Lennon: Amazon.ca: Ray Coleman: Books

Product Description

Book Description

The best and most complete biography about the influential Beatle.

Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
She loved him, but the smell of scallops in his hair and on his body drove her crazy. Read the first page

Explore More
Concordance

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

26 Reviews

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (26 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars a witty genius, April 26 2004

By

sarah (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lennon (Paperback)

I think Ray Coleman gave an in-depth approach to writing this book. He didn't attack John Lennon in any way, he just told facts. He talks a lot about John as a teenager, a star, a father, and a husband. This book was well written and insightful. At times it did get very tedious, but nonetheless interesting and definitely a book for any Beatles, or John Lennon fan to read. Being a HUGE Beatles fan, it made me see another side to John Lennon that I was oblivious to. Paul used to be my favorite Beatle, but now it is John. It was obvious that Ray was a close friend of John's, which really let the reader see the REAL Lennon. He doesn't sugarcoat Lennon at all. He tells about how John would make fun of cripples, and how he was heavily into acid and other drugs. He tells about John's arrogant approach toward women, and how he sometimes ignored his family. He also lets us see the sensitive side of John. Ray Coleman really lets the world see what a witty, intelligent, loving on the inside, "hard" on the outside, genius that John Lennon was.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

5.0 out of 5 stars COME TOGETHER AND READ THIS BOOK!, Oct 24 2003

By

BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Lennon (Paperback)

This is an outstanding biography of the man who came to be known as the Chief Beatle and the Founder of the World's Greatest Band, the Beatles!

Coleman does an in-depth analysis of the former Beatle and traces his ancestry. One comes away with a "sense" of John, the natural and environmental forces that molded and shaped this highly gifted and articulate man. One can smile at the bright, high-spirited child who reached developmental milestones early and was also an early reader; one can smile at the artistic boy who created complex drawings at a very young age; one cheers for the talented young boy who proved to be quite adept at things musical.

Coleman does an admirable job of portraying John's natural parents, half-sisters and the indomitable aunt who raised him in realistic lights; one gets a good sense of how each one of these people influenced John and how his life experiences were expressed by his early experiences. In a very touching description of John reconnecting with his natural father, one feels John's anguish at having been promised a life with him and denied; one feels John's devastating maternal loss when his natural mother Julia is killed in an accident when John was in his teens.

John takes those experiences and fleshes them out musically; his songs "Mother" and "Julia" are songs that come straight from his early loss. His interpersonal relationships with the other Beatles, his first wife Cynthia and their son Julian and his second wife Yoko and their son Sean are fully examined in this work. John describes the "strong women" in his immediate family and how he drew strength from their examples. This book makes readers feel as if they are seeing John emerge from his own "Hard Day's Night" to "Starting Over," which appeared to be where he was in his life during his last five years. Sadly, on December 8, 1980 an assassin's bullet silenced the voice of the man who got the world to listen.

This is a must read for all John Lennon fans and for people becoming familiar with his work. Please listen to John Lennon.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

4.0 out of 5 stars Probably the best bio out there, Feb 21 2003

By

E. Olsen "da_shrubber" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lennon (Paperback)

Aside from being one of the best musicians in the history of rock and roll, John Lennon was also a philosopher and an activist, and while so many modern day activist/musicians seem to lack credibility, if not to be downright charlatans, Lennon seemed to deeply believe in what he was doing, and made serious use of his fame as a tool for social good. And, as I say, he was a phenomenal musician. This bio is one of many that have been written about the former Beatle, and it is, in my opinion, the best. The volume chronicles Lennon's early life and spends a substantial amount of space delving into the triumphs and conflicts of the Fab Four. You come away grasping much of the complexity that made Lennon such a prolific musician, but also what drove him to want to better the world. Coleman's intimacy with Lennon shines through the book. It is a must for any Beatle's fan.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 26 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Want to see more reviews on this item?

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 36 reviews 4.4 out of 5 stars

Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Classics: The Definitive Biography
Perhaps the only true definitive biography of
Beatles genius, John Lennon, was his own
music, lyrics, art, interviews, idealism,
and life work itself. Read more

Published on Aug 27 2002 by Derek J. Larsson

5.0 out of 5 stars Complete
Ray Coleman's book addresses many of the rumors that swirled around John Lennon, and brings out personal information from the best possible sources. Read more

Published on July 17 2002 by Ken