You Never Give Me Your Money: The Battle For The Soul Of The Beatles [Hardcover]

`An enthralling new book on the group.' --The Independent

`an admirably unstarry-eyed path through the breakup of the band and beyond.' --Metro

`What Doggett has achieved is a laying bare of the darker consequences of enormous fame and wealth.' --Irish Times

"A breath-taking record of uncontrolled fame's grotesque side-affects."
--Q Magazine

"Doggett's approach to the Beatles is brave...refreshing."
--New Statesman

`The Beatles Story you haven't read.'
--GQ

"A familiar story, freshly told" --Financial Times

`A page-turner, and for its genre and uncharacteristically literate one'. --Literary Review

Unique and original, this is the most important book about the Beatles since Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head.

* When Paul McCartney told the world in 1970 that he had no plans to work with the Beatles again, it was widely viewed as a cultural tragedy by the media and public alike. His statement not only marked the end of the band's remarkable career, but also seemed to signal the demise of an era of unprecedented optimism in cultural history. * But posterity would not let go of the group so easily and one of the most fascinating phases of the Beatle's story was just about to begin. For almost 40 years the four members of the group, their families and business partners, have been forced to live with the reverberations of their incredible success. * Now, for the first time, You Never Give Me Your Money tells the dramatic story of the personal and business rivalry that has dominated the Beatles' lives since 1969. It charts the almost Shakespearian rivalry of the Lennon and McCartney families, the conflict in George Harrison’s life between spirituality and fame, and Richard Starkey’s efforts to escape the alcoholism that threatened to kill him. It documents the shifting relationships between the four as they strive to establish their identities beyond the Beatles and it chronicles the transformation of their multi-media company, Apple Corps, from a bastion of 1960s counter-culture into a corporate behemoth, ready to launch lawsuits at anyone straying into its path. * The best of rock'n'roll writers, Peter Doggett gives us a compelling human drama and the equally rich and absorbing story of the Beatles' creative and financial empire, set up to safeguard their interests but destined to control their lives. * From tragedy to triumphant reunion, and court battles to chart success, You Never Give Me Your Money traces the untold story of a group and a legacy that will never be forgotten.

When Paul McCartney told the world in 1970 that he had no plans to work with the Beatles again, it was widely viewed as a cultural tragedy by the media and public alike. His statement not only marked the end of the band's remarkable career, but also seemed to signal the demise of an era of unprecedented optimism in cultural history. But posterity would not let go of the group so easily and one of the most fascinating phases of the Beatle's story was just about to begin. For almost 40 years the four members of the group, their families and business partners, have been forced to live with the reverberations of their incredible success. Now, for the first time, You Never Give Me Your Money tells the dramatic story of the personal and business rivalry that has dominated the Beatles' lives since 1969. It charts the almost Shakespearian rivalry of the Lennon and McCartney families, the conflict in George Harrison’s life between spirituality and fame, and Richard Starkey’s efforts to escape the alcoholism that threatened to kill him. It documents the shifting relationships between the four as they strive to establish their identities beyond the Beatles and it chronicles the transformation of their multi-media company, Apple Corps, from a bastion of 1960s counter-culture into a corporate behemoth, ready to launch lawsuits at anyone straying into its path. The best of rock'n'roll writers, Peter Doggett gives us a compelling human drama and the equally rich and absorbing story of the Beatles' creative and financial empire, set up to safeguard their interests but destined to control their lives. From tragedy to triumphant reunion, and court battles to chart success, You Never Give Me Your Money traces the untold story of a group and a legacy that will never be forgotten.

Peter Doggett has been writing about popular music, the entertainment industry and social and cultural history since 1980. A regular contributor to Mojo, Q and GQ, his books include The Art and Music of John Lennon; a volume detailing the creation of the Beatles' Let It Be and Abbey Road albums; the pioneering study of the collision between rock and country music, Are You Ready for The Country? and, most recently, There's a Riot Going On: Revolutionaries, Rock Stars and the Rise and Fall of 60s Counter-Culture.