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150 Glimpses of the Beatles
Winner of the 2020 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction
A distinctive portrait of the Fab Four by one of the sharpest and wittiest writers of our time
If you want to know what it was like to live those extraordinary Beatles years in real time, read this book. --Alan Johnson, The Spectator
Though fifty years have passed since the breakup of the Beatles, the fab four continue to occupy an utterly unique place in popular culture. Their influence extends far beyond music and into realms as diverse as fashion and fine art, sexual politics and religion. When they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, fresh off the plane from England, they provoked an epidemic of hoarse-throated fandom that continues to this day.
Who better, then, to capture the Beatles phenomenon than Craig Brown--the inimitable author of Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret and master chronicler of the foibles and foppishness of British high society? This wide-ranging portrait of the four lads from Liverpool rivals the unique spectacle of the band itself by delving into a vast catalog of heretofore unexamined lore.
When actress Eleanor Bron touched down at Heathrow with the Beatles, she thought that a flock of starlings had alighted on the roof of the terminal--only to discover that the birds were in fact young women screaming at the top of their lungs. One journalist, mistaken for Paul McCartney as he trailed the band in his car, found himself nearly crushed to death as fans climbed atop the vehicle and pressed their bodies against the windshield. Or what about the Baptist preacher who claimed that the Beatles synchronized their songs with the rhythm of an infant's heartbeat so as to induce a hypnotic state in listeners? And just how many people have employed the services of a Canadian dentist who bought John Lennon's tooth at auction, extracted its DNA, and now offers paternity tests to those hoping to sue his estate?
150 Glimpses of the Beatles is, above all, a distinctively kaleidoscopic examination of the Beatles' effect on the world around them and the world they helped bring into being. Part anthropology and part memoir, and enriched by the recollections of everyone from Tom Hanks to Bruce Springsteen, this book is a humorous, elegiac, and at times madcap take on the Beatles' role in the making of the sixties and of music as we know it.
A distinctive portrait of the Fab Four by one of the sharpest and wittiest writers of our time
If you want to know what it was like to live those extraordinary Beatles years in real time, read this book. --Alan Johnson, The Spectator
Though fifty years have passed since the breakup of the Beatles, the fab four continue to occupy an utterly unique place in popular culture. Their influence extends far beyond music and into realms as diverse as fashion and fine art, sexual politics and religion. When they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, fresh off the plane from England, they provoked an epidemic of hoarse-throated fandom that continues to this day.
Who better, then, to capture the Beatles phenomenon than Craig Brown--the inimitable author of Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret and master chronicler of the foibles and foppishness of British high society? This wide-ranging portrait of the four lads from Liverpool rivals the unique spectacle of the band itself by delving into a vast catalog of heretofore unexamined lore.
When actress Eleanor Bron touched down at Heathrow with the Beatles, she thought that a flock of starlings had alighted on the roof of the terminal--only to discover that the birds were in fact young women screaming at the top of their lungs. One journalist, mistaken for Paul McCartney as he trailed the band in his car, found himself nearly crushed to death as fans climbed atop the vehicle and pressed their bodies against the windshield. Or what about the Baptist preacher who claimed that the Beatles synchronized their songs with the rhythm of an infant's heartbeat so as to induce a hypnotic state in listeners? And just how many people have employed the services of a Canadian dentist who bought John Lennon's tooth at auction, extracted its DNA, and now offers paternity tests to those hoping to sue his estate?
150 Glimpses of the Beatles is, above all, a distinctively kaleidoscopic examination of the Beatles' effect on the world around them and the world they helped bring into being. Part anthropology and part memoir, and enriched by the recollections of everyone from Tom Hanks to Bruce Springsteen, this book is a humorous, elegiac, and at times madcap take on the Beatles' role in the making of the sixties and of music as we know it.
592 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2020
565 people are currently reading
4054 people want to read
About the author
Craig Brown
63 books123 followersCraig Edward Moncrieff Brown (born 23 May 1957, Hayes, Middlesex) is a British critic and satirist from England, probably best known for his work in British magazine Private Eye.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 678 reviews
September 23, 2020
In the past couple of years there have been several new Beatles books released, some of which I've rated 5 Stars because they delivered on the topic presented- such as documenting the end of The Beatles, last performance on the roof of Apple Corp., or the recording of their final album "Abbey Road" on a brand new solid state sound board. I wasn't quite sure what I was getting here based on the title of the book, but being an amateur Beatles historian and lifelong Beatles fan, I delved right in. I got a heck of a lot more than I bargained for! Dare I say, this is the most magical and joyous fact-filled Beatles book I've read in many years! I am grateful for any new slant of information I can garner on one of my favorite subjects, having owned and read (and in some cases not yet read) many Beatles books over four decades. This Beatles book clocks in at almost 600 pages (and felt like it...but in a good way), and I marvel at the breadth of research the author did to achieve such a unique perspective.
First of all, the author takes you on a straightforward linear journey through the full history of The Beatles, but interspersed between those chapters are other "Glimpses" of The Beatles that add a spectrum of light to your current Beatles knowledge. There are so many delightful examples, but I'm going to share just a few that tickled my fancy.
When I visited Liverpool in 1999, I boarded a genuine vintage Magical Mystery Tour bus which took us around to all the pertinent Beatles sites. We would disembark at each site, handing our cameras to the tour guide who would take a picture of each individual standing in front of the historical site. One such landmark Beatles site was at 20 Forthlin Road, one in the row of council houses that Paul McCartney last lived in with his parents James and Mary McCartney. John and Paul wrote several early hits right here in the living room such as "I Saw Her Standing There". One of the "Glimpse" chapters recounts a tour the author took inside the home (not available when I visited) where he rebelled against the rule of not taping the tour guide with his phone, and discussed in detail how the home was reverted back to looking as it did when Paul last lived there in the early sixties. For instance, the old porcelain kitchen sink had been cast into the yard, used as a receptacle for plants. Also, the front window had been updated, so was switched out to the old original with the cooperation of a neighbor across the street.
Another quirky "Glimpse" chapter revisited a violent incident that unfortunately occurred at Paul McCartney's 21st birthday celebration. The Beatles were newly famous, so it was elected to have the bash in the yard of one of Paul's aunties in Liverpool. Band members from other famous groups drifted in, which The Beatles internally marvelled at, having only just hit the big time themselves. However, John was drinking heavily and his dark and dangerous side was simmering. When Bob Wooler (band announcer at The Cavern) made what he thought was a humorous comment to John, John practically beat him to a bloody pulp. There have been so many books written by friends and family of The Beatles over the years, that there were all kinds of different versions of how this incident played out. So, they are all listed one after the other, and this violent occurrence takes on a whimsical effect when you consider all the different variations of what happened.
The last "Glimpse" I'll share is a commonly known one, when The Beatles played their last public concert on the roof of their business entity Apple Corp. which was on Savile Row in London. This was a street of pricey bespoke tailor shops and other businesses, and soon irate phone calls were received by the police station because of the noise. So here is a personal recounting from a young police officer, sharing how none of the police wanted to do anything like arrest The Beatles, and how they went up to the roof. He couldn't believe it when he was suddenly standing near Ringo. Well, this young police officer became Princess Diana's personal protection officer in 1988. His name? Ken Wharfe.
As I've mentioned before in my other Beatles biography reviews, there is a sense of sadness for me with books covering their final years. This book took me on the entire journey, as my heart glowed and soared while the author pored over every inch of their history. I loved every minute of it. There are a lot of shiny prisms of light to The Beatles history offered here, and I would proudly stand this worthy tome next to my all time favorite Beatles book, Shout! The Beatles in Their Generation.
Thank you to the publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
First of all, the author takes you on a straightforward linear journey through the full history of The Beatles, but interspersed between those chapters are other "Glimpses" of The Beatles that add a spectrum of light to your current Beatles knowledge. There are so many delightful examples, but I'm going to share just a few that tickled my fancy.
When I visited Liverpool in 1999, I boarded a genuine vintage Magical Mystery Tour bus which took us around to all the pertinent Beatles sites. We would disembark at each site, handing our cameras to the tour guide who would take a picture of each individual standing in front of the historical site. One such landmark Beatles site was at 20 Forthlin Road, one in the row of council houses that Paul McCartney last lived in with his parents James and Mary McCartney. John and Paul wrote several early hits right here in the living room such as "I Saw Her Standing There". One of the "Glimpse" chapters recounts a tour the author took inside the home (not available when I visited) where he rebelled against the rule of not taping the tour guide with his phone, and discussed in detail how the home was reverted back to looking as it did when Paul last lived there in the early sixties. For instance, the old porcelain kitchen sink had been cast into the yard, used as a receptacle for plants. Also, the front window had been updated, so was switched out to the old original with the cooperation of a neighbor across the street.
Another quirky "Glimpse" chapter revisited a violent incident that unfortunately occurred at Paul McCartney's 21st birthday celebration. The Beatles were newly famous, so it was elected to have the bash in the yard of one of Paul's aunties in Liverpool. Band members from other famous groups drifted in, which The Beatles internally marvelled at, having only just hit the big time themselves. However, John was drinking heavily and his dark and dangerous side was simmering. When Bob Wooler (band announcer at The Cavern) made what he thought was a humorous comment to John, John practically beat him to a bloody pulp. There have been so many books written by friends and family of The Beatles over the years, that there were all kinds of different versions of how this incident played out. So, they are all listed one after the other, and this violent occurrence takes on a whimsical effect when you consider all the different variations of what happened.
The last "Glimpse" I'll share is a commonly known one, when The Beatles played their last public concert on the roof of their business entity Apple Corp. which was on Savile Row in London. This was a street of pricey bespoke tailor shops and other businesses, and soon irate phone calls were received by the police station because of the noise. So here is a personal recounting from a young police officer, sharing how none of the police wanted to do anything like arrest The Beatles, and how they went up to the roof. He couldn't believe it when he was suddenly standing near Ringo. Well, this young police officer became Princess Diana's personal protection officer in 1988. His name? Ken Wharfe.
As I've mentioned before in my other Beatles biography reviews, there is a sense of sadness for me with books covering their final years. This book took me on the entire journey, as my heart glowed and soared while the author pored over every inch of their history. I loved every minute of it. There are a lot of shiny prisms of light to The Beatles history offered here, and I would proudly stand this worthy tome next to my all time favorite Beatles book, Shout! The Beatles in Their Generation.
