The Best Beatles Book Ever
Who is Charles, author of the Christy Kennedy mystery series, to claim his book about the Beatles is the “best ever?” Well, it turns out that Charles, aside from being a crackerjack novelist, is a veteran music promoter, manager, and agent, having been in the business since he was a teenager. A Beatles fan since the four lads from Liverpool first started recording, Charles has written a personal appreciation—a book-length fan letter, almost—of the group that changed the course of music history. (The title is, of course, tongue-in-cheek.) Rather than give us another history of the Beatles, Charles takes us through their music catalog, exploring the evolution of the Beatles by looking at the music they were making and the impact they were having on fans and fellow musicians. The book is full of nifty facts—the band’s first album, released 50 years ago, was recorded in a single 10-hour session—but what makes it so enjoyable is the author’s gung-ho, this-is-the-greatest-band-in-the-world approach. You can’t read the book without getting caught up in his enthusiasm. --David Pitt