Doggett's thorough and absorbing book is the ideal companion piece to Revolution In The Head, Ian MacDonald's track by track analysis of The Beatles music. Doggett picks up the story in the late sixties, as The Beatles set up the idealistic, yet doomed Apple Corps and then follows the tangled web of companies within companies, lawsuits and back biting as the group disintegrates under the weight of their own follies.

There has obviously been a mammoth amount of research involved here, and sometimes the weight of detail can be overwhelming, but Doggett sticks to his task and traces the story through the Seventies, as the individual Beatles' fortunes, both commercial and financial, wax and wane, on into the 80's, 90's and beyond.

The picture that emerges is of four men who didn't want to be "Beatles" any more, but didn't really know how to be anything else. They each forged their own path, often involving isolation, drugs, alcohol or all three. Outside influences played a part, notably Yoko of course, and the tragedy is that these men, once firm friends, ended up resenting each other and their status as "Beatles" and all that implied.

The post-Beatles years were difficult for all of them, to one degree or another, and Doggett documents their ups and downs very well. Harrison's retreat into spiritualism, Ringo's retreat into alcoholism, McCartney's relentless work ethic as he tried over and over to regain the friendship and approval of Lennon. And of course Lennon's own travails with drugs, political activism and the lack of faith in his own ability as a songwriter. None of them ever really matched the work they created as a foursome and the financial mess they found themselves ensnared in ensured that they would always be, to a greater or lesser extent, thought of as a Beatle.

This is a very good book, even if at times you end up thinking "No, don't do that to each other!". A manual for all aspiring rock stars in how NOT to handle your finances.

Recommended. ( )

Ever wish you could have been a Beatle, in the eye of the storm, living it up, leaving a monumental musical legacy? Well, think again after reading this book. While there was was joy, there was also eternal business-related soul-sucking hell, and horrible interpersonal conflict. How would your personality unfold, given unlimited fame, fortune, and the whole world feeding on their ever-changing perceptions of your persona? I suspect few saints would emerge from the life the Beatles have had. Meticulously researched, illuminates every crack and cranny of the long and winding road and beyond. ( )

What is a times informative, fascinating read into the financial and personal histories of the Beatles post-breakup degrades into a Goldman-esque clobbering of all involved, even when it criticizes Goldman. A reheated souffle. ( )

A compelling and insightful book but also sad in so many ways. Doggett vividly chronicles the disintegration of one of the greatest creative partnerships of all time, the fraying of longtime friendships,and the petty bickering over business and personal matters. So many missed opportunities for reunion and making amends. A good book for people like me who are interested in reading this sort of thing. ( )

Quite an interesting read that focuses on the sordid details of The Beatles from 1969 onwards. I found myself glued to the page (or in my case, the Kindle and iPad) awake at an ungodly hour hoping to learn more about "The Threetles" and just how many lawsuits our fab four were involved in (SPOILER: THERE WERE A LOT).

The author hints many times in the book that in the 70's the band were always just a step away from reuniting. However, at the last minute one of them backed out or said something that blew it. It makes you think what would've happened if they did get back together. Would it have lived up to the hype? We'll never know.

As a Beatles fanatic, this book was a great read for me. I was born in 1980 so I missed out on a lot of this stuff. The book really filled in the details for me. ( )