Thank you to the publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
March 17, 2025
I wouldn't call myself a massive fan of The Beatles, even though I've always enjoyed their music. I probably prefer reading about them than listening to them, being as culturally significant as they are. And this book, which won the 2020 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, is the best thing I've read about them in some time.
It's comprised of 150 short chapters, offering glimpses of the band at different points in their history. It is not meant to be an exhaustive study but it is put together in a way that keeps the reader enthralled - a mixture of interviews, fan letters, autobiography and much more. Above all, it gives an idea of what it must have been like to live through the most thrilling era of pop music, with an inside view of the most important band that ever existed.
What I loved most about the book was the stories of figures peripheral to the group, many of whom have been lost to the annals of time. We've all heard of Pete Best, but how about Jimmie Nicol, who took over as drummer for ten days when Ringo was sick? The brief taste of fame ruined his life and he spent the rest of his existence trying to recapture that thrill. Or McCall and Brill, a comedy duo whose big break on the Ed Sullivan Show was completely overshadowed by the first US appearance of the Fab Four. Another story I found compelling was that of Alexis Mardas, a shyster who convinced John that he was a technological wizard. He ended up as head of Apple Electronics and squandered a fortune on hare-brained schemes.
The personalities of the band shine through in all of the tales that are told. Paul (my favourite, and I suspect the author's) comes across quite well: a thoughtful, genial sort, though he could be bossy and controlling. John is the caustic wit, a troubled genius, though there are hints at a softer side in his love for his Aunt Mimi. George doesn't score quite as highly: he is the quiet, shy Beatle, moody in a lot of these vignettes. And Ringo just seems happy to be there, counting his lucky stars.
It really is a joy to read - the chapters are so snappy that you're never waiting too long for the next fascinating anecdote. Craig Brown writes with a terrific sense of humour, but above all else he is a true fan and his lifelong admiration for the band is never in doubt. Critics might argue that with all that has been written about The Beatles, there is nothing new here. But it's the structure of the book that is so clever, an intoxicating brew of editing and form that tells the exciting story of the most influential band of all.
It's comprised of 150 short chapters, offering glimpses of the band at different points in their history. It is not meant to be an exhaustive study but it is put together in a way that keeps the reader enthralled - a mixture of interviews, fan letters, autobiography and much more. Above all, it gives an idea of what it must have been like to live through the most thrilling era of pop music, with an inside view of the most important band that ever existed.
What I loved most about the book was the stories of figures peripheral to the group, many of whom have been lost to the annals of time. We've all heard of Pete Best, but how about Jimmie Nicol, who took over as drummer for ten days when Ringo was sick? The brief taste of fame ruined his life and he spent the rest of his existence trying to recapture that thrill. Or McCall and Brill, a comedy duo whose big break on the Ed Sullivan Show was completely overshadowed by the first US appearance of the Fab Four. Another story I found compelling was that of Alexis Mardas, a shyster who convinced John that he was a technological wizard. He ended up as head of Apple Electronics and squandered a fortune on hare-brained schemes.
The personalities of the band shine through in all of the tales that are told. Paul (my favourite, and I suspect the author's) comes across quite well: a thoughtful, genial sort, though he could be bossy and controlling. John is the caustic wit, a troubled genius, though there are hints at a softer side in his love for his Aunt Mimi. George doesn't score quite as highly: he is the quiet, shy Beatle, moody in a lot of these vignettes. And Ringo just seems happy to be there, counting his lucky stars.
It really is a joy to read - the chapters are so snappy that you're never waiting too long for the next fascinating anecdote. Craig Brown writes with a terrific sense of humour, but above all else he is a true fan and his lifelong admiration for the band is never in doubt. Critics might argue that with all that has been written about The Beatles, there is nothing new here. But it's the structure of the book that is so clever, an intoxicating brew of editing and form that tells the exciting story of the most influential band of all.
January 22, 2024
4.5 stars
"Occasionally [Yoko Ono] stops dispensing advice [on Twitter], and asks for it instead. At 5:18 p.m. on 2 February 2019 she tweeted this request: 'Give us some advice that will make our lives heal and shine.' A flood of advice then followed, much of it a little more straightforward than she might have anticipated, including: 'Don't split up the Beatles when they have a few more albums in them.'" -- on pages 433-434
Brown's One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time - also known by the alternate (and better) title 150 Glimpses of the Beatles - is a collection of 150 essays, some as brief as a single page to those running for 10 or 12 pages, about the Fab Four, ranging from their Liverpudlian childhoods until the break-up of the band in April 1970. It is roughly or quasi-chronological - a striking early piece tantalizingly toys with that random unpredictability in life, in regards to how Paul McCartney's parents initially meeting nearly did not occur during the ravages of WWII - and is nearly always interesting except for the occasional clunker or two among the tracts. (I would argue that in a few instances the information is veddy British and does not necessarily translate well for an American audience.). The well-known stories about 'the boys' are present - Bob Dylan offering them their first experience with marijuana in a New York City hotel room, a dentist acquaintance spiking John Lennon's coffee with LSD, that TV ratings-busting appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964, the silly 'Paul is dead' rumors and hoaxes circa 1969 - amongst some lesser known factoids. It all concludes with a chapter uniquely running in a reverse timeline (regarding their troubled but caring manager Brian Epstein) that closes with a quoted line of dialogue that is absolute harmonious in its perfection. As far as favorite moments, there is one I just have to briefly recount it here: Just after the band finally broke through in mid-1963, George Harrison was judging a talent contest alongside Decca Records executive Dick Rowe, who infamously turned them down for a recording contract the previous year, wrongly believing "guitar groups are on the way out." Instead of it being an awkward conversation, Harrison provided to Rowe the name of a struggling and unsigned group that he could consider for a possible audition. Their name? The Rolling Stones. (!) And the rest is rock and roll history, folks!
"Occasionally [Yoko Ono] stops dispensing advice [on Twitter], and asks for it instead. At 5:18 p.m. on 2 February 2019 she tweeted this request: 'Give us some advice that will make our lives heal and shine.' A flood of advice then followed, much of it a little more straightforward than she might have anticipated, including: 'Don't split up the Beatles when they have a few more albums in them.'" -- on pages 433-434
Brown's One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time - also known by the alternate (and better) title 150 Glimpses of the Beatles - is a collection of 150 essays, some as brief as a single page to those running for 10 or 12 pages, about the Fab Four, ranging from their Liverpudlian childhoods until the break-up of the band in April 1970. It is roughly or quasi-chronological - a striking early piece tantalizingly toys with that random unpredictability in life, in regards to how Paul McCartney's parents initially meeting nearly did not occur during the ravages of WWII - and is nearly always interesting except for the occasional clunker or two among the tracts. (I would argue that in a few instances the information is veddy British and does not necessarily translate well for an American audience.). The well-known stories about 'the boys' are present - Bob Dylan offering them their first experience with marijuana in a New York City hotel room, a dentist acquaintance spiking John Lennon's coffee with LSD, that TV ratings-busting appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964, the silly 'Paul is dead' rumors and hoaxes circa 1969 - amongst some lesser known factoids. It all concludes with a chapter uniquely running in a reverse timeline (regarding their troubled but caring manager Brian Epstein) that closes with a quoted line of dialogue that is absolute harmonious in its perfection. As far as favorite moments, there is one I just have to briefly recount it here: Just after the band finally broke through in mid-1963, George Harrison was judging a talent contest alongside Decca Records executive Dick Rowe, who infamously turned them down for a recording contract the previous year, wrongly believing "guitar groups are on the way out." Instead of it being an awkward conversation, Harrison provided to Rowe the name of a struggling and unsigned group that he could consider for a possible audition. Their name? The Rolling Stones. (!) And the rest is rock and roll history, folks!
May 13, 2020
I have loved previous books that I have read by Craig Brown, so, when I learnt he was writing a book about my favourite band of all time, it was a must-read. Over the years, I have read hundreds of books about The Beatles and so I always wonder whether another book will provide anything new. This follows the format of his book about Princess Margaret, and, in this entertaining volume, the author takes lots of moments in time, which reflect what the Beatles meant and how people reacted to them.
This reminded me a little of, “Dreaming the Beatles,” by Rob Sheffield; biographical moments, wrapped up in personal experiences and reactions. If you have not read any biographies about The Beatles before, then this will, undoubtedly, interest you. There are lots of well-known, oft-repeated stories, generally seen as ‘exaggerations,’ such as the old rumour that John Lennon urinated on nun’s while in Hamburg, which first appeared in, “The Man Who Gave the Beatles Away,” by Allan Williams, back in the Seventies; an original copy which still graces my bookshelves. However, there are the odd snippets that I have not come across before; including a story about Paul and George going to witness a dare-devil leap from a plane by the ‘Birdman,’ Leo Valentin, in 1956, which went disastrously wrong.
For me, the most entertaining parts of the book come when Craig Brown goes on tours or visits. His trips to Forthlin Road, Paul’s childhood home, and John’s former house, Mendips, both of which I have also visited, on National Trust tours, had me laughing out loud. He braves Liverpool during the Beatles week and his reactions to tribute bands and his visit to Pete Best’s old house in Hayman’s Green (site of the Casbah club) is highly entertaining and also quite poignant. I find it hard to believe, though, that a group of fans on a tour in Liverpool, would not know who Len Garry was.
Although not a biography, as such, this book touches on major incidents in the band’s life. There is the wedding of John and Cynthia, told in, “A Twist of Lennon,” where a pneumatic drill nearly drowned out the ceremony. The notorious incident at Paul’s twenty first birthday party, where John attacked Bob Wooler, Cavern DJ. Also, the reaction of fans and other musicians, and would-be musicians. From Cliff Richard’s, and Classical musicians, slightly peevish reactions, to the adoration of a young Bruce Springsteen and Ruby Wax (I loved her stories when she picked the Tracks of My Years for the BBC and, if you are a Beatles fan, it’s worth searching out the podcast) and the Beach Boys realising that things had really, suddenly and unalterably, changed…
We go through the Beatles success in America; through pivotal moments, fan letters and memories of those who witnessed the madness of the first American tour. Inane press conferences, fires on planes. Their relationship with the Stones, meeting Elvis, and even the views of the literary establishment, are analysed. As are those around the Beatles, such as Aunt Mimi. Again, we have the interesting take of memories from those who were there and modern, idealised versions. Such as Cynthia Lennon’s, and others, memories of Mimi, compared to fans comments on YouTube; drifting off to famous aunt’s in literature.
