1964

A luminous photographic record of the dawn of Beatlemania.... representing the discovery of 1,000 photos [McCartney] had taken in 1964. 'I'm not trying to claim to be a master, ' he writes, 'only an enthusiastic photographer who happened to be in the right place at the right time.' Humility aside, Sir Paul proves a fine documentarian of the chaotic scene around him. Some of the countless highlights include a color image of George Harrison, finally at rest in Miami after the hectic tour that introduced them to America via the Ed Sullivan Show, against the backdrop of an anonymous (and headless) swimsuit-clad woman and looking far too young to be holding the cigarette and drink in hand; 'a rare picture of John in his glasses, ' as McCartney writes, with Lennon looking more like a college quiz kid than a rock star, a weary-looking Ringo next to him; photos of fans of many ethnicities (as is now well known, the Beatles would not play a segregated room) and ages awaiting the arrival of the band, whose spirit-lifting tour occurred soon after John F. Kennedy's assassination, leading McCartney to comment in a charged aside, 'To this day, I am very happy that Britain doesn't have the gun culture that exists in the U.S....' The book includes a timeline and notes about each photo. Sir Paul knows his way around just about every artistic medium, and these photographs are a must for Beatles fans. -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review