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Lennon Revealed
A quarter of a century after his death, the question remains: what was John Lennon really like? Now, in the audio version of "The New York Times'" bestselling book, acclaimed broadcast journalist Larry Kane uncovers the mysteries of Lennon's life and implodes the myths surrounding it. "Lennon Revealed" is filled with eye-opening revelations: Kane provides stunning information about Lennon's relationships with Ono, his childhood soulmate Stuart Sutcliffe, his lover May Pang, and Beatles' manager Brian Epstein. Drawing on extensive personal accounts and extraordinary new interviews--most notably, Yoko Ono--Kane brings the reader closer than ever to the charismatic man who, in life and in death, had a singular impact on humanity. The exclusive DVD also features the rarely seen final filmed interview with Lennon and Paul McCartney, conducted by Larry Kane in 1968. (l
296 pages, Hardcover
First published September 6, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 27, 2018
As pointed out by another reviewer I also take issue with the dust-jacket's promise of "more than a list of stunning revelations." That's hype that Lennon Revealed doesn't really deliver on, but I guess any publicity is good publicity. Author Kane (well known in my home area for his decades as a local TV news reporter / anchor) did have a good rapport and relationship with the Fab Four from his early days as a radio journalist, so he has a certain inside track. Also, he doesn't sanitize everything.
It's not quite a biography but more like a tribute by Kane. Various people (from those in the media /entertainment field to common folk) who had interaction with John Lennon, especially in the final decade of his life, relate their impressions of and anecdotes about the man. It was good but not necessarily essential reading. Lennon's fans, though, will likely find something inside to appreciate.
It's not quite a biography but more like a tribute by Kane. Various people (from those in the media /entertainment field to common folk) who had interaction with John Lennon, especially in the final decade of his life, relate their impressions of and anecdotes about the man. It was good but not necessarily essential reading. Lennon's fans, though, will likely find something inside to appreciate.
June 9, 2011
Out of all books I've read on Lennon, this one is by far the most in-touch with his true personality. After reading this, I felt as though I knew him as a person, and not just an idol as he was veiwed by meida.I have re-read this book many times, and probably will again!
January 18, 2014
Another interesting look at John Lennon. Written by a reporter who was "inner circle" and spent two summers + touring with the Beatles, he's able to give an informed yet slightly more impartial view of who John was. He also interviews Yoko, May Pang and a ton of other people who knew him, each of whom has their own biases and opinions, and often conflicting accounts. I guess if John wasn't so complex, people wouldn't still be writing books trying to figure out exactly who he was, something not easily accomplished. At least this book tries to get at the truth of John without whitewashing him. There's no disguising the fact that he could be a jerk, but this book found plenty of favorable things to say about him. I liked hear about John's wicked sense of humor. Also, I had no idea how much he did value his fans and there are a ton of stories that show just how kind he was to them. It was nice to hear about that little-discussed side to John.
(FYI, I think Philip Norman's recent book about John does a good job not whitewashing him too. Certainly the more recent books about the Beatles do a better job of this than the older ones, now that lots of the involved parties have passed away.)
The book is a quick read, and like Cynthia's book starts out with his murder, which is really sad to keep reading about, especially in such graphic detail. Anyway, a recommended read if you're into such things.
(FYI, I think Philip Norman's recent book about John does a good job not whitewashing him too. Certainly the more recent books about the Beatles do a better job of this than the older ones, now that lots of the involved parties have passed away.)
The book is a quick read, and like Cynthia's book starts out with his murder, which is really sad to keep reading about, especially in such graphic detail. Anyway, a recommended read if you're into such things.
May 7, 2016
Larry Kane does his best to write objectively. And it's true, of course, that geniuses of all types have faults. But because Kane tries so hard to be objective, he seems a bit too negative about Lennon. Or maybe that's just me, as I grew up with the Beatles as a big part of my musical world. I read this several years ago, and it's time for another read.
April 28, 2024
John Lennon: è sufficiente il nome a risvegliare nuvole di significati nella mente di ciascuno di noi. In tutto il mondo esistono milioni, se non miliardi, di persone che conoscono il suo nome e la sua musica.
"John Lennon non temeva di dire la verità. John Lennon era verità. Diceva sempre a tutti "Non cerco di salvare il mondo. Provo solo a dire quello che c'è nel mio cuore". Nel profondo del suo Io, era un duro che non era affatto duro. Era premuroso e pieno d'amore.
Era una persona complessa, come lo sono tutte quelle di talento. Venerarlo da eroe vuol dire dargli una sola dimensione. A lui non piacerebbe affatto."
