I bet you'd know that was written by John Lennon even if no one told you :-) From "In His Own Write"
You'll find more of my favorite Lennonisms on my Quotable John Lennon page.
Looking for more pictures of John? Visit the John Lennon Photo Gallery
John loved art and writing almost as much as he loved music. He went to art school in Liverpool.
His teacher
Arthur Ballard was very impressed with his work and thought he should become a professional illustrator.
His first wife Cynthia thought he would have become a cartoonist if he hadn't
become a Beatle. Actually he became both!
In 1964 In His Own Write,
his first book of stories and drawings was published. Of course I ran right out and bought the book,
and it really did crack me up... still does. Nobody's mind worked like John Lennon's mind!
I was soooo impressed that I decided I just had to have a hat like the one John wore on the cover. This one isn't quite
like John's but it's the closest I could get. I wore that hat for years (this pic was taken sometime
in 1966 I think; that's my cousin Vicki - a fellow Beatlemaniac - on the right.)
John's next book was called "A Spaniard In the Works" and it's equally assymetrically hysterical.
You can find most of John's books at a discount at amazon.com as well as many books about him.
Several new books about John have just been published: John's first wife Cynthia Lennon's biography
John...
Peter Doggett's
The Art and Music of John Lennon...
John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth by
Elizabeth Partridge... Life Magazine's
Life: Remembering John Lennon: 25 Years Later
and photographer Bob Gruen's John Lennon: The New York Years.
I was especially looking forward to Gruen's book as he's not only a great photographer, but was also close friend of John's, and
this book IS excellent! Also check out Yoko Ono's Memories of John Lennon
and a new Imagine DVD, remastered with extra footage.
These are some of my favorite classics...
The Beatles Anthology
John, Paul, George and Ringo in their own words plus thousands of pictures... what could be better?
This book captures much of the spontaneity that made the Beatles immortal.
Though it also documents the many fights, it conveys what kept them together.
As Ringo sagely says, "Elvis went downhill because he seemed to have no friends,
just a load of sycophants. Whereas with us, individually we all went mad,
but the other three always brought us back."
John Lennon : The New York Years by Bob Gruen
This is my new favorite John Lennon book :-) Bob Gruen first photographed Lennon in 1971 and became his personal photographer
and close friend shortly thereafter.
This book assembles an amazing collection of photographs taken during Lennon's years in New York,
together with Gruen's reflections on the circumstances surrounding the photos,
including John's relationship with Yoko, how he dealt with fame,
and his experiences with fatherhood.
The result is a remarkable behind-the-scenes look at John Lennon as a performer,
a legend, and a person.
Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles
A book for anyone who doesn't already know (and for those of us who have always known :-)
that Macca is more than just a pretty face & cute personality: a wonderful telling of the McCartney
story by a man who knows him well.
But one of the best thing about this book is Paul's sharp and compassionate insights into his
fellow Beatles, especially the brilliant but troubled John. And the inside info on all those songs!
A Hard Day's Write by Steve Turner
Arranged chronologically by album, the author explores how private
incidents influenced the group's writing and how their music evolved. A longtime Beatles
admirer, Turner tracked down and interviewed the real-life subjects of the songs,
probed public records and newspaper archives, and spoke in depth to the people closet
to the Beatles to unearth these fascinating tales.
The result is a book that chronicles an untold story of the Beatles themselves. Some of these
stories have been included in other books before and since, but there are quite a few exclusives and
it's also majorly cool to have them all in
one fab package that's illustrated with over 200 photographs :-)
Days in the Life : The Lost Beatles Archives by Richard Buskin & R.E. Robinson
This was published over a year ago, but I just discovered it and it's my current favorite.
Looking through this book is like paging through a personal photo album. A combination of posed and
candid shots, the photographs are
incredible... big, glossy and revealing and the little stories that accompany the pictures also
have that intimate insider feel.
If you can only buy one Beatles photos book, make it this one.
edited by Paul Trynka with a foreward by Brian Wilson
OK, this book is actually a collection of three special
issues of Mojo magazine published in the UK in 2003 but it's beautifully put together.