Later, of course, we head through the Summer of Love, the Maharishi, the death of Brian Epstein, the ill-advised venture that was Apple (including the disastrous, and infamous, Christmas party), Yoko Ono, far too many drugs – and drug busts - and into the later years of the band. Although there is much in this book, I will admit that I have read most Beatles related memoirs. Most people, presumably, will find much that is new. Even for me, though, there were some wry and interesting moments – from the author’s musings on Yoko’s twitter feed, to different interpretations of Beatles lyrics, to his excellent sections set in Liverpool. I can conclude, having read this, that Craig Brown is, most definitely, not a fan of Yoko, but much more sympathetic to Paul than most such books are. Good to see and a fun addition to my Beatles bookshelf!
This reminded me a little of, “Dreaming the Beatles,” by Rob Sheffield; biographical moments, wrapped up in personal experiences and reactions. If you have not read any biographies about The Beatles before, then this will, undoubtedly, interest you. There are lots of well-known, oft-repeated stories, generally seen as ‘exaggerations,’ such as the old rumour that John Lennon urinated on nun’s while in Hamburg, which first appeared in, “The Man Who Gave the Beatles Away,” by Allan Williams, back in the Seventies; an original copy which still graces my bookshelves. However, there are the odd snippets that I have not come across before; including a story about Paul and George going to witness a dare-devil leap from a plane by the ‘Birdman,’ Leo Valentin, in 1956, which went disastrously wrong.
For me, the most entertaining parts of the book come when Craig Brown goes on tours or visits. His trips to Forthlin Road, Paul’s childhood home, and John’s former house, Mendips, both of which I have also visited, on National Trust tours, had me laughing out loud. He braves Liverpool during the Beatles week and his reactions to tribute bands and his visit to Pete Best’s old house in Hayman’s Green (site of the Casbah club) is highly entertaining and also quite poignant. I find it hard to believe, though, that a group of fans on a tour in Liverpool, would not know who Len Garry was.
Although not a biography, as such, this book touches on major incidents in the band’s life. There is the wedding of John and Cynthia, told in, “A Twist of Lennon,” where a pneumatic drill nearly drowned out the ceremony. The notorious incident at Paul’s twenty first birthday party, where John attacked Bob Wooler, Cavern DJ. Also, the reaction of fans and other musicians, and would-be musicians. From Cliff Richard’s, and Classical musicians, slightly peevish reactions, to the adoration of a young Bruce Springsteen and Ruby Wax (I loved her stories when she picked the Tracks of My Years for the BBC and, if you are a Beatles fan, it’s worth searching out the podcast) and the Beach Boys realising that things had really, suddenly and unalterably, changed…
We go through the Beatles success in America; through pivotal moments, fan letters and memories of those who witnessed the madness of the first American tour. Inane press conferences, fires on planes. Their relationship with the Stones, meeting Elvis, and even the views of the literary establishment, are analysed. As are those around the Beatles, such as Aunt Mimi. Again, we have the interesting take of memories from those who were there and modern, idealised versions. Such as Cynthia Lennon’s, and others, memories of Mimi, compared to fans comments on YouTube; drifting off to famous aunt’s in literature.
Later, of course, we head through the Summer of Love, the Maharishi, the death of Brian Epstein, the ill-advised venture that was Apple (including the disastrous, and infamous, Christmas party), Yoko Ono, far too many drugs – and drug busts - and into the later years of the band. Although there is much in this book, I will admit that I have read most Beatles related memoirs. Most people, presumably, will find much that is new. Even for me, though, there were some wry and interesting moments – from the author’s musings on Yoko’s twitter feed, to different interpretations of Beatles lyrics, to his excellent sections set in Liverpool. I can conclude, having read this, that Craig Brown is, most definitely, not a fan of Yoko, but much more sympathetic to Paul than most such books are. Good to see and a fun addition to my Beatles bookshelf!
May 2, 2023
I loved this book so much but also it made me slightly unwell? It was like I contracted this super specialized strain of anhedonia, where nothing gave me pleasure but talking, reading, and thinking about the Beatles. I was a walking talking insufferable fount of Beatles anecdotes, incapable of shutting up. My husband was like, "...I think there were other things going on in the sixties aside from the Beatles." And I was like, "Sure, Jan."
Anyway, if you're a big Beatles fan like me and/or generally susceptible to going too hard on pop culture, proceed with caution. But definitely proceed, this book is fascinating. (Though tbh I didn't read the last 50 pages or so because it genuinely wasn't good for me.)
Anyway, if you're a big Beatles fan like me and/or generally susceptible to going too hard on pop culture, proceed with caution. But definitely proceed, this book is fascinating. (Though tbh I didn't read the last 50 pages or so because it genuinely wasn't good for me.)
June 8, 2021
Having thoroughly enjoyed Craig Brown's wonderful Ma’am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret, I was keen to read his next offering One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time (2020).
One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time adopts the same "exploded biography" format of Ma'am Darling. As such it is part biography, part anthropology, part memoir, and mixes the humorous with the serious, and the elegiac with the speculative. It combines intriguing minutiae of their day to day lives with broader explorations of their effect on the world, their contemporaries, and future generations. We also discover much about the industry that has grown up around them, and which is every bit as fascinating as their own history.
Each chapter provides an illuminating vignette which progressively adds up to more than the sum of its parts. It's a social history as much as a musical one. This kaleidoscopic biography of the Fab Four is even better than Ma'am Darling, which is saying something. Their story and influence is perfect for this type of exploration. A joy from start to finish.
5/5
Winner of The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction (2020)
From the award-winning author of Ma’am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret comes a fascinating, hilarious, kaleidoscopic biography of the Fab Four.
On April 10th 2020, it will be exactly 50 years since Paul McCartney announced the break-up of the Beatles. At that point, we will be at the same distance in time from 1970 as 1970 was from 1920, the year Al Jolson's ‘Swanee’ was the bestselling record and Gustav Holst composed The Planets.
The Beatles continue to occupy a position unique in popular culture. They have entered people's minds in a way that did not occur before, and has not occurred since. Their influence extended way beyond the realm of music to fashion, politics, class, religion and ethics. Countless books have doggedly catalogued the minutiae of The Beatles. If you want to know the make of George Harrison's first car you will always be able to find the answer (a second hand, two-door, blue Ford Anglia 105E Deluxe, purchased from Brian Epstein's friend Terry Doran, who worked at a dealership in Warrington). Before she met John Lennon, who was the only Beatle Yoko Ono could name, and why? Ringo. Because ‘ringo’ means ‘apple’ in Japanese. All very interesting, but there is, as yet, no book about The Beatles that combines the intriguing minutiae of their day-to-day lives with broader questions about their effect – complicated and fascinating – on the world around them, their contemporaries, and generations to come.
One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time adopts the same "exploded biography" format of Ma'am Darling. As such it is part biography, part anthropology, part memoir, and mixes the humorous with the serious, and the elegiac with the speculative. It combines intriguing minutiae of their day to day lives with broader explorations of their effect on the world, their contemporaries, and future generations. We also discover much about the industry that has grown up around them, and which is every bit as fascinating as their own history.
Each chapter provides an illuminating vignette which progressively adds up to more than the sum of its parts. It's a social history as much as a musical one. This kaleidoscopic biography of the Fab Four is even better than Ma'am Darling, which is saying something. Their story and influence is perfect for this type of exploration. A joy from start to finish.
5/5
Winner of The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction (2020)
From the award-winning author of Ma’am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret comes a fascinating, hilarious, kaleidoscopic biography of the Fab Four.
On April 10th 2020, it will be exactly 50 years since Paul McCartney announced the break-up of the Beatles. At that point, we will be at the same distance in time from 1970 as 1970 was from 1920, the year Al Jolson's ‘Swanee’ was the bestselling record and Gustav Holst composed The Planets.
The Beatles continue to occupy a position unique in popular culture. They have entered people's minds in a way that did not occur before, and has not occurred since. Their influence extended way beyond the realm of music to fashion, politics, class, religion and ethics. Countless books have doggedly catalogued the minutiae of The Beatles. If you want to know the make of George Harrison's first car you will always be able to find the answer (a second hand, two-door, blue Ford Anglia 105E Deluxe, purchased from Brian Epstein's friend Terry Doran, who worked at a dealership in Warrington). Before she met John Lennon, who was the only Beatle Yoko Ono could name, and why? Ringo. Because ‘ringo’ means ‘apple’ in Japanese. All very interesting, but there is, as yet, no book about The Beatles that combines the intriguing minutiae of their day-to-day lives with broader questions about their effect – complicated and fascinating – on the world around them, their contemporaries, and generations to come.
August 9, 2020
Craig Brown’s book about The Beatles is exactly what you would expect a book by Craig Brown about The Beatles to be like. It’s smug, it punches down and it’s afflicted with a critical lack of empathy. But Brown is also funny, has a viewpoint and makes interesting connections. Depending on how generous you’re feeling, the collage-like structure of 150 loosely chronological chapters – on everything from the band’s class origins to their teeth – is either a neat innovation or an act of cowardice; I’m breaking no new critical ground in saying that it makes the book immensely readable while also making it feel incomplete.
There’s been at least one previous book written about The Beatles, so this one needs not just a gimmick but a hook. And it’s this: the band’s story told from unusual and unexpected perspectives. One Two Three Four is about how they fitted into the ‘60s and how their influence rippled outwards. It deals little with their music, interested in the band as people, as well as examining their place in the pop cultural world and their effect on contemporaries both famous and otherwise. We hear from obsessive fans of no renown, associates defined by their proximity to the group, and notable figures who loved, hated or were required to publicly tolerate them, among them Princess Margaret, Philip Larkin, Kenneth Williams, Margaret Thatcher, Noel Coward, Cliff Richard, Kingsley Amis, Anthony Burgess and Tony Benn.
As that list of contributors suggests, Brown is largely recycling diaries, letters and secondary sources, his firsthand investigations apparently consisting of: 1 (one) trip to Liverpool and 1 (one) trip to Hamburg. That doesn’t tend to be how the best history books come about. But despite its flaws (more of which shortly), it’s an enjoyable read, particularly in its first half, and it alights on some interesting points: Ringo’s everyman qualities; how freakishly quickly the band aged; the drug-addled joylessness of their later years.