In questa biografia la sua figura si staglia sullo sfondo, in primo piano ascoltiamo i racconti e i vissuti delle persone che lo hanno conosciuto come musicista, collega, amico o amante. Il suo immenso carisma controbilanciava le sue debolezze e dipendenze. Perseguiva la verità, in ogni cosa era autentico. Quando si rendeva conto di essere stato sgarbato o fuori luogo chiedeva perdono, dimostrando un dispiacere reale. Passava momenti di splendore alternati a periodi di silenzio e isolamento. I fantasmi della sua infanzia difficile non lo hanno mai lasciato, eppure ne ha saputo trarre grande ispirazione, parlando direttamente al cuore di chi ascolta le sue canzoni.
Molto severo con se stesso, estremamente ansioso prima di salire sul palco, terrorizzato dalle grandi folle e dal volare in aereo e nonostante questo sul palco splendeva e affrontava ogni giorno le sue paure con la forte ironia che lo caratterizzava. Un musicista unico che ha creato capolavori senza tempo, ha smosso le coscienze di molti con le sue prese di posizione. Si prese cura di Ringo quando la sua carriera si arenò dopo lo scioglimento dei Beatles. È cresciuto moltissimo nel corso degli anni, dimostrando che il cambiamento è buono.
È impressionante pensare che la sua vita sia durata solamente 40 anni, spezzata dalla mano di un folle qualsiasi. Stringe il cuore sapere che il giorno stesso della sua morte aveva appena rilasciato un'intervista insieme a Yoko Ono in cui, sorridente e luminoso, rivelava di avere grandi progetti in serbo per il futuro.
Purtroppo questa edizione è piena di refusi che a volte rischiano di stravolgere il senso del testo. Per il resto rimane una lettura preziosa.
"John Lennon non temeva di dire la verità. John Lennon era verità. Diceva sempre a tutti "Non cerco di salvare il mondo. Provo solo a dire quello che c'è nel mio cuore". Nel profondo del suo Io, era un duro che non era affatto duro. Era premuroso e pieno d'amore.
Era una persona complessa, come lo sono tutte quelle di talento. Venerarlo da eroe vuol dire dargli una sola dimensione. A lui non piacerebbe affatto."
In questa biografia la sua figura si staglia sullo sfondo, in primo piano ascoltiamo i racconti e i vissuti delle persone che lo hanno conosciuto come musicista, collega, amico o amante. Il suo immenso carisma controbilanciava le sue debolezze e dipendenze. Perseguiva la verità, in ogni cosa era autentico. Quando si rendeva conto di essere stato sgarbato o fuori luogo chiedeva perdono, dimostrando un dispiacere reale. Passava momenti di splendore alternati a periodi di silenzio e isolamento. I fantasmi della sua infanzia difficile non lo hanno mai lasciato, eppure ne ha saputo trarre grande ispirazione, parlando direttamente al cuore di chi ascolta le sue canzoni.
Molto severo con se stesso, estremamente ansioso prima di salire sul palco, terrorizzato dalle grandi folle e dal volare in aereo e nonostante questo sul palco splendeva e affrontava ogni giorno le sue paure con la forte ironia che lo caratterizzava. Un musicista unico che ha creato capolavori senza tempo, ha smosso le coscienze di molti con le sue prese di posizione. Si prese cura di Ringo quando la sua carriera si arenò dopo lo scioglimento dei Beatles. È cresciuto moltissimo nel corso degli anni, dimostrando che il cambiamento è buono.
È impressionante pensare che la sua vita sia durata solamente 40 anni, spezzata dalla mano di un folle qualsiasi. Stringe il cuore sapere che il giorno stesso della sua morte aveva appena rilasciato un'intervista insieme a Yoko Ono in cui, sorridente e luminoso, rivelava di avere grandi progetti in serbo per il futuro.
Purtroppo questa edizione è piena di refusi che a volte rischiano di stravolgere il senso del testo. Per il resto rimane una lettura preziosa.