John Lennon : In His Own Words by Ken Lawrence
John by Cynthia Lennon
intimate account of John Lennon as he was in the 1960's written by his childhood sweetheart and first wife Cynthia
John Lennon : Nothing's Going to Change My World by Susan Moyer
Postcards From The Boys by Ringo Starr
Ringo's collection of more than 100 postcards sent to him by John, Paul & George over the years with fascinating commentary
John's Secret Dreams: The Life of John Lennon by Doreen Rappaport
A creative children's book using free-verse text and pictures that tumble across the pages
to introduce John Lennon to a new generation.
Teenagers Guide To The Beatles by Zane Lalani
The Beatles Literary Anthology edited by Mike Evans
Magical Mystery Tours: My Life With The Beatles by Tony Barrow
Meet The Beatles by Steven Stark
A Cultural History of the Band That Shook Youth, Gender, and the World
Revolution in the Head : The Beatles' Records and the Sixties by Ian Macdonald
Bob Dylan And The Beatles by Al Aronowitz
Volume One Of The Best Of The Blacklisted Journalist
The Beatles Solo on Apple Records by Bruce Spizer
Turn Me On, Dead Man: The Beatles And The "Paul-Is-Dead" Hoax by Andru J Reeve
The Beatles Day-by-Day, Song-by-Song, Record-by-Record by Craig Cross
The Beatles (People Who Made History) by David M. Haugen
There are a LOT of books about The Beatles out there! Some of them are available at a discount
at amazon.com. I'm hoping to have all the individual links up eventually... I've started with
the books that I'm most familiar with and really like.
(For the others, you can use the search box) Some you might have to hunt a little harder for. I'm
sure this list isn't complete, so if you know of any other cool Beatle books, please
email me at
Abbey Road: The Story of the World's Most Famous Recording Studios by Brian Southah
Abbey Road to Zapple Records : A Beatles Encyclopedia by Judson Knight
Across the Universe with John Lennon by Linda Keen & Darryl Price
All Our Loving: A Beatle Fan's Memoir by Carolyn Lee Mitchell & Michael Munn
All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview With John Lennon and Yoko Ono
As I Write This Letter: American Generation Remembers the Beatles by M.A. Catone
As Time Goes By: Living in the Sixties by Derek Taylor
The Beatles - revised edition by Hunter Davies
The Beatles - unabridged audio version by Hunter Davies
Beatlepedia Interactive CD-ROM by Joe Cuhaj
The Beatles by William McKeen
The Beatles After the Break-Up 1970-2000 : A Day-By-Day Diary by Keith Badman
The Beatles: An Oral History by David Pritchard
The Beatles: An Illustrated Diary by H V Fulpen
The Beatles: A Private View by Robert Freeman
The Beatles : As It Happened by John Donegan
The Beatles As Musicians: The Quarry Men Through Rubber Soul by Walter Everett
The Beatles As Musicians: Revolver Through the Anthology by Walter Everett
The Beatles at the BEEB 62-65: The Story of Their Radio Career by Kevin Howlett
The Beatles Day-by-Day, Song-by-Song, Record-by-Record by Craig Cross
The Beatles: A Diary by Barry Miles
Beatles Down Under: The 1964 Australia and New Zealand Tour by Glenn A. Baker
The Beatles' England by David Bacon & Norman Maslov
The Beatles Files by Andy Davis
The Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four's Instruments, from Stage to Studio by Andy Babiuk & Tony Bacon
The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics by Alan Aldridge
The Beatles in Their Own Words
The Beatles in Rishikesh by Paul Saltzman
The Beatles Literary Anthology edited by Mike Evans
The Beatles Live by Mark Lewisohn
The Beatles Memorabilia Price Guide by Jeff Augsburger
Beatles Not for Sale : The Beatles Musical Legacy As Archived on Unauthorized Recordings
Beatlesongs by William J. Dowlding
The Beatles' Story on Capitol Records, Part One : Beatlemania & The Singles by Spizer & Livingstone
The Beatles : The True Beginnings by Roag Best, Pete Best & Rory Best
Beatletoons: The Real Story Behind the Cartoon Beatles by Axelrod