Brown is interested in both the truth, and the Rashomon-style elusiveness of the truth, presenting numerous conflicting accounts of, say, Lennon attacking someone at a party, or the singer’s 1963 holiday with the band’s gay manager, Brian Epstein. Searching for a suitable emotional climax to the book, Brown contracts DeLillo-it is, borrowing the structure of Underworld as he chronicles Epstein’s demise in reverse, right up to the point of his discovering the group. It works reasonably well in itself, but seems conspicuously calculating, as the book itself is almost bereft of empathy. A story about Yoko Ono suffering a miscarriage is essentially played for laughs, and it’s only when Brown talks about the generation gap and World War Two that his book is genuinely affecting; it takes dealing with his own family to achieve that. He also tries here and there to right historical wrongs: rehabilitating the Maharishi, exploring the sad life of stand-in drummer Jimmie Nichol, and eviscerating the Beatles’ would-be electronics wizard, “Magic Alex”.
Brown works primarily as a parodist, but it’s not a role he typically uses to speak truth to power and his first instinct here, as so often, is to punch down. His targets here include Yoko – who is ridiculed and traduced at extensive length – a blameless German tour guide and, at one point, the 10-year-old Paul McCartney, whose prize-winning essay comes in for some typically incisive barbs from Brown. Though Walter Spinetti’s waspish account of Yoko’s idea for a new play is extremely funny, the author’s other attacks on her are increasingly incoherent: he cites one source who criticises her for having saggy boobs, and pens an extended passage in which he compares her poems to the songs of Shirley Temple, a devastating conceit undermined by the small but ineluctable fact that they are in no way similar. It is, frankly, easy to just take the piss out of everyone. I know, I did it when I was 17. And I did it to Craig Brown just then. But is it the best way to write a history book? Arguably not.
The author has carved out a niche for himself as a chronicler of the counter-culture age who argues that the ‘60s was really a time of conformity, which if you were a posh little white boy at boarding school it probably was. Without wishing to become too mired in identity politics, the acknowledgements and sources section include a near-inventory of smug, privately-educated white men for whom the prefix “witty” is the highest conceivable honour, and Brown’s main criticism of the enduringly execrable Jeffrey Archer seems to be that he didn’t really go to Oxford.
One Two Three Four is an odd book. I found it very entertaining, especially in the first half, but it also got on my nerves, which I’d attribute both to Brown’s rampaging prejudices and my own. His treatment of the band itself is ultimately uncertain: he grants them a unique place in musical history that I still think is overstated, and yet appears confused by, and endlessly preoccupied with, the question of relics – those endless items of Beatles memorabilia that go for absurd amounts of money. It’s an odd hill to flounder upon. If he’s willing to spend a year of his life researching their lives and writing a 600+ page book, why shouldn’t someone else buy an old lunchbox with their faces on it for a few hundred quid?
There’s been at least one previous book written about The Beatles, so this one needs not just a gimmick but a hook. And it’s this: the band’s story told from unusual and unexpected perspectives. One Two Three Four is about how they fitted into the ‘60s and how their influence rippled outwards. It deals little with their music, interested in the band as people, as well as examining their place in the pop cultural world and their effect on contemporaries both famous and otherwise. We hear from obsessive fans of no renown, associates defined by their proximity to the group, and notable figures who loved, hated or were required to publicly tolerate them, among them Princess Margaret, Philip Larkin, Kenneth Williams, Margaret Thatcher, Noel Coward, Cliff Richard, Kingsley Amis, Anthony Burgess and Tony Benn.
As that list of contributors suggests, Brown is largely recycling diaries, letters and secondary sources, his firsthand investigations apparently consisting of: 1 (one) trip to Liverpool and 1 (one) trip to Hamburg. That doesn’t tend to be how the best history books come about. But despite its flaws (more of which shortly), it’s an enjoyable read, particularly in its first half, and it alights on some interesting points: Ringo’s everyman qualities; how freakishly quickly the band aged; the drug-addled joylessness of their later years.
Brown is interested in both the truth, and the Rashomon-style elusiveness of the truth, presenting numerous conflicting accounts of, say, Lennon attacking someone at a party, or the singer’s 1963 holiday with the band’s gay manager, Brian Epstein. Searching for a suitable emotional climax to the book, Brown contracts DeLillo-it is, borrowing the structure of Underworld as he chronicles Epstein’s demise in reverse, right up to the point of his discovering the group. It works reasonably well in itself, but seems conspicuously calculating, as the book itself is almost bereft of empathy. A story about Yoko Ono suffering a miscarriage is essentially played for laughs, and it’s only when Brown talks about the generation gap and World War Two that his book is genuinely affecting; it takes dealing with his own family to achieve that. He also tries here and there to right historical wrongs: rehabilitating the Maharishi, exploring the sad life of stand-in drummer Jimmie Nichol, and eviscerating the Beatles’ would-be electronics wizard, “Magic Alex”.
Brown works primarily as a parodist, but it’s not a role he typically uses to speak truth to power and his first instinct here, as so often, is to punch down. His targets here include Yoko – who is ridiculed and traduced at extensive length – a blameless German tour guide and, at one point, the 10-year-old Paul McCartney, whose prize-winning essay comes in for some typically incisive barbs from Brown. Though Walter Spinetti’s waspish account of Yoko’s idea for a new play is extremely funny, the author’s other attacks on her are increasingly incoherent: he cites one source who criticises her for having saggy boobs, and pens an extended passage in which he compares her poems to the songs of Shirley Temple, a devastating conceit undermined by the small but ineluctable fact that they are in no way similar. It is, frankly, easy to just take the piss out of everyone. I know, I did it when I was 17. And I did it to Craig Brown just then. But is it the best way to write a history book? Arguably not.
The author has carved out a niche for himself as a chronicler of the counter-culture age who argues that the ‘60s was really a time of conformity, which if you were a posh little white boy at boarding school it probably was. Without wishing to become too mired in identity politics, the acknowledgements and sources section include a near-inventory of smug, privately-educated white men for whom the prefix “witty” is the highest conceivable honour, and Brown’s main criticism of the enduringly execrable Jeffrey Archer seems to be that he didn’t really go to Oxford.
One Two Three Four is an odd book. I found it very entertaining, especially in the first half, but it also got on my nerves, which I’d attribute both to Brown’s rampaging prejudices and my own. His treatment of the band itself is ultimately uncertain: he grants them a unique place in musical history that I still think is overstated, and yet appears confused by, and endlessly preoccupied with, the question of relics – those endless items of Beatles memorabilia that go for absurd amounts of money. It’s an odd hill to flounder upon. If he’s willing to spend a year of his life researching their lives and writing a 600+ page book, why shouldn’t someone else buy an old lunchbox with their faces on it for a few hundred quid?
December 9, 2024
I have a confession to make: I love the Beatles. I know, I know, that’s not very punk rock of me. Rather basic, really. Who doesn’t love the stupid Beatles?! I was raised with their music constantly playing in the background. In fact, my mother (who is a diehard Beatles fan and loves to tell this story) used to put their records on and put her giant Koss headphones on her belly when she was pregnant with me, and she claims I was born knowing the entire catalogue by heart. While I am agnostic about the results of this in utero learning experiment, I do know the whole damn catalogue by heart, if only because at this point, I have been listening to it for forty years. Sometimes, I leave the Fab Four aside for a while, but when I come back to them, I am always amazed with how good they were, and how fresh their stuff still sounds. There’s a reason they are a classic, and to me, they are also a comfort.
Now as you can imagine, being raised by a Beatles superfan means I have way more information about those four dudes than strictly necessary in my brain. I wasn’t looking for a book with fresh, new information; I would have to dig rather deep to find that at this point. I was just looking for something fun to read about a band that may not be my favorite, but still is an important building block of my musical education, and I was intrigued by the patchwork format Brown has made his trademark.
The format of “150 Glimpses of the Beatles” (or “One, Two, Three, Four: The Beatles in Time”, whatever) is perfect for people like me: it’s a collection of stories, sort of in chronological order, about the most famous band in the world, from people who knew them well, or only in passing. It’s fun, informative, and interesting – and I really love the almost-oral history format. This mashup of various stories also helps draw a social history around the Beatles, something I find especially interesting. They started as a pop group, but they quickly became incredible innovators and redefined rock and roll and popular music in general – in less than a decade! - and this book does a great job of explaining why their influence is so perennial.
I will not parrot all the cool stories to be found in this book (there are simply too many), but this would be a great read for both the superfans and casual listeners who are simply curious. I know the size of the book feels intimidating, but the essays are generally short and snappy, so it’s not that hard to get through the book quickly. I am personally not a fan of hagiographies, but Brown made sure the book doesn’t fall into that trap: musical innovators and pop culture icons those men might have been, but perfect human beings, they were not! I was actually surprised that he included some fairly dark perspectives, like Jimmie Nicols’, who’s brief stint as a fill-in for Ringo more or less ruined his life, those of other acts who shared the Ed Sullivan stage with the Beatles and faded into absolute obscurity when it should have been their big break, and a chat with the man who was driving the car that accidentally hit and killed John Lennon’s mother, Julia. These vignettes add an existential tone to the collection, because not everyone who got caught in the Beatles’ orbit made it unscathed.
I did not really expect the book to have this side-effect on me, but it reconciled me a bit with John Lennon, who I had always seen as an incredibly talented but insufferable person. I put the book down, not suddenly charmed by John, but with the feeling that his abrasive traits were largely defense mechanisms resulting from his sensitivity and insecurities, and that the terrible death of his mother was an open wound he carried with him for the rest of his life. When people have very high ideals and rough experiences of the world, it makes for a strange brew, and obnoxious though he might have been, I think he was also trying to make sense of the world and tried very hard to be better and to leave a positive legacy. My opinion of Yoko, however, remains unchanged, and I loathe her passionately. Brown loathes her as much as I do, and I am ashamed to admit that I delighted in every exquiste burn her serves her. "She was always the most conservative of experimentalists." OMFG, chef kiss.
I would not recommend this book for someone who isn’t already familiar with the Beatles’ work and some biographical details about them, at the very least: Brown assumes you already know a lot of background information, so he doesn’t really explain who secondary but important characters are, or what the context around them is, so if you have never heard of Stuart Sutcliffe and Aunt Mimi before, or if you didn’t happen to know that Brain Epstein was gay (and that it was still illegal to be gay in the UK at the time), you might scratch your head a bit and need to Google a few things.
This is a very fun, very interesting book, that I recommend for fans, hardcore or otherwise, who are curious to hear more about the Fab Four. Obviously, I also recommend listening to their music as you read it, if only to remind yourself of the very unique quality and energy of their music.
Now as you can imagine, being raised by a Beatles superfan means I have way more information about those four dudes than strictly necessary in my brain. I wasn’t looking for a book with fresh, new information; I would have to dig rather deep to find that at this point. I was just looking for something fun to read about a band that may not be my favorite, but still is an important building block of my musical education, and I was intrigued by the patchwork format Brown has made his trademark.