December 14, 2019
PERFECT: 10/10
10
1. Imagine [10/10]
2. Instant Karma [10/10]
3. Working Class Hero [10/10]
4. Mind Games [10/10]
5. Happy Xmas (War is Over) [10/10]
6. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) [10/10]
7. Nobody Told Me [10/10]
8. #9 Dream [10/10]
9. Woman is the Nigger of the World [10/10]
10. Power to the People [10/10]
NEAR PERFECT: 8-9/10
9
1. Oh My Love [9/10]
2. Jealous Guy [9/10]
3. Mother [9/10]
4. Love [9/10]
5. Watching the Wheels [9/10]
8
6. God [8/10]
7. Hold On [8/10]
8. I Know (I Know) [8/10]
9. Out the Blue [8/10]
GOOD SONGS: 5-7/10
7
1. Give Peace a Chance [7/10]
2. Gimme Some Truth [7/10]
3. India India [7/10]
4. New York City [7/10]
5. How Do You Sleep? [7/10]
6. It’s So Hard [7/10]
7. (Just Like) Starting Over [7/10]
8. Woman [7/10]
6
9. Cold Turkey [6/10]
10. I Found Out [6/10]
11. Nobody Love You (When You’re Down and Out) [6/10]
12. Isolation [6/10]
13. Aisumasen (I’m Sorry)
14. Look at Me [6/10]
15. How? [6/10]
16. Grow Old With Me [6/10]
17. Goodnight Vienna [6/10]
18. Borrowed Time [6/10]
19. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night [6/10]
20. What You Got [6/10]
5
21. Berky Jerky [5/10]
22. Well Well Well [5/10]
23. I Don’t Wanna Be a Solider Mama I Don’t Wanna Die [5/10]
24. The Luck of the Irish [5/10]
25. Oh Yoko! [5/10]
JUST OK: 3-4/10
4
1. Sunday Bloody Sunday [4/10]
2. Bless You [4/10]
3. I’m the Greatest [4/10]
4. Intuition [4/10]
5. Remember [4/10]
6. Crippled Inside [4/10]
7. Surprise Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox) [4/10]
8. One Day (At a Time) [4/10]
9. {Forgive Me} My Little Flower Princess [4/10]
10. Scared [4/10]
11. I’m Stepping Out [4/10]
12. Long Lost John [4/10]
13. Tight A$ [4/10]
14. You Are Here [4/10]
15. Only People [4/10]
16. Steel and Glass [4/10]
17. Old Dirt Road [4/10]
18. Bring on the Lucie (Freda People) [4/10]
3
19. My Mummy’s Dead [3/10]
20. John Sinclair [3/10]
21. Move Over Ms. L [3/10]
22. Meat City [3/10]
23. Angela [3/10]
24. Attica State [3/10]
25. Rock and Roll People [3/10]
26. Here We Go Again [3/10]
27. Going Down on Love [3/10]
28. I’m Losing You [3/10]
29. I Don’t Wanna Face It [3/10]
30. It’s Real [3/10]
31. Help Me Help Myself [3/10]
32. The Rishi Kesh Song [3/10]
DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME: 1-2/10
2
1. Cleanup Time [2/10]
2. Dear Yoko [2/10]
3. Serve Yourself [2/10]
4. Life Begins at 40 [2/10]
1
5. Mucho Mungo [1/10]
6. Aü [1/10]
7. Two Virgins Side One [1/10]
8. Two Virgins Side Two [1/10]
9. Amsterdam [1/10]
10. Baby's Heartbeat [1/10]
11. Cambridge 1969 [1/10]
12. John & Yoko [1/10]
13. No Bed for Beatle John [1/10]
14. Radio Play [1/10]
15. Jamrag [1/10]
16. Two Minutes Silence [1/10]
17. Nutopian International Anthem [1/10]
18. The Great Wok [1/10]
10
1. Imagine [10/10]
2. Instant Karma [10/10]
3. Working Class Hero [10/10]
4. Mind Games [10/10]
5. Happy Xmas (War is Over) [10/10]
6. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) [10/10]
7. Nobody Told Me [10/10]
8. #9 Dream [10/10]
9. Woman is the Nigger of the World [10/10]
10. Power to the People [10/10]
NEAR PERFECT: 8-9/10
9
1. Oh My Love [9/10]
2. Jealous Guy [9/10]
3. Mother [9/10]
4. Love [9/10]
5. Watching the Wheels [9/10]
8
6. God [8/10]
7. Hold On [8/10]
8. I Know (I Know) [8/10]
9. Out the Blue [8/10]
GOOD SONGS: 5-7/10
7
1. Give Peace a Chance [7/10]
2. Gimme Some Truth [7/10]
3. India India [7/10]
4. New York City [7/10]
5. How Do You Sleep? [7/10]
6. It’s So Hard [7/10]
7. (Just Like) Starting Over [7/10]
8. Woman [7/10]
6
9. Cold Turkey [6/10]
10. I Found Out [6/10]
11. Nobody Love You (When You’re Down and Out) [6/10]
12. Isolation [6/10]
13. Aisumasen (I’m Sorry)
14. Look at Me [6/10]
15. How? [6/10]
16. Grow Old With Me [6/10]
17. Goodnight Vienna [6/10]
18. Borrowed Time [6/10]
19. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night [6/10]
20. What You Got [6/10]
5
21. Berky Jerky [5/10]
22. Well Well Well [5/10]
23. I Don’t Wanna Be a Solider Mama I Don’t Wanna Die [5/10]
