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Paul Mccartney: Many Years from Now
During the past year Paul McCartney has been in the public's eye more than at any time since the peak of Beatlemania over thirty years ago. His fans have been treated to the best-selling Flaming Pie and Standing Stone albums, a full hour of Paul on "Oprah," and this thoughtful and comprehensive biography that brings us closer to the man than ever before. Based on hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews over a period of five years, and with complete access to Paul's own archives, Barry Miles has succeeded in letting Paul tell the story of his life as a Beatle in his own words. It includes Paul's recollection of the genesis of every song that he wrote with John Lennon and the fascinating details about their remarkable collaboration.
696 pages, Library Binding
First published October 2, 1997
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About the author
Barry Miles
76 books152 followersBarry Miles is an English author best known for his deep involvement in the 1960s counterculture and for chronicling the era through his prolific writing. He played a key role in shaping and documenting the London underground scene, becoming a central figure among the poets, musicians, and artists who defined the decade’s rebellious spirit. A close associate of figures such as Allen Ginsberg and Paul McCartney, Miles not only witnessed the cultural revolution firsthand but also actively participated in it through ventures like the Indica Gallery and the alternative newspaper International Times.
In the early 1960s, Miles began working at Better Books in London, a progressive bookshop that became a hub for the avant-garde. While there, he was instrumental in organizing the International Poetry Incarnation at the Royal Albert Hall in 1965, an event that marked the emergence of the British underground movement and featured prominent poets like Allen Ginsberg. The same year, Miles co-founded the Indica Bookshop and Gallery, which became a gathering place for creatives and countercultural icons. It was here that John Lennon first met Yoko Ono, at one of her art exhibitions.
Miles also played a role in launching International Times, one of the UK’s first underground newspapers, which Paul McCartney discreetly funded. Miles introduced McCartney to the people behind the project and facilitated many of his early connections with the underground scene. In 1967, he co-organized The 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, a legendary multimedia event at Alexandra Palace featuring Pink Floyd, Yoko Ono, and John Lennon, among others.
Later in the decade, Miles took on the management of Zapple Records, an experimental subsidiary of Apple Records. During this time, he produced poetry albums, including one by Richard Brautigan. However, his personal relationship with Brautigan became strained after Miles became romantically involved with Brautigan’s partner, Valerie Estes. The fallout led to communication only through legal representatives. Although Zapple closed before releasing the Brautigan album, it was eventually issued by another label in 1970.
Miles also produced a recording of Allen Ginsberg’s musical interpretation of William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience, which was released in 1970. He briefly lived with Ginsberg in New York before returning to England following the breakdown of his first marriage. He later married travel writer Rosemary Bailey and continued to live and work in London.
In addition to his memoirs In the Sixties and In the Seventies, Miles has written definitive biographies of cultural icons such as Paul McCartney (Many Years From Now), Frank Zappa, William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski, and Allen Ginsberg. He is also the author of Hippie, a visual and narrative exploration of the 1960s counterculture. His writings often reflect a mix of personal experience and historical documentation, offering insight into the worlds of rock, literature, and art.
Miles is known not only for his historical accounts but also for his critical views, including pointed commentary on musicians like Rush and Frank Zappa, examining the political and commercial aspects of their work. With a career that spans over five decades, Barry Miles remains one of the most insightful chroniclers of the countercultural and musical revolutions of the 20th century.
In the early 1960s, Miles began working at Better Books in London, a progressive bookshop that became a hub for the avant-garde. While there, he was instrumental in organizing the International Poetry Incarnation at the Royal Albert Hall in 1965, an event that marked the emergence of the British underground movement and featured prominent poets like Allen Ginsberg. The same year, Miles co-founded the Indica Bookshop and Gallery, which became a gathering place for creatives and countercultural icons. It was here that John Lennon first met Yoko Ono, at one of her art exhibitions.
Miles also played a role in launching International Times, one of the UK’s first underground newspapers, which Paul McCartney discreetly funded. Miles introduced McCartney to the people behind the project and facilitated many of his early connections with the underground scene. In 1967, he co-organized The 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, a legendary multimedia event at Alexandra Palace featuring Pink Floyd, Yoko Ono, and John Lennon, among others.
Later in the decade, Miles took on the management of Zapple Records, an experimental subsidiary of Apple Records. During this time, he produced poetry albums, including one by Richard Brautigan. However, his personal relationship with Brautigan became strained after Miles became romantically involved with Brautigan’s partner, Valerie Estes. The fallout led to communication only through legal representatives. Although Zapple closed before releasing the Brautigan album, it was eventually issued by another label in 1970.
Miles also produced a recording of Allen Ginsberg’s musical interpretation of William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience, which was released in 1970. He briefly lived with Ginsberg in New York before returning to England following the breakdown of his first marriage. He later married travel writer Rosemary Bailey and continued to live and work in London.
In addition to his memoirs In the Sixties and In the Seventies, Miles has written definitive biographies of cultural icons such as Paul McCartney (Many Years From Now), Frank Zappa, William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski, and Allen Ginsberg. He is also the author of Hippie, a visual and narrative exploration of the 1960s counterculture. His writings often reflect a mix of personal experience and historical documentation, offering insight into the worlds of rock, literature, and art.
Miles is known not only for his historical accounts but also for his critical views, including pointed commentary on musicians like Rush and Frank Zappa, examining the political and commercial aspects of their work. With a career that spans over five decades, Barry Miles remains one of the most insightful chroniclers of the countercultural and musical revolutions of the 20th century.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
November 14, 2009
Paul truly was the creative genius behind the Beatles. Yes, all four members were crucial to the group - it wouldn't have been the Beatles without John, Paul, George, or Ringo, and the contributions each made were priceless. But Paul had the vision and drive, especially in the later years. Yes, he can be a wanker, but that goes for most everybody.
Thsi book examines Paul's life and his art in a very honest and complete way. A must read for any Beatles fan and for ALL Paul fans.
Thsi book examines Paul's life and his art in a very honest and complete way. A must read for any Beatles fan and for ALL Paul fans.
January 3, 2019
I absolutely loved this book. It was very informative, smart, honest, charming, cute - as if you'd doubt that; it's Paul McCartney - and, surprisingly funny and definitely heartbreaking, especially towards the end. Paul's every phase of life is just so interesting to read about - not because he's famous, or because he's a Beatle, but because it simply is.