The format of “150 Glimpses of the Beatles” (or “One, Two, Three, Four: The Beatles in Time”, whatever) is perfect for people like me: it’s a collection of stories, sort of in chronological order, about the most famous band in the world, from people who knew them well, or only in passing. It’s fun, informative, and interesting – and I really love the almost-oral history format. This mashup of various stories also helps draw a social history around the Beatles, something I find especially interesting. They started as a pop group, but they quickly became incredible innovators and redefined rock and roll and popular music in general – in less than a decade! - and this book does a great job of explaining why their influence is so perennial.
I will not parrot all the cool stories to be found in this book (there are simply too many), but this would be a great read for both the superfans and casual listeners who are simply curious. I know the size of the book feels intimidating, but the essays are generally short and snappy, so it’s not that hard to get through the book quickly. I am personally not a fan of hagiographies, but Brown made sure the book doesn’t fall into that trap: musical innovators and pop culture icons those men might have been, but perfect human beings, they were not! I was actually surprised that he included some fairly dark perspectives, like Jimmie Nicols’, who’s brief stint as a fill-in for Ringo more or less ruined his life, those of other acts who shared the Ed Sullivan stage with the Beatles and faded into absolute obscurity when it should have been their big break, and a chat with the man who was driving the car that accidentally hit and killed John Lennon’s mother, Julia. These vignettes add an existential tone to the collection, because not everyone who got caught in the Beatles’ orbit made it unscathed.
I did not really expect the book to have this side-effect on me, but it reconciled me a bit with John Lennon, who I had always seen as an incredibly talented but insufferable person. I put the book down, not suddenly charmed by John, but with the feeling that his abrasive traits were largely defense mechanisms resulting from his sensitivity and insecurities, and that the terrible death of his mother was an open wound he carried with him for the rest of his life. When people have very high ideals and rough experiences of the world, it makes for a strange brew, and obnoxious though he might have been, I think he was also trying to make sense of the world and tried very hard to be better and to leave a positive legacy. My opinion of Yoko, however, remains unchanged, and I loathe her passionately. Brown loathes her as much as I do, and I am ashamed to admit that I delighted in every exquiste burn her serves her. "She was always the most conservative of experimentalists." OMFG, chef kiss.
I would not recommend this book for someone who isn’t already familiar with the Beatles’ work and some biographical details about them, at the very least: Brown assumes you already know a lot of background information, so he doesn’t really explain who secondary but important characters are, or what the context around them is, so if you have never heard of Stuart Sutcliffe and Aunt Mimi before, or if you didn’t happen to know that Brain Epstein was gay (and that it was still illegal to be gay in the UK at the time), you might scratch your head a bit and need to Google a few things.
This is a very fun, very interesting book, that I recommend for fans, hardcore or otherwise, who are curious to hear more about the Fab Four. Obviously, I also recommend listening to their music as you read it, if only to remind yourself of the very unique quality and energy of their music.
December 9, 2025
Another day, another historical nemesis: John Lennon. I should have known by the way that a modern day nemesis of mine, Liam Gallagher idolizes him that I would find him insufferable. The late 60s are an era I'm glad I wasn't around for because I don't think doing massive amounts of drugs makes you enlightened or more creative than the rest of us. It just means you're addicted to drugs.
This had some interesting stories, but the form is quite experimental. Sometimes that was interesting, sometimes it was annoying. But really it was a terrible place to start with The Beatles.
This had some interesting stories, but the form is quite experimental. Sometimes that was interesting, sometimes it was annoying. But really it was a terrible place to start with The Beatles.
November 9, 2023
Brown duplicates the formula from his book on Princess Margaret, using a series of short chapters - out of chronological order - like coloured tiles making a mosaic. The approach has some merit - there are now probably more books on the Fab Four than Hamlet. Something distinguishing was needed.
To his credit, Brown makes space for the people Beatlemania harmed more than it helped. Helen Shapiro recalls the exact moment when the band, who’d been her support act only the year before, ended her career. Cynthia Lennon is treated like a leper to preserve John’s sex appeal. Even bland, born-again Cliff Richard turns into a spitting cobra at the nearest mention of their name. And, of course, there’s the classic hard-luck tale of Pete Best.
Brown’s main problem is his tone. He doffs his cap humbly to Philip Norman, Mark Lewisohn, Ian MacDonald and others in the acknowledgements. Yet in the body of the text Brown constantly lines them up like schoolboys awaiting the cane.
Brown means to be funny when weighing up and sifting differing accounts. Instead he sounds merely pompous. (‘Do I hear any advance on a broken nose, a cracked collarbone and three broken ribs? Inevitably, the most excessive bid was submitted by Albert Goldman, the most merciless and hyperbolic of all John’s biographers’. Etc.) You get the impression the other people on the tour bus drew similar conclusions about the author.
Tonally, the parts where Brown visits Liverpool are out of place with the rest - tetchy, defensive. What may be lost on foreign readers is how the Eton-educated southerner in Brown is always poking out, especially, I noticed, whenever someone else is in charge of things. Perhaps this is why whenever Brown hears the word ‘snob’ come up in conversation he acts as if someone has just dug a penknife in his back.
I can put my hand on my heart and say my experience was a million miles from the horror Brown presents. We went during the May Bank Holiday in 2018, the same time the Strawberry Fields scenes were being filmed for Yesterday. Teenagers from Amsterdam sat by and chatted with Aussie pensioners, who sat by and chatted with middle-aged Yanks from Wisconsin. Everyone was giggling, gregarious, and grateful. Standing in front of Sir Paul’s childhood home, one of the few council houses owned by the National Trust, my three year old pulled at my hand saying loudly, ‘Becky need a wee-wee.’ Stifled giggles erupted into roars.
I wish some of that cheer had found its way into this book.
To his credit, Brown makes space for the people Beatlemania harmed more than it helped. Helen Shapiro recalls the exact moment when the band, who’d been her support act only the year before, ended her career. Cynthia Lennon is treated like a leper to preserve John’s sex appeal. Even bland, born-again Cliff Richard turns into a spitting cobra at the nearest mention of their name. And, of course, there’s the classic hard-luck tale of Pete Best.
Brown’s main problem is his tone. He doffs his cap humbly to Philip Norman, Mark Lewisohn, Ian MacDonald and others in the acknowledgements. Yet in the body of the text Brown constantly lines them up like schoolboys awaiting the cane.
Brown means to be funny when weighing up and sifting differing accounts. Instead he sounds merely pompous. (‘Do I hear any advance on a broken nose, a cracked collarbone and three broken ribs? Inevitably, the most excessive bid was submitted by Albert Goldman, the most merciless and hyperbolic of all John’s biographers’. Etc.) You get the impression the other people on the tour bus drew similar conclusions about the author.
Tonally, the parts where Brown visits Liverpool are out of place with the rest - tetchy, defensive. What may be lost on foreign readers is how the Eton-educated southerner in Brown is always poking out, especially, I noticed, whenever someone else is in charge of things. Perhaps this is why whenever Brown hears the word ‘snob’ come up in conversation he acts as if someone has just dug a penknife in his back.
I can put my hand on my heart and say my experience was a million miles from the horror Brown presents. We went during the May Bank Holiday in 2018, the same time the Strawberry Fields scenes were being filmed for Yesterday. Teenagers from Amsterdam sat by and chatted with Aussie pensioners, who sat by and chatted with middle-aged Yanks from Wisconsin. Everyone was giggling, gregarious, and grateful. Standing in front of Sir Paul’s childhood home, one of the few council houses owned by the National Trust, my three year old pulled at my hand saying loudly, ‘Becky need a wee-wee.’ Stifled giggles erupted into roars.
I wish some of that cheer had found its way into this book.
December 6, 2020
"In their neat black suits and ties, Brian Epstein and his personal assistant Alistair Taylor make their way down the eighteen steep steps into the sweaty basement on Mathew Street. Brian finds it ‘as black as a deep grave, dank and damp and smelly’. He wishes he hadn’t come. Both he and Taylor would prefer to be attending a classical concert at the Philharmonic, but curiosity got the better of them. Four young musicians saunter onto the stage."
Some of you may remember an American sci-fi show from the '80s, called Quantum Leap. In it, a physicist gets caught in his own quantum time machine, willy-nilly jumping from one historical moment to the next, taking over a person's body for a short while. Reading this book will have you, dear reader, quantum leaping through Beatles history.
The title captures pretty well what we have here - 150 short chapters, of moments in the Beatles' lives, in the lives of people around the Beatles, in the lives of the millions who loved their music. Some stories you will have heard before, although probably not as detailed, and if you're like me, most will be completely new to you.
"How, John wondered, would marijuana make them feel? ‘Good,’ said Dylan. He began to roll a joint, but was unexpectedly cack-handed."
Some chapters are short, a few a lot longer. What each chapter certainly has, is a real sense of presence. You feel part of the moment, making it so much more enjoyable. There are big moments (say, the Beatles appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show), and there are many more little moments, full of delightful little details (if all true - more on that later) that humanise these people.
"The two men are, consciously or unconsciously, versions of the two composers – Paul optimistic, self-confident, never short of advice, and John, primed to cause hurt –‘she said you hurt her so’– while in retreat from his own sense of guilt. Like so many subsequent Lennon/ McCartney songs, its energy comes from this intermingling of the dark and the sunny."
I was already thinking of reading a Beatles history when I came across 150 Glimpses, but which one to choose? The choice on offer is overwhelming. So I started on this book with some trepidation. It has taken me six months to read it (I do read several books at the same time, but even for me this is long), and I've loved every second of it. Whenever I felt a bit down, or one of the other books I was reading was getting too depressing, I would read a couple of chapters from 150 Glimpses, and without fail, it would cheer me up to no end.
"‘She was just seventeen – you know what I mean!’ sings Paul, to an audience largely composed of young girls who probably have no idea what he means."
I've seen some reviews saying there are quite a few factual faults in the book, dates that don't work, how the Beatles weren't at the locations some of the chapters purport they were. I find myself not really caring. What Brown has done here is basically assimilate a huge amount of data from a wide range of sources, and picked what he deemed interesting, or funny, or moving. There are bound to be errors, and while it would've been better if those had been corrected, they won't change the essence of what makes the book so enjoyable.
It's a Beatles book full of life, a little brick-sized time machine. Oh boy.
