Just thought you all might want to look into this stunning Beatle book! Traces the lads heritage back through a couple of generations and is written more as a "History book" than a musical one! It's being released with a $39.99 price point! Goes into explicit detail about recording of numerous Beatle songs that in itself is worth the price. Just look on some book sites for the name of it lost the article about it!!!!!!

It's called the Beatle's Biography author Bob Spitz and is reviewd on Amazon books! A very worth while purchase!

On the Xmas list i think...Cheers.

This Book has many mistakes not buy for now when you ask me...

Quoted from Carry_Anne

This Book has many mistakes not buy for now when you ask me...

Nobody cares about your opinions here Dirk.

"Mistakes" from a "date" point I can deal with there were over 600 people interviewed fror this book with in depth descriptions of studio recordings that in itself would make it a good read for me!

OH my!! I just spelt "for" wrong! See mistakes?

Quoted from Carry_Anne

This Book has many mistakes not buy for now when you ask me...

Apparently daytrippin.com has found some interesting nitpicks.  

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/gossip/story/371630p-316189c.html

No nitpicking mistakes I have read about on Amazon.com, instead basic historic clunkers a "101" fan would make out from the sky. Stuff that makes you go "how can I trust the rest?" (...900 pages, small types!)
I don't remember the examples, but go read some of the negative reviews: those sure cool you off a bit!

I probably shouldn't have used the word nitpicks--corrections would be more correct.  Don't these publishing houses have editors and factcheckers anymore?

lots of heated discussion on the spitz book here:

http://www.beatlelinks.net/forums/showthread.php?t=24247

The more that's written? The less that's true.....I wonder how this legacy will change Beatle history after reading the posts here.

When's the point that too many facts blind you? I often wonder. lol

I just started this book and I'm around page 50. It seems pretty good, but so far it seems like the author is a big John fan.

Am always very sceptical if someone comes out with a new book about them guys. You can't believe anything, no matter who the author is. IMHO it's just another book written by  another person with a different point of view. Same as Goldman, Cynthia, Peter Brown, Hunter Davies.....ad infinitum.

There are certainly books I enjoy reading but in the end it's always up to the readers rationality and comprehension to choose from all given information whether they might be true or not.
The only ones who could tell how it really was are the guys themselves. And I don't even think they would always tell the truth about certain things - they're only human as anybody else

....let me take you down.....nothing is real....Always, no sometimes, think it's me, but you know I know when it's a dream.
I think I know I mean a 'Yes' but it's all wrong, that is I think I disagree....

When I was young(ish) - a long time ago! - I went into a bookshop and tore up a load of pages in a certain author's book!!!!

You have to tell us who. I need to understand.

I know Goldman's one-sided, but it is an excellent read in terms of cast of characters.  He does tend to reduce the players to caricatures from a 1930s MGM Musical, but it's fun in a perverse way that the hagiographic bios aren't.  

Spitz seems to be covering alot of old ground without adding that much more new or exciting.  Lewisohn, A Day in the Life and Revolution in the Head seem alot more worthwhile even though they're not bios.  As sources they all give Paul his due, which I don't think any of the Beatles bios tend to do.  Maybe with the exception of Davies, but it's more publicity than bio.

Quoted from kevin_b

You have to tell us who. I need to understand.

Have a listen to God II by U2 - the clue is in there somewhere!

By the way, instant karma, or so it appears, DID indeed get him!!!

Sorry to dredge up a year-plus old topic, but just wondering if anyone ever decided to read it and what your opinions ending up being.  I read it in the paperback version.  

It is full of errors. There is even a list on the internet somewhere summing all the mistakes up. I thought that the author went very into irrelevant details. No wonder it was 900 pages!

Quoted from Bobber

I thought that the author went very into irrelevant details. No wonder it was 900 pages!

But some of us long to know how often the Beatles clipped their toenails!

Seriously, I haven't found any biography about the Beatles that I actually wanted to own. The more "objective" biographies seem to be full of flat-out errors or rampant speculation (not often indicated as such). The officially endorsed biographies are full of omissions. So I visit my library a lot!

I will probably end up owning the Hunter Davies biography and the Beatles Anthology mega-book. Even though these are "official" releases, I at least feel I'm getting a view direct from the source. I enjoy how the different members remember events differently and contradict each other. To me, that's life! We all remember things slightly differently, particularly as we *cough* mature.

