I haven t read every book on The Beatles but being the big Beatles fan that I am, I have read many of them. I ve read books that are primarily about their biography and books that are primarily about their music. I ve read books on The Beatles that are really great and I ve read some that are not so great. In this article I focus on the good ones that I do recommend reading.
Revolution In The Head This is a book that I love a love/hate relationship with. I strongly disagree with many of the opinions shared in this book but I still find it to be a really good read. One that makes me want to listen to The Beatles songs again to hear things from this author s perspective. It takes a close look at each of the songs The Beatles recorded during the 1960s (originals and covers.) Although it contains many opinions, it also contains a lot of facts that make it a good resource.
The Beatles As Musicians This is actually a two book set that is sold separately. One edition covers all of the music The Beatles recorded from their beginnings up through 1965 s Rubber Soul and the other edition covers their music from 1966 s Revolver through the break up of the band in 1970. This books is really aimed at students of The Beatles music. It largely bypasses the biographical stuff (which is fine, because so many other books cover that stuff) and instead focuses in great detail on the musical construction of their songs. This book is probably over the head of many readers because of it s focus on music theory. But for those really interested in the musicianship and songwriting of the band, there is no better resource.
Lennon Revealed This is a revealing biography of John Lennon (hence the name!) I have read a few books on Lennon and I think this is the best of them. It does a good job of making you feel like you re getting to know the real John Lennon rather than just the icon.
Many Years From Now Tells The Beatles story from Paul McCartney s perspective. Includes many direct quotes from Paul. This is an extremely informative book.
Here, There, & Everywhere: My Life Recording The Beatles This book was written by Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick and it tells The Beatles story from his very interesting perspective. I don t think any other book had me feeling like I was really there for the recording of their albums as much as this one. It includes some interesting technical details on how the music was recorded. I very highly recommend this book!
The Beatles Anthology The official Beatles story. I think this is an obvious must have for any Beatles fan. It s the perfect companion to the Anthology documentary film (which is available on DVD of course.)
The Beatles Complete Scores The music (including guitar & drum tabs) for every song the band officially released during their active career (ie: no Anthology songs are included.)