Personally, I thought there was considerably little written of The Beatles's Hamburg and The Cavern era, which are my most favorite eras, but it doesn't diminish from the book. It instead has a lot on when Paul was living with the Ashers and his involvement with the Indica Gallery and all its people, etc.. Those parts of his life are enough to be aspiring for thousands of stories about the London life in the Swinging 60s, which is what really fascinated me - the whole story-like essence of it all. There are a lot of things I knew as a Beatles fan and a lot that I didn't know (ex: I didn't know the Abbey Road cover was based on one of Paul's drawings, I didn't know he lived in the attic in the servant's room of the Ashers' house during the height of Beatlemania and when he was "officially a millionaire," etc.).
Paul's input every couple of paragraphs or so is what really gives a voice and a life to this book. He's the voice that makes some parts funny and others unexpectedly emotional, and he isn't even trying to make it so: it flows. One particular part that stuck with me is when he briefly mentions how he saw his first grey strands growing during The Beatles conflict before their breakup (during which he was in his late 20s?!). This stuck because I was overwhelmed by its representation of brutal vulnerability and just its sadness - something that Paul has glossed over throughout his entire career. I thought that little trivia gave a profound and touching essence to the optimism that he so characteristically embodies. I never understood why optimism is something to criticize Paul for. I actually think that criticizing it is quite pretentious and fake. It's a lot easier to be grumpy and sad about life because "oh that's deep" than to realize that no matter what - even if you go through pains that will make you go fucking grey in your 20s - compassion, love, and simplicity of it all is all that matters. To me, that's deep.
Barry Miles's voice is barely there, which is a good thing in non-fiction because it prevents bias and subjectivity. Paul, of course, talking about himself, does have that bias and subjectivity in favor of himself, but it is expected so it's okay; it isn't irritating because it's honest. He isn't trying to sneak in a favorable POV for himself. When he says something in his defense, it's plainly that; it's not to mislead the reader on the facts.
There has been criticism on why Paul talks about who wrote what in his Lennon-McCartney songs with John. I don't understand why he shouldn't. John talked about it, and anyone else would have when the credits are so vague in clarification. It's his work; it's something he's done with passion and there is nothing wrong with clarifying and claiming credit for something you've worked for and earned. He's asked for the songs he's mainly written to be credited as McCartney-Lennon, which is reasonable, considering not everybody is a Beatles expert and knows everything.
Anyway, I'm a huge fan of McCartney's, so of course this review is biased, but I think that through all his flaws, McCartney comes off as pretty decent. The thing is that people sometimes forget the likes of Paul McCartney are just human beings in the end, and it's perfectly human for them to have perfectly human emotions like pride, confidence, and fear, and have done human things like mistakes. These always get blown out of proportion when described by people - pride becomes arrogance, fear becomes paranoia, etc. - in accordance to these people's massive fame, so it's important to remember our own characteristics and imperfections when we're about to dump criticizing comments on them.
Personally, I thought there was considerably little written of The Beatles's Hamburg and The Cavern era, which are my most favorite eras, but it doesn't diminish from the book. It instead has a lot on when Paul was living with the Ashers and his involvement with the Indica Gallery and all its people, etc.. Those parts of his life are enough to be aspiring for thousands of stories about the London life in the Swinging 60s, which is what really fascinated me - the whole story-like essence of it all. There are a lot of things I knew as a Beatles fan and a lot that I didn't know (ex: I didn't know the Abbey Road cover was based on one of Paul's drawings, I didn't know he lived in the attic in the servant's room of the Ashers' house during the height of Beatlemania and when he was "officially a millionaire," etc.).
Paul's input every couple of paragraphs or so is what really gives a voice and a life to this book. He's the voice that makes some parts funny and others unexpectedly emotional, and he isn't even trying to make it so: it flows. One particular part that stuck with me is when he briefly mentions how he saw his first grey strands growing during The Beatles conflict before their breakup (during which he was in his late 20s?!). This stuck because I was overwhelmed by its representation of brutal vulnerability and just its sadness - something that Paul has glossed over throughout his entire career. I thought that little trivia gave a profound and touching essence to the optimism that he so characteristically embodies. I never understood why optimism is something to criticize Paul for. I actually think that criticizing it is quite pretentious and fake. It's a lot easier to be grumpy and sad about life because "oh that's deep" than to realize that no matter what - even if you go through pains that will make you go fucking grey in your 20s - compassion, love, and simplicity of it all is all that matters. To me, that's deep.
Barry Miles's voice is barely there, which is a good thing in non-fiction because it prevents bias and subjectivity. Paul, of course, talking about himself, does have that bias and subjectivity in favor of himself, but it is expected so it's okay; it isn't irritating because it's honest. He isn't trying to sneak in a favorable POV for himself. When he says something in his defense, it's plainly that; it's not to mislead the reader on the facts.
There has been criticism on why Paul talks about who wrote what in his Lennon-McCartney songs with John. I don't understand why he shouldn't. John talked about it, and anyone else would have when the credits are so vague in clarification. It's his work; it's something he's done with passion and there is nothing wrong with clarifying and claiming credit for something you've worked for and earned. He's asked for the songs he's mainly written to be credited as McCartney-Lennon, which is reasonable, considering not everybody is a Beatles expert and knows everything.
Anyway, I'm a huge fan of McCartney's, so of course this review is biased, but I think that through all his flaws, McCartney comes off as pretty decent. The thing is that people sometimes forget the likes of Paul McCartney are just human beings in the end, and it's perfectly human for them to have perfectly human emotions like pride, confidence, and fear, and have done human things like mistakes. These always get blown out of proportion when described by people - pride becomes arrogance, fear becomes paranoia, etc. - in accordance to these people's massive fame, so it's important to remember our own characteristics and imperfections when we're about to dump criticizing comments on them.
September 11, 2010
This is a good Beatles book to get because Paul includes his own personal back story on all of his songs and The Beatles songs (not much if it is one of George's, though. Too bad). It is neat to be able to pull the book off the shelf and consult it when on Beatles kicks (if you like the more technical info, Revolution in the Head is the book to get).
I personally love reading about the claims that John Lennon wrote Paul songs such as Eleanor Rigby (despite all evidence to the contrary). Paul was so anxious that anyone would believe it! The eleven pages about how he wrote Yesterday all.by.himself amuses me a great deal, as well. (It's a weird hobby of mine to retell the story of Yesterday in numerous ways, each one sounding more pompous than the last. All done in my lame-o Paul impersonation. "There was nothing GEORGE could add to it. Ringo would ruin it..." The more I make fun of Paul, the more I love him. If reading Paul say jerk-y things like "I'm fucking Paul McCartney!" makes you simultaneously irritated and affectionate, this is definitely the book for you.) I pull this out the most after Anthology.
