Concise Beatles: A Cultural History of the Band that Transformed Youth, Gender, and the World

In this revealing and provocative new account, Steven D. Stark puts the impact of John, Paul, George, and Ringo into a unique perspective, revealing both the personal details and the larger events that made them the greatest cultural force of the twentieth century. "They were magic," said their producer George Martin, and most of us would agree. However, the band has become so shrouded in cultural mythology that it is difficult today to really understand how or why. Meet the Beatles explains that why--unpacking the legendary band's aura and examining the ways in which the Beatles' own lives were inextricably tied to the cultural, youth, and gender revolutions they helped create and lead during the 1960s.

Based on extensive research and more than a hundred new interviews, Meet the Beatles offers a compelling fresh interpretation of their story, beginning with their childhoods in England and the profound effect on their outlook and music caused by the deaths of Paul's and John's mothers when they were young. It documents their subsequent special bond with women--from their teenage fans to the mothers of their friends to close partners Linda and Yoko. It illustrates the central importance of drugs, both for them and the youthful counterculture they led; why their unusual hairstyles set off a cultural revolution; how the band came to create a new vision of the role of women; and the unique conditions that allowed these four to conquer America faster than any other cultural phenomenon in history. It explains why the group's popularity has never faded--even now, more than four decades after they first hit the charts.

From Liverpool and Hamburg to Ed Sullivan and Shea Stadium, Meet the Beatles covers it all--from the improbable decision to fire their original drummer and bring Ringo into the band to why they broke up and who was responsible. After reading Meet the Beatles, you'll never think about the Beatles or listen to their songs the same way again. Live the magic once more.

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