
ALL TOGETHER NOW--A Compendium of Beatles Books
Compiled and edited by Steve Carter (stevedc@central.sussex.ac.uk)
Last Update: 1 July 1993
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This list comprises Beatles-related publications, first by author
name, then by title. Entries are in the following format:

- Author or editor (if any)
- Date (if known; last two digits give year)
- Brief description of subject matter.

A shorter list of books is available from dmac@math.ucla.edu (saki); ask
for BOOKS, which lists only the essentials. Completists may read the
following list with (one hopes) substantial relish. Please send comments
on what you think should be included or corrected to saki (dmac@math.ucla.edu).
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ALPHABETICAL BY AUTHOR:

 The Beatles Film 
 64  
 1964 cash-in book of photo's about the making of Hard Day's 
 Night - seemingly produced by the Sun Newspaper group.  



ed. Roger Akehurst  
 Beatles Now    
 ??  
 Attempt by real fans to produce a magazine in the format   
 of The Beatles Monthly, but avoiding being so bland.
 Finances make it intermittent.  Available from 'Beatles Now,
 33 The Avenue, Highams Park, London E4 9LB'.



ed. Alan Aldridge   
 The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics     
 69  
 Much reprinted timecapsule of pschycedelic illustrations
 to the lyrics.  If the images interest you as much as the   
 music, then this is for you.  (Volume 2 also produced).


ed. Alan Aldridge   
 The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics : 2     
 71  
 See Volume 1.   
 



ed. Neil Aspinall   
 The Beatles Get Back   
 69  
 Wonderful photos of what was to become the 'Let It Be'  
 sessions.  This book was originally available with the  
 album, only in the UK.  Definitely worth seeking out.  


ed. Johnny Dean 
 The Beatles Book : The Original Official Monthly Magazine  
 ??  
 Still going strong after 27 years despite a short break.
 Essential reading if you want to keep up with news about the
 Boys.  Available on subscription from 'The Beatles Book,
 45 St Mary's Grove, Ealing, London, W5 5RQ'.  Usually   
 totally uncritical, but Lewisohn's column of news makes it  
 worthwhile. 



ed. Paul Gambaccini 
 Paul McCartney in His Own Words    
 76  
 A well illustrated interview-plus with one of the UK's best 
 rock interviewers (an american).  Dated, but that adds to   
 the interest.  


ed. Liverpool Echo  
 Lennon : A Special Tribute by the Liverpool Echo   
 ??  
 The leading daily paper from John's home town put together  
 this reprint of some (of the very many) articles it had 
 published about him, from the Birth Announcement through to 
 the very end.  Essential.   



ed. Andy Peebles
 The Lennon Tapes   
 81  
 The transcript of (most of) John's last major radio inter-  
 view just before his murder.  Lucid, sensible, witty....
 (The full tapes are now legally available on CD).  


ed. Rolling Stone   
 The Ballad of John and Yoko    
 82  
 Rolling Stone's weighty tribute to the murdered John.   
 Collected reflections, writings, and criticisms - the   
 source and the subject make this required reading.  Not a   
 'cash in' project - all profits to a Good Cause.



ed. Andrew Solt and Sam Egan
 Imagine : John Lennon  
 88  
 Lavishly produced film tie-in.  Excellent photos, well  
 printed.  Because this is an 'official' book, it tends to   
 the bland, but the range and quality of the photos makes
 up for that.



ed.  Elizabeth Thomson and David Gutman 
 The Lennon Companion : Twenty-Five Years of Comment    
 87  
 The editors aimed 'simply to present the best of 25 years   
 of comment and commentary engendered by the man and his 
 music'.  They succeeded.  An excellent book, and hopefully  
 a precursor to more that realise that the average Beatles   
 fan is likely to be more than a pre-pubescent teen-wailer,  
 and mature - to boot!  (See also 'Come Together : Jon   
 Wiener').  


ed. Bill Wyman  
 Blinds and Shutters : The Photographs of Michael Cooper    
 90  
 Cooper was a good photographer, trusted by The Beatles (and 
 many others).  This book lavishly re-prints some of his 
 best, with comments by the subjects.  Includes out-takes
 from the Sgt Pepper cover photo session.  Sadly, this is
 a hugely expensive very limited edition.
 



ed. Bill Adler  
 Love Letters to The Beatles    
 64  
 The title tells it all.  Assuming (?) these are genuine 
 it tells how the Boys broke hearts across the length and
 breadth of the USA throughout 1964.


?   
 John Lennon : Summer of 1980   
 84  
 The holiday snaps from John's last summer.  Beautiful   
 photos, upsetting book. 



?   
 A Pixerama Foldbook of The Beatles     
 63  
 One of a series of 'concertina' like booklets on popular
 themes (others include 'London Airport' and 'The Rolling
 Stones').  A delightful timepiece, still available from 
 The Beatles Shop in Mathew Street.  



Jeff Augsburger, Marty Eck, & Rick Rann 
 The Beatles Memorabilia Price Guide    
 88 0929207009   
 Inevitably flawed by having the prices frozen at the date   
 of publication.  However the range of memorabilia well  
 illustrated more than makes up for this.  Serious collectors
 will be able to normalise prices for their local markets.   
 A good book.
 



David Bacon and Norman Maslov   
 The Beatles' England   
 82 Columbus 
 A delightful tour (with great BW photo's) of spots the  
 Beatles made famous in London, Liverpool and elsewhere. 
 Can be used as a guide book for tourists.  


Julia Baird (with Geoffrey Giuliano)
 John Lennon, My Brother    88  
 Although Julia Baird was not really brought in the same 
 family as her step-brother John, this book has some value.  
 Reading between the less than critical lines it is just 
 possible to catch a glimpse of what life really was like
 in Liverpool in the 1950's and early 60's.  And that makes  
 it an interesting book. 



Glenn A. Baker  
 The Beatles Down Under : The 1964 Australia & N.Z. Tour    
 82  
 Well researched, extensively illustrated account of The 
 Beatles 1964 Tour (the one Jimmy Nichol played on).  Tells  
 a tale not often told. First Class.


Tony Barrow 
 PS We Love You - The Beatles Story 1962-3  
 82 0859393283   
 1982 cash-in on the 20th Anniversary of the Fab's first 
 hits in their home land.  Tony Barrow's involvement in this 
 Mirror Group production saves it, and renders it acceptable.
 



Carol Bedford   
 Waiting For The Beatles : An Apple Scruff's Story  
 84  
 The first one-third of this book takes a determined reader  
 to get through.  After that the book is a delight (change of
 editor?), and becomes a must for anyone wanting to re-  
 capture the heady days of The Apple Scruffs.  Ms Bedford
 has an intimate encounter with one of the Fabs!  Tastefully 
 told.   



Pete Best (with Patrick Doncaster)  
 Beatle! : The Pete Best Story  
 85  
 The (let's face it) rather sad tale of someone who very 
 nearly made it.  Good because it is first hand.  The only   
 surprising thing about the book is that Pete took 20 years  
 to get round to writing it! 



John Blake  
 All You Needed Was Love : The Beatles After The Beatles    
 81  
 A moderately balanced view of the interwoven lives of our   
 Fab Four from about the time of the Rooftop Concert - right 
 up until John's murder.  An acceptable starting point for   
 more serious reading.   



Tony Bradman
 John Lennon    
 85 0241115612   
 A competent children's book introducing the young reader to 
 the life and murder of John Lennon. 



Michael Braun   
 Love Me Do : The Beatles Progress  
 64  
 Arguably the first (1964) real attempt to look at the whole 
 phenomenon and to try to understand it and see why and what 
 made it all happen.


Fenton Bresler  
 The Murder of John Lennon  
 89  
 A thorough, but inconclusive and marginally dubious study   
 made by a leading UK barrister/journalist.  Its main merit  
 is that it might have broken new ground for other   
 investigators.  



Peter Brown (with Steven Gaines)
 The Love You Make  
 83 Macmillan 
 A one-sided (to put it mildly) impression by a Beatles' 
 associate (Brown was originally with Epstein in NEMS),  
 dealing with the Apple era in particular.  


John Burke (from Alun Owen) 
 A Hard Day's Night     
 64  
 A novelization of the script of the Boy's first Film.   
 Researchers will delight in the entire Shirt Scene. 



Rob Burt and Michael Wells  
 Rockups : The Beatles Story    
 85  
 The Beatles' story told in 5 pages of witty pop-ups.  The   
 best is the Rooftop Concert, when the book plays 'Hey Jude!'
 Every home should have one! 
 



Colin Campbell and Allan Murphy 
 Things We Said Today  
 A scholarly concordance and interpretation of The Beatles'  
 songs.  Unfortunately limited edition so may be difficult   
 to find.  Most interesting are the reproductions of The 
 Beatles' worksheets for various songs, as they were being   
 composed.  (Reprinted by Pierian Press and sometimes
 avaliable from the US Beatlefest people, 1-800-BEATES)  



Roy Carr and Tony Tyler 
 The Beatles : An Illustrated Record    
 75 New English Library   
 Out of date, slightly opinionated, but a very nice book to  
 browse through. 