This book cost a pretty penny when I bought it a few years ago. Another hobby of mine is to plop down in the music aisles of book stores and read Beatles books for free (before any most popular reviewer on goodreads yells at me again, I don't do it if anyone else is around). I liked Many Years From Now enough to buy it (another ringing endorsement from moi). If you only buy one, get Anthology. Not only does it include all four Beatles' accounts, there are photos of the boys in their little short-shorts (Lennon wears these red ones that are practically underwear. Leaves nothing to the imagination). Many Years From Now has a mullet photo. Ringo was the first Beatle to wear a beard. Paul was the first to wear a mullet. Probably Linda's idea. Stuart may have only been a fifth Beatle, but Astrid gave better haircut.
I personally love reading about the claims that John Lennon wrote Paul songs such as Eleanor Rigby (despite all evidence to the contrary). Paul was so anxious that anyone would believe it! The eleven pages about how he wrote Yesterday all.by.himself amuses me a great deal, as well. (It's a weird hobby of mine to retell the story of Yesterday in numerous ways, each one sounding more pompous than the last. All done in my lame-o Paul impersonation. "There was nothing GEORGE could add to it. Ringo would ruin it..." The more I make fun of Paul, the more I love him. If reading Paul say jerk-y things like "I'm fucking Paul McCartney!" makes you simultaneously irritated and affectionate, this is definitely the book for you.) I pull this out the most after Anthology.
This book cost a pretty penny when I bought it a few years ago. Another hobby of mine is to plop down in the music aisles of book stores and read Beatles books for free (before any most popular reviewer on goodreads yells at me again, I don't do it if anyone else is around). I liked Many Years From Now enough to buy it (another ringing endorsement from moi). If you only buy one, get Anthology. Not only does it include all four Beatles' accounts, there are photos of the boys in their little short-shorts (Lennon wears these red ones that are practically underwear. Leaves nothing to the imagination). Many Years From Now has a mullet photo. Ringo was the first Beatle to wear a beard. Paul was the first to wear a mullet. Probably Linda's idea. Stuart may have only been a fifth Beatle, but Astrid gave better haircut.
December 23, 2011
This is as close to a ghost-written autobiography as you'll get and is a companion - and riposte - to the giant Lennon Remembers Rolling Stone interviews (essential reading, even for non-Beatle fans). So old Macca comes across as being heartily sick of the Saint Lennon myth and decides to give his version of events - yes, McCartney was a rocker too, yes, he was avant-garde too blah blah. All quite true.
One thing the world isn't short of : unnecessary Beatle books.
I didn't even want to read this! I just remembered! A friend of ours left it here! I just picked it up and thought oh I wonder what he says about Yoko... and why did he think he had to sue the others in 1970.. etc etc.
How irritating.
One thing the world isn't short of : unnecessary Beatle books.
I didn't even want to read this! I just remembered! A friend of ours left it here! I just picked it up and thought oh I wonder what he says about Yoko... and why did he think he had to sue the others in 1970.. etc etc.
How irritating.
July 4, 2009
The coolest thing about this MacCartney bio is that the author, Barry Miles, personally knew Paul from the time that he moved to London and began living with actress Jane Asher. Barry Miles was buddies with her brother, Peter Asher, who later formed Peter & Gordon, and then went on to produce albums by Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor. Barry Miles was part owner of the Indica Gallery, the bookstore/art gallery where John Lennon met Yoko Ono. It's 600+ pages long, and all told from the inside.
July 20, 2016
I spent the week with Paul McCartney. While this book was tooooooooooooooooooo long, it brought back memories of growing up with the Beatles.
The end wasn't a surprise, written in 1997, it about ended with John Lennon's death and it was sad.
The end wasn't a surprise, written in 1997, it about ended with John Lennon's death and it was sad.
November 17, 2009
I really enjoyed this book. It sat on my book shelf a while before I got to it but it was nice to read a book that Sir Paul approved and one that a lot of his interviews over the years was used as the basis for the book.
Basically the book is trying to set the record straight on Paul and how he was the original avant garde Beatle being a swinging single in 60's London going to plays, performances, traveling, enjoying the night life of the city, hanging with artists, poets, other musicians ( like Brian Jones of the Stones ), going to many art galleries, working with tape loops, etc...
Paul also tries to set the record straight with his contributions to many Beatles songs and where, when, and how he helped Lennon develop these songs many of which were created in each others bedrooms or living rooms together sitting across from each other.
A very detailed account of the Beatles split is written and it is quite a heart breaker. Paul really was invested in the band and was very nervous and stressed about what life would be like post-Beatles.
McCartney was after all the driving force for Sgt. Pepper, the Magical Mystery Tour movie and ep, The Let it Be movie and album, and pretty much all things Beatles from 1967 onward.
We learn that Yoko wasn't the whole reason for the break up, but she didn't really help either although it is stated in the book interestingly enough that she may have helped John get through his drug addiction in the early 70's and may have helped him not become a drug casualty like Brian Jones.
All in all a pretty decent account with some heavy Paul bias naturally, but even this Beatles fan learned a new thing or seven from it.
The book ends around 1996 or so which makes sense because of its publishing date, but it would have been nice to read about more Wings stories and such although clocking in at over 600 pages you would probably need a volume 2 for that.
Basically the book is trying to set the record straight on Paul and how he was the original avant garde Beatle being a swinging single in 60's London going to plays, performances, traveling, enjoying the night life of the city, hanging with artists, poets, other musicians ( like Brian Jones of the Stones ), going to many art galleries, working with tape loops, etc...
Paul also tries to set the record straight with his contributions to many Beatles songs and where, when, and how he helped Lennon develop these songs many of which were created in each others bedrooms or living rooms together sitting across from each other.
A very detailed account of the Beatles split is written and it is quite a heart breaker. Paul really was invested in the band and was very nervous and stressed about what life would be like post-Beatles.
McCartney was after all the driving force for Sgt. Pepper, the Magical Mystery Tour movie and ep, The Let it Be movie and album, and pretty much all things Beatles from 1967 onward.
We learn that Yoko wasn't the whole reason for the break up, but she didn't really help either although it is stated in the book interestingly enough that she may have helped John get through his drug addiction in the early 70's and may have helped him not become a drug casualty like Brian Jones.
All in all a pretty decent account with some heavy Paul bias naturally, but even this Beatles fan learned a new thing or seven from it.
The book ends around 1996 or so which makes sense because of its publishing date, but it would have been nice to read about more Wings stories and such although clocking in at over 600 pages you would probably need a volume 2 for that.
October 2, 2009
Read in middle school for a book report where we had to read a biography. Very candid and entertaining.
July 30, 2011
It's about Paul McCartney. It's authorized by Paul McCartney. It's co-written by Paul McCartney. I can't write an objective review - I loved it!!!
August 21, 2019
That book was very outstanding.
