesting, but not as much fun to read as I had hoped for.
June 26, 2018
A rehash of the "Paul is dead" clues and a Beatles history. Not great, but nostalgic.
November 21, 2018
I enjoyed this one. It actually crept me out a little bit, by far the best history on the "Paul is Dead Phenomenon" I've read and prescient on the "fake news" reality of today.
August 24, 2019
I love everything Beatles but I could not get through this book. It was very tedious and some of the "clues" were so far-fetched that they weren't even interesting. Very disappointing book for me.
January 28, 2020
I definitely don't believe this theory, but it is most entertaining!
September 25, 2023
Engrossing and genius
January 18, 2025
The conspiracy around Paul’s death is gone into in great detail. Interesting background material on the greatest rock band ever.
June 19, 2017
For conspiracy theorists only! I remember hearing about this when I was a young'un, but seeing how the "clues" were laid out (seriously? HELP had clues???) was interesting. And possibly great insight into how conspiracy theorists today might operate.
March 5, 2017
I'm a massive Beatles fan who reads anything about the fab four that she can get her hands on, and I also am amused and entertained by conspiracy theories. Though I am very aware of the Paul is Dead conspiracy and was before reading this book, it was very fun to see the "clues" collected all in one place, and to learn more about the background of how the conspiracy started.
This book is very quick-paced, amusing, and funny. It's kind of like a weird trivia book, only weirder and more exciting. It made me get out all of my Beatles vinyl, and look for all the clues myself as I was reading. This book is one of those things that I go back and reread when I need something light and entertaining to balance with the weight of the world.
daeD sI luaP
This book is very quick-paced, amusing, and funny. It's kind of like a weird trivia book, only weirder and more exciting. It made me get out all of my Beatles vinyl, and look for all the clues myself as I was reading. This book is one of those things that I go back and reread when I need something light and entertaining to balance with the weight of the world.
daeD sI luaP
August 28, 2007
I read this book back in high school when I was extremely into the Beatles, so details are fuzzy. What I remember is the writing is very simple and not necessarily insightful. The content is mostly a point by point presentation of history of and evidence for the Paul Is Dead theory. It was interesting, but I have a feeling if you already know about Paul's motorcycle accident and all of the album cover clues (especially on Sgt. Pepper,) this won't be anything earth-shattering. If you know none of that stuff, this is a good introduction to one of the great chapters of rock mythology.
October 28, 2007
I love hoaxes, and this is a great one, since it's hard to tell if it was intended to be a hoax or not! All the clues and facts are laid out in writing that's very entertaining to read, complete with pictures of many of the visual clues.
I can also say that this book helped me hit it off with my now-fiance, when we met he mentioned that he was reading about the Beatles death hoax, and I had a bevy of info that ended with me lending him this book.
I can also say that this book helped me hit it off with my now-fiance, when we met he mentioned that he was reading about the Beatles death hoax, and I had a bevy of info that ended with me lending him this book.
Read
January 29, 2016I may have not been alive when The Beatles rocked but I am a Huggge fan.
I have read countless articles, books, and more as well as seen alot of films and interviews I feel I'm pretty up on them.
This book though...
Wow!!!
A real eye opener this book had me confused, worried and excited. I spent countless hours pouring over my records after reading this...looking for hidden pictures and listening for hidden messages.
An amazingly great read !!
I have read countless articles, books, and more as well as seen alot of films and interviews I feel I'm pretty up on them.
This book though...
Wow!!!
A real eye opener this book had me confused, worried and excited. I spent countless hours pouring over my records after reading this...looking for hidden pictures and listening for hidden messages.
An amazingly great read !!
January 29, 2010
For novice and hardcore Beatles fans alike! Were the cryptic clues pointing to the death of Paul McCartney true? Was he replaced by an imposter? Or were the Beatles, no longer touring and tired of people looking for deep and hidden meanings to their lyrics, having a little fun with their fans? Read Gary's book to find out.
Read
June 13, 2011Interesting stuff. Patterson makes the case that while the vast majority of the infamous "Paul is dead" clues were based on the lurid imaginings of overzealous fans, some appear to have been planted deliberately--as a hoax or for some other reason. The author captures the era and its obsession well.
December 13, 2008
This is a good overview of the "Paul is Dead" rumor/conspiracy theory. Although a good bulk of it is filler type stuff consisting of general Beatles history I think I actually liked this book better than the other one that was written on the topic.
November 14, 2009
Did the Beatles take an active part in this little game to see how savvy the fans are? You'd have to think they were in on it, but as far as I know Paul denies it to this very day. Fun book, and you'll catch yourself re-examine all of those album covers and songs again and again.
November 15, 2009
This was an interesting quick read. I learned new clues that I never realized before! What a fascinating tale they wove throughout album covers, photo shoots, lyrics... always an oddly creative bunch :) That is one of the reasons I love them so much.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews