This is the official one. The Beatles by Hunter Davies is the only authorized biography of the group. It was originally written back in 1968, but this is the updated edition. What that means is this: the full original 1968 book is included but also much more. At the end is a chapter from 1985 which updates where each Beatle is at in their lives. But even better, the first, lengthy chapter is a more recent writing from 2006 which updates the history quite a lot. So, the book is historical but also more timely. (continued…)
The author had full access to the group and it shows. Their is plenty of information here. The minor downside to that, is that it’s fairly glowing in it’s praise and doesn’t really have much negative to say. There’s a bias toward keeping the Beatles happy with the book. But really, that’s ok. There are plenty of other Beatles books that will focus more on the negative. But this one had their blessing and it’s a very entertaining read.
There are also some nice photographs included as well as a few appendixes for in the back for completists and collectors. This book is a great way to find out a wealth of information about the band and the individual members. It’s a very good place to start. And then, to learn more, there are plenty of other Beatles books to read after this one!
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