February 3, 2024
Non do 5 stelle solo perché mi aspettavo fosse più incentrato sulla carriera post Beatles invece è solo sul periodo degli anni 60, tranne per un capitolo finale in cui parla di quello che ha fatto tra gli anni 70 e 90.
Traduzione in italiano un po’ tremenda.
Traduzione in italiano un po’ tremenda.
August 16, 2018
È sorprendente capire quale concentrazione di talenti e fortune si sia addensata in un solo essere umano, un ragazzo di provincia semplice e bene educato, e come egli sia stato accorto nel non dilapidare il bene; bravo nel farlo fruttare; sostanzialmente modesto nel viverlo, a dispetto degli agi inenarrabili di cui ha potuto godere. Un uomo curioso, un essere vispo e lucido che, diversamente da molti suoi consimili, fortunati quanto lui, non ha collassato eticamente sotto il peso dell'enormità.
Il libro è interessante. Fa chiarezza. Anche in questo Sir Paul è stato più accorto di altri e ha affidato la propria... 'agiografia' alla penna educata di Barry Miles. Non la solita biografia da quattro soldi delle moderne rockstar quindi, ma un libro documentato, cauto, attento e bene scritto. Contestualizza la nascita del fenomeno 'Beatles' in un quadro di fermenti e cambiamenti socio-economici epocali, quali quelli dei primi anni '60. Descrive in modo vivido il primo ottimismo britannico dopo la crisi economica, a soli quindici anni dalla fine della seconda guerra mondiale; la ricostruzione europea; l'avvento di una maggiore libertà sessuale (almeno in Inghilterra e negli USA) con l'invenzione della pillola anticoncezionale; la paura del comunismo che percorreva l'Europa; la contrapposta curiosità degli spiriti liberi; l'esistenzialismo; la diffusione dell'arte contemporanea e la simultanea rottura di convenzioni estetiche datate, e imposte; Elvis e il R.'n R.; l'espansione dell'industria discografica; la maggiore libertà mentale, che non temeva più "il giudizio ingessato della società che conta" (dominante fino ad allora). Rende benissimo l'idea del mix esplosivo di cambiamenti di quegli anni, poi confluito nella cultura Rock, Pop e R'n B, che oggi studiamo. Si perde un po' solo verso la fine, nel capitolo dedicato alla produzione pittorica di Sir Paul, edulcorato, adulatorio, e troppo severo (seppure credibile) nei confronti di John Lennon, che non era meno sensibile di lui ma fu, per nascita e per sorte, meno fortunato e felice.
***********
It is surprising to understand what concentration of talents and fortunes gathered in one single human being, a simple and well-educated provincial boy, and how he had been wise in not squandering it all; how good he was at making it profit; substantially modest in living it, in spite of the unspeakable prosperity he could enjoy. A curious man, a lively and lucid human being who, unlike many others, as lucky as he was, has not ethically collapsed under the weight of the enormity.
The book is interesting. It makes clarity. Even in this, Sir Paul was more aware than others and entrusted his own ... 'hagiography' to the educated pen of Barry Miles. Not the usual cheap biography of modern rock-stars, but a documented book, cautious, careful and well written. It contextualises the birth of the 'Beatles' phenomenon in a framework of epochal socio-economic ferments and changes, such as those of the early 1960s. Vividly describes the first British optimism after the economic crisis, just fifteen years after the end of the Second World War; the European reconstruction; the advent of greater sexual freedom (at least in England and the USA) after the invention of the contraceptive pill; the fear of communism that traversed Europe; the opposed curiosity of free spirits; the existentialism; the diffusion of contemporary art and the simultaneous breaking of dated and enforced aesthetic conventions; Elvis and the R.'n R .; the expansion of the recording industry; the greater mental freedom, which no longer feared "the cast judgment of the society that counts" (dominant, until then). It gives very well the idea of the explosive mix of changes of those years, that merged in Rock, Pop and R 'n B's culture we study today. The book looses a little credibility only just towards the end, in the chapter dedicated to the pictorial production of Sir Paul, sweetened, flattering, and too severe (though credible) towards John Lennon, who was not less sensitive than he was, but less fortunate and happy by birth and by fate.
Il libro è interessante. Fa chiarezza. Anche in questo Sir Paul è stato più accorto di altri e ha affidato la propria... 'agiografia' alla penna educata di Barry Miles. Non la solita biografia da quattro soldi delle moderne rockstar quindi, ma un libro documentato, cauto, attento e bene scritto. Contestualizza la nascita del fenomeno 'Beatles' in un quadro di fermenti e cambiamenti socio-economici epocali, quali quelli dei primi anni '60. Descrive in modo vivido il primo ottimismo britannico dopo la crisi economica, a soli quindici anni dalla fine della seconda guerra mondiale; la ricostruzione europea; l'avvento di una maggiore libertà sessuale (almeno in Inghilterra e negli USA) con l'invenzione della pillola anticoncezionale; la paura del comunismo che percorreva l'Europa; la contrapposta curiosità degli spiriti liberi; l'esistenzialismo; la diffusione dell'arte contemporanea e la simultanea rottura di convenzioni estetiche datate, e imposte; Elvis e il R.'n R.; l'espansione dell'industria discografica; la maggiore libertà mentale, che non temeva più "il giudizio ingessato della società che conta" (dominante fino ad allora). Rende benissimo l'idea del mix esplosivo di cambiamenti di quegli anni, poi confluito nella cultura Rock, Pop e R'n B, che oggi studiamo. Si perde un po' solo verso la fine, nel capitolo dedicato alla produzione pittorica di Sir Paul, edulcorato, adulatorio, e troppo severo (seppure credibile) nei confronti di John Lennon, che non era meno sensibile di lui ma fu, per nascita e per sorte, meno fortunato e felice.
***********
It is surprising to understand what concentration of talents and fortunes gathered in one single human being, a simple and well-educated provincial boy, and how he had been wise in not squandering it all; how good he was at making it profit; substantially modest in living it, in spite of the unspeakable prosperity he could enjoy. A curious man, a lively and lucid human being who, unlike many others, as lucky as he was, has not ethically collapsed under the weight of the enormity.
