February 1, 2005
Journalist and novelist Norman (Rave On: The Biography of Buddy Holly) here updates and revises his 1981 Beatles biography, which sold 125,000 copies. The book now includes information on Paul McCartney's and Ringo Starr's recent activities, details the tragic end of George Harrison's life, and seeks to present a more objective view of the contributions made by each Beatle (the 1981 edition was decidedly anti-McCartney). Norman also includes new insight into the complex relationship between John Lennon and Yoko Ono, the result of several interviews with Ono in recent years. While Norman's revision still seems a tad harsh on Harrison as a guitarist and McCartney as a human being, it is the most balanced, detailed, and highly analytical of the popular biographies of the Beatles. Priced to find its way into the home libraries of Beatles fans, this is also well worth purchasing as a replacement by libraries owning the first edition. Highly recommended for all public libraries and for the general music collections of academic libraries.-James E. Perone, Mount Union Coll., Alliance, OH
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