Harry Castleman & Walter J. Podrazik
 All Together Now : The First Complete Beatles Discography  
 73  
 First, probably.  Complete, probably not.  Never mind, a
 praiseworthy effort, breaking ground for others to follow   
 later, and better.  Very American. 

Castleman & Prodrazik
 The Beatles Again?
 77
 Sequel to their first book.

Castleman & Podrazik
 The End of the Beatles?
 85
 Another sequel, with indices covering all three volumes. A new
 all-inclusive volume is said to be in the works.

Alan Clayson
 Call Up The Groups : The Golden Age of British Beat 62-67 
 Catches the development of British pop at the moment the
 Beatles were up and coming, follows the careers of the  
 well-known and little-known Beat groups of the First Wave   
 
Alan Clayson
 The Quiet One : A Life of George Harrison  
 90 0283998628   
 Quite a well written and researched volume with a below 
 average number of errors.  It tells the story from George's 
 viewpoint, which gives it a slightly fresher feel than some 
 of the biographies.  In common with the more recent books   
 the underlying scholarship is improving.
 

Ray Coleman 
 Brian Epstein : The Man Who Made The Beatles   
 89  
 As would be expected from Ray Coleman (Melody Maker editor  
 70-81 and a member of the 'inner circle') this well 
 researched, well written, and detailed biography is both
 interesting, but slightly anodyne.  Goes better and further 
 into Brian's life than other accounts. 


Ray Coleman 
 John Ono Lennon    
 84  
 A two volume set ('John Winston Lennon' accompanies this
 volume), and the only biography on the Essential list, based
 on its careful scholarly research, first-hand interviews and
 documentation, and thoroughness.  Coleman edited Melody 
 Maker and knew Lennon from 1967 onwards.  (Coleman's member-
 ship of the 'inner circle' of 1960's rock personalities does
 render some of his work slightly suspect).  
 Available in one volume in US, just reissued in 1992.



Ray Coleman 
 John Winston Lennon    
 84  
 See companion volume 'John Ono Lennon'.


Philip Cowan
 Behind The Beatles' Songs  
 ?   
 Collected, carefully chosen, Beatle-quotes about each of
 their songs.  Few surprises.



Hunter Davis
 The Beatles : The Authorized Biography    
 67  
 Out of date but extremely well written, funny, by an exper- 
 ienced journalist who is also a Beatles fan.  The first 
 major work on The Beatles' early career.  To retain its 
 official approval it had to be somewhat censored because the
 families had veto power (John's Aunt Mimi would not allow   
 Davies to write that John swore as a child).  Nevertheless, 
 much biographical information from this and subsequent  
 editions has worked its way into other biographies. 



Julia Delano
 The Beatles Album  
 91 185627098X   
 A surprisingly good collection of photo's (little text),
 spread across the career of the Fabs.   



Richard DiLello 
 The Longest Cocktail Party    
 73  
 DiLello was the Apple 'House Hippy'.  An undoubtedl  entertaining read, but no guesses for the sustained 
 accuracy of the tales. 


Malcolm Doney   
 Lennon and McCartney   
 81 0859362361   
 The Lennon & McCartney story in 120 pages.  If read as a
 first introduction to the story of the Fabs, perhaps for a  
 11/12 year old, then this book is a digestible introduction.
 (Was that its aim?) 



William J. Dowlding 
 Beatlesongs    
 Useful as a compendium of recording information; it pulls   
 together basic facts from various sources, and most 
 interestingly, attempts to assign writing credit based on   
 a decimal system to either McCartney, Lennon, Harrison, 
 Starkey, or whomever.  


Brian Epstein (with Derek Taylor)   
 A Cellarful of Noise   
 64  
 Brian, with Derek Taylor, presents his whitewashed, totally 
 sanitized, vision of life and involvement in the music  
 business.  More useful for an insight into Brian's view of  
 show-biz.   



Mike Evans and Ron Jones
 In The Footsteps of The Beatles   
 81  
 Excellent pocket-sized guide to The Beatles' home town, 
 complete with addresses, photos and maps.  No visitor   
 should be without it.  


Mike Evans  
 The Art of The Beatles    
 84  
 From 4th May to 30th September 1984 the Boy's home town 
 presented a comprehensive exhibition of fine art (some of   
 Stuart Sutcliffe's paintings), as well as plastic art   
 (originals of album cover artwork - including the *other*   
 Sgt Pepper drumskin!), clippings, and so on -- all involving
 the phenomenon of The Beatles.  
 (An expanded version of the Exhibition Catalogue)  


Mike Evans  
 The Art of The Beatles : Exhibition Catalogue Walker Art Gly  
 84  
 From 4th May to 30th September 1984 the Boy's home town 
 presented a comprehensive exhibition of fine art (some of   
 Stuart Sutcliffe's paintings), as well as plastic art   
 (originals of album cover artwork - including the *other*   
 Sgt Pepper drumskin!), clippings, and so on -- all involving
 the phenomenon of The Beatles.  



Mike Evans  
 Nothing to Get Hung About  
 A probably mid-70's publication from the City of Liverpool  
 Public Relations Office.  The city was only just waking up  
 to the potential arising from its four most famous sons.
 
 Short.  Worthwhile.  (If only because it led on to other
 acheivements)   



Anthony Fawcett 
 John Lennon : One Day at a Time    
 76  
 Fawcett worked for the Lennon's for the two years 68-70.
 An insider's book about an interesting period.  Could be
 more analytical, and critical.  The author's position   
 saves it.   



Barbara Fenick  
 Collecting The Beatles     
 82 0876501471   
 A book by a real enthusiast.  Before drowning in an 
 avalanche of faked memorabilia, any serious collector would 
 be well advised to add this book to their collection.   
 Stuffed full of excellent photos and reference lists.  An   
 update on the 1982 edition would be most welcome.  


Barbara Fenick  
 Collecting The Beatles Volume 2    
 85 0876501765   
 Update of the 1982 volume.  Just as good.   
 



Paul Flattery   
 The Illustrated History of Pop
 
 An excellent treatment of 1950's-1960's British Pop.  Out of
 print since mid-70's, but if you find it (Wise Publishers,  
 England) you'll learn all about Dickie Valentine, Adam  
 Faith, Helen Shapiro, Cliff Richards, and all the British   
 stars whose careers were permanently derailed by the
 Fab Four.   



Chet Flippo 
 McCartney : The Biography  
 88  
 A flawed, heavily tabloid flavour of a biography, based on  
 interviews with people only remotely connected with Macca's 
 life.  


Pete Frame  
 The Complete Rock Family Trees    
 86  
 Compulsive diagrams showing who formed, left, re-joined 
 which groups and when.  Little on The Beatles, but lots of  
 essential other information.
 



Robert Freeman  
 Beatles Ltd   
 64  
 Large format 1964 official Beatles issue of Robert  
 Freeman's photos.   



Robert Freeman  
 The Beatles : a private view  
 90 1855100231   
 Beautifully printed and high priced reproductions of
 Freeman's photographs.  The same author's Yesterday book is 
 better value, but if you don't have that and you see this   
 second hand or remaindered it is worth getting! 



Robert Freeman  
 Yesterday : Photographs of The Beatles    
 83  
 The photographer of the "With The Beatles", "Beatles For
 Sale", and "Rubber Soul".  Nice stuff.  



H V Fulpen  
 The Beatles : An Illustrated Diary    
 82 0859650707   
 Derivative.  For completists
 



Geoffrey Giuliano   
 The Beatles : A Celebration   
 86  
 Glossy coffee table book that is as much about printing some
 (excellent) photos of Giuliano's memorabilia collection 
 as it is about The Beatles.  Only buy if remaindered.  


Geoffrey Giuliano   
 Dark Horse : The Secret Life of George Harrison   
 89  
 Giuliano spent a lot of time with people peripheral to  
 George and has some solid information about George's parents
 and childhood, religious involvement, marriages, and
 friendships.  The musical biography is limited; we never see
 what motivates the "inner" George, but it's not bad reading.
 



John Green  
 Dakota Days   
 83  
 John Green is a Tarot Card reader.  Unsurprisingly this 
 book is nonsense.   



Martin A. Grove 
 Beatle Madness    
 78  
 Shallow and almost worthless account of The Beatles on  
 record entirely from the point of view of the US record 
 buying public. 


Charles Hamblett
 Here Are The Beatles  
 64  
 A swift book, mainly of photos with little text, published  
 to cash in on the huge popularity of the Boys.  As a
 timepiece it is invaluable.


George Harrison (with Derek Taylor) 
 I Me Mine 
 82  
 Once a limited (and very expensive) edition, copies of this 
 currently out of print book may be found in used book stores
 and the like.  There are some interesting observations on   
 songwriting and growing up in Liverpool, but the focus of   
 this (unique) Beatle autobiography is quite scattered. 


Bill Harry  
 Beatle City   
 84  
 Catalogue for the sadly short lived Beatle City museum  
 in Liverpool.   



Bill Harry  
 The Beatles Volume 3 : Paperback Writers 
 The full title continues... The History of The Beatles in   
 Print.  Harry used to produce 'MerseyBeat', the Liverpool   
 newspaper that was the first to recognize the Boy's talents.
 (Bill Harry once shared a flat with Lennon and Sutcliffe,   
 which of course helped!).  