The book is interesting. It makes clarity. Even in this, Sir Paul was more aware than others and entrusted his own ... 'hagiography' to the educated pen of Barry Miles. Not the usual cheap biography of modern rock-stars, but a documented book, cautious, careful and well written. It contextualises the birth of the 'Beatles' phenomenon in a framework of epochal socio-economic ferments and changes, such as those of the early 1960s. Vividly describes the first British optimism after the economic crisis, just fifteen years after the end of the Second World War; the European reconstruction; the advent of greater sexual freedom (at least in England and the USA) after the invention of the contraceptive pill; the fear of communism that traversed Europe; the opposed curiosity of free spirits; the existentialism; the diffusion of contemporary art and the simultaneous breaking of dated and enforced aesthetic conventions; Elvis and the R.'n R .; the expansion of the recording industry; the greater mental freedom, which no longer feared "the cast judgment of the society that counts" (dominant, until then). It gives very well the idea of the explosive mix of changes of those years, that merged in Rock, Pop and R 'n B's culture we study today. The book looses a little credibility only just towards the end, in the chapter dedicated to the pictorial production of Sir Paul, sweetened, flattering, and too severe (though credible) towards John Lennon, who was not less sensitive than he was, but less fortunate and happy by birth and by fate.
June 17, 2021
This book is about as close to an autobiography that one could expect of Paul McCartney's life, and though it only covers the period up to the breakup of the Beatles, it is certainly a book that is necessary to account for when it comes to looking at the career of Paul McCartney. There are at least three levels of biography, and this one is an official and authorized biography that featured a lot of personal involvement on the part of McCartney. Other biographies have been given tacit permission that allowed people to talk freely with the biographer even if the subject himself did not. And still other biographies are unauthorized ones. The fact that this is an authorized biography is a bit of a double-edged sword, in that the author is beholden to write something that is favorable to its author, though one gets the feeling that the author would have done this anyway. What is a bit baffling is that this book stops so abruptly as it does when it comes to ending with the Beatles, especially given the length of this book. This is a book that could very easily be the first of a two-part set, but the volume is pretty sizable and that is likely to deter many potential readers.
This book is about 600 pages and is divided into fourteen chapters. The book begins with acknowledgements and then the author talks about the Liverpool upbringing of Paul and the other Beatles and what this means (1). This is followed by a look at the experience of the Beatles in Hamburg and the Cavern (2) as well as their move to London to go big (3). After this comes a look at the Beatles for Sales period (4) and its recording, as well as the songwriting partnership between Lennon and McCartney (5). The author tries to help Paul regain his indie cred as part of the avant garde scene in London in the 60's (6) before talking about the making of more Beatles albums (7), including Sergeant Pepper (8). There is a talk about the movie-making efforts of the Beatles (9) before a chapter on the experience of the Beatles with the maharishi and how it could have gone better (10). This is then followed by a look at Apple records (11) and the recording of the White Album (12). The book then ends with a discussion of Abbey Road and Let It Be (13), Paul's relationship with John as the Beatles broke up (14), and an afterword, bibliography, and index.
By and large this is a good book. It is not a great book, because it lacks focus and is perhaps more than a bit bloated. As is often the case with a book this size, a bit of judicious editing would have made the book far more manageable. Yet it is easy to see why more edits to this book were not made. Do you want to be the one who trims the reminisces of Paul McCartney and other people into a more reasonable length? I would not volunteer for that job, and it appears that no one else wanted to do that either. Given that fact, this book is probably as good as it could have been, and it gives a lot of details about the career of the Beatles and about some of the struggles and tensions that existed within the band. There are definitely some fascinating aspects to this book when it comes to the way that the author tries to deal with the personalities at the heart of the Beatles, with John Lennon's fragile macho posing, with George Harrison's frustrations at the limits the band placed on his own creative efforts, and at the financial shenanigans that divided the band towards the end.
This book is about 600 pages and is divided into fourteen chapters. The book begins with acknowledgements and then the author talks about the Liverpool upbringing of Paul and the other Beatles and what this means (1). This is followed by a look at the experience of the Beatles in Hamburg and the Cavern (2) as well as their move to London to go big (3). After this comes a look at the Beatles for Sales period (4) and its recording, as well as the songwriting partnership between Lennon and McCartney (5). The author tries to help Paul regain his indie cred as part of the avant garde scene in London in the 60's (6) before talking about the making of more Beatles albums (7), including Sergeant Pepper (8). There is a talk about the movie-making efforts of the Beatles (9) before a chapter on the experience of the Beatles with the maharishi and how it could have gone better (10). This is then followed by a look at Apple records (11) and the recording of the White Album (12). The book then ends with a discussion of Abbey Road and Let It Be (13), Paul's relationship with John as the Beatles broke up (14), and an afterword, bibliography, and index.
By and large this is a good book. It is not a great book, because it lacks focus and is perhaps more than a bit bloated. As is often the case with a book this size, a bit of judicious editing would have made the book far more manageable. Yet it is easy to see why more edits to this book were not made. Do you want to be the one who trims the reminisces of Paul McCartney and other people into a more reasonable length? I would not volunteer for that job, and it appears that no one else wanted to do that either. Given that fact, this book is probably as good as it could have been, and it gives a lot of details about the career of the Beatles and about some of the struggles and tensions that existed within the band. There are definitely some fascinating aspects to this book when it comes to the way that the author tries to deal with the personalities at the heart of the Beatles, with John Lennon's fragile macho posing, with George Harrison's frustrations at the limits the band placed on his own creative efforts, and at the financial shenanigans that divided the band towards the end.
March 26, 2020
Poor old Paul Macca!
You would think that being one half of the most successful songwriting partnership in popular music history would be enough for him wouldn't you? Apparently not.
He clearly feels that his legacy has been unfairly placed in the shadow of his sainted friend, and that the public never understood that he was the more experimental and cutting edge of the two, honest guvnor.
Going further back, he still can't understand how the bohemian Hamburg crowd thought he was a square and, gulp, even preferred George.
Well finally, many years from then, he wants to put the record straight and tell his own story, and who wouldn't want to read it? Finally the real McCartney! Not the glibly conceited humblebragging feather-head that his public appearances have often made him appear time and again.
Well, er, sadly not. In this assisted autobiography, McCartney somehow contrives to come across as exactly that glibly conceited humblebragging feather-head he resents being accused of, providing no worthwhile insights into Beatlemania or his own creative genius at whatsoever.
Don't believe me? On the not inconsiderable subject of John Lennon, pretty much all Maccer has to say about his old buddy is that he had a soft side too and wrote some nice ballads which no one seemed to notice.
You what? Who are these Beatles fans who never realized John had a sensitive side too? Are you sure? Paul must really have been hanging out 'with straights who tell you, you was king' to think that!
I still fail to believe that the Macca which emerges in Many Years From Now is the real mccoy.
Put your conversational cheeky-chappy persona aside Paul. I'm looking through you!
You would think that being one half of the most successful songwriting partnership in popular music history would be enough for him wouldn't you? Apparently not.
He clearly feels that his legacy has been unfairly placed in the shadow of his sainted friend, and that the public never understood that he was the more experimental and cutting edge of the two, honest guvnor.
