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Bob Spitz
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The Beatles Hardcover – 5 Dec. 2005

by Bob Spitz (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 1,090 ratings
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As soon as the Beatles became famous, the spin machines began to construct a myth - a myth that has continued into the present. The truth is far more interesting, far more exciting and far more moving. After years of international research, hundreds of unprecedented interviews and the mining of tens of thousands of previously unseen documents, Bob Spitz has written the definitive, epic, all-encompassing biography not just of John and Paul and their two mates from Liverpool, but of a band - a loud, angry rock 'n' roll band composed of four kids who became gods.
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  1. Print length
    928 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Aurum Press
  4. Publication date
    5 Dec. 2005
  5. Dimensions
    15.88 x 5.4 x 24.13 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    9780316803526
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0316803526
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0316803529
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Aurum Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 5 Dec. 2005
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 928 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780316803526
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316803526
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 1.41 kg
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.88 x 5.4 x 24.13 cm
  • Best Sellers Rank: 1,508,814 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 1,090 ratings

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Bob Spitz

Bob Spitz

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
1,090 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the biography to be a very good read. The book receives mixed feedback regarding its detail, with some praising its excellent account while another customer notes it goes beyond factual information.

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ReadabilityDetail
6 customers mention ‘Readability’5 positive1 negative

Customers find the book very good and enjoyable to read, with one customer describing it as the best they have read about the Beatles.

"A very good read. Not quite in the bracket of Mark Lewisohn’s ‘Tune In’ but then again, that one is a masterpiece...." Read more

"...way through this book, always look forward to picking it up again, very enjoyable!" Read more

"Very enjoyable. Glad I bought it." Read more

"Amazing, can't stop reading" Read more

5 customers mention ‘Detail’3 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the level of detail in the book, with some finding it excellent, while one customer notes it goes beyond factual information.

"...on the Beatles, some are excellent, they are either full of historical information or great, unique photos, this book is none of the above, average..." Read more

"...in extremely tiresome prose and utter flights of fancy, going way beyond anything factual, as if he himself had been present at these events...." Read more

"Excellent detailed account. Best I have read about the Beatles. Annoying numerous quotes on each page indicated in blue type...." Read more

"...There is simply no light and shade and no insight into the greatest cultural phenomenon of the 20th century...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Wieslawa Ostrowska
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 August 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Amazing, can't stop reading
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  • John
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 February 2020
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    Very enjoyable. Glad I bought it.
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  • Toyman
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well researched and brutely honest in parts, but overlong and in an often florid style.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 June 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Having been a life long fan since The Beatles first releases, I am always drawn to new books which might fill in gaps in my Beatle knowledge, which to be fair this book did at certain points. I have no doubt this has been a labour of love for the author and a mammoth undertaking, but some commonly recurring elements of his style throughout did niggle me. For all the research, the spelling of English place names incorrectly, such as the plural 'Covent Gardens' (sic) and the town of 'Huddlesfield' (sic) rather than Huddersfield, always made me aware of this being an American writer, and publishers, unfamiliar with the names. These glitches aside, the writer too often lapses into descriptions of scenes in extremely tiresome prose and utter flights of fancy, going way beyond anything factual, as if he himself had been present at these events. The attempt to paint vivid pictures means that no noun is left unaccompanied by some florid adjective, as if he is trying to impress the reader with the range of his vocabulary. For an example in the opening chapter : ' An umbrella of smoke hung over the coffee table, Coke bottles lay scattered like chess pieces. As Newby moved toward the couch, his eyes filled with a vision that looked like one of Rouault's Gothic monochromes: four ravenlike figures were grouped there, clad in ominous bruised leather and blackness...' Or in describing Liverpool: ' The river, with it's dark, brooding magnetism, drove the city as if throughout its existence it had been waiting for a subject as pliant and pure as these shores, those spiny timber docks, that rim of sea.' Rather than a biographer Spitz appears to be unable to rein in his own creative drives, and many passages read more like a novel. Therefore ,for me, it was a real relief to get past those indulgent hurdles, the style does settle down more as it progresses and he either runs out of metaphors or reached his word count for the day. it does go a long way to explaining why this is such a long book. Nevertheless, if you plough ahead and past the blips, the book does give you quite a raw view inside The Beatles day-to-day life and the many challenges and personal demons that all those involved had to battle through. I'm not sure I found it as enjoyable as I wished, but it did enhance my admiration for the band for still remaining as creative as they did despite so many challenges.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kaggy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Everything as described and at a very good price.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 January 2022
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    A small fault was described accurately and otherwise the book was in great shape. A very good price too.
    Helpful
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  • John Cook
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 December 2015
    Verified Purchase
    1/3 of the way through this book, always look forward to picking it up again, very enjoyable!
    One person found this helpful
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  • C A Roberts
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 January 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent
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  • GaryW
    3.0 out of 5 stars Irritatingly American
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 October 2006
    I really can't disagree with the other reviews of this lengthy book. It is very long (over 800 pages) and does contain mistakes - albeit not particularly serious ones, just sort of irritating (such as referring to Freddy and the Dreamers instead of Freddie) and inserting [sic] round all sorts of things (such as after an English critic's reference to Sgt Pepper - in the UK this album is (as far as I'm aware) normally referred to thus, rather than the strictly more correct Sgt Pepper's). But my main reason for being irritated by this otherwise well written and readable book is its American-ness (of which the Sgt Pepper gripe above is one example). The book's most glaring shortcoming is its lack of a UK discography - US, no problem, but we all know how different the track listings could be. So 3 stars for being well written and trying to be exhaustive. But how much better it could have been...you really had to be there.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Richard Shaw
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 June 2023
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    A very good read. Not quite in the bracket of Mark Lewisohn’s ‘Tune In’ but then again, that one is a masterpiece. I’ve read dozens of Beatles books over the years and this is one of the best.
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Palo
    3.0 out of 5 stars Excessivamente Detalhado
    Reviewed in Brazil on 11 April 2023
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    Com uma narrativa que romantiza cada detalhe da história da vida dos membros dos Beatles, o livro acaba por cansar o leitor com uma pesada carga de histórias paralelas, desde descrições detalhadas das vidas dos avós de cada um, chegando quase na metade do livro antes mesmo de contar sobre a entrada do Ringo Starr na banda. Me incomodou também o endeusamento exagerado, como se a genialidade musical dos garotos de Liverpool transcendesse a divindade. Recomendo apenas para hardcore-fãs da banda.
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  • JC Davenport
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Beatles Origin Story
    Reviewed in the United States on 7 February 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Setting aside music and the Beatles, I think this is worth reading just as an amazing post World War II history book of British and USA culture. But I do care about music and I "kinda like the Beatles" so this was a super enjoyable read for me. It is also long, with many stories - origin stories. The now legendary, iconic Beatles - were regular people at one time? Yes. In English society they and their world were considered the low folks. This book rewinds and turns legends back into regular people that at once have you not only rooting for them but wondering to yourself how can they ever remotely become what you know in your mind that they will . .