24. The Luck of the Irish [5/10]
25. Oh Yoko! [5/10]
JUST OK: 3-4/10
4
1. Sunday Bloody Sunday [4/10]
2. Bless You [4/10]
3. I’m the Greatest [4/10]
4. Intuition [4/10]
5. Remember [4/10]
6. Crippled Inside [4/10]
7. Surprise Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox) [4/10]
8. One Day (At a Time) [4/10]
9. {Forgive Me} My Little Flower Princess [4/10]
10. Scared [4/10]
11. I’m Stepping Out [4/10]
12. Long Lost John [4/10]
13. Tight A$ [4/10]
14. You Are Here [4/10]
15. Only People [4/10]
16. Steel and Glass [4/10]
17. Old Dirt Road [4/10]
18. Bring on the Lucie (Freda People) [4/10]
3
19. My Mummy’s Dead [3/10]
20. John Sinclair [3/10]
21. Move Over Ms. L [3/10]
22. Meat City [3/10]
23. Angela [3/10]
24. Attica State [3/10]
25. Rock and Roll People [3/10]
26. Here We Go Again [3/10]
27. Going Down on Love [3/10]
28. I’m Losing You [3/10]
29. I Don’t Wanna Face It [3/10]
30. It’s Real [3/10]
31. Help Me Help Myself [3/10]
32. The Rishi Kesh Song [3/10]
DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME: 1-2/10
2
1. Cleanup Time [2/10]
2. Dear Yoko [2/10]
3. Serve Yourself [2/10]
4. Life Begins at 40 [2/10]
1
5. Mucho Mungo [1/10]
6. Aü [1/10]
7. Two Virgins Side One [1/10]
8. Two Virgins Side Two [1/10]
9. Amsterdam [1/10]
10. Baby's Heartbeat [1/10]
11. Cambridge 1969 [1/10]
12. John & Yoko [1/10]
13. No Bed for Beatle John [1/10]
14. Radio Play [1/10]
15. Jamrag [1/10]
16. Two Minutes Silence [1/10]
17. Nutopian International Anthem [1/10]
18. The Great Wok [1/10]
February 26, 2010
The genre of this book is documentary style and it is a non-fiction book about one of the greatest writers that lived in this earth. it starts with the end that fateful day on decmber 8,1980 Lennon happens to be the protagonist and one of the antagonist happens to be the very man to end lennons life. Mark David Chapman. the book is about larry and lennon and how they met and what larry thought about the beatles at first and how throughout the years they become close friends it also talks and tells you mainly about lennons life the drugs he did the women he loved and the men he admired and maybe even loved more than the women in his life.
I would say that this book is man vs self and man vs society because lennon starts having conflicts with himself and his wives because of the people he starts to talk with and the drugs he starts to use and abuse of.
Genre of book, why you choose the book, very brief plot elements (protagonist, supporting characters, antagonist, etc.). DO NOT GIVE AWAY THE ENDING!
Central conflict (man vs. _____), theme (expressed as a sentence), symbols, motifs, other literary devices used by the author
Writing style of author; critique of book (whether or not you would recommend it to others, and why.
I would say that this book is man vs self and man vs society because lennon starts having conflicts with himself and his wives because of the people he starts to talk with and the drugs he starts to use and abuse of.
Genre of book, why you choose the book, very brief plot elements (protagonist, supporting characters, antagonist, etc.). DO NOT GIVE AWAY THE ENDING!
Central conflict (man vs. _____), theme (expressed as a sentence), symbols, motifs, other literary devices used by the author
Writing style of author; critique of book (whether or not you would recommend it to others, and why.
March 1, 2014
I watched Larry Kane on Action News in Philly for years, never knowing his close relationship to the Beatles, and especially to John Lennon. What a gift he's given to Lennon fans--a story of love, pain, responsibility, anger, and genius. The man who is now a legend, who changed the world with his words and his deeds, is written about and spoken about with respect and awe for all that he did, for what he suffered, for how he loved. Kane's writing is superb, and his 'peek behind the curtain' into Lennon's life is much more than a peek--it's a bold canvas painted in broad strokes and fine detail. Like Lennon.
August 29, 2008
Loved it!