(Kindly received a review copy from Farrar, Straus and Giroux through NetGalley)
Some of you may remember an American sci-fi show from the '80s, called Quantum Leap. In it, a physicist gets caught in his own quantum time machine, willy-nilly jumping from one historical moment to the next, taking over a person's body for a short while. Reading this book will have you, dear reader, quantum leaping through Beatles history.
The title captures pretty well what we have here - 150 short chapters, of moments in the Beatles' lives, in the lives of people around the Beatles, in the lives of the millions who loved their music. Some stories you will have heard before, although probably not as detailed, and if you're like me, most will be completely new to you.
"How, John wondered, would marijuana make them feel? ‘Good,’ said Dylan. He began to roll a joint, but was unexpectedly cack-handed."
Some chapters are short, a few a lot longer. What each chapter certainly has, is a real sense of presence. You feel part of the moment, making it so much more enjoyable. There are big moments (say, the Beatles appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show), and there are many more little moments, full of delightful little details (if all true - more on that later) that humanise these people.
"The two men are, consciously or unconsciously, versions of the two composers – Paul optimistic, self-confident, never short of advice, and John, primed to cause hurt –‘she said you hurt her so’– while in retreat from his own sense of guilt. Like so many subsequent Lennon/ McCartney songs, its energy comes from this intermingling of the dark and the sunny."
I was already thinking of reading a Beatles history when I came across 150 Glimpses, but which one to choose? The choice on offer is overwhelming. So I started on this book with some trepidation. It has taken me six months to read it (I do read several books at the same time, but even for me this is long), and I've loved every second of it. Whenever I felt a bit down, or one of the other books I was reading was getting too depressing, I would read a couple of chapters from 150 Glimpses, and without fail, it would cheer me up to no end.
"‘She was just seventeen – you know what I mean!’ sings Paul, to an audience largely composed of young girls who probably have no idea what he means."
I've seen some reviews saying there are quite a few factual faults in the book, dates that don't work, how the Beatles weren't at the locations some of the chapters purport they were. I find myself not really caring. What Brown has done here is basically assimilate a huge amount of data from a wide range of sources, and picked what he deemed interesting, or funny, or moving. There are bound to be errors, and while it would've been better if those had been corrected, they won't change the essence of what makes the book so enjoyable.
It's a Beatles book full of life, a little brick-sized time machine. Oh boy.
(Kindly received a review copy from Farrar, Straus and Giroux through NetGalley)
July 1, 2020
If you think you know all there is about the Beatles, guess again. There's always something to learn, and this is the perfect vehicle. Snippets, none longer than a few pages, a few pictures (can't really call it "lavishly illustrated," but there are some surprises), and for those of us who remember their first appearance, where they were when they first heard them and knew something was coming, witnessed their run and were shattered at their dissolution, this is pure gold. Best example of the whole being greater than the sum of their parts. Individually they had their strengths and peculiar attractions, but as an entity, they were dynamite.
November 30, 2020
As Craig Brown points out there have already been many excellent books about the Beatles - so what's the point of another one?
Well, What Brown does is focus on many of the people peripherally involved with the group. This includes:
John's Aunt Mimi
Cynthia Lennon
Jimmie Nichol
The Mahareshi Mahesh Yogi
Detective Sergeant "Nobby" Pilchard
Also, Yoko Ono gets short shrift
Told with his usual wit I'd recommend this to anyone with even a passing interest in The Beatles, especially if you also enjoyed his previous book about Princess Margaret
Well, What Brown does is focus on many of the people peripherally involved with the group. This includes:
John's Aunt Mimi
Cynthia Lennon
Jimmie Nichol
The Mahareshi Mahesh Yogi
Detective Sergeant "Nobby" Pilchard
Also, Yoko Ono gets short shrift
Told with his usual wit I'd recommend this to anyone with even a passing interest in The Beatles, especially if you also enjoyed his previous book about Princess Margaret
August 4, 2020
Although I enjoyed the book and the short anecdotes style makes it easy to read, the mocking of people working in the beatles memorial industry seemed a bit cruel to me, after all that is what the author is doing in writing the book in the first place. I felt there was an underlying mean spirited feel to the commentary but the author was just trying to make it funny . To be fair he had done a lot of research but seems to relish the jealous negative gossipy bits of bad behaviour more rather than the marvel of the musical creativity in the group
June 18, 2020
really enjoyed this book about the Beatles from the quarryman days to when the band disbanded. hadn't really read any bios about the band before but had heard of some of the stories in the book though.
November 30, 2021
my head is filled with things to say...
I have dreamed of this book, which brought me almost immediately back into the mindset of writing my dissertation a year ago. This is a large and massively entertaining book about the beatles that is obsessed with seeing events through layers of wobbly time and in contexts that shift meaning. It also, though never prescriptively or outright, challenges the notion of creating a linear narrative out of the events of history. Brown is constantly wrestling with historicity, as the number of different voices and versions of tales ramp up it becomes an impossibility. He is also wrestling with all the numerous other versions of the tales he recounts.
There are events in here that any beatles fan knows well, take for instance their first appearance on the ed sullivan show. In the beatles anthology docu-series we see the performance, accompanied by talking heads of the band members remembering the moment. Brown explodes it, reminding us that JFK was assassinated months prior, leading to a lingering unease in the US, which some say the beatles helped to heal. He takes you into the lives of other people on the show that night, a comedy duo who messed up due to the uninterested reaction of the audience who were only there for one thing, whose professional career would never recover leading them into obscurity. And then it takes you into the lives of the numerous people, of all different locations, ages and walks of life, that were deeply affected by the performance and whose lives were all subsequently changed. It's this keen eye for recontextualising and constantly following different viewpoints and narrative tributaries that makes the whole thing so hugely powerful, completely transforming the details you thought you knew and had taken for granted.
Brown is also as concerned with the innumerable people who missed out on fame than the few that achieved it; one of the most moving snapshots is a deep dive into the life of Jimmie Nichol, who is elsewhere a tiny footnote in the story of the band. He replaced Ringo as their drummer for only a week or two but the repercussions of that time would alter his entire life. It is one of the many many instances that manages to find incredible untrodden ground in one of the most chronicled artefacts of modern history.
It's as funny as it is sad and as light as it is deeply serious.
All in all it is summed up well by an offhand sentence 'the Beatles concertina time in the most extraordinary way' - this is pretty much the mission statement of the book, to explore the messiness of history and its different versions, as well as the workings of the past on the present, all through the central lens of a subject i will never tire of. Just gold dust! The best fucking book
I have dreamed of this book, which brought me almost immediately back into the mindset of writing my dissertation a year ago. This is a large and massively entertaining book about the beatles that is obsessed with seeing events through layers of wobbly time and in contexts that shift meaning. It also, though never prescriptively or outright, challenges the notion of creating a linear narrative out of the events of history. Brown is constantly wrestling with historicity, as the number of different voices and versions of tales ramp up it becomes an impossibility. He is also wrestling with all the numerous other versions of the tales he recounts.
There are events in here that any beatles fan knows well, take for instance their first appearance on the ed sullivan show. In the beatles anthology docu-series we see the performance, accompanied by talking heads of the band members remembering the moment. Brown explodes it, reminding us that JFK was assassinated months prior, leading to a lingering unease in the US, which some say the beatles helped to heal. He takes you into the lives of other people on the show that night, a comedy duo who messed up due to the uninterested reaction of the audience who were only there for one thing, whose professional career would never recover leading them into obscurity. And then it takes you into the lives of the numerous people, of all different locations, ages and walks of life, that were deeply affected by the performance and whose lives were all subsequently changed. It's this keen eye for recontextualising and constantly following different viewpoints and narrative tributaries that makes the whole thing so hugely powerful, completely transforming the details you thought you knew and had taken for granted.
Brown is also as concerned with the innumerable people who missed out on fame than the few that achieved it; one of the most moving snapshots is a deep dive into the life of Jimmie Nichol, who is elsewhere a tiny footnote in the story of the band. He replaced Ringo as their drummer for only a week or two but the repercussions of that time would alter his entire life. It is one of the many many instances that manages to find incredible untrodden ground in one of the most chronicled artefacts of modern history.
It's as funny as it is sad and as light as it is deeply serious.
All in all it is summed up well by an offhand sentence 'the Beatles concertina time in the most extraordinary way' - this is pretty much the mission statement of the book, to explore the messiness of history and its different versions, as well as the workings of the past on the present, all through the central lens of a subject i will never tire of. Just gold dust! The best fucking book
July 29, 2021
I HATED this book and would give it zero stars if I could. It's superficial, silly, and by no means worthy of the Beatles. The worst part of the book, though, is the absolute contempt that the author holds for Yoko Ono. I can understand not liking Yoko; many don't. But he is merciless: denigrating her art, mocking her writing, and making fun of her every chance he gets. Much of it is misogyninstic and quite frankly racist. In one passage he "quotes" her as saying "All audience get in bus. Then all people in bus allowed to come and open door..." Basically using an Asian stereotype style of speaking. Anyone who has ever heard Yoko speak knows she does not do this and is quite articulate (she's lived in the UK or the US most of her 88 years).
The author should be ashamed of himself for such writing and I can't believe that an editor or publisher would publish something like this, especially in this day and age. He also takes her to task for embellishing the story of when she and John met. John, who he often mentions doing similar embellishments, gets a pass for doing the same thing. It's an unfair treatment of someone integral to the Beatles' story and no one else in the book is treated like this. It left such a bad taste in my mouth I almost put the book down then and there. Just disgusting.
The author should be ashamed of himself for such writing and I can't believe that an editor or publisher would publish something like this, especially in this day and age. He also takes her to task for embellishing the story of when she and John met. John, who he often mentions doing similar embellishments, gets a pass for doing the same thing. It's an unfair treatment of someone integral to the Beatles' story and no one else in the book is treated like this. It left such a bad taste in my mouth I almost put the book down then and there. Just disgusting.
May 24, 2020
The Beatles are my favourite band so I was really interested to read this!
I enjoyed the breadth of topics that were covered within this and I found it interesting throughout. It's endlessly amusing to read quotes from music journalists stating that The Beatles will never last.
I did have a few issues with this however; it did get a bit dense at times and I would find it difficult to read for too long a time. I also thought that there was no logic to the topics that were focused upon. I felt like there were big and small events that were covered in depth and then there would be other big events that were brushed over or just not mentioned at all.
I think the thing that bothered me the most was that there was a much larger focus on John than any of the others and I didn't quite understand why that was the case.