And waiting for the results of the Mark Lewisohn mega-project!

Quoted from Bobber

It is full of errors. There is even a list on the internet somewhere summing all the mistakes up. I thought that the author went very into irrelevant details. No wonder it was 900 pages!

You admitting dirk was right??

Oh, Dirk is quite knowledgable and I haven't read his post on this, but he surely can be right. It's a shame that his charactar has another side as well.

I'm on page 805, and I'm lovin' it.  Of course, its my first Beatle book, so I really have nothing to compare it to.  So far, from being a member of this Forum, I haven't run across any contradictions.  And no, I have not clicked on those links.  Maybe I'll wait until I'm finished with the book.

I've read Here, There, and Everywhere by Geoff Emerick, which is a Beatle book, of course, but not exactly a bio.  More of just a collection of opinions, as if you were reading his diary.

Quoted from Buttmunker

I'm on page 805, and I'm lovin' it.  Of course, its my first Beatle book, so I really have nothing to compare it to.  So far, from being a member of this Forum, I haven't run across any contradictions.  And no, I have not clicked on those links.  Maybe I'll wait until I'm finished with the book.

I've read Here, There, and Everywhere by Geoff Emerick, which is a Beatle book, of course, but not exactly a bio.  More of just a collection of opinions, as if you were reading his diary.

You will come to see that George and Patti really didn't meet on the set of Help! for a start.

I just bought this book today

Quoted from Flaming Pie in the Sky

I just bought this book today

Pity.

So then, which is your "perfect Beatle book?"  Enlighten us poor pitiful souls who have stumbled upon and wasted money on "trash."

Quoted from Buttmunker

So then, which is your "perfect Beatle book?"  Enlighten us poor pitiful souls who have stumbled upon and wasted money on "trash."

Read this thread if you want to know. There's lots of good books and it depends and what part you want to know more about. Spitz' book is just full of errors and the story of The Beatles is already paved with it. I certainly hope you'll find this a satisfying answer, pitiful soul.

What's funny is that, before I came here, I was reading about Spitz's book on DVDTalk.com, and they said Spitz's book was the new 'definitive' book on the Beatles, as opposed to the one that was approved by the Beatles themselves (I forget who at the moment...Hunter Davis, I think was the author).

Guess those folks, all of them, are misinformed.  I'm not being sarcastic, either, Mr. Bobber.

What's funny is that most critics think it's a great book. Most Beatlesfans I've asked about it, think it is terrible. It depends on who you want to believe. A lot of critics tend to not read 900 pages of a Beatlesbook. Most Beatlesfans do.

Spitz's book started out promising-- didn't he give a lot of info on Liverpool history? (I mix up my Beatles books because I only borrow them out of the library). So reading the beginning, it looks good. If you go in farther, it gets less and less good until it's all the same old recycled rumor-filled uninsightful stuff that I find in most Beatles books.

I need to write my own!  

Quoted from harihead

Spitz's book started out promising-- didn't he give a lot of info on Liverpool history? (I mix up my Beatles books because I only borrow them out of the library). So reading the beginning, it looks good. If you go in farther, it gets less and less good until it's all the same old recycled rumor-filled uninsightful stuff that I find in most Beatles books.

y'know what, i think the same, i'm just finishing it off! quite a long read.
It's a well-written book but strange facts that i've never heard in the Beatle
history before. sometimes i wonder at these writers.
don't get me wrong, i do liked Spitz's work but it's quite an odd book i find.

^ I think he was under deadline, and just ran out of time!  

I've read to about page 500 and there's more errors than I can count

im reading it right now im on about page 100 and it's alright so far

This book is a long, tedious read.  It took me forever to get thru the book.  And yes, lots and lots of errors.......

Quoted from harihead

If you go in farther, it gets less and less good until it's all the same old recycled rumor-filled uninsightful stuff that I find in most Beatles books.

That was my reaction, too. I took two cracks at reading it and gave up both times. The critics, I suspect, were reading each other's reviews instead of the book.

I said "sh it man, that book is too big.... lol my sister gave it to me 'cause she didn't want it so now its sitting on a shelf here in my room