Read
July 8, 2009I open this book anytime I need a little inspiration. If you weren't a fan before, this book will show you an opening to a real person who just happened to be a great singer / songwriter.
August 7, 2025
A fine book recounting key characteristics of John’s life. A little boring and too self-inserty of the author at times. Kane admits he’s a Lennon fan, and boy, does he really lean into it. He mostly only speaks positively of John and ignores the negative, awful parts of him, which feels like a disservice to the man who readily voiced his flaws and openly denounced them. For example, Kane mentions violence and abuse towards women in his myths chapter, and only gives the example of the rumors about Mia Farrow during the India trip. He makes no mention of the well-documented cases of violence and abuse towards Cynthia and May, only saying there were rumors that he “somehow abused them [women]”.
This is an alright read, but the reader must take each character assessment of John Lennon (of which there are many) with a grain of salt, remembering Kane very much likes John and Yoko, has seemingly neutral feelings for Ringo and George, and dislikes Paul (Kane tends to minimize the Lennon-McCartney relationship and implies John always actively served to aid Paul, whilst Paul was self-absorbed and obsessed with his own appearance and the spotlight.)
This was disappointing after Kane’s “Ticket to Ride”, which felt less biased.
This is an alright read, but the reader must take each character assessment of John Lennon (of which there are many) with a grain of salt, remembering Kane very much likes John and Yoko, has seemingly neutral feelings for Ringo and George, and dislikes Paul (Kane tends to minimize the Lennon-McCartney relationship and implies John always actively served to aid Paul, whilst Paul was self-absorbed and obsessed with his own appearance and the spotlight.)
This was disappointing after Kane’s “Ticket to Ride”, which felt less biased.
February 17, 2021
Heartfelt and informative, this book is really a lovely tribute to the life of a legend. It brings a light to John as a human in so many ways.
——-
“He didn’t want people to just adore him. He wanted people to know what he is made of.” (Yoko Ono)
“In Madrid, the weekly newspaper Cambio 16 put it all in perspective, declaring, “An imbecile extinguished forever a voice of intelligence.”
“The fact that they started writing songs together showed they had a real relationship. Lennon and McCartney gained confidence from each other.... The heart of the Beatles was their writing. The Beatles would have just been a great cover band without their writing.” (Martin Lewis)
——-
“He didn’t want people to just adore him. He wanted people to know what he is made of.” (Yoko Ono)
“In Madrid, the weekly newspaper Cambio 16 put it all in perspective, declaring, “An imbecile extinguished forever a voice of intelligence.”
“The fact that they started writing songs together showed they had a real relationship. Lennon and McCartney gained confidence from each other.... The heart of the Beatles was their writing. The Beatles would have just been a great cover band without their writing.” (Martin Lewis)
March 18, 2024
If the dust jacket is to be believed (new interviews with over 100 friends and family), Kane must have a lot of primary resources available to him. And what stories he does share are good, but wished he leaned on some of those resources rather than his own recollections.
January 30, 2025
If you're interested in John's relationships with Yoko, May, Cyn, Sean and Julian then this is the book for you. I was looking for more a historical record with interesting and maybe unknown tidbits ... this is not the book for that.
August 4, 2018
I remember liking it, but it's been awhile. I read it before the first one Larry Kane wrote. Go fig.
August 3, 2018
Not bad, wish he would’ve gone into more detail about the lost weekend or John’s solo work but it was a good description of him as a person and his evolution.
June 6, 2019
sõnal on jõud
April 30, 2020
very insightful
February 25, 2023
Loved the first-person accounts of early interactions with Beatles, especially Lennon; however the poor editing was quite distracting. My copy was secondhand and did not include DVD, so sadly I cannot comment on that.
September 9, 2025
I enjoyed this a lot and there were actually quite a few new things I learned from it. Will say I didn't find the last chapter particularly necessary but so it goes.
Grade: A-
Grade: A-
December 24, 2025
Reverent biography of John Lennon
July 11, 2017
Well written, with yet another angle on the complicated individual and personal dramas that was John Lennon.
Not one of the better ones (and also by far not the worse).
Not one of the better ones (and also by far not the worse).
March 25, 2016
Lennon Revealed
Beatles' fan from ever, with a particular bias to John, I won this book in a trivia contest on the John Lennon Examiner. I received it with an inscription and signed by Shelley Germeaux in February 2013.
It's always hard for me to read about that fateful night of December 8, 1980, and keep reading. Hoping while I read that HeWhoMustNotBeNamed had gotten tired or changed his mind after a whole day in front of the Dakota. But always finding in the end that he doesn't, and the worst happens. So I made my first stop very early, I stopped reading the book at the time.