Going further back, he still can't understand how the bohemian Hamburg crowd thought he was a square and, gulp, even preferred George.
Well finally, many years from then, he wants to put the record straight and tell his own story, and who wouldn't want to read it? Finally the real McCartney! Not the glibly conceited humblebragging feather-head that his public appearances have often made him appear time and again.
Well, er, sadly not. In this assisted autobiography, McCartney somehow contrives to come across as exactly that glibly conceited humblebragging feather-head he resents being accused of, providing no worthwhile insights into Beatlemania or his own creative genius at whatsoever.
Don't believe me? On the not inconsiderable subject of John Lennon, pretty much all Maccer has to say about his old buddy is that he had a soft side too and wrote some nice ballads which no one seemed to notice.
You what? Who are these Beatles fans who never realized John had a sensitive side too? Are you sure? Paul must really have been hanging out 'with straights who tell you, you was king' to think that!
I still fail to believe that the Macca which emerges in Many Years From Now is the real mccoy.
Put your conversational cheeky-chappy persona aside Paul. I'm looking through you!
August 5, 2012
Detailed and heart felt...
The story begins with Paul's parents, Jim and Mary McCartney. The book follows Paul's boyhood. Between the narrative sections, Paul adds comments of details, in his own words. I know the history of each of the Beatles pretty well, but I must say I learned some interesting things. I didn't know Paul was a Boy Scout for a time. The book follows the Beatles story, from Paul meeting John, forward. One can tell by Paul's comments that John and he were as close as brothers.
Some reviewers here are looking too hard to find fault in Paul's comments, especially as the words that relate to John Lennon. Only once or twice did I think Paul was trying a little too hard to elevate himself when "telling his side" of things. I enjoyed the comments of Paul's as to the history of the songs which he wrote with John. Sometimes it was a 50/50 split and other times, the two of them just used each other as a sounding board.
The sections on Paul living in London in 1966-1968 was very interesting. He lived for a time at Jane Asher's parents' home, until he moved into his house on Cavendish Avenue. The book in detail ends in April/May 1970 with the break-up of the Beatles through the court action. After that, the book briefly covers the post-Beatles era. In the end, one comes away with a look into the fascinating life which Paul has lived, thus far.
The story begins with Paul's parents, Jim and Mary McCartney. The book follows Paul's boyhood. Between the narrative sections, Paul adds comments of details, in his own words. I know the history of each of the Beatles pretty well, but I must say I learned some interesting things. I didn't know Paul was a Boy Scout for a time. The book follows the Beatles story, from Paul meeting John, forward. One can tell by Paul's comments that John and he were as close as brothers.
Some reviewers here are looking too hard to find fault in Paul's comments, especially as the words that relate to John Lennon. Only once or twice did I think Paul was trying a little too hard to elevate himself when "telling his side" of things. I enjoyed the comments of Paul's as to the history of the songs which he wrote with John. Sometimes it was a 50/50 split and other times, the two of them just used each other as a sounding board.
The sections on Paul living in London in 1966-1968 was very interesting. He lived for a time at Jane Asher's parents' home, until he moved into his house on Cavendish Avenue. The book in detail ends in April/May 1970 with the break-up of the Beatles through the court action. After that, the book briefly covers the post-Beatles era. In the end, one comes away with a look into the fascinating life which Paul has lived, thus far.
April 13, 2012
This was the very first biography I ever read and I loved it. This not only gives you a good picture of McCartney's life but the whole history of the Beatles and a good overview of the 60s in general. There is so much detail in here to poke a stick at. I must say however that I found the last 1 or 2 chapters less enjoyable because all the information centred around Sir Paul but that is my only gripe. Goodreads says that this is by Paul McCartney when it is actually Barry Miles, a famous biographer who has written bios on other celebrities like Bukowski and Kerouac (just to name two!).
Overall, nicely written and extremely informative.
However, a good friend of mine, Joe, who lived in my apartment building (just upstairs) and who lent me the book told me that Paul is trying to rewrite history. I'm not sure if this is true or not but considering that he is classified as a Beatles nut (people who follow the Beatles are often classified into fans, nuts or gurus) it may well be the case. In terms of the songwriting process with Lennon as co-writer I think he is pretty honest and upfront though based on what I have read on the Lennon-McCartney relationship elsewhere.
Overall, nicely written and extremely informative.
However, a good friend of mine, Joe, who lived in my apartment building (just upstairs) and who lent me the book told me that Paul is trying to rewrite history. I'm not sure if this is true or not but considering that he is classified as a Beatles nut (people who follow the Beatles are often classified into fans, nuts or gurus) it may well be the case. In terms of the songwriting process with Lennon as co-writer I think he is pretty honest and upfront though based on what I have read on the Lennon-McCartney relationship elsewhere.
March 19, 2009
This book is essentially a really long interview with Paul McCartney. I'm not sure why I read it. I am a fan of the Beatles, but McCartney is not a terribly interesting subject, especially compared to John Lennon. Macca was the better (more technically proficient) musician and vocalist, and you could argue, the superior songwriter, but Lennon is a much more fascinating character. Lennon was a mean, paranoid, delusional crank. By comparison, Paul always comes off as a bit dull. But, the book does attempt to set the record straight about how McCartney was really more interested in avante garde experimentation than the other three. I got the sense that author Barry Miles suffered from a bit of hero worship with his subject and should have done a more editing to this text before publishing it.
March 7, 2017
I really enjoyed this book by author Barry Miles. Who better to write a book on Paul himself than someone who knew him. I've read many books on "the cute one" and I'd say this for me is the definitive book on Paul McCartney, tho I've heard Revolution in the Head is another gem. I did like how the author incorporated Paul's interviews throughout the book. The book focuses on Paul's birth, the formation of the Beatles and then the dissolution of the band. Highly recommended for the Beatles fan.
June 17, 2023
I'm a huge Beatles fan, so I expected to breeze through this, but it is not a breezy book. I'd somehow gotten the impression that this was Beatles-centric, and I suppose it was, but with an exceedingly large amount of background on Paul, which is fine. It's his biography, after all. It just slowed the pace.
I found the bits about the end of the Beatles particularly interesting. John doesn't come off very well, not because of any finger-pointing on Paul's part, but simply because it becomes pretty clear that John's insecurities were a major factor in how things went down. He often comes off as rather naive and sometimes outright juvenile, traits that seemed to have been exacerbated by his drug use.
And then there's Yoko ... I don't think she broke the Beatles up, but she seems to have hastened the process significantly. My impression is that she loved John, but didn't let that stop her from using his influence to further her personal ambitions. And the way she inserted herself into Beatles business—becoming a highly unwelcome presence while they recorded the final two albums—felt very self-serving and manipulative.