Bill Harry  
 The Beatles Volume 4 : The History of The Beatles on Film
 The passage of time, plus the widespread proliferation of   
 video since the first publication, means that this otherwise
 good book could do with an update. 


Bill Harry  
 The Beatles Volume 5 : Beatles for Sale - Memorabilia Guide    
 It must be impossible, by definition, to do a definitive
 guide to the world of ephemera.  Excellent as a snapshot,   
 useful to collectors for addresses and background reading. 


Bill Harry  
 The Beatles : Who's Who   
 82  
 A useful compendium of who was who in the unfolding story   
 of The Beatles.  Good reference book.   



Bill Harry  
 The Book of Beatle Lists  
 85 0713715219   
 Once a genuine friend of John and Stu, and once having  
 shared a flat with them gives Bill Harry an inside track on 
 first hand information.  Mildly interesting.
 
 Will the next book in the series be ' a book of bill harry  
 beatle books'?  



Bill Harry  
 MerseyBeat : The Beginnings of The Beatles    
 77  
 Strangely out of print essentail reprints of 'everything
 of importance on them that Merseybeat ever published'.  A   
 reprint would be welcome - or even a complete re-print of   
 all 90 issues!  Essential reading, especially for believers 
 in the Raymond Jones Theory.
 



Al Hine (from Marc Behm)
 The Beatles in HELP!  
 65  
 A novelization of the script of the Boy's second Film. 


Hipgnosis   
 Hands Across The Water : Wings Tour USA   
 78 0891695001   
 Acceptable large format photo record of Paul's 1976 tour
 



Dezo Hoffman
 The Beatles Conquer America   
 84  
 Hoffman's excellent photo diary of his trip with The Beatles
 from Jan 14 to Feb 22 1964.  A good photographer, trusted by
 the Boys.  Very Good
 



Dezo Hoffman
 With The Beatles   
 82  
 Hoffman was their press photographer in 1962 and 1963, and  
 has lots of interesting sharp prints.  Famous for many  
 images, especially the "jump" series of photo's on the  
 "Twist and Shout" EP.   



Dezo Hoffmann   
 John Lennon   
 85 0862871972   
 Hoffman was the first of the few really good photographers  
 to be allowed any sort of regular access to The Beatles.
 This volume, much of which has been seen before in other
 collections, although relatively weak, is still worthwhile. 



Kevin Howlett   
 The Beatles at the BEEB   
 82  
 Deals with The Beatles' BBC (BEEB) radio career during  
 1962-1965, when The Beatles were often heard on The BBC 
 (British Broadcasting Corporation). 
 



Kevin Howlett & Mark Lewisohn   
 In My Life : John Lennon Remembered   
 90 0563361050   
 The book of the BBC series that marked ten years since  
 John's murder.  Like the radio series, it starts poorly, but
 improves.  Some interesting text, some interesting photo's.


Ron Jones   
 The Beatles' Liverpool    
 91 0951170317   
 An excellent short book well written by a real fan.  A great
 guide to the town.  Available from the  author (who signs   
 copies he sends out  it seems) at 60 Woodside Park, Woodside
 Birkenhead, Wirrall, L41 1EH - 4.95 UK Pounds + P&P 



Peter Kaye  
 Beatles in Liverpool  
 87  
 By FAR the best collection of Beatles Liverpool photos.  Not
 surprising since Peter Kaye was their first studio photo-   
 grapher.  An excellent book, prepared with loving care. 
 Published by Starlit Liverpool Ltd, 3 Brandreth Delph,  
 Parbold, Lancs.


L. R. E. King   
 Help! : A Companion to The Beatles : Recording Sessions   
 89  
 An essential companion volume to Lewisohn's Book.  It   
 indexes takes used by album, and songs by sessions. 



Rochelle Larkin 
 The Beatles: Yesterday...Today...Tomorrow 
 74  
 An enthusiastic book written by a fan whose enthusiasm  
 would have benefited from a good editor. A curio.   



Sam Leach   
 Follow The MerseyBeat Road    
 83  
 Sam Leach was on of the original Liverpool Concert Promoters
 and this is his guide to places the Boys knew and loved.
 Some anecdotes, some details.  Read before visting  
 Liverpool.  



Sam Leach   
 The Beatles on Broadway   
 64  
 The title says it all in this 1964 book.  Quite a nice  
 collection of photos of the first US trip.  



Spencer Leigh   
 Let's Go Down The Cavern : Story of Liverpool's Merseybeat
 
 Focuses on the Liverpool Scene concurrent with The Beatles' 
 development.



Cynthia Lennon  
 A Twist of Lennon 
 78  
 Cynthia, still devoted to John, writes slightly better than 
 she draws, but her heart is in the right place - even if
 objectivity goes out the window.
 



John Lennon 
 In His Own Write  
 64  
 Billed as 'his first book' in fact the majority of the  
 writings were first published in Bill Harry's Merseybeat.   
 Extensively analysed elsewhere.  Essential reading.


John Lennon 
 The Penguin John Lennon   
 66  
 The immense success of the two short books, In His Own Write
 and Spaniard in the Works, led Penguin (then the UK's   
 leading paperback publisher) to publish both in one volume.


John Lennon 
 Skywriting by Word of Mouth : and other writings   86  
 Obviously part finished and incomplete writings which should
 be read, and judged, as such.  Shows a frustrating glimpse  
 of what John's autobiography might have been like... if..  


John Lennon 
 A Spaniard In The Works   
 65  
 The second compilation of John's writings.  Analysed
 exhaustively elsewhere.  Essential reading. 



Mark Lewisohn   
 The Beatles : 25 Years in the Life    
 Also known in the U.S. as The Beatles Day By day
 87  
 A day-by-day compendium (1962-) of the Beatles' private 
 lives, parties, personal appearances, vacations.  No index. 
 Helpful for settling arguments (just when was Ringo in  
 Sardinia??) 



Mark Lewisohn   
 The Beatles Live! 
 86  
 A thorough source for Beatles' live club and concert dates, 
 with lots of information on repertoire, bookings, contracts,
 appearances.  Excellent scholarship.  Lewisohn's books have 
 raised the standard of reliability in the whole area.   
 No index, but a free flexi-disc.
 



Mark Lewisohn   
 The Beatles Recording Sessions/Complete Beatles Recording Sessions 
 88  
 A meticulous, virtually complete and more-than-most-people- 
 could-ask-for reference to the Abbey Road studio recordings,
 beginning with June 1962 (the infamous "audition") and  
 continuing to the end of their official recording career.   
 Includes a discography of official releases, glossary,  
 index, and an interview with McCartney at the beginning.
 Loaded with documentation and photos.  

Mark Lewisohn
 The Complete Beatles Chronicle
 92
 Partially an update of The Beatles Live! (now out of print),
 incorporating some information from The Beatles Recording Sessions
 (see above), plus some newly discovered information that makes this
 the most complete and accurate chronology of the Beatles' career, 
 from 1957-1970. Pricey ($40 U.S.) but essential.



Peter McCabe and Robert D.Schonfeld 
 Apple to the Core : The Unmaking of The Beatles   
 72  
 Early and surprisingly perceptive analysis of the problems, 
 trials and tribulations at Apple.  Too early to be  
 definitive, but will provide later scholars with guides 
 to good sources.



Paul McCartney  
 The Paul McCartney World Tour Programme   
 89  
 Well produced concert programme that was supposed to have   
 been, but wasn't, given out 'free' to everyone who went to  
 the 89/90 tour concerts.
 



Michael McCartney   
 Mike Mac's Whites and Blacks (plus one colour)
 
 Paul's brother had a nice flair for photography and 
 preserved some very early shots of the Boys at the Cavern,  
 and that fab colour picture (c.1958) of the proto-Beatles   
 standing in Auntie Jin's front parlour. 



Mike McCartney  
 Thank U Very Much : Mike McCartney's Family Album 
 81  
 Paul's brother's photo-based light autobiography.  Witty
  tales, excellent early photos.  



Paul McCartney  
 Give My Regards To Broad Street   
 84  
 Paul's glossy book-of-the-story-of-the-film.  An interesting
 memento of a film that this author enjoyed (so there!). 
 Nicely printed photos  


William McCoy and Mitchell McGeary  
 Every Little Thing
 
 Full title continues... A Definitive Guide to Beatles   
 Recording Variations, Rare Mixes & Other Musical Oddities,  
 1958-1986.  An interesting resource for tracking down many  
 of the currently available variants in the trading world.   



Wilfrid Mellers 
 Twilight of The Gods : The Beatles in Retospect   
 73  
 An extremely learned book about the actual music, written by
 a real professor of music.  Too deep for this writer!  Its  
 appearance added to William Mann's efforts in establishing  
 the Boys as real (as against 'pop') musicians.  



Miles   
 The Beatles In Their Own Words    
 78  
 A good, well selected and illustrated selection of  
 quotes on a variety of predictable subjects.