I restarted it last month. Once I went over this event I found a most interesting book. Looking back now I think that this is because it was written with the heart.
Larry Kane is a privileged man in many ways. One, obviously, having been a friend of John's. Not of the performer or of the musician or the superstar, but of the person all along his stardom. A person who had a response from John when he called him and who was even called by John. Not just being from his inner circle but a friend to whom John opened his home and his heart doors. The second, because between lines he shows he is a good father, a good person.
The book is wonderful.
Many times Mr. Kane is very critical of John's personality and behavior and even then he does it with warmth and love and not letting you forget that John was just a man. Many other times he tells facts almost from John's point of view. One major example of this is the chapter about the concert at the Shea Stadium. Having been on stage, he didn't just see but he heard, felt and lived there almost the same things as the Beatles. How he describes the astounding noise, the behavior of the audience as a mass and of some individuals, the unstable equilibrium between police and fans, how the Beatles didn't even hear what they were playing, also the thrill, the emotion, the total surrender of the band and of John's to the performance... he makes you feel almost what John must have felt on his elbow as he energetically used it to play the organ... amazing, you get immediately transported not to the stadium but to the stage, you look to your left and there's John, Paul to your right watching John eye-to-eye and smiling as they sing, you see George to your side and some steps back there's Ringo balancing the whole with his beat. It's impressive, Larry takes you there. No matter how many times you have watched the footage of this concert, reading this will be new for you. And there's more: because of his closeness to John and what they must have spoken about this, Mr. Kane makes you feel like John did. His fears even before going out to the stage, as they were there, his nervousness and apprehension about the mass of the public, even their concern for the well-being of the fans among the crowd, how he looked at Paul reproaching him for booing the police for chasing the fans... This chapter touched me very much, it transported me to that stage and let me know what happened in there when up to now I had just seen it from the outside.
The closeness of Mr. Kane to John is present in all the pages, so you come to think that closeness and familiarity are normal.
But your own experience and that of the fans who write in the last chapter take the reader back to reality: except for some few privileged, most of us, as the fans who wrote there, are and were away from John in space and in time. I shared with him 20 years in the world but, at least, one continent away; moreover, as for many Americans or Europeans, probably for John too, the world ends to the south in Florida or the Bahamas and we South Americans don't exist, I always was very far in space from him. Many others, as some of those who write, were born years after John's death: many fans are away from him in time and even so they read, and search, and investigate, and read this book to learn more about John (and the Beatles), to know him more, to capitalize his legacy. Those testimonials in the last chapter show how important for the fans are the simple discovery of a song or album they didn't know of, a glimpse of the real person, or the miracle of a short conversation, the signing of an autograph or him taking a fan's guitar and taking his time to play a couple of songs in a place where he was dining.
This book takes you nearer to your old friend John. Read it. And don't be surprised by some tears every now and then.
[Shelley, nice surprise to see you amongst the fans who wrote in the last chapter!]
MJO, March 2016
Beatles' fan from ever, with a particular bias to John, I won this book in a trivia contest on the John Lennon Examiner. I received it with an inscription and signed by Shelley Germeaux in February 2013.
It's always hard for me to read about that fateful night of December 8, 1980, and keep reading. Hoping while I read that HeWhoMustNotBeNamed had gotten tired or changed his mind after a whole day in front of the Dakota. But always finding in the end that he doesn't, and the worst happens. So I made my first stop very early, I stopped reading the book at the time.
I restarted it last month. Once I went over this event I found a most interesting book. Looking back now I think that this is because it was written with the heart.
Larry Kane is a privileged man in many ways. One, obviously, having been a friend of John's. Not of the performer or of the musician or the superstar, but of the person all along his stardom. A person who had a response from John when he called him and who was even called by John. Not just being from his inner circle but a friend to whom John opened his home and his heart doors. The second, because between lines he shows he is a good father, a good person.
The book is wonderful.
