George Harrison: Living in the Material World [Hardcover]

I have many Beatles books. It's hard to say what my favourites have been as they all serve different purposes really. Some focus on the songs (Revolution in the Head, Ian MacDonald), some on the insider's perspectives (Magical Mystery Tours, Tony Bramwell), some are intelligent accounts of the complex business wranglings and the fraught relationships between the band (The Love You Make, Pete Doggett). And then some are more personal, shedding light on the Fab's own perspectives of life inside the Beatle bubble. The gorgeous Anthology Hardback set a high standard, with it's beautiful photos, transcripts of interviews and recollections by the Beatles themselves, and mixture of personal handwritten notes and letters, and photos taken by the Beatles themselves.

I was hoping this hardback would be of the same standard. I have yet to see the accompanying DVD, but having now had a good weekend to look through this book, I feel it to be a bit unsubstantial and lightweight. It certainly doesn't deserve to be called a biography, because there is very little text in there. It's more of a beautifully produced picture book. Yes, there are quite a few pictures I have never seen before, and yes, the reproduction and quality is beyond reproach, especially for the price it's selling at on Amazon.

Olivia Harrison is without doubt a woman of integrity and dignity. She is the editor of sorts I presume of this book, and decided the shape and contents. However, I'm not convinced that the perspective she has gone for is all that balanced of the real man. It's hard to convey the contradictions and complexities in pictures. It seems that the DVD will better do this.

Certain periods of his life in this book are very lightly sketched. There is hardly any mention of Pattie Harrison, who was significant in that she was George's girlfriend and then wife through most of the sixties, and as I understand, was actually the bridge that led George and the rest of the Beatles towards Eastern religion in 1967, by encouraging George to attend the Maharishi talk in London. In fact the Beatles era is quite lightly skipped through. Would George have done this himself?! Quite possibly.

There are some intersting notes about Friar Park and some rare shots of George in the overgrown gardens. There are interesting personal photos of George hanging out with Dylan, the Formula One crowd and the Pythons...and quite a few serene shots of George in India, in the mid seventies and beyond.

I'd have liked to have seen more photos of George and Olivia together too, particularly a few of their courtship days. She is the quiet one's quiet wife here - I'd have liked her to have said more about her time with George here really, but she says in just a few paragraphs at the end of the book that 'Knowing how reluctant (George) was to talk about himself led me to illustrate his years mostly in pictures'. So in some ways the lack of an ego, the absence of a personal narrator, is quite appropriate I guess.

Four stars for a well produced pictorial biography. Go elsewhere for the finer detail!

"I want to tell you, my head is filled with things to say." -- George Harrison, 1966

This is without a doubt the most beautiful and longest awaited biography of George Harrison to date!

As soon as this book became available, I ordered it immediately if not even sooner. I loved the previously unpublished photographs, such as that of 2-year-old George in the arms of his sister, Louise, then nearly 14. I had to smile at tween George sunning himself with family friends, father Harold Sr. and brother Peter, in or about 1954. I especially loved the picture of Louise and Harold Sr. at a dance in the late 1940s, a loving couple who literally welcomed George with love.

It was such a treat to read about various Harrison family members. It is plain and has been well documented that George was not only created by love, but was literally born into love. From 1965-1969, Louise Harrison lent her voice to a column in a newsletter in a fan club newsletter honoring her son.

Postcards George had written various friends and family members; sketches from his school workbooks all paint young George Harrison into sharper focus. As a bonus treat, readers enjoy the inclusion of quotes by various family members, such as George's sisters-in-law, brothers, fellow Beatles and sundry friends.

I have long thought George and Paul were the most interesting of the Beatles. George's love for Eastern music and his life-long bond with Ravi Shankar, whom he met in 1965 is beautifully chronicled in this book. George's home Friar Park is included, from its "evolution" to its finished state, metaphoric in that it parallels George's "evolution" to that of gardener, a passion he inherited from both Harold Sr. and Louise.

You've just got to love seeing George, then 12 astride a motorcycle labeled "43" (as in 1943, perhaps), a future Formula One enthusiast. The then-future Beatle would follow his love for "things fast," as he would later sing in his 1979 gem, "Faster." In 1963, George, then 20 had a blast go-karting with his fellow Beatles, no doubt wishing his go-kart could be driven a tad faster. George, artist extraordinare, humble gardener, author, father, husband, son, brother, uncle, complex iconic figure remained a boy at heart.

One thing I've long wanted to explore was George's Catholic roots. Louise French Harrison was Catholic and had George baptized when he was 1 month old. George's Catholic roots remained with him for his entire life. He had a beautiful statue of Blessed Mother Mary on the grounds of Friar Park. While George explored Eastern religion and philosophy, he recognized that the precepts of all faiths are very similar.

I will add that George Harrison has given the gift of his beautiful voice to many. A child with Asperger's, which is a form of autism who was a HUGE Beatles fan (George was this child's favorite) was a late talker. Upon acquiring speech, this child would let George "talk" for her, using quotes from George's songs and lines he uttered in Beatle movies to express herself. Over time, this evolved into her developing her own voice, so to speak. George Harrison's music and his natural, yet childlike grace of sorts reached countless many. He has a large following of fans with autism, as do the Beatles as a group. Beatle fans with autism is a demographic that is not rare as one might otherwise think.

This book is such a Godsend and I CAN'T WAIT for the dvd. Olivia Arias Harrison, a beautiful, gracious lady has given the world a gift that will continue to give. To make a good thing even better, she has included her input, which made this a much more effective body of work. I can never thank her enough.

This book is a MUST HAVE for all George Harrison fans. Again, this book is a gift that will keep on giving.

You will also want to read Before He Was Fab: George Harrison's First American Visit, which was co-authored by George's sister, Louise.

This is a beautiful book. It's a weighty tome, with thick, high quality pages containing beautiful photographs, many of which are previously unseen. It's more a coffee table book than a serious academic volume, but the written content itself is all fantastic - some lovely andecdotes from those who knew and loved George. It's the perfect accompaniment to George Harrison - Living in the Material World (Deluxe Edition) [Blu-ray] or even to just George Harrison - Living in the Material World [Blu-ray] or George Harrison - Living in the Material World [DVD] alone. A must have for anyone with even a passing interest in George Harrison, and possibly the most beautiful and iconic front cover I have ever seen.