Beatles and the Historians: An Analysis of Writings About the Fab Four

"More than 3,000 books have been written about The Beatles. Over the last half century, their story has been mythologized and de-mythologized and presented by biographers and journalists as history. This book examines the band's historiography. Drawing on the most influential primary and secondary sources, Beatles history is analyzed using historical methods"--
Hundreds of books have been written about The Beatles. Over the last half century, their story has been mythologized and de-mythologized and presented by biographers and journalists as history. Yet many of these works do not strictly qualify as history and the story of how the Beatles' mythology continues to be told has been largely ignored. This book examines the band's historiography, exploring the four major narratives that have developed over time: The semi-whitewashed "Fab Four" account, the acrimonious breakup-era Lennon Remembers version, the biased "Shout!" narrative in the wake of John Lennon's murder, and the current Mark Lewisohn orthodoxy. Drawing on the most influential primary and secondary sources, Beatles history is analyzed using historical methods.
In this book, author Erin Torkelson Weber presents readers with a comprehensive examination of the historiography of the Beatles, focusing on the four major narratives that have emerged in writings about the band over the last several decades. The author covers the “Fab Four” narrative, the Lennon Remembers narrative surrounding the band’s breakup, the Shout! narrative surrounding Lennon’s murder, and the currently favored Mark Lewison version of the band’s history. The author is a faculty member of Newman University in Wichita, Kansas. Annotation ©2016 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)