Who Were The Beatles

Almost everyone can sing along with the Beatles, but how many young readers know their whole story? Geoff Edgers, a Boston Globe reporter and hard-core Beatles fan, brings the Fab Four to life in this Who Was...? book. Readers will learn about their childhoods in Liverpool, their first forays into rock music, what Beatlemania was like, and why they broke up. It's all here in an easy-to-read narrative with plenty of black-and-white illustrations!

This inspiring picture book tells the story of the friendship between Ringo, Paul, George, and John, and how their unique talents came together to make something brilliant. In 1957, a boy named Paul met a boy named John. John was funny and confident, while Paul was quiet and steady, but one thing they had in common was a love and talent for songwriting. When they were joined by George and Ringo, they formed the band whose name would soon be known across the world: The Beatles. Together, the Fab Four became the world’s best-loved band, drawing huge crowds to packed-out stadiums. But even they got nervous sometimes, and in those times they knew they could rely on each other. Through the power of friendship, The Beatles made their biggest dreams come true and still bring joy to the lives of millions. Friends Change the World is a series of picture books that celebrates the power of friendship. From musical greats to sports champions, scientists and explorers to artists and activists, these are the true stories of real friends who achieved amazing things. Whether best friends since school or thrown together by a chance encounter, they supported and inspired each other to make their shared dreams come true. This charming series shows 4- to 7-year-olds how togetherness, respect, and friendship can make the world a better place.

Who HQ brings you the stories behind the most beloved characters of our time. This What Is the Story of? title is out of this universe! Learn the history of the Time Lord, the TARDIS, and the epic battles they've faced across time and space. When Doctor Who began airing on the BBC in 1963, British audiences were introduced to the rogue Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Now, viewers from all over the world are glued to their screens for the mysterious Doctor's intergalactic adventures. But how did this time traveler became such a beloved character? Author Gabriel P. Cooper provides readers with the inside scoop on the Doctor's unique time machine, loyal companions, and diabolical foes. This book, just like the show, is sure to intrigue a new generation of fans.

By the spring of 1964, Toronto had the largest and most organized Beatles fan base in North America. The Beatles in Canada: The Origins of Beatlemania! finally tells the true story of how The Beatles’ music and popularity began in Canada a full year before they landed in the U.S.A. Piers Hemmingsen provides a concise look at how radio stations, newspapers and television networks in Canada covered the phenomenon that was Beatlemania, and this digital edition is packed with full-colour images of the band, their travels, those they inspired, and an immense hoard of memorabilia gathered along the way. ’After all these years, I still cannot comprehend where Piers gets his energy supply from. He has written four previous books about The Beatles and discovered an appreciative readership for all of them. However, to me this book, the one you are holding, is his breakthrough. Where it could have been an easy exercise with new information about the Fab Four, Piers has taken one large step forward. He is also able to incorporate the beginnings of the Canadian music industry. Through mainly focusing on one record company he has been able to capture the excitement of a young industry finding its way, competing with the giants in the United States. – Paul White, Capitol Records of Canada, 1957-1978

“We’re Going to See the Beatles!” presents the story of Beatlemania in America as experienced by their most devoted fans. “We’re Going to See the Beatles!” includes anecdotes from those who cheered the group as they arrived at Kennedy Airport in 1964, who kept vigil for them outside the Plaza Hotel, and who sat in the studio audience of The Ed Sullivan Show for the band’s landmark first live TV broadcast. Other fans detail what it was like to see the Beatles in one of their rare concerts at such famous venues as Shea Stadium and Candlestick Park. From the earliest whispers about the band to the Beatles’ appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, and from their subsequent tours and albums to their breakup, author Garry Berman has collected stories from the fans who witnessed the hysteria firsthand. Contributors from around the United States also share photographs and mementos to help create a richly detailed and entertaining oral history. What emerges is a highly personal account of the Beatles and their incredible impact on music and popular culture.

"Ken McNab's in-depth look at The Beatles' acrimonious final year is a detailed account of the breakup featuring the perspectives of all four band members and their roles. A must to add to the collection of Beatles fans, And In the End is full of fascinating information available for the first time. McNab reconstructs for the first time the seismic events of 1969, when The Beatles reached new highs of creativity and new lows of the internal strife that would destroy them. Between the pressure of being filmed during rehearsals and writing sessions for the documentary Get Back, their company Apple Corps facing bankruptcy, Lennon's heroin use, and musical disagreements, the group was arguing more than ever before and their formerly close friendship began to disintegrate. In the midst of this rancour, however, emerged the disharmony of Let It Be and the ragged genius of Abbey Road, their incredible farewell love letter to the world"--

A riveting look at the transformative year in the lives and careers of the legendary group whose groundbreaking legacy would forever change music and popular culture. They started off as hysteria-inducing pop stars playing to audiences of screaming teenage fans and ended up as musical sages considered responsible for ushering in a new era. The year that changed everything for the Beatles was 1966—the year of their last concert and their first album, Revolver, that was created to be listened to rather than performed. This was the year the Beatles risked their popularity by retiring from live performances, recording songs that explored alternative states of consciousness, experimenting with avant-garde ideas, and speaking their minds on issues of politics, war, and religion. It was the year their records were burned in America after John’s explosive claim that the group was "more popular than Jesus," the year they were hounded out of the Philippines for "snubbing" its First Lady, the year John met Yoko Ono, and the year Paul conceived the idea for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. On the fiftieth anniversary of this seminal year, music journalist and Beatles expert Steve Turner slows down the action to investigate in detail the enormous changes that took place in the Beatles’ lives and work during 1966. He looks at the historical events that had an impact on the group, the music they made that in turn profoundly affected the culture around them, and the vision that allowed four young men from Liverpool to transform popular music and serve as pioneers for artists from Coldplay to David Bowie, Jay-Z to U2. By talking to those close to the group and by drawing on his past interviews with key figures such as George Martin, Timothy Leary, and Ravi Shankar—and the Beatles themselves—Turner gives us the compelling, definitive account of the twelve months that contained everything the Beatles had been and anticipated everything they would still become.

Put on your blue suede shoes and get ready for another addition to the Who Was…? series! The King could not have come from humbler origins: Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, during the Depression, he grew up with the blues music of the rural South, the gospel music of local churches, and the country-western classics. But he forged a sound all his own—and a look that was all his own, too. With curled lip, swiveling hips, and greased pompadour, Elvis changed popular music forever, ushering in the age of rock and roll. Geoff Edgers’s fascinating biography of this icon of American pop culture includes black and- white illustrations on nearly every spread.