Many times Mr. Kane is very critical of John's personality and behavior and even then he does it with warmth and love and not letting you forget that John was just a man. Many other times he tells facts almost from John's point of view. One major example of this is the chapter about the concert at the Shea Stadium. Having been on stage, he didn't just see but he heard, felt and lived there almost the same things as the Beatles. How he describes the astounding noise, the behavior of the audience as a mass and of some individuals, the unstable equilibrium between police and fans, how the Beatles didn't even hear what they were playing, also the thrill, the emotion, the total surrender of the band and of John's to the performance... he makes you feel almost what John must have felt on his elbow as he energetically used it to play the organ... amazing, you get immediately transported not to the stadium but to the stage, you look to your left and there's John, Paul to your right watching John eye-to-eye and smiling as they sing, you see George to your side and some steps back there's Ringo balancing the whole with his beat. It's impressive, Larry takes you there. No matter how many times you have watched the footage of this concert, reading this will be new for you. And there's more: because of his closeness to John and what they must have spoken about this, Mr. Kane makes you feel like John did. His fears even before going out to the stage, as they were there, his nervousness and apprehension about the mass of the public, even their concern for the well-being of the fans among the crowd, how he looked at Paul reproaching him for booing the police for chasing the fans... This chapter touched me very much, it transported me to that stage and let me know what happened in there when up to now I had just seen it from the outside.
The closeness of Mr. Kane to John is present in all the pages, so you come to think that closeness and familiarity are normal.
But your own experience and that of the fans who write in the last chapter take the reader back to reality: except for some few privileged, most of us, as the fans who wrote there, are and were away from John in space and in time. I shared with him 20 years in the world but, at least, one continent away; moreover, as for many Americans or Europeans, probably for John too, the world ends to the south in Florida or the Bahamas and we South Americans don't exist, I always was very far in space from him. Many others, as some of those who write, were born years after John's death: many fans are away from him in time and even so they read, and search, and investigate, and read this book to learn more about John (and the Beatles), to know him more, to capitalize his legacy. Those testimonials in the last chapter show how important for the fans are the simple discovery of a song or album they didn't know of, a glimpse of the real person, or the miracle of a short conversation, the signing of an autograph or him taking a fan's guitar and taking his time to play a couple of songs in a place where he was dining.
This book takes you nearer to your old friend John. Read it. And don't be surprised by some tears every now and then.
[Shelley, nice surprise to see you amongst the fans who wrote in the last chapter!]
MJO, March 2016
October 4, 2015
I born 9 years after John Lennon´s murder and I cant say that I´m a fan of The Beatles. I have listened only to few of their songs and that years ago. I didn´t pick up this book because I wanted to get to know Beatles Lennon, but because I have heard about John Lennon as human who affected the world, I wanted to get to know John.
In the first quarter of the book I was quite disappointed, not because of Lennon but because the book, for me the structure of the book was disturbing, the writer jumped from one year to another and then back, the story seemed first not going smoothly. I almost gave up the book, but I´m happy that I didn´t.
This book showed me the amazing John, human who had the power to change peoples hearts for better, to bring changes to the world. He was a very talented man, he was a human who was not afraid to say what he thought and what he believed, he worked for his beliefs and despite of his often told harsh sarcastic phrases, what showed him as a tough man, He was a warm hearted emotional person. John Lennon left in me a very deep warm feeling, I respect him and will take him as a example of how we should be (Im not talking about his problem with drugs etc). When reading the letters of people who loved John, brought tears to my eyes,My heart just understood their sadness and pain.
Its sad that this great person was taken from us so soon. What would you John think about this worlds horrible events? What would you do to change the world? You would be very sad and feel the pain what people in need feel and you would give your best to change their lives to better. Im sure he would have given the world even more love.
Thank you Lennon for being who you were! R.I.P
I recommend this book for everybody who wants to meet John Lennon. Thank you Larry Kane for introducing me to John.
In the first quarter of the book I was quite disappointed, not because of Lennon but because the book, for me the structure of the book was disturbing, the writer jumped from one year to another and then back, the story seemed first not going smoothly. I almost gave up the book, but I´m happy that I didn´t.
This book showed me the amazing John, human who had the power to change peoples hearts for better, to bring changes to the world. He was a very talented man, he was a human who was not afraid to say what he thought and what he believed, he worked for his beliefs and despite of his often told harsh sarcastic phrases, what showed him as a tough man, He was a warm hearted emotional person. John Lennon left in me a very deep warm feeling, I respect him and will take him as a example of how we should be (Im not talking about his problem with drugs etc). When reading the letters of people who loved John, brought tears to my eyes,My heart just understood their sadness and pain.
Its sad that this great person was taken from us so soon. What would you John think about this worlds horrible events? What would you do to change the world? You would be very sad and feel the pain what people in need feel and you would give your best to change their lives to better. Im sure he would have given the world even more love.
Thank you Lennon for being who you were! R.I.P
I recommend this book for everybody who wants to meet John Lennon. Thank you Larry Kane for introducing me to John.