Overall this was enjoyable, but I'm glad that I borrowed it from the library and didn't purchase it.
I enjoyed the breadth of topics that were covered within this and I found it interesting throughout. It's endlessly amusing to read quotes from music journalists stating that The Beatles will never last.
I did have a few issues with this however; it did get a bit dense at times and I would find it difficult to read for too long a time. I also thought that there was no logic to the topics that were focused upon. I felt like there were big and small events that were covered in depth and then there would be other big events that were brushed over or just not mentioned at all.
I think the thing that bothered me the most was that there was a much larger focus on John than any of the others and I didn't quite understand why that was the case.
Overall this was enjoyable, but I'm glad that I borrowed it from the library and didn't purchase it.
February 27, 2024
Like the Beatles themselves, this book is funny, quirky, smart, sad, even sarcastic—but always endlessly engaging. GLIMPSES achieves the (very) rare feat of entertaining and informing diehard fans as well as newcomers to the Fab Four.
From the weird world of Beatles historical places tours to the experiences of fans whose worlds are turned upside-down by a certain Ed Sullivan episode to adventures in the lives of the Fabs themselves (and their families, enemies, and contemporaries), this book is a lot of fun and a lift to the spirits.
From the weird world of Beatles historical places tours to the experiences of fans whose worlds are turned upside-down by a certain Ed Sullivan episode to adventures in the lives of the Fabs themselves (and their families, enemies, and contemporaries), this book is a lot of fun and a lift to the spirits.
January 29, 2025
I like the Beatles’ music but never consider myself a fan. The first guitar song I learned to play in high school was Yesterday, Lennon was killed in 1980, Paul still performs and Ringo likes Brexit – these were all I could say about them until I read 150 Glimpse of the Beatles.
There have been countless books written about them. This book is not a well-constructed biography, really just 150 glimpse of the band and its people. The chapters (glimpses) are loosely organized chronically. It is a mashup of stories of four Beatles and people around them, stories from fans and critics, and visits from the author as a tourist to various Beatles’ houses. It’s fragmented and funny. Each piece is just long enough to be informative and short enough to hold one’s attention.
It’s most interesting to read the cultural impact of the band, including fan reactions, media coverage and how other famous figures thought about Beatlemania. Each era has its own Beatlemania and those who disapprove of it. What I like best is how they made their music and the direct impact of the songs. One of my favorite chapters: Chapter 120, the reading and misreading of Hey Jude.
The author’s choice of “glimpses” not only tells about the Beatles but also something about himself. In a longer piece, the author tells the incident when John Lennon beat up a friend because of a comment about John and Brian Epstein that indicated John was gay. The author carefully lists eyewitness accounts written over the years as if he were a detective trying to solve a mystery. There is a chapter about the incident when someone at the British Embassy party cut Ringo’s hair without consent. The author gives two glimpses to hippy culture: Geroge Harriosn nearly being attacked by a hippy mob in San Francisco; a hippy family of freeloaders camping in the Beatles office. The last chapter is Brian Epstein in reverse chronological order starting from his death in 1967.
Women around the Beatles to whom glimpses have been given: Jane Asher (the author loves her), Cynthia Lennon (he sympathizes with her?), Yoko Ono, and Aunt Mimi. The author paints a rather unfavorable picture of Yoko Ono. In my opinion, John had a mommy issue and Yoko Ono knew it, in which sense they were made for each other. Little attention paid to Geroge Harrion and Ringo Starr’s partners. Perhaps they don't make good stories, unlike the wife-killer William Burroughs, or groupie Pamela Ann Miller? Later, I looked up on the Internet Ronnie and Estelle Bennett, two members of The Ronettes.
The author is often in awe of the Beatles and their rise to fame. He clearly thinks chance played a big role. Well, yes, like everything and everyone else.
Two most disturbing chapters: Charles Manson; Paul McCathney’s death conspiracy.
There have been countless books written about them. This book is not a well-constructed biography, really just 150 glimpse of the band and its people. The chapters (glimpses) are loosely organized chronically. It is a mashup of stories of four Beatles and people around them, stories from fans and critics, and visits from the author as a tourist to various Beatles’ houses. It’s fragmented and funny. Each piece is just long enough to be informative and short enough to hold one’s attention.
It’s most interesting to read the cultural impact of the band, including fan reactions, media coverage and how other famous figures thought about Beatlemania. Each era has its own Beatlemania and those who disapprove of it. What I like best is how they made their music and the direct impact of the songs. One of my favorite chapters: Chapter 120, the reading and misreading of Hey Jude.
The author’s choice of “glimpses” not only tells about the Beatles but also something about himself. In a longer piece, the author tells the incident when John Lennon beat up a friend because of a comment about John and Brian Epstein that indicated John was gay. The author carefully lists eyewitness accounts written over the years as if he were a detective trying to solve a mystery. There is a chapter about the incident when someone at the British Embassy party cut Ringo’s hair without consent. The author gives two glimpses to hippy culture: Geroge Harriosn nearly being attacked by a hippy mob in San Francisco; a hippy family of freeloaders camping in the Beatles office. The last chapter is Brian Epstein in reverse chronological order starting from his death in 1967.
Women around the Beatles to whom glimpses have been given: Jane Asher (the author loves her), Cynthia Lennon (he sympathizes with her?), Yoko Ono, and Aunt Mimi. The author paints a rather unfavorable picture of Yoko Ono. In my opinion, John had a mommy issue and Yoko Ono knew it, in which sense they were made for each other. Little attention paid to Geroge Harrion and Ringo Starr’s partners. Perhaps they don't make good stories, unlike the wife-killer William Burroughs, or groupie Pamela Ann Miller? Later, I looked up on the Internet Ronnie and Estelle Bennett, two members of The Ronettes.
The author is often in awe of the Beatles and their rise to fame. He clearly thinks chance played a big role. Well, yes, like everything and everyone else.
Two most disturbing chapters: Charles Manson; Paul McCathney’s death conspiracy.
December 27, 2025
DNF. Clearing the decks. I just couldn’t get into the exhaustive detail, but I may come back to it again in the future.
July 29, 2020
More proof, as if it were needed that the charm of the Beatles will survive almost anything. I can't remember the last time i finished a 600 page book having developed a deep dislike for the author in the first 20 pages.
Craig Brown is entitled to find the Beatles heritage tours of Liverpool and Hamburg uninspiring. But i found his accounts of how he then behaved like an a**e to the presenters, and presumably wrecked the experience for the other people on the tour that day, very off-putting. Every time after that when he starts to write his own experiences at home and school into the story then i just wanted to skip pages. Every time he tries to add in a droll commentary, then i sigh and move on.
I stuck with it of course.... The story of the Beatles is just too compelling, however many times it has been told. What you will find here are mainly anecdotes and recollections of people in and outside the Beatles circle. Some are interesting, some are new, the best comes from Victor Spinetti very early in the book, but this had the disadvantage of raising expectations for the rest which were never really met. And Pete Shotton is clearly a much more important part of the story than i ever realised. Or perhaps he is not.
What is missing is any sense or appreciation of the music which was the key part of the whole thing. These people who wore rough clothes and then suits, made a couple of films, went to Germany, the USA and India, and were generally followed about by just about everybody... Who were they ?? There's little sense of what was driving the whole thing.
What did I learn?? Well that one was a wayward and somewhat self-indulgent genius, one was a charming melodist , one was quiet and spritual, and the drummer was funny and wanted to open a hairdressers. If like most of us you knew this already, then I'd suggest passing on the book, but see if you can pick up from somewhere else Victor Spinetti's account of when the Beatles visited him in hospital. He manages to be funny and to sum the four characters up in a handful of words. Sometimes less is more.
Craig Brown is entitled to find the Beatles heritage tours of Liverpool and Hamburg uninspiring. But i found his accounts of how he then behaved like an a**e to the presenters, and presumably wrecked the experience for the other people on the tour that day, very off-putting. Every time after that when he starts to write his own experiences at home and school into the story then i just wanted to skip pages. Every time he tries to add in a droll commentary, then i sigh and move on.
I stuck with it of course.... The story of the Beatles is just too compelling, however many times it has been told. What you will find here are mainly anecdotes and recollections of people in and outside the Beatles circle. Some are interesting, some are new, the best comes from Victor Spinetti very early in the book, but this had the disadvantage of raising expectations for the rest which were never really met. And Pete Shotton is clearly a much more important part of the story than i ever realised. Or perhaps he is not.
What is missing is any sense or appreciation of the music which was the key part of the whole thing. These people who wore rough clothes and then suits, made a couple of films, went to Germany, the USA and India, and were generally followed about by just about everybody... Who were they ?? There's little sense of what was driving the whole thing.
What did I learn?? Well that one was a wayward and somewhat self-indulgent genius, one was a charming melodist , one was quiet and spritual, and the drummer was funny and wanted to open a hairdressers. If like most of us you knew this already, then I'd suggest passing on the book, but see if you can pick up from somewhere else Victor Spinetti's account of when the Beatles visited him in hospital. He manages to be funny and to sum the four characters up in a handful of words. Sometimes less is more.
July 11, 2020
Hugely entertaining and some really fascinating facts unearthed. I like the 'glimpses' approach of telling the greatest story ever told. It really shines a light on many of the cast of characters involved in the Beatles world, often with poignant outcomes. Its very funny, and while his trashing of Yoko may be a bit out of touch, its not without merit, and at least shows how Lennon and Yoko, lost in love, often resorted to silliness. The last chapter on Epstein ends the book brilliantly.
December 27, 2020
In 150 Glimpses of the Beatles by Craig Brown, we get glimpses of many different aspects of this seminal musical act. There are glimpses of the four talented musicians who changed the world. Glimpses of the people who get swept into their trajectory like dog hair into a Hoover Upright Suck-Pro 1500 vacuum cleaner. And, sad to say, there are even glimpses (on page 459) of John Lennon and Yoko Ono exposing all their hairy goodness to the world as they posed for the nude pictures that would end up the cover of their 1968 album . While Lennon’s songwriting is considered by many to be beautiful, his old boy can only be considered hideous. If you have the misfortune to view this photograph (again on page 459), be prepared for agonizing nightmares of being chased by a gruesome shrunken mutant elephant trunk. These night terrors will visit you repeatedly, challenging your sanity and causing you to flinch whenever you happen across a twisted serpent sunning itself in the afternoon, a discarded overripe banana, or even a severed donkey’s tail. And for the welfare of any children reading this, I will not even go into how the negative effect of seeing Yoko Ono’s neither regions have damaged my mental stability. Needless to say I have broken down sobbing several times while writing this review.