Paul's recollections of how the albums were made and the songs were composed were easily my favorite bits. I don't see myself reading the entire book again, but I suspect I'll go back and read those while listening to the albums, just to get the full effect.
Let's call this 3.5 stars.
I found the bits about the end of the Beatles particularly interesting. John doesn't come off very well, not because of any finger-pointing on Paul's part, but simply because it becomes pretty clear that John's insecurities were a major factor in how things went down. He often comes off as rather naive and sometimes outright juvenile, traits that seemed to have been exacerbated by his drug use.
And then there's Yoko ... I don't think she broke the Beatles up, but she seems to have hastened the process significantly. My impression is that she loved John, but didn't let that stop her from using his influence to further her personal ambitions. And the way she inserted herself into Beatles business—becoming a highly unwelcome presence while they recorded the final two albums—felt very self-serving and manipulative.
Paul's recollections of how the albums were made and the songs were composed were easily my favorite bits. I don't see myself reading the entire book again, but I suspect I'll go back and read those while listening to the albums, just to get the full effect.
Let's call this 3.5 stars.
July 7, 2022
The book that attempted to switch the commonly held belief that John Lennon--not Paul McCartney--was the prime artist and creative force within the Beatles. They both can share the title, but according to this book Paul was the man about Londontown for much of the 1960s, hobnobbing with artists and soaking up their creative spirit, while John Lennon was no more than a drug-addled dotard tucked away in his suburban cocoon.
As a McCartney fan, I couldn't help but relish the details of his life at the pinnacle of his career and all the insight into the people with whom he interacted. I initially didn't enjoy the long, heavily scrubbed quoted passages of his and felt the author was being lazy, but I eventually got used to them. The author also seeks to ride Paul's coattails and trumpet his meager role in McCartney's life.
Though more than 600 pages long, very little is dedicated to McCartney's fruitful post-Beatles career, and the author's credibility slipped with me when he wrote essentially nothing about classic albums like "Band on the Run" or "Venus and Mars."(Perhaps albums like "Wild Life" or songs like "My Love" don't fit the narrative of McCartney as a great artist.)
As a McCartney fan, I couldn't help but relish the details of his life at the pinnacle of his career and all the insight into the people with whom he interacted. I initially didn't enjoy the long, heavily scrubbed quoted passages of his and felt the author was being lazy, but I eventually got used to them. The author also seeks to ride Paul's coattails and trumpet his meager role in McCartney's life.
Though more than 600 pages long, very little is dedicated to McCartney's fruitful post-Beatles career, and the author's credibility slipped with me when he wrote essentially nothing about classic albums like "Band on the Run" or "Venus and Mars."(Perhaps albums like "Wild Life" or songs like "My Love" don't fit the narrative of McCartney as a great artist.)
June 5, 2024
This book really inspired me, but it requires a lot of patience. It’s quite possibly the longest book I ever read. There were some parts toward the end that I skimmed, like when they basically advertised his recent orchestral compositions. But if you find the life of artists interesting then I definitely recommend
March 2, 2025
Hace muchos saltos temporales, y además tenés que saber mucho de la época de los 60 y de Inglaterra para entender realmente a lo que se refiere Paul. Pero igualmente, desde el punto de vista Beatlemaniaco, es un muy buen libro, nada se compara con leer la mismisima bibliografía de Paul Mccartney
November 7, 2025
Bra! Men alltid lite svårt när man ska bubbla ner allt. Diggade kapitlen om tiden efter Beatles och Linda mest.
November 1, 2020
I thought I knew everything about the Beatles. But for some reason, Paul's book escaped my view all this time. Yes, Barry name is on it, but its really Paul's memoir with context provided by Barry Miles. And damn, if there was a whole lot I didn't know! And it really made the Beatles more human as Paul talks about what it was really like on the inside. A must for any Beatlehead.
February 22, 2017
This is as close to an authorised, official book on McCartney as there has been. Barry Miles has remained a friend of Paul since they met in the 60s, and there are frequent passages from Paul himself - direct quotes reflecting on and adding unique detail to the events described.
Paul casting about his memory and blurting out some peculiar tangential thought adds a conversational feel, and this always pleasantly offsets Miles' fine, informative prose. It's often to comic effect, as in the afterword's strange epiphany: "Occasionally I stop and think, I am Paul McCartney, fuckin' hell, that is a total freak-out! You know, Paul McCartney!" In general his contributions are a great deal more enlightening than this.
This book is at pains to define Paul against John, correcting clichéd old notions of the shallow McCartney vs. the experimental Lennon, clarifying the muddle of the Beatles' breakup, and so on. Paul was the Beatle who remained in London when the others nestled into suburbia in the mid-60s. He was assimilating all kinds of art and music, amongst it some rather avant-garde work, and this in turn inspired some of the most pioneering aspects of the Beatles as he began to take the lead in the band (circa 1967). Whilst this has perhaps long since been acknowledged, at the time of publication it wasn't so. Even if the book occasionally seems preoccupied with this corrective criticism, it doesn't detract from a very successful piece of biography.
Many Years From Now really focuses on Paul's time in Beatles, so his life and career in the intervening decades - certainly deserving of the same treatment - are rather glossed over in the last few dozen pages. I've yet to read other McCartney biographies to see how they handle the post-Fabs era. Howard Sounes' more recent Fab An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney is a hefty one that spends at least half its pages on it, but the parts I've flicked through seem to read more like mean-spirited tattle rather than a proper biography, so I might skip that one.
April 3, 2019
It took me almost an entire year to read this - not only because I alternated this reading with others in the past ten months, but also because this ambitious biography is, in fact, very ambitious. More than 600 pages to tell the story of Sir Paul McCartney, the most successful musician ever - and my greatest hero - from his childhood until 1997, date of publication of the book, through the narration of Barry Miles, a long-time friend of McCartney, and an incredible amount of transcripts from various interviews with Paul himself.
The book is extremely detailed, interesting and intensive. Being a huge Beatles/McCartney fan, I did already read several books and articles about him and the band, but Miles's biography is so in-depth that it made me learn so much more. I literally couldn't stop putting little bookmarks on the pages. We learn a lot about Paul's childhood - something that is usually overlooked (at least until 1957, the year he met John) and his life as a Liverpudlian born during WW2, his musical influences, and all the events that led to the crucial encounter with George Harrison and John Lennon. The journey is long and 80% of the book is dedicated to the years with the Beatles. There are also some very interesting chapters about his relationships with women - Jane Asher and Linda Eastman above the others - and band members, giving a special chapter (of course) to his wild relationship with Lennon. The last chapter is very sweet and moving.