Lee Minoff (et. al.)
 Yellow Submarine Gift Book    
 68  
 Large format hardback illustrated (drawings from film)  
 version of the book-of-the-film.  A pschycedelic
 timepiece.  (No idea why it is a "gift" book). 


Lee Mintoff (et al) 
 Yellow Submarine  
 68  
 A novelization of the script of the Boy's third Film.   
 A pschycedelic delight. 



Carolyn Lee Mitchell
 All Our Loving : A Beatles Fan's Memoir   
 88 0856014951   
 The personal account of one of the Beatles Fans who came to 
 the UK from the USA just to hang around outside Paul's  
 London House.  A love/hate relationship with Paul, and  
 no great fan of Linda.  Badly written.  For completists only.   



Philip Norman   
 Shout! : The True Story of The Beatles    
 81  
 Norman, a journalist, wrote the first "realistic" (ie down- 
 and-dirty) biography, daring to suggest that The Beatles
 were not the  sweet young men the media promoted, but were  
 ordinary fellas of exraordinary talent caught up in the 
 miracle and morass of Beatlemania.  Norman, for all his 
 careful research, relied more than necessary on unsubstan-  
 tiated, opinions, and many inaccuracies remain in this book.
 Read, as with Hunter Davis, with this in mind.  



Yoko Ono
 Grapefruit    
 64  
 Essential reading for anyone who wants to try to understand 
 the extraordinary attraction between John and Yoko. 



Alun Owen   
 The Beatles in A Hard Day's Night 
 64  
 Official United Artists photo-book of the making of the film
 



Norman Parkinson & Maureen Cleave   
 The Beatles Book  
 64  
 Stark, arty, high contrast Black & White photographs from a 
 trendy 60's London photographer.  Most not seen elsewhere.  
 Text by Cleave incidental.  Re-printed in smaller format in 
 very late 60's. 



Gareth L. Pawlowski 
 How They Became The Beatles   
 89  
 The author probably didn't intend it this way, but the  
 photographs are much more valuable here than the text, which
 is an unimaginative (and flawed) rehash of other sources,   
 (still useful if you haven't read those other sources). 
 You'll see outtakes from the Boy's first photo sessions,
 rare record labels, documents, and rare sightings of all
 sorts, building an impression of the generative years from  
 1960-64.



John Platt  
 London's Rock Routes  
 85  
 A useful, but not quite essential, guide to what was/is 
 where in London.  Useful section on The Beatles' London.



A.J.S.Rayl & Curt Gunther   
 Beatles '64 : A Hard Day's Night In America   
 89  
  Rayl travelled with them, and Gunther took the photos.  A  
 good insiders' photo diary of the tour.  Necessarily
 censored, but some fine images.


Charles Reinhardt   
 You Can't Do That : Beatles Bootlegs and Novelty Recordings 
 So much has come out since this book was published that you 
 are advised to look on it as an early history of Beatles
 bootlegs.  For more contemporary information, try a back
 issue of the music-trader's publication, Goldmine, esp. 
 the Nov 17th 1989 issue which featured Beatles rarities.
 



Tom Riley   
 Tell Me Why   Best when musicologist Riley sticks to submediants and  
 stays away from Beatles Interpretation 101.  But a welcome  
 successor to Wilfred Mellors' Twilight of The Gods.


Jeff Russell
 The Beatles Album File and Complete Discography  
 Somewhat fraught with inaccuracies; in America it's called  
 The Beatles On Record.  



Chris Salewicz  
 McCartney : The (Definitive) Biography    
 86  
 Not definitive, because Macca didn't co-operate with this   
 effort.  However, some other close confidants must have 
 given some information (Mike Mac?) because the latter half  
 of the book is rather revealing.  The first part seems  
 gleaned from other sources.  (See Davis, Norman, et. al.)  


Anthony Scaduto 
 The Beatles   
 68  
 Full title "Sex, Drugs, Music, Meditation ... what Next?
 The Beatles - yesterday, today and tomorrow!"   
 Painfully dated nonsense, so bad that it is fascinatingly   
 absorbing reading.  How did this ever get published?



Nicholas Schaffner  
 The Beatles For Ever  
 77  
 Excellent extensively illustrated volume showing the range  
 of memorabilia generated by the Boys who 'changed our   
 culture'.  


Tom Schultheiss 
 The Beatles : A Day in The Life   
 80  
 Dates from their diaries - 1960-70.  Selective.


David Sheff (ed. G. Barry Golson)   
 The Playboy Interviews with John Lennon & Yoko Ono    
 80  
 A major interview with John shortly before his murder.  
 Because it is among the last major interviews it will   
 provide material for researchers into John's life for the   
 rest of time.  The transcript format makes it hard reading. 



Billy Shepherd  
 The True Story of The Beatles 
 64  
 Early biography rushed out by the publishers of 'The Beatles
 Book'.  A wonderful timepiece, valuable for what it typefies
 and not what it says (more accurately does not!).   
    



Mark Shipper
 Paperback Writer  
 77  
 The title continues... The Life and Times of The Beatles:   
 The spurious chronicle of their rise to stardom, their  
 triumphs & disasters, plus the amazing story of their   
 ultimate reunion.   
 A Good Read, but file under fiction.
 



Pete Shotton (with Nicholas Schaffner)  
 John Lennon : In My Life  
 83  
 Shotton was one of John's longest childhood friends, and was
 an original Quarryman.  That alone makes the book   
 worthwhile.  A stronger co-author would have dropped the
 rose tinted glasses a bit from time to time.



Denny Somach, Kathleen Somach, S Muni   
 Ticket to Ride    
 89 0708847870   
 Interviews about the Beatles with 48 pop stars. 
 A good idea that didn't quite come off. 



Brian Southall  
 Abbey Road    
 82  
 An EMI publicist writes about the history of the famous 
 EMI studios in Abbey Road, pre-Beatles and during The   
 Beatles time there.  A good read.  


Helen Spence
 The Beatles Forever   
 ??  
 Very glossy photo book.  Some very nice photos, almost no   
 text.  Worth picking up from a remainders bin.  (Also   
 published as 'The Beatles').
 



Neville Stannard
 The Beatles Volume 1 : The Long and Winding Road   
 A history of The Beatles on Record.  One of the first well  
 researched and thorough references, but the passage of time 
 means that a newer edition is needed.  


Neville Stannard and John Toben 
 The Beatles Volume 2 : Working Class Heroes 
 The full title continues... The History of The Beatles Solo 
 Recordings.  The passage of time since publication renders  
 this quite out of date.


Geoffrey Stokes 
 The Beatles   
 81  
 Large format, coffee table sized, 320 photos, cover by  
 Warhol.  Includes good prints of Avedon's famous 1967   
 photo session for LOOK magazine.
 



Derek Taylor
 It Was Twenty Years Ago Today 
 87  
 Tied in with the mass media 'events' of 1987 this book sets 
 the context of The Summer of Love.  Written by Derek Taylor,
 therefore a good read, but take those pinches of salt.  
 



Derek Taylor
 As Time Goes By   
 74  
 Witty, entertaining autobiography from someone who has  
 moved in (and out) of The Beatles inner circle over the 
 years.  His continuing close friendship with George of  
 course precludes any real insights.  A Good Read.   



George Tremlett 
 The John Lennon Story 
 76  
 NME writer and former Conservative London Councillor cuts   
 a mean job with a cuttings file.



George Tremlett 
 The Paul McCartney Story  
 75  
 NME writer and former Conservative London Councillor cuts   
 a mean job with a cuttings file.



Mark Wallgren   
 The Beatles on Record
 (Not the same as Russell's US edition). Somewhat more  
 accurate than Russel's volume, but not up to Stannard's 



Alan J. Weiner  
 The Beatles : A Recording History 
 86  
 Wiener subdivides his volume into helpful categories like   
 Alternate Takes, Bootlegs, Solo Years, as well as the main- 
 stream material. Everything is cross-referenced, and the
 index is handy.  He uses many sources, and occasionally 
 mistakes in the original remain uncorrected in this edition,
 but he's planning an updated edition someday.   



Jann Wenner 
 Lennon Remembers : The Rolling Stone Interviews   
 70  
 This was John's first major in-depth interview since the
 break-up of The Beatles.  It makes fascinating reading of   
 his thought processes, and how he saw things in the 
 immediate aftermath.



Bob Whittaker   
 The Unseen Beatles    
 91 185029335X   
 Whittaker belongs to that exclusive group who actually took 
 a Beatles album cover shot (The Butcher cover, and the back 
 of Revolver).  With this pedigree, the book is as good as   
 you'd expect.  Excellent.   



Jon Wiener  
 Come Together : John Lennon In His Time   
 84  
 An intelligent, academic, analysis of John's works written  
 for an intelligent, academic, readership.  Readable,
 well researched and accurate.  (See also 'The Lennon
 Companion : ed. Elizabeth Thomson). 



Alan Williams (with William Marshall)   
 The Man Who Gave The Beatles Away 
 75  
 Williams, The Beatles first "manager", weaves a nearly  
 bitter tale of the Boy's early attempts to make it in the   
 music business.  Some good (but suspect) accounts of the
 early trips to Hamburg. 