If you remove this ghastly picture (once more, for quick reference it is on page 459) you will find that 150 glimpses of the Beatles is extremely enjoyable. Each chapter (or glimpse of the Beatles) spans from the experiences of John, Paul, George, and Ringo being an underground band playing in the dive bars of Germany to the aggressively territorial folks who lead the tours of Paul and John’s old homes in the present day. We are given stories of the folks who were influenced by watching the Beatles on Ed Sullivan such as Bruce Springsteen, Chrissie Hynde, Tom Petty, and Billy Joel. And the sad death of their manager Brian Epstein. I am stuck by how quickly the Beatles changed from the wisecracking goofballs experiencing fame for the first time in 1964 to the burned-out unpleasant grumps just five years later. I guess we have to thank their record label E.M.I. for running them into the ground with endless touring and recording. While you may ask why you need to read yet another book about the Beatles (honestly, a good question as even author Craig Brown notes there are so many books about this band and their members that the stories change from each interpretation and the truth becomes more fluid than my bowels when I happened upon that naked picture of John and Yoko (on page 459 if you are interested)), but this novel showcases the well-told story from different angles with humor and creativity.
If you remove this ghastly picture (once more, for quick reference it is on page 459) you will find that 150 glimpses of the Beatles is extremely enjoyable. Each chapter (or glimpse of the Beatles) spans from the experiences of John, Paul, George, and Ringo being an underground band playing in the dive bars of Germany to the aggressively territorial folks who lead the tours of Paul and John’s old homes in the present day. We are given stories of the folks who were influenced by watching the Beatles on Ed Sullivan such as Bruce Springsteen, Chrissie Hynde, Tom Petty, and Billy Joel. And the sad death of their manager Brian Epstein. I am stuck by how quickly the Beatles changed from the wisecracking goofballs experiencing fame for the first time in 1964 to the burned-out unpleasant grumps just five years later. I guess we have to thank their record label E.M.I. for running them into the ground with endless touring and recording. While you may ask why you need to read yet another book about the Beatles (honestly, a good question as even author Craig Brown notes there are so many books about this band and their members that the stories change from each interpretation and the truth becomes more fluid than my bowels when I happened upon that naked picture of John and Yoko (on page 459 if you are interested)), but this novel showcases the well-told story from different angles with humor and creativity.
October 19, 2020
Why was this book written? It's not a comprehensive biography of the Fab Four, it's not particularly funny, and it doesn't offer a new/unique viewpoint on the topic. Some of the "glimpses" are intriguing - a comparison of the different biographical versions of a seminal event such as John and Paul's first meeting, stories about people who briefly touched the Beatles' lives (one of the other acts who had the bad luck to be on Ed Sullivan the same night as the Beatles, a Liverpool mailman with a tragic secret), the bizarre Paul is Dead conspiracy theories - but the whole thing is disjointed and it covers very little new ground.
Brown is rarely critical about any of the Beatles, but don't get him started on Yoko Ono. Those who like to complain that she's a talentless hack who needlessly broke up the Beatles will be happy. And the very final glimpse, which portrays the most important and devastating event in the Beatles' history, is told in an unusual way that really packs a punch. Too bad the rest of the book couldn't have been as powerful. Recommended for Beatles completists, but for any Millennials who want to know why the Beatles were so important I would suggest you look elsewhere.
Brown is rarely critical about any of the Beatles, but don't get him started on Yoko Ono. Those who like to complain that she's a talentless hack who needlessly broke up the Beatles will be happy. And the very final glimpse, which portrays the most important and devastating event in the Beatles' history, is told in an unusual way that really packs a punch. Too bad the rest of the book couldn't have been as powerful. Recommended for Beatles completists, but for any Millennials who want to know why the Beatles were so important I would suggest you look elsewhere.
June 8, 2020
Loved it loved it loved it. I have read all the important Beatles books and this is one of the best and is now one of my favorites. 150 shortish chapters/vignettes telling bits and pieces ( forgive the Dave Clark 5 reference) of the Beatles’ story from their early pre Beatles days in Liverpool through their break up. Bits and pieces of history are intertwined with arcane bits of show business, political , and social history. It’s hard to describe - just read it. So well written, intelligent and interestingI have never read anything like it. Highly Recommended.
July 31, 2022
I no longer rate books but this one needs it so as to lower the overall score however slightly.
Racist, misogynist, reactionary, one-dimensional trash. In Brown's view, foreigners - Japanese (obviously), Indian, Greek - independently worked to destroy the world's greatest pop band.
'From the day I met her, she demanded equal time, equal space, equal rights.'
Racist, misogynist, reactionary, one-dimensional trash. In Brown's view, foreigners - Japanese (obviously), Indian, Greek - independently worked to destroy the world's greatest pop band.
'From the day I met her, she demanded equal time, equal space, equal rights.'
December 12, 2020
This did not have the brilliance of Ma’am Darling, but as a way of invoking a time and a state of mind it succeeded on most counts with only rare misfires such as the alt-history where Gerry and the Pacemakers became the most popular band of all time. A White Album in its own right.
August 14, 2023
Did it keep my interest? 4. 150 chapters, which are little beautiful Beatle blurbs. Twenty engaging hours of stories
Did I enjoy the topic? 5. Jen made me into an amateur Beatle cognoscenti. This book has so many fabulous insights, details and opinions.
Was the dialogue realistic? 5. Excellent research. They pull actual quotes , but when they ventured into personal opinions it was earned
Would I recommend to Jen (smart, discerning reader)? 5. I feel that this is the one book I know Jen would love.
Would I have recommended to my Mom (read for entertainment)? 2. I never heard Mom show any interest in the Beatles. She was in her her early 30s when they were big but she was busy raising us four clowns, so she probably didn’t have a lot of space for the Beatles. Mom liked Herb Alpert, Bobby Darin and Englebert Humperdinck
Quality of narrator? 5. The voices of the four Beatles was really great
Did I enjoy the topic? 5. Jen made me into an amateur Beatle cognoscenti. This book has so many fabulous insights, details and opinions.
Was the dialogue realistic? 5. Excellent research. They pull actual quotes , but when they ventured into personal opinions it was earned
Would I recommend to Jen (smart, discerning reader)? 5. I feel that this is the one book I know Jen would love.
Would I have recommended to my Mom (read for entertainment)? 2. I never heard Mom show any interest in the Beatles. She was in her her early 30s when they were big but she was busy raising us four clowns, so she probably didn’t have a lot of space for the Beatles. Mom liked Herb Alpert, Bobby Darin and Englebert Humperdinck
Quality of narrator? 5. The voices of the four Beatles was really great
June 27, 2020
150 Glimpses of the Beatles by Craig Brown is probably one of the most fun books I've read about the Fab Four.
If you're of a certain age (which I am, and which most people simply call old) you grew up watching and listening to the Beatles. I can remember hearing the news of what most of us had guessed, the break up of the Beatles, when I was 12 and trying to hide my tears. I had all of their albums, both US and UK releases (benefit of being in a military family) and as the years went on I read all of the major publications about them and most of the minor, often horrible, publications. I was lucky enough to have met 2 of them, though it was little more than an introduction and only memorable to me. I mention all this to make a point, namely that as time has passed, it has been hard to separate how I thought of their career at the time and how it now seems like such a coherent narrative. The more we read the more we incorporate our memories into the prevailing "story of the Beatles."
This book is less a narrative than a collection of, well, glimpses. Some involve one or all of the group directly, some only peripherally, but all reflect on what they meant to their fans, the history of rock n roll, and even popular culture as a whole. If you can bracket your knowledge of them while reading this, forget the things you know and the things you think you know, and just experience them in these fragments, I think you'll find something similar to what living in the moment was like in those days.
A lot of the information here is not new, some are people's reflections so are new to us. But if, rather than play the annoying "I knew all this stuff already" game, you just read and reflect from whatever your connections to them were/are, I think you'll enjoy this. Don't make this a "I'm a bigger fan than you" thing either, there is no single "biggest fan" so get over it. Just remember the joy and happiness you experienced when you were living the moments in your life that they and their music touched. If you want to play a game, play the what if game, what if they had... So many wonderful possibilities but the flip of the coin might have had them tarnishing their legacy. But the disappointment (for fans and music lovers) of an early break up, relatively early deaths, feuds that might not have had to be so enduring, what if...
I recommend this to any Beatles fan, even the ones who can't resist pretending they know everything about them. If you sometimes grow tired of the narrative (I begin getting sad right around the time of Revolver when I read books that cover their history chronologically) and just want to remember the good times and memories, by all means grab this book.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
If you're of a certain age (which I am, and which most people simply call old) you grew up watching and listening to the Beatles. I can remember hearing the news of what most of us had guessed, the break up of the Beatles, when I was 12 and trying to hide my tears. I had all of their albums, both US and UK releases (benefit of being in a military family) and as the years went on I read all of the major publications about them and most of the minor, often horrible, publications. I was lucky enough to have met 2 of them, though it was little more than an introduction and only memorable to me. I mention all this to make a point, namely that as time has passed, it has been hard to separate how I thought of their career at the time and how it now seems like such a coherent narrative. The more we read the more we incorporate our memories into the prevailing "story of the Beatles."
This book is less a narrative than a collection of, well, glimpses. Some involve one or all of the group directly, some only peripherally, but all reflect on what they meant to their fans, the history of rock n roll, and even popular culture as a whole. If you can bracket your knowledge of them while reading this, forget the things you know and the things you think you know, and just experience them in these fragments, I think you'll find something similar to what living in the moment was like in those days.
A lot of the information here is not new, some are people's reflections so are new to us. But if, rather than play the annoying "I knew all this stuff already" game, you just read and reflect from whatever your connections to them were/are, I think you'll enjoy this. Don't make this a "I'm a bigger fan than you" thing either, there is no single "biggest fan" so get over it. Just remember the joy and happiness you experienced when you were living the moments in your life that they and their music touched. If you want to play a game, play the what if game, what if they had... So many wonderful possibilities but the flip of the coin might have had them tarnishing their legacy. But the disappointment (for fans and music lovers) of an early break up, relatively early deaths, feuds that might not have had to be so enduring, what if...
I recommend this to any Beatles fan, even the ones who can't resist pretending they know everything about them. If you sometimes grow tired of the narrative (I begin getting sad right around the time of Revolver when I read books that cover their history chronologically) and just want to remember the good times and memories, by all means grab this book.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
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