How do you know that you have read the definitive version of The Beatles mythology?When the book and its author get mentioned in Malcolm Galdwell's Outliers, of course. (Gladwell was using The Beatles as an extraordinary example of hard work according to the 10,000-hour rule.)
I am big on biographies and mythologising , and I read Shout! by Philip Norman over the course of several weeks when I was dutifully serving my country a few years ago. (The extended narrative bent on intricacies helped pass mind-numbingly boring nights.)
This is one of those texts that fuses solid storytelling with investigative journalism-styled fact-finding. The end result is a blow-by-blow account that pieces together disparate facts from the band's past - categorised according to eras - that it appears as an insurmountable task for anyone to even begin telling such a story.
One interesting fact: There was a fifth Beatle, Stuart Sutcliffe, who allegedly died from John Lennon kicking his head in. But nothing conclusive suggests Lennon is indeed guilty even though Beatles historians had a field day with speculations.
Yes, there really is such a thing as Beatles historians. Like there are medievalists who study the Knights Templars.
If you prefer compelling narratives about
dead musicians, do refer to:
