Shout! The Beatles in their Generation ebook

There have been tons of books detailing the lives of The Beatles and how they came to be. I have read no less than 33 various compilations, some before, some since. If you want to know and understand who The Beatles are, both as a group and individually, and how they came to be, this is the best. Without being tedious and over the top in detail, Peter Norman chronicles their fascinating journey from every day little boys to the legendary icons that they are now. I have read it twice and enjoyed both times equally.

This book is dreadful and not worth reading by anyone born after 1954 who wouldn't have a clue about the TRUE events of the time. It won praise when first published since it was the first major glimpse into the "Fab Four'. But IS it truth? Norman's book is so biased it will leave anyone who lived through the decade of Beatlemania with their head spinning. The author claims “The Beatles were 80% John”...Paul as portrayed as “bossy,” “money obsessed” and an “self-deluding”, George as perennially “cranky” and “an average guitarist who got incredibly lucky” and Ringo as “lucky” and “history's most famous bit part player.” There are so many inaccuracies from the very beginning it's astounding this book was ever considered valid.

Here are a just a few basic, early untruths: 1) Stu Sutcliffe's death - Norman states John had no reaction, yet VIDEO with Astrid Kircherr states he "freaked out". 2) In regards to Stu Sutcliffe's scarf - Norman states Stu gave it to John, yet Stu's sister claims on VIDEO John asked Stu's mother if he "could have it" after Stu's death. 3) Despite VIDEO evidence to the contrary, he insists there were no fans chasing The Beatles at the London Palladium after their appearance in 1963, that there “were even less than eight” girls”. These are just a few of several errors in the beginning of the book. Anyone who knows the history will find continuous errors slanted to paint John as a sometimes harsh though a talented and independent individual; Paul as the saccharine, cloying, egotistical one; George as the nasty, grumpy, untalented one; while Ringo, fortunately, is the only member who fares well but only as a gentle, kind, dismissive member. Personally, I wanted to throw the book away 1/5 of the way through.

I read the entire book only to confirm whether Norman would continue with his outrageous and false portrait of four very young, musical friends caught in the whirl of global fame, total loss of privacy, the crazy 1960's excesses, manipulative financial dealings from corporations and marketeers, and massive creative pressures. Yep, he continued, to the point George receives the worst treatment of all.

Only John fares well. But I was particularly appalled by his seething portraiture of George. Examples: Norman claims George was very mean to the "apple scruffs", those fans who religiously lingered daily at the gates. If so, why is it that only George wrote a song dedicated to these fans? Just read the lyrics of 'Apple Scruffs', George writes, "I love you". Norman paints George so discourteous and mean, that he doesn't even realize his own editorial errors, such as George being the only member of The Beatles to say "hi" to journalists at the Palladium, the only one who sent a tribute to Brian Epstein's funeral, and more, much, much more despite video evidence to the contrary. If George was so nasty, why was he the only Beatle to wave to the paparazzi at Rishikesh when there is VIDEO proof? When Ringo left the group, he returned to find the recording studio covered with flowers. In VIDEOS, Ringo has referred to this touching act as being done ONLY by George. Yet Norman credits Paul, first with a nod to George. Even George's Concert for Bangladesh is dismissed, by not giving it due credit for being the precursor of charitable concerts such as Live Aid. Instead he credits Paul's UK benefit concert that occurred about 4 years later. Finally, Norman claims George is a mediocre guitarist and songwriter, whose only good work occurred during his Beatle days due to the creative influence of Lennon and McCartney. Certainly, his contemporaries have very different and positive things to say about George's musical skill, creativity, humour, kindness, etc., again, just watch Videos and read valid books on The Beatles.

Norman goes on to state that anything George did after The Beatles was in an “irreversible decline”. Even the super group, The Traveling Wilburys, that George pulled together with his friends, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty, was dismissed with a very brief, ONE paragraph mention in a book of 500 pages! George's solo song, years later, "Horse To Water", obviously doesn't rate with Norman either, despite it being a terrific blues song, wonderfully sung by Sam Brown during The Concert For George. Again simply watch the VIDEO. Which brings me to George's memorial concert this wasn't even referred to as a 'Concert For George' but as “Eric Clapton And Friends”.

The continued inaccuracies and outright untruths due to Norman's malicious editorializing makes this book a pure attempt of pretentious self aggrandizing, pretending to have been an “insider” when in fact he was not. His quotes are taken out of context almost constantly, to slant the narrative in his biased direction; “The Beatles were 80% John.” The extolling of "legendary" John is due to Norman's own acknowledgement that John had been his “favourite Beatle” but it also becomes clear why later. Norman had been one of the few journalists that Yoko Ono ever allowed into her inner sanctum at the Dakota. Hence, it's all praise for John and Yoko from Norman. Nope, not a good book.

So sad that anything Yoko touches regarding The Beatles, even by way of an author or scriptwriter, usually results in the do the following: hail John, underrate Paul, malign George and, cuddle Ringo as the benign and unimportant member. Excuse me, but unimportant? What is Rock and Roll without a solid drum beat? So no, Ringo was not insignificant! Nor was George lucky to be in The Beatles. Simply watch early VIDEO, such as 'Till There Was You un Solo De George Harrison', or 'The Beatles - Kansas City', you will see for yourself that George was their lead guitarist from the very beginning and a guitarist who only got better with time. So please, steer clear of this book if you want a truthful account of The Bealtes history. All FOUR made The Beatles the unique and fascinating musical sensation they were, and with whom music fans are still fascinated to this day.

Is Norman's book even well written? It's verbose and some sentences aren't even sentences. Give this book a miss. For Beatles' fans who experienced the era, it will be maddening; for Beatles' fans of younger generations it will be misleading. He even trashes The Beatles Anthology by claiming it is a “laughably incomplete and doctored account'. That's the pot calling the kettle black for sure! The anthology was fine, it is his book which is laughably incomplete and doctored. Watch videos and read accurate and unbiased books. This is not. Praise Yoko. Norman does.

book received in excellent condition