I'm giving 4 stars because it actually is a terrific book, funny, honest and majestic; the only flaw could be the absence of an analysis of Paul's life after the disbandment of the Beatles (with just a couple of mentions to Wings), though there are some very interesting pages about the whole Apple dispute and Paul's retirement in Scotland in 1969.
Highly recommended to every McCartney/Beatles fan who's tired of reading always the same old stories.
The book is extremely detailed, interesting and intensive. Being a huge Beatles/McCartney fan, I did already read several books and articles about him and the band, but Miles's biography is so in-depth that it made me learn so much more. I literally couldn't stop putting little bookmarks on the pages. We learn a lot about Paul's childhood - something that is usually overlooked (at least until 1957, the year he met John) and his life as a Liverpudlian born during WW2, his musical influences, and all the events that led to the crucial encounter with George Harrison and John Lennon. The journey is long and 80% of the book is dedicated to the years with the Beatles. There are also some very interesting chapters about his relationships with women - Jane Asher and Linda Eastman above the others - and band members, giving a special chapter (of course) to his wild relationship with Lennon. The last chapter is very sweet and moving.
I'm giving 4 stars because it actually is a terrific book, funny, honest and majestic; the only flaw could be the absence of an analysis of Paul's life after the disbandment of the Beatles (with just a couple of mentions to Wings), though there are some very interesting pages about the whole Apple dispute and Paul's retirement in Scotland in 1969.
Highly recommended to every McCartney/Beatles fan who's tired of reading always the same old stories.
September 10, 2018
Probably the closest we will ever get to a McCartney Autobiography. His well covered guard does come down a tad in this engrossing book by his great friend Barry Miles.
For a Beatles nut like me, this is a real page turner, the only downside is that a lot of the time you don't believe a lot of it! It's well established how bitter Paul feels his contribution to the Songs of the Beatles have been judged against the sadly long departed Saint of Lennon. Here Paul tries to redress the balance, usually through a very awkward percentage scale ( e.g I wrote 22% of blah blah) I found this quite sad in a way, I mean who cares, what matters is that he and his three mates created music that will last for all time.
Having said that there are tons of juicy fabs nuggets to munch on here, the one chapter I really enjoyed was his exploits in the mid 60s into the London Avant-Garde scene. Again it feels a bit forced in trying to prove a point over John and Yoko's exploits a few years later, but you really get a sense of how all this influence really drove his music towards Sgt Pepper.
I am a huge Macca fan, his limitless pool of creative endeavors really has been an inspiration to me and many millions of other wannabe artists for the last fifty years and i'm sure for a long time too in the future. Did I feel closer to knowing the real man after reading this book? errm maybe 26.2%, do i want to read this book again 100%
For a Beatles nut like me, this is a real page turner, the only downside is that a lot of the time you don't believe a lot of it! It's well established how bitter Paul feels his contribution to the Songs of the Beatles have been judged against the sadly long departed Saint of Lennon. Here Paul tries to redress the balance, usually through a very awkward percentage scale ( e.g I wrote 22% of blah blah) I found this quite sad in a way, I mean who cares, what matters is that he and his three mates created music that will last for all time.
Having said that there are tons of juicy fabs nuggets to munch on here, the one chapter I really enjoyed was his exploits in the mid 60s into the London Avant-Garde scene. Again it feels a bit forced in trying to prove a point over John and Yoko's exploits a few years later, but you really get a sense of how all this influence really drove his music towards Sgt Pepper.
I am a huge Macca fan, his limitless pool of creative endeavors really has been an inspiration to me and many millions of other wannabe artists for the last fifty years and i'm sure for a long time too in the future. Did I feel closer to knowing the real man after reading this book? errm maybe 26.2%, do i want to read this book again 100%
September 4, 2016
The very obvious strengths of this book are the personal observations by Paul McCartney that explain the origin of every song in the Lennon-McCartney catalog. For a Beatles fan, this greatly adds to the appreciation of their music. Now when I listen to songs that I have heard for 40 years or so, I hear them in a different perspective and for me that makes them even more enjoyable----even songs that were not my favorites, have become worth extra listens. Although the narration of Beatles history is informative and interesting it frequently bogs down into lengthy descriptions of people they interacted with (and often not involved in their music) that are not familiar to most readers. Also, Beatles fans who are more interested in George Harrison or Ringo Starr will be disappointed in this book because those two Beatles get very little print. McCartney's thoughts about Lennon seem very honest and enlightening. All in all, the book could have been edited down by several hundred pages and perhaps have had more immediate impact on a Beatles fan.
November 15, 2020
A wonderful look at the life of "The Cute Beatle" from his early days, through the Beatles' 8 Days A Week schedule on Hamburg's notorious Reeperbahn, to superstardom and crushing depression and back, Miles tells McCartney's story as it should be told; from somebody on the inside. This book does avoid the trappings of fandom-dictated writing, as Miles also refuses to look away from the ugliness that sometimes existed in the background of the Fab 4, while acknowledging the magic that these lads created when they were in the studio together.
Paul is also up front about his memories being just that, and that his version is not always the correct one. But, as Miles mentions in the beginning of the book, out of all of the songs that Lennon and McCartney wrote, only two of them were cause for a differing of opinion between John and Paul as to who was responsible for what.
It does tend to be a bit dry in places, but Many Years From Now is the definitive writing on the life of Sir Paul, even if it is almost a quarter-century old at this point.
Paul is also up front about his memories being just that, and that his version is not always the correct one. But, as Miles mentions in the beginning of the book, out of all of the songs that Lennon and McCartney wrote, only two of them were cause for a differing of opinion between John and Paul as to who was responsible for what.
It does tend to be a bit dry in places, but Many Years From Now is the definitive writing on the life of Sir Paul, even if it is almost a quarter-century old at this point.
July 19, 2018
The remarkable life of such a remarkable man as is Sir Paul McCartney deserves nothing less than the incredible amount of work Mr. Barry Miles has put into this account.
Because it's me, of course, most of the things exposed here I already knew; but I was glad to find both depth to things I had a shallow knowledge of, and also find things that I didn't know, which paint a whole different picture of things and events that the world has only ever seen the tip of the iceberg to.
I'm so glad I could finally read this, especially after looking for it for about 15 years, and having it in my possession for 3 more. It was high time I got to read it and, a surprise to nobody, it didn't let down.
Because it's me, of course, most of the things exposed here I already knew; but I was glad to find both depth to things I had a shallow knowledge of, and also find things that I didn't know, which paint a whole different picture of things and events that the world has only ever seen the tip of the iceberg to.
I'm so glad I could finally read this, especially after looking for it for about 15 years, and having it in my possession for 3 more. It was high time I got to read it and, a surprise to nobody, it didn't let down.
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