February 1, 2010
Another interesting look at John Lennon. Written by a reporter who was "inner circle" and spent two summers + touring with the Beatles, he's able to give an informed yet slightly more impartial view of who John was. He also interviews Yoko, May Pang and a ton of other people who knew him, each of whom has their own biases and opinions, and often conflicting accounts. I guess if John wasn't so complex, people wouldn't still be writing books trying to figure out exactly who he was, something not easily accomplished. At least this book tries to get at the truth of John without whitewashing him. There's no disguising the fact that he could be a jerk, but this book found plenty of favorable things to say about him. I liked hear about John's wicked sense of humor. Also, I had no idea how much he did value his fans and there are a ton of stories that show just how kind he was to them. It was nice to hear about that little-discussed side to John.
(FYI, I think Philip Norman's recent book about John does a good job not whitewashing him too. Certainly the more recent books about the Beatles do a better job of this than the older ones, now that lots of the involved parties have passed away.)
The book is a quick read, and like Cynthia's book starts out with his murder, which is really sad to keep reading about, especially in such graphic detail. Anyway, a recommended read if you're into such things.
(FYI, I think Philip Norman's recent book about John does a good job not whitewashing him too. Certainly the more recent books about the Beatles do a better job of this than the older ones, now that lots of the involved parties have passed away.)
The book is a quick read, and like Cynthia's book starts out with his murder, which is really sad to keep reading about, especially in such graphic detail. Anyway, a recommended read if you're into such things.
December 12, 2010
This was my first Audio book I ever tried...8 cd's listening in my car while I drive to work everyday. This cd book was well written and done by Larry Kane. Larry was on the road with the Beatles everyday during their massive sudden success in America in 64-65. He saw everything that went on with every individual Beatle and road life with fans. He closely talks about every individual around Lennon's life up to his death in 1980. Each person who had played an important roll during that time he gets into detail about that person and what they have said & done during that period. From Lennon's early life getting into the music scene to the day of his death he was known by everyone as a music genius who had demons of any rock star of alcohol, drugs, anger fits,fighting with press and insecurities. He believed in his fans but had a trust issue with everyone he met. It gives you an insight of a music writing genius who died before his time.
May 26, 2011
Although John Lennon has always been a person I have looked up to, I have generally modeled my actions after his music. His music was only a vehicle for his message, and reading this book really showed that Lennon lived by his word. He was more complex than the media portrayed him at the time, and being born nearly a year after his murder, I was deprived of the experience of living in real time with John. This book, although I was skeptical at first, turned out to be a great intro into John Lennon's life. The author has the first hand experience with Lennon to back up his writing. Unlike many of the so-called "historians" that like to paint a twisted picture of a man who, although complex, was beautiful to his core. I generally take books like these with a grain of salt, but this one was surely good enough to entice me to read more books about my most favorite artist.
October 5, 2013
There are a lot of books about John but this one is unique because Larry Kane is a journalist, not a biographer or an entertainment writer. He approaches this subject as he would a political convention or a crime story, and since John's life story necessarily contains the press and politics and (tragically) murder, Kane's perspective is valuable. I enjoyed his insights into John/Paul and John/Brian. Perhaps Kane relied too much on Pauline Sutcliffe and the result is that John's relationship with Stu is overemphasized. It's certainly a different view than other biographers have put forth. The only thing I didn't like about the book were the essays at the end. I don't actually care what fans have to say about losing John Lennon. I'm a fan, John influenced my life in ways great and small, and I lost him, too. I get it. PS The DVD of Paul and John together is a wonderful bonus!
November 22, 2010
Again, I felt there was a bit of repetition, especially after just finishing Ticket to Ride (there were entire passages repeated from the previous book verbatim) but overall just a wonderful combination of reminiscence and research that provided great insight into Lennon's life. I again learned a lot I didn't know and had some great opportunities for reflection as I listened. Kane has a very casual and familiar, yet also journalistic (in the previous use of the word where it used to mean trustworthy) way of relating information. Highly recommended. I'd love for him to write about the other Beatles though i understand he doesn't have the same relationship and passion for them as he does for John.
May 21, 2015
I read this book for the second quarter project and I really loved it. I love the Beatles and I really always have. Because of this prior interest, I chose this book, hoping to further my knowledge of this fantastic band and its members. Larry Kane, a reporter from Philadelphia, also attracted me to this book being that we have a similar background. While reading, I found that Kane's personal relationship with John Lennon made his information factual as well as creating an interesting and entertaining story. There is really nothing I did not like about this read. The author included everything he knew about Lennon, the good, the bad, all of it. This ensured a realistic and unbiased retelling of the public and private life of Mr. John Lennon.
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