    Then there's the gradual against all odds building excitement and finally when they as a group just clearly reach the tipping point . . mayhem. Not kidding. The world went nuts. They seemed to be just the "outlet" the world was craving . .

    Then over the next 5 years - drama, more drama and music throughout all of it. Finally - relief that they break up in the end.

    To fully enjoy this book I had to take music breaks to listen to the songs as they come. Rock n roll roots. Everly Brothers harmonies turned into next level rockers. Then all of the experimentation. Reading this book is like consecutive podcasts of "Song Exploder" - breaking down how songs were made from the writers perspective. I think what's most cool are the collaborative songs. Despite the solo directions and break-up, they were collaborating up until the end. My favorite (at the moment) but kind of obscure Beatles song is called "You know my name look up the number" that starts off with Lennon, then comes McCartney . . then - well please give it a listen - it's the 4:20 version.

    If you're like me and you have always had the "Disneyfied" version of the Beatles, and you're not into tabloid drama, this book will likely startle. Matter of fact sex and drugs, to accompany the rock n roll does affect the squeaky clean image that, in fact was never true.

    Anyway I thought this would be the best Beatles book to read (if you're only reading one) - and maybe it is. The ending is kind of sad and abrupt, but I think that's the way it really was. I do think they all made some really great music after the breakup. And none of them were the type to go back. As Lennon says here "you can't be that hungry twice."

    Random post Beatles things I think are awesome: 1) The "Get Back" movie 2) SNL Chris Farley interviewing Paul McCartney 3) Paul McCartney Carpool Karaoke with James Corden 4) Paul and Ringo still doing live shows in 2025 5) Just about every album George Harrison put out (minus the sitar music) 6) John Lennon's last songs - Watching the Wheels, Nobody Told Me and Just Like Starting Over.
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend, thoroughly researched account of the Beatles as a group from start to end
    Reviewed in Australia on 3 February 2024
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    So many details that I never knew before about each of the fab four and those closest to them. I found myself having to look up the meaning of several words, amazing writing but can be heavy going on places. Enjoyed that where facts had been distorted over time and human error, these differences were explained.
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  • MILENA BATISTONI
    5.0 out of 5 stars Completo e interessante
    Reviewed in Italy on 19 November 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Bellissimo libro, di piacevole lettura, pieno di informazioni e di analisi approfondite. Ottimo strumento per la conoscenza del gruppo nel contesto della sua epoca. Rende comunque l’atmosfera e l’entusiasmo di un momento indimenticabile.
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  • Hang Ta Kong
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent livre (pour les anglophones)
    Reviewed in France on 7 June 2007
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Je me dois de remonter la note donnée précédemment. Indéniablement, les critiques que l'on a faites sur ce livre ne concernent que les photos. Pour rappel, le choix des photos et leur légendes ne sont pas du fait de l'auteur mais de l'éditeur, Spitz n'ayant eu en main cette sélection que moins d'une heure, ce qui est peu en regard des heures passées à rédiger l'ouvrage.

    Ces erreurs ne se retrouvent plus dans la seconde édition, celle en vente sur ce site, rendant le commentaire précédent inapproprié. Je regrette néanmoins que ce livre fasse l'impasse sur la série de concerts des Beatles à L'olympia pendant l'hiver 1964.

    Enfin, le nombre d'ouvrages paraissant sur les Beatles est particulièrement important. Beaucoup de biographies sont souvent basées à partir de témoignages de troisième main, ou pire, véhiculent, ouvrages après ouvrages, des légendes ou interprétation éronnées. Tel n'est pas le cas de cet ouvrage qui évite tous les pièges connus. Ensuite si comme moi, vous avez déjà lu plusieurs dizaines de livres sur les Beatles, celui-ci devrait vous plaire comme vous apprendrez vraiment, vraiment quelque chose de nouveau.
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