Bob Woffinden   
 The Beatles Apart 
 81  
 A fairly shallow account of the peroid between the break-up 
 and the murder.  Nicely presented, with some reasonable 
 photos.


Bill Wyman  
 Stone Alone   
 90  
 Although about The Other Band, this well written (not   
 ghosted) and researched book touches upon the interraction  
 between the two Great British bands of the 1960's. 

-----------------------------------------------------------
ALPHABETICAL BY TITLE:

Brian Southall  
 Abbey Road   
 82  
 An EMI publicist writes about the history of the famous     
 EMI studios in Abbey Road, pre-Beatles and during The       
 Beatles time there.  A good read.   
     



Carolyn Lee Mitchell    
 All Our Loving : A Beatles Fan's Memoir      
 88 0856014951       
 The personal account of one of the Beatles Fans who came to 
 the UK from the USA just to hang around outside Paul's      
 London House.  A love/hate relationship with Paul, and      
 no great fan of Linda.  Badly written.  For completists only.       



Harry Castleman & Walter J. Podrazik    
 All Together Now : The First Complete Beatles Discography    
 73  
 First, probably.  Complete, probably not.  Never mind, a    
 praiseworthy effort, breaking ground for others to follow   
 later, and better.  Very American.  
     



John Blake      
 All You Needed Was Love : The Beatles After The Beatles      
 81  
 A moderately balanced view of the interwoven lives of our   

 Fab Four from about the time of the Rooftop Concert - right 
 up until John's murder.  An acceptable starting point for   
 more serious reading.       



Peter McCabe and Robert D.Schonfeld     
 Apple to the Core : The Unmaking of The Beatles      
 72  
 Early and surprisingly perceptive analysis of the problems, 
 trials and tribulations at Apple.  Too early to be  
 definitive, but will provide later scholars with guides     
 to good sources.    



Mike Evans      
 The Art of The Beatles       
 84  
 From 4th May to 30th September 1984 the Boy's home town     
 presented a comprehensive exhibition of fine art (some of   
 Stuart Sutcliffe's paintings), as well as plastic art       
 (originals of album cover artwork - including the *other*   
 Sgt Pepper drumskin!), clippings, and so on -- all involving
 the phenomenon of The Beatles.      
 (An expanded version of the Exhibition Catalogue)   
     



Mike Evans      
 The Art of The Beatles : Exhibition Catalogue Walker Art Gly 
 84  
 From 4th May to 30th September 1984 the Boy's home town     
 presented a comprehensive exhibition of fine art (some of   
 Stuart Sutcliffe's paintings), as well as plastic art       
 (originals of album cover artwork - including the *other*   
 Sgt Pepper drumskin!), clippings, and so on -- all involving
 the phenomenon of The Beatles.      



Derek Taylor    
 As Time Goes By      
 74  
 Witty, entertaining autobiography from someone who has      
 moved in (and out) of The Beatles inner circle over the     
 years.  His continuing close friendship with George of      
 course precludes any real insights.  A Good Read.   
     

     



ed. Rolling Stone       
 The Ballad of John and Yoko  
 82  
 Rolling Stone's weighty tribute to the murdered John.       
 Collected reflections, writings, and criticisms - the       
 source and the subject make this required reading.  Not a   
 'cash in' project - all profits to a Good Cause.    



Pete Best (with Patrick Doncaster)      
 Beatle! : The Pete Best Story
 85  
 The (let's face it) rather sad tale of someone who very     
 nearly made it.  Good because it is first hand.  The only   
 surprising thing about the book is that Pete took 20 years  
 to get round to writing it! 



Bill Harry      
 Beatle City  
 84  
 Catalogue for the sadly short lived Beatle City museum      
 in Liverpool.       



Martin A. Grove 
 Beatle Madness       
 78  
 Shallow and almost worthless account of The Beatles on      
 record entirely from the point of view of the US record     
 buying public. 


Anthony Scaduto 

 The Beatles  
 68  
 Full title "Sex, Drugs, Music, Meditation ... what Next?    
 The Beatles - yesterday, today and tomorrow!"       
 Painfully dated nonsense, so bad that it is fascinatingly   
 absorbing reading.  How did this ever get published?



Geoffrey Stokes 
 The Beatles  
 81  
 Large format, coffee table sized, 320 photos, cover by      
 Warhol.  Includes good prints of Avedon's famous 1967       
 photo session for LOOK magazine.    
     



Mark Lewisohn   
 The Beatles : 25 Years in the Life   
 U.S. Title The Beatles Day By Day
 87  
 A day-by-day compendium (1962-) of the Beatles' private     
 lives, parties, personal appearances, vacations.  No index. 
 Helpful for settling arguments (just when was Ringo in      
 Sardinia??) 



A.J.S.Rayl & Curt Gunther       
 Beatles '64 : A Hard Day's Night In America  
 89  
  Rayl travelled with them, and Gunther took the photos.  A  
 good insiders' photo diary of the tour.  Necessarily
 censored, but some fine images.


Tom Schultheiss 
 The Beatles : A Day in The Life      
 80  
 Dates from their diaries - 1960-70.  Selective.



Julia Delano    
 The Beatles Album    
 91 185627098X       
 A surprisingly good collection of photo's (little text),    
 spread across the career of the Fabs.       



Jeff Russell    
 The Beatles Album File and Complete Discography  
 Somewhat fraught with inaccuracies; in America it's called  
 The Beatles On Record.      



Bob Woffinden   
 The Beatles Apart    
 81  
 A fairly shallow account of the peroid between the break-up 
 and the murder.  Nicely presented, with some reasonable     
 photos.


Kevin Howlett   
 The Beatles at the BEEB      
 82  
 Deals with The Beatles' BBC (BEEB) radio career during      
 1962-1965, when The Beatles were often heard on The BBC     
 (British Broadcasting Corporation). 
     




Hunter Davis    
 The Beatles : The Authorized Biography       
 67  
 Out of date but extremely well written, funny, by an exper- 
 ienced journalist who is also a Beatles fan.  The first     
 major work on The Beatles' early career.  To retain its     
 official approval it had to be somewhat censored because the
 families had veto power (John's Aunt Mimi would not allow   
 Davies to write that John swore as a child).  Nevertheless, 
 much biographical information from this and subsequent      
 editions has worked its way into other biographies. 



Norman Parkinson & Maureen Cleave       
 The Beatles Book     
 64  
 Stark, arty, high contrast Black & White photographs from a 
 trendy 60's London photographer.  Most not seen elsewhere.  
 Text by Cleave incidental.  Re-printed in smaller format in 
 very late 60's.     



ed. Johnny Dean 
 The Beatles Book : The Original Official Monthly Magazine    
 ??  
 Still going strong after 27 years despite a short break.    
 Essential reading if you want to keep up with news about the
 Boys.  Available on subscription from 'The Beatles Book,    
 45 St Mary's Grove, Ealing, London, W5 5RQ'.  Usually       
 totally uncritical, but Lewisohn's column of news makes it  
 worthwhile. 



Sam Leach       
 The Beatles on Broadway      
 64  
 The title says it all in this 1964 book.  Quite a nice      
 collection of photos of the first US trip.  



Geoffrey Giuliano       
 The Beatles : A Celebration  

 86  
 Glossy coffee table book that is as much about printing some
 (excellent) photos of Giuliano's memorabilia collection     
 as it is about The Beatles.  Only buy if remaindered.  


Dezo Hoffman    
 The Beatles Conquer America  
 84  
 Hoffman's excellent photo diary of his trip with The Beatles
 from Jan 14 to Feb 22 1964.  A good photographer, trusted by
 the Boys.  Very Good
     



Glenn A. Baker  
 The Beatles Down Under : The 1964 Australia & N.Z. Tour      
 82  
 Well researched, extensively illustrated account of The     
 Beatles 1964 Tour (the one Jimmy Nichol played on).  Tells  
 a tale not often told. First Class. 
     



David Bacon and Norman Maslov   
 The Beatles' England 
 82     Columbus     
 A delightful tour (with great BW photo's) of spots the      
 Beatles made famous in London, Liverpool and elsewhere.     
 Can be used as a guide book for tourists.   
     



       ,
 The Beatles Film     
 64  
 1964 cash-in book of photo's about the making of Hard Day's 
 Night - seemingly produced by the Sun Newspaper group. 
     



Nicholas Schaffner      
 The Beatles For Ever 
 77  
 Excellent extensively illustrated volume showing the range  
 of memorabilia generated by the Boys who 'changed our       
 culture'.   
     



Helen Spence    
 The Beatles Forever  
 ??  
 Very glossy photo book.  Some very nice photos, almost no   
 text.  Worth picking up from a remainders bin.  (Also       
 published as 'The Beatles').
     



ed. Neil Aspinall       
 The Beatles Get Back 
 69  
 Wonderful photos of what was to become the 'Let It Be'      
 sessions.  This book was originally available with the      
 album, only in the UK.  Definitely worth seeking out.  


Alun Owen       
 The Beatles in A Hard Day's Night    
 64  
 Official United Artists photo-book of the making of the film

     



ed. Alan Aldridge       
 The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics       
 69  
 Much reprinted timecapsule of pschycedelic illustrations    
 to the lyrics.  If the images interest you as much as the   
 music, then this is for you.  (Volume 2 also produced).


ed. Alan Aldridge       
 The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics : 2   
 71  
 See Volume 1.  