Before He Was Fab: George Harrison's First American Visit by Jim Kirkpatrick
Birth of the Beatles by Sam Leach
Blackbird Singing : Poems and Lyrics, 1965-1999 by Paul McCartney
Carry That Weight: The Story of the Beatles by Ernst E. Schultze
Nothing to Get Hung About: A Short History of the Beatles by Mike Evans
Rock 'N' Roll Times: The Style and Spirit of The Early Beatles and Their First Film by Jurgen Vollmer
A Cellarful of Noise by Brian Epstein
Collecting the Beatles: An Intro and Price Guide to Fab Four Collectibles by B. Fenick
Come Together: John Lennon in His Time by Jon Wiener
Complete Beatles Chronicle by Mark Lewisohn & George Martin
Days in the Life : The Lost Beatles Archives by Richard Buskin
Each One Believing by Paul McCartney
Every Little Thing: A Compendium of Witty, Weird and Ever-Surprising Facts About the Fab Four by Maxwell Mackenzie
Get Back : The Unauthorized Chronicle of the Beatles' Let It Be Disaster by Doug Sulpy, Ray Schweighardt
Glass Onion : The Beatles in Their Own Words by Geoffrey Giuliano, Vrnda Devi
Goldmine The Beatles Digest
A Hard Day's Write: The Story Behind Every Beatles Song by Steve Turner
Harrison by Olivia Harrison
In My Life : Encounters With the Beatles by Robert Cording (editor)
In Their Own Words - The Beatles After The Break-up by David Bennahum
John Lennon A Story in Photographs by Terry Burroughs
Lennon : The Definitive Biography by Ray Coleman
John Lennon My Brother by Julia Baird & Geoffrey Giuliano
John Lennon: Whatever Gets You Through the Night: The Stories behind Every John Lennon Song by Paul Du Noyer
Linda McCartney's Sixties : Portrait of an Era by Linda McCartney & Paul McCartney
Listening to the Beatles: Vol 1: Bootlegs and Singles by David Schwartz
Long and Winding Road: An Intimate Guide to the Beatles by Ted Greenwald
Magical Mystery Tours: My Life With The Beatles by Tony Barrow
The Making of the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour by Tony Barrow
Meet The Beatles: A Cultural History of the Band by Steven Stark
Mystical One: George Harrison: After the Breakup of the Beatles by Elliot J. Huntley
Nothing Is Beatleproof by Michael J. Hockinson
Nothing to Get Hung About: A Short History of the Beatles by Mike Evans
Once there was a way...Photographs of the Beatles by Harry Benson
Paperback Writers: An Illustrated Bibliography by Bill Harry
Paperback Writers: The History of The Beatles in Print by Bill Harry
Paperback Writers: The Life and Times of The Beatles: The Spurious Chronicle by Mark Shipper
Paul McCartney : I Saw Him Standing There by Jorie Gracen
Paul McCartney Paintings by Paul McCartney
Postcards From The Boys by Ringo Starr
Rock 'N' Roll Times: The Style and Spirit of The Early Beatles and Their First Film by Jurgen Vollmer
The Rocking City: The Explosive Birth of the Beatles by Sam Leach
Shout! The Beatles in Their Generation by Phillip Norman
Skywriting by Word of Mouth And Other Writings by John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Songs, Pictures and Stories of the Fabulous Beatles Records on Vee-Jay by Bruce Spizer, et al
Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary by Tim Riley
Things We Said Today: Conversations With The Beatles by Giuliano, Geoffrey
1000 Beatles Facts (And a Little Bit of Hearsay)by Ed Nibbervoll & Evan Thorburn
Ticket to Ride: The Extraordinary Diary of the Beatles Last Tour by Barry Tashian
Turn Me On, Dead Man: The Beatles And The "Paul-Is-Dead" Hoax by Andru J Reeve
Twilight of the Gods: The Beatles in Retrospect by Mellers, Wilfred
With the Beatles by Alistair Taylor
With the Beatles : The Historic Photographs of Dezo Hoffman by Pearce Marchbank
Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia by Bill Harry
Ultimate Beatles Quiz Book II by Michael Hockinson
Unseen Beatles by Bob Whitaker
The Walrus Was Paul: The Great Beatle Death Clues by R. Gary Patterson
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