Roy Carr and Tony Tyler 
 The Beatles : An Illustrated Record  
 75    New English Library   
 Out of date, slightly opinionated, but a very nice book to  
 browse through.     



H V Fulpen      
 The Beatles : An Illustrated Diary   
 82 0859650707       
 Derivative.  For completists
     



Al Hine (from Marc Behm)
 The Beatles in HELP! 
 65  

 A novelization of the script of the Boy's second Film. 


Peter Kaye      
 Beatles in Liverpool 
 87  
 By FAR the best collection of Beatles Liverpool photos.  Not
 surprising since Peter Kaye was their first studio photo-   
 grapher.  An excellent book, prepared with loving care.     
 Published by Starlit Liverpool Ltd, 3 Brandreth Delph,      
 Parbold, Lancs.


Miles   
 The Beatles In Their Own Words       
 78  
 A good, well selected and illustrated selection of  
 quotes on a variety of predictable subjects.



Mark Lewisohn   
 The Beatles Live!    
 86  
 A thorough source for Beatles' live club and concert dates, 
 with lots of information on repertoire, bookings, contracts,
 appearances.  Excellent scholarship.  Lewisohn's books have 
 raised the standard of reliability in the whole area.       
 No index, but a free flexi-disc.    
     



Ron Jones       
 The Beatles' Liverpool       
 91 0951170317       
 An excellent short book well written by a real fan.  A great
 guide to the town.  Available from the  author (who signs   
 copies he sends out  it seems) at 60 Woodside Park, Woodside
 Birkenhead, Wirrall, L41 1EH - 4.95 UK Pounds + P&P 




Robert Freeman  
 Beatles Ltd  
 64  
 Large format 1964 official Beatles issue of Robert  
 Freeman's photos.   



Jeff Augsburger, Marty Eck, & Rick Rann 
 The Beatles Memorabilia Price Guide  
 88 0929207009       
 Inevitably flawed by having the prices frozen at the date   
 of publication.  However the range of memorabilia well      
 illustrated more than makes up for this.  Serious collectors
 will be able to normalise prices for their local markets.   
 A good book.
     



ed. Roger Akehurst      
 Beatles Now  
 ??  
 Aattempt by real fans to produce a magazine in the format   
 of The Beatles Monthly, but avoiding being so bland.
 Finances make it intermittent.  Available from 'Beatles Now,
 33 The Avenue, Highams Park, London E4 9LB'.



Mark Wallgren   
 The Beatles on Record
     
 (Not the same as Russell's US edition).  Somewhat more      
 accurate than Russel's volume, but not up to Stannard's     




Robert Freeman  
 The Beatles : a private view 
 90 1855100231       
 Beautifully printed and high priced reproductions of
 Freeman's photographs.  The same author's Yesterday book is 
 better value, but if you don't have that and you see this   
 second hand or remaindered it is worth getting!     



L. R. E. King   
 Help! : A Companion to The Beatles : Recording Sessions      
 89  
 An essential companion volume to Lewisohn's Book.  It       
 indexes takes used by album, and songs by sessions. 



Mark Lewisohn   
 The Beatles Recording Sessions/Complete Beatles Recording Sessions
 88  
 A meticulous, virtually complete and more-than-most-people- 
 could-ask-for reference to the Abbey Road studio recordings,
 beginning with June 1962 (the infamous "audition") and      
 continuing to the end of their official recording career.   
 Includes a discography of official releases, glossary,      
 index, and an interview with McCartney at the beginning.    
 Loaded with documentation and photos.  


Alan J. Weiner  
 The Beatles : A Recording History    
 86  
 Wiener subdivides his volume into helpful categories like   
 Alternate Takes, Bootlegs, Solo Years, as well as the main- 
 stream material. Everything is cross-referenced, and the    
 index is handy.  He uses many sources, and occasionally     
 mistakes in the original remain uncorrected in this edition,
 but he's planning an updated edition someday.       



Bill Harry      
 The Beatles Volume 3 : Paperback Writers 
 The full title continues... The History of The Beatles in   
 Print.  Harry used to produce 'MerseyBeat', the Liverpool   
 newspaper that was the first to recognize the Boy's talents.
 (Bill Harry once shared a flat with Lennon and Sutcliffe,   
 which of course helped!).   
     



Bill Harry      
 The Beatles Volume 4 : The History of The Beatles on Film    
     
 The passage of time, plus the widespread proliferation of   
 video since the first publication, means that this otherwise
 good book could do with an update.  
     



Bill Harry      
 The Beatles Volume 5 : Beatles for Sale - Memorabilia Guide  
     
 It must be impossible, by definition, to do a definitive    
 guide to the world of ephemera.  Excellent as a snapshot,   
 useful to collectors for addresses and background reading.  
     



Neville Stannard
 The Beatles Volume 1 : The Long and Winding Road
 A history of The Beatles on Record.  One of the first well  
 researched and thorough references, but the passage of time 
 means that a newer edition is needed.  


Neville Stannard and John Toben 
 The Beatles Volume 2 : Working Class Heroes  
     
 The full title continues... The History of The Beatles Solo 
 Recordings.  The passage of time since publication renders  
 this quite out of date.     

     



Bill Harry      
 The Beatles : Who's Who      
 82  
 A useful compendium of who was who in the unfolding story   
 of The Beatles.  Good reference book.       



Rochelle Larkin 
 The Beatles: Yesterday...Today...Tomorrow    
 74  
 An enthusiastic book written by a fan whose enthusiasm      
 would have benefited from a good editor. A curio.   



William J. Dowlding     
 Beatlesongs  
     
 Useful as a compendium of recording information; it pulls   
 together basic facts from various sources, and most 
 interestingly, attempts to assign writing credit based on   
 a decimal system to either McCartney, Lennon, Harrison,     
 Starkey, or whomever.  


Philip Cowan    
 Behind The Beatles' Songs    
 ?   
 Collected, carefully chosen, Beatle-quotes about each of    
 their songs.  Few surprises.



ed. Bill Wyman  

 Blinds and Shutters : The Photographs of Michael Cooper      
 90  
 Cooper was a good photographer, trusted by The Beatles (and 
 many others).  This book lavishly re-prints some of his     
 best, with comments by the subjects.  Includes out-takes    
 from the Sgt Pepper cover photo session.  Sadly, this is    
 a hugely expensive very limited edition.    
     



Bill Harry      
 The Book of Beatle Lists     
 85 0713715219       
 Once a genuine friend of John and Stu, and once having      
 shared a flat with them gives Bill Harry an inside track on 
 first hand information.  Mildly interesting.
     
 Will the next book in the series be ' a book of bill harry  
 beatle books'?      



Alan Clayson    
 Call Up The Groups : The Golden Age of British Beat 62-67    
     
 Catches the development of British pop at the moment the    
 Beatles were up and coming, follows the careers of the      
 well-known and little-known Beat groups of the First Wave   
     



Brian Epstein (with Derek Taylor)       
 A Cellarful of Noise 
 64  
 Brian, with Derek Taylor, presents his whitewashed, totally 
 sanitized, vision of life and involvement in the music      
 business.  More useful for an insight into Brian's view of  
 show-biz.   



Barbara Fenick  
 Collecting The Beatles       
 82 0876501471       
 A book by a real enthusiast.  Before drowning in an 
 avalanche of faked memorabilia, any serious collector would 
 be well advised to add this book to their collection.       
 Stuffed full of excellent photos and reference lists.  An   
 update on the 1982 edition would be most welcome.   
     



Barbara Fenick  
 Collecting The Beatles Volume 2      
 85 0876501765       
 Update of the 1982 volume.  Just as good.   
     



Jon Wiener      
 Come Together : John Lennon In His Time      
 84  
 An intelligent, academic, analysis of John's works written  
 for an intelligent, academic, readership.  Readable,
 well researched and accurate.  (See also 'The Lennon
 Companion : ed. Elizabeth Thomson). 



Pete Frame      
 The Complete Rock Family Trees       
 86  
 Compulsive diagrams showing who formed, left, re-joined     
 which groups and when.  Little on The Beatles, but lots of  
 essential other information.
     



John Green      
 Dakota Days  
 83  
 John Green is a Tarot Card reader.  Unsurprisingly this     
 book is nonsense.   




Geoffrey Giuliano       
 Dark Horse : The Secret Life of George Harrison      
 89  
 Giuliano spent a lot of time with people peripheral to      
 George and has some solid information about George's parents
 and childhood, religious involvement, marriages, and
 friendships.  The musical biography is limited; we never see
 what motivates the "inner" George, but it's not bad reading.
     



Ray Coleman     
 Brian Epstein : The Man Who Made The Beatles 
 89  
 As would be expected from Ray Coleman (Melody Maker editor  
 70-81 and a member of the 'inner circle') this well 
 researched, well written, and detailed biography is both    
 interesting, but slightly anodyne.  Goes better and further 
 into Brian's life than other accounts. 


William McCoy and Mitchell McGeary      
 Every Little Thing   
     
 Full title continues... A Definitive Guide to Beatles       
 Recording Variations, Rare Mixes & Other Musical Oddities,  
 1958-1986.  An interesting resource for tracking down many  
 of the currently available variants in the trading world.   



Sam Leach       
 Follow The MerseyBeat Road   
 83  
 Sam Leach was on of the original Liverpool Concert Promoters
 and this is his guide to places the Boys knew and loved.    
 Some anecdotes, some details.  Read before visting  
 Liverpool.  



Mike Evans and Ron Jones
 In The Footsteps of The Beatles      

 81  
 Excellent pocket-sized guide to The Beatles' home town,     
 complete with addresses, photos and maps.  No visitor       
 should be without it.  


Paul McCartney  
 Give My Regards To Broad Street      
 84  
 Paul's glossy book-of-the-story-of-the-film.  An interesting
 memento of a film that this author enjoyed (so there!).     
 Nicely printed photos  


Yoko Ono
 Grapefruit   
 64  
 Essential reading for anyone who wants to try to understand 
 the extraordinary attraction between John and Yoko. 



Hipgnosis       
 Hands Across The Water : Wings Tour USA      
 78 0891695001       
 Acceptable large format photo record of Paul's 1976 tour    
     



John Burke (from Alun Owen)     
 A Hard Day's Night   
 64  
 A novelization of the script of the Boy's first Film.       
 Researchers will delight in the entire Shirt Scene. 
     

     



Charles Hamblett
 Here Are The Beatles 
 64  
 A swift book, mainly of photos with little text, published  
 to cash in on the huge popularity of the Boys.  As a
 timepiece it is invaluable. 
     



Gareth L. Pawlowski     
 How They Became The Beatles  
 89  
 The author probably didn't intend it this way, but the      
 photographs are much more valuable here than the text, which
 is an unimaginative (and flawed) rehash of other sources,   
 (still useful if you haven't read those other sources).     
 You'll see outtakes from the Boy's first photo sessions,    
 rare record labels, documents, and rare sightings of all    
 sorts, building an impression of the generative years from  
 1960-64.    



George Harrison (with Derek Taylor)     
 I Me Mine    
 82  
 Once a limited (and very expensive) edition, copies of this 
 currently out of print book may be found in used book stores
 and the like.  There are some interesting observations on   
 songwriting and growing up in Liverpool, but the focus of   
 this (unique) Beatle autobiography is quite scattered. 


Paul Flattery   
 The Illustrated History of Pop  
 An excellent treatment of 1950's-1960's British Pop.  Out of
 print since mid-70's, but if you find it (Wise Publishers,  
 England) you'll learn all about Dickie Valentine, Adam      
 Faith, Helen Shapiro, Cliff Richards, and all the British   
 stars whose careers were permanently derailed by the
 Fab Four.   
     

     



ed. Andrew Solt and Sam Egan    
 Imagine : John Lennon
 88  
 Lavishly produced film tie-in.  Excellent photos, well      
 printed.  Because this is an 'official' book, it tends to   
 the bland, but the range and quality of the photos makes    
 up for that.



John Lennon     
 In His Own Write     
 64  
 Billed as 'his first book' in fact the majority of the      
 writings were first published in Bill Harry's Merseybeat.   
 Extensively analysed elsewhere.  Essential reading. 
     



Kevin Howlett & Mark Lewisohn   
 In My Life : John Lennon Remembered  
 90 0563361050       
 The book of the BBC series that marked ten years since      
 John's murder.  Like the radio series, it starts poorly, but
 improves.  Some interesting text, some interesting photo's. 
     



Derek Taylor    
 It Was Twenty Years Ago Today
 87  
 Tied in with the mass media 'events' of 1987 this book sets 
 the context of The Summer of Love.  Written by Derek Taylor,
 therefore a good read, but take those pinches of salt. 


Tony Bradman    
 John Lennon  
 85 0241115612       

 A competent children's book introducing the young reader to 
 the life and murder of John Lennon. 



Dezo Hoffmann   
 John Lennon  
 85 0862871972       
 Hoffman was the first of the few really good photographers  
 to be allowed any sort of regular access to The Beatles.    
 This volume, much of which has been seen before in other    
 collections, although relatively weak, is still worthwhile. 



ed.  Elizabeth Thomson and David Gutman 
 The Lennon Companion : Twenty-Five Years of Comment  
 87  
 The editors aimed 'simply to present the best of 25 years   
 of comment and commentary engendered by the man and his     
 music'.  They succeeded.  An excellent book, and hopefully  
 a precursor to more that realise that the average Beatles   
 fan is likely to be more than a pre-pubescent teen-wailer,  
 and mature - to boot!  (See also 'Come Together : Jon       
 Wiener').   
     



Pete Shotton (with Nicholas Schaffner)  
 John Lennon : In My Life     
 83  
 Shotton was one of John's longest childhood friends, and was
 an original Quarryman.  That alone makes the book   
 worthwhile.  A stronger co-author would have dropped the    
 rose tinted glasses a bit from time to time.



Ray Coleman     
 John Ono Lennon      
 84  
 A two volume set ('John Winston Lennon' accompanies this    
 volume), and the only biography on the Essential list, based
 on its careful scholarly research, first-hand interviews and
 documentation, and thoroughness.  Coleman edited Melody     
 Maker and knew Lennon from 1967 onwards.  (Coleman's member-
 ship of the 'inner circle' of 1960's rock personalities does
 render some of his work slightly suspect).  
 Available in one volume in US.      



Ray Coleman     
 John Winston Lennon  
 84  
 See companion volume 'John Ono Lennon'.


Malcolm Doney   
 Lennon and McCartney 
 81 0859362361       
 The Lennon & McCartney story in 120 pages.  If read as a    
 first introduction to the story of the Fabs, perhaps for a  
 11/12 year old, then this book is a digestible introduction.
 (Was that its aim?) 



Julia Baird (with Geoffrey Giuliano)    
 John Lennon, My Brother      
 88  
 Although Julia Baird was not really brought in the same     
 family as her step-brother John, this book has some value.  
 Reading between the less than critical lines it is just     
 possible to catch a glimpse of what life really was like    
 in Liverpool in the 1950's and early 60's.  And that makes  
 it an interesting book.     



Anthony Fawcett 
 John Lennon : One Day at a Time      
 76  
 Fawcett worked for the Lennon's for the two years 68-70.    
 An insider's book about an interesting period.  Could be    
 more analytical, and critical.  The author's position       
 saves it.   




Jann Wenner     
 Lennon Remembers : The Rolling Stone Interviews      
 70  
 This was John's first major in-depth interview since the    
 break-up of The Beatles.  It makes fascinating reading of   
 his thought processes, and how he saw things in the 
 immediate aftermath.



ed. Liverpool Echo      
 Lennon : A Special Tribute by the Liverpool Echo     
 ??  
 The leading daily paper from John's home town put together  
 this reprint of some (of the very many) articles it had     
 published about him, from the Birth Announcement through to 
 the very end.  Essential.   



George Tremlett 
 The John Lennon Story
 76  
 NME writer and former Conservative London Councillor cuts   
 a mean job with a cuttings file.    



?       
 John Lennon : Summer of 1980 
 84  
 The holiday snaps from John's last summer.  Beautiful       
 photos, upsetting book.     



ed. Andy Peebles
 The Lennon Tapes     
 81  
 The transcript of (most of) John's last major radio inter-  
 view just before his murder.  Lucid, sensible, witty....    
 (The full tapes are now legally available on CD).   
     



Spencer Leigh   
 Let's Go Down The Cavern : Story of Liverpool's Merseybeat   
     
 Focuses on the Liverpool Scene concurrent with The Beatles' 
 development.



John Platt      
 London's Rock Routes 
 85  
 A useful, but not quite essential, guide to what was/is     
 where in London.  Useful section on The Beatles' London.    



Richard DiLello 
 The Longest Cocktail Party   
 73  
 DiLello was the Apple 'House Hippy'.  An undoubtedly
 entertaining read, but no guesses for the sustained 
 accuracy of the tales. 


ed. Bill Adler  
 Love Letters to The Beatles  
 64  
 The title tells it all.  Assuming (?) these are genuine     
 it tells how the Boys broke hearts across the length and    
 breadth of the USA throughout 1964. 

     



Michael Braun   
 Love Me Do : The Beatles Progress    
 64  
 Arguably the first (1964) real attempt to look at the whole 
 phenomenon and to try to understand it and see why and what 
 made it all happen. 
     



Peter Brown (with Steven Gaines)
 The Love You Make    
 83    Macmillan     
 A one-sided (to put it mildly) impression by a Beatles'     
 associate (Brown was originally with Epstein in NEMS),      
 dealing with the Apple era in particular.   
     



Alan Williams (with William Marshall)   
 The Man Who Gave The Beatles Away    
 75  
 Williams, The Beatles first "manager", weaves a nearly      
 bitter tale of the Boy's early attempts to make it in the   
 music business.  Some good (but suspect) accounts of the    
 early trips to Hamburg.     



Chet Flippo     
 McCartney : The Biography    
 88  
 A flawed, heavily tabloid flavour of a biography, based on  
 interviews with people only remotely connected with Macca's 
 life.  


Chris Salewicz  
 McCartney : The (Definitive) Biography       
 86  
 Not definitive, because Macca didn't co-operate with this   
 effort.  However, some other close confidants must have     
 given some information (Mike Mac?) because the latter half  
 of the book is rather revealing.  The first part seems      
 gleaned from other sources.  (See Davis, Norman, et. al.)   
     



ed. Paul Gambaccini     
 Paul McCartney in His Own Words      
 76  
 A well illustrated interview-plus with one of the UK's best 
 rock interviewers (an american).  Dated, but that adds to   
 the interest.  


George Tremlett 
 The Paul McCartney Story     
 75  
 NME writer and former Conservative London Councillor cuts   
 a mean job with a cuttings file.    



Paul McCartney  
 The Paul McCartney World Tour Programme      
 89  
 Well produced concert programme that was supposed to have   
 been, but wasn't, given out 'free' to everyone who went to  
 the 89/90 tour concerts.    
     



Bill Harry      
 MerseyBeat : The Beginnings of The Beatles   
 77  
 Strangely out of print essentail reprints of 'everything    
 of importance on them that Merseybeat ever published'.  A   
 reprint would be welcome - or even a complete re-print of   
 all 90 issues!  Essential reading, especially for believers 
 in the Raymond Jones Theory.
     

Michael McCartney       
 Mike Mac's Whites and Blacks (plus one colour)  
 Paul's brother had a nice flair for photography and 
 preserved some very early shots of the Boys at the Cavern,  
 and that fab colour picture (c.1958) of the proto-Beatles   
 standing in Auntie Jin's front parlour.     

Fenton Bresler  
 The Murder of John Lennon    
 89  
 A thorough, but inconclusive and marginally dubious study   
 made by a leading UK barrister/journalist.  Its main merit  
 is that it might have broken new ground for other   
 investigators.      

Mike Evans      
 Nothing to Get Hung About    
     
 A probably mid-70's publication from the City of Liverpool  
 Public Relations Office.  The city was only just waking up  
 to the potential arising from its four most famous sons.    
     
 Short.  Worthwhile.  (If only because it led on to other    
 acheivements)       

Mark Shipper    
 Paperback Writer     
 77  
 The title continues... The Life and Times of The Beatles:   
 The spurious chronicle of their rise to stardom, their      
 triumphs & disasters, plus the amazing story of their       
 ultimate reunion.   
 A Good Read, but file under fiction.
     


John Lennon     
 The Penguin John Lennon      
 66  
 The immense success of the two short books, In His Own Write
 and Spaniard in the Works, led Penguin (then the UK's       
 leading paperback publisher) to publish both in one volume. 
     

?       
 A Pixerama Foldbook of The Beatles   
 63  
 One of a series of 'concertina' like booklets on popular    
 themes (others include 'London Airport' and 'The Rolling    
 Stones').  A delightful timepiece, still available from     
 The Beatles Shop in Mathew Street.  

David Sheff (ed. G. Barry Golson)       
 The Playboy Interviews with John Lennon & Yoko Ono   
 80  
 A major interview with John shortly before his murder.      
 Because it is among the last major interviews it will       
 provide material for researchers into John's life for the   
 rest of time.  The transcript format makes it hard reading. 

Tony Barrow     
 PS We Love You - The Beatles Story 1962-3    
 82 0859393283       
 1982 cash-in on the 20th Anniversary of the Fab's first     
 hits in their home land.  Tony Barrow's involvement in this 
 Mirror Group production saves it, and renders it acceptable.
     

Alan Clayson    
 The Quiet One : A Life of George Harrison    
 90 0283998628       
 Quite a well written and researched volume with a below     
 average number of errors.  It tells the story from George's 
 viewpoint, which gives it a slightly fresher feel than some 
 of the biographies.  In common with the more recent books   
 the underlying scholarship is improving.    
     

Rob Burt and Michael Wells      
 Rockups : The Beatles Story  
 85  
 The Beatles' story told in 5 pages of witty pop-ups.  The   
 best is the Rooftop Concert, when the book plays 'Hey Jude!'
 Every home should have one! 
     

Philip Norman   
 Shout! : The True Story of The Beatles       
 81  
 Norman, a journalist, wrote the first "realistic" (ie down- 
 and-dirty) biography, daring to suggest that The Beatles    
 were not the  sweet young men the media promoted, but were  
 ordinary fellas of exraordinary talent caught up in the     
 miracle and morass of Beatlemania.  Norman, for all his     
 careful research, relied more than necessary on unsubstan-  
 tiated, opinions, and many inaccuracies remain in this book.
 Read, as with Hunter Davis, with this in mind.      

John Lennon     
 Skywriting by Word of Mouth : and other writings     
 86  
 Obviously part finished and incomplete writings which should
 be read, and judged, as such.  Shows a frustrating glimpse  
 of what John's autobiography might have been like... if..   
     

John Lennon     
 A Spaniard In The Works      
 65  
 The second compilation of John's writings.  Analysed
 exhaustively elsewhere.  Essential reading. 
     
     

Bill Wyman      
 Stone Alone  
 90  
 Although about The Other Band, this well written (not       
 ghosted) and researched book touches upon the interraction  
 between the two Great British bands of the 1960's.  
     

Tom Riley       
 Tell Me Why  
     
 Best when musicologist Riley sticks to submediants and      
 stays away from Beatles Interpretation 101.  But a welcome  
 successor to Wilfred Mellors' Twilight of The Gods. 
     

Mike McCartney  
 Thank U Very Much : Mike McCartney's Family Album    
 81  
 Paul's brother's photo-based light autobiography.  Witty    
 tales, excellent early photos.      

Colin Campbell and Allan Murphy 
 Things We Said Today 
     
 A scholarly concordance and interpretation of The Beatles'  
 songs.  Unfortunately limited edition so may be difficult   
 to find.  Most interesting are the reproductions of The     
 Beatles' worksheets for various songs, as they were being   
 composed.  (Reprinted by Pierian Press and sometimes
 avaliable from the US Beatlefest people, 1-800-BEATES) 
     

Denny Somach, Kathleen Somach, S Muni   
 Ticket to Ride       
 89 0708847870       
 Interviews about the Beatles with 48 pop stars.     
 A good idea that didn't quite come off.     

Billy Shepherd  
 The True Story of The Beatles
 64  
 Early biography rushed out by the publishers of 'The Beatles
 Book'.  A wonderful timepiece, valuable for what it typefies
 and not what it says (more accurately does not!).   
 S   

Wilfrid Mellers 
 Twilight of The Gods : The Beatles in Retospect      
 73  
 An extremely learned book about the actual music, written by
 a real professor of music.  Too deep for this writer!  Its  
 appearance added to William Mann's efforts in establishing  
 the Boys as real (as against 'pop') musicians.      

Cynthia Lennon  
 A Twist of Lennon    
 78  
 Cynthia, still devoted to John, writes slightly better than 
 she draws, but her heart is in the right place - even if    
 objectivity goes out the window.    
     

Bob Whittaker   
 The Unseen Beatles   
 91 185029335X       
 Whittaker belongs to that exclusive group who actually took 
 a Beatles album cover shot (The Butcher cover, and the back 
 of Revolver).  With this pedigree, the book is as good as   
 you'd expect.  Excellent.   

Carol Bedford   
 Waiting For The Beatles : An Apple Scruff's Story    
 84  
 The first one-third of this book takes a determined reader  
 to get through.  After that the book is a delight (change of
 editor?), and becomes a must for anyone wanting to re-      
 capture the heady days of The Apple Scruffs.  Ms Bedford    
 has an intimate encounter with one of the Fabs!  Tastefully 
 told.       

Dezo Hoffman    
 With The Beatles     
 82  
 Hoffman was their press photographer in 1962 and 1963, and  
 has lots of interesting sharp prints.  Famous for many      
 images, especially the "jump" series of photo's on the      
 "Twist and Shout" EP.       

Lee Minoff (et. al.)    
 Yellow Submarine Gift Book   
 68  
 Large format hardback illustrated (drawings from film)      
 version of the book-of-the-film.  A pschycedelic    
 timepiece.  (No idea why it is a "gift" book). 

Lee Mintoff (et al)     
 Yellow Submarine     
 68  
 A novelization of the script of the Boy's third Film.       
 A pschycedelic delight.     


Robert Freeman  
 Yesterday : Photographs of The Beatles       
 83  
 The photographer of the "With The Beatles", "Beatles For    
 Sale", and "Rubber Soul".  Nice stuff.      

Charles Reinhardt       
 You Can't Do That : Beatles Bootlegs and Novelty Recordings  
     
 So much has come out since this book was published that you 
 are advised to look on it as an early history of Beatles    
 bootlegs.  For more contemporary information, try a back    
 issue of the music-trader's publication, Goldmine, esp.     
 the Nov 17th 1989 issue which featured Beatles rarities.    
     


-- 
Stephen Carter, Systems & Operations Manager, Computing Services, 
University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QJ, UK  : S.Carter@central.sussex.ac.uk

