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The Man Who Made the Beatles: An Intimate Biography of Brian Epstein
Popular account of Epstein and his contribution to the success of the Beatles. Comprises interviews with Epstein's family, friends, business associates. No bibliography. Acidic paper. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 16, 2018
I don't usually read books about the music business,but made an exception to the rule.it was a good read,told me quite a bit about Brian epstein both in private life and business acumen.serendipity brought the Beatles and Brian together.but in doing so created a monster that took over the cosiness of original business of just the Beatles,gerry and the pacemakers,and cilla black.the usual story of too much too soon.too many artistes and many business ventures led to a loss of the original hands on concept.a man riddled with contradictions but you get the overall idea he was a nice guy who got swallowed up by bigger sharks and hangers on.
December 2, 2015
An excellent easy going read of a man I knew nothing about for a man who is not really interested in music! But then neither was Mr Epstein - or pop music at least. He had an ear for it but confined it to his working hours. Mind you, in the absence of a personal life that was 24/7.
I had watched a BBC documentary about the man but knew nothing about him. He did seem a tragic figure for one who was so successful. His death could so easily have been avoided.
This is very much an insider's book and one much helped by the Epstein family. His homosexuality is discussed quite a lot as it was the source of much personal anguish for him and a lot of insults or innuendo by his artistes. He endured it but at a great cost. The book is very much focused on the man and not on him as an appendix for the Beatles so if you want to know more about them you will have to read another book. The author does not do 'kiss and tell' or rake up any of Epstein's nocturnal trysts with a person or persons unknown. I suspect it is because most of them were casual pick ups - he holidayed alone and disappeared from late night parties to cruise the streets, much to the anxiety of his friends and work colleagues. Out of respect for those still living no names of his lovers (who never stayed around very long anyway) are mentioned - except for one.
A very worthwhile read, a lively style and will give a well rounded picture of a much talented but tortured individual.
I had watched a BBC documentary about the man but knew nothing about him. He did seem a tragic figure for one who was so successful. His death could so easily have been avoided.
This is very much an insider's book and one much helped by the Epstein family. His homosexuality is discussed quite a lot as it was the source of much personal anguish for him and a lot of insults or innuendo by his artistes. He endured it but at a great cost. The book is very much focused on the man and not on him as an appendix for the Beatles so if you want to know more about them you will have to read another book. The author does not do 'kiss and tell' or rake up any of Epstein's nocturnal trysts with a person or persons unknown. I suspect it is because most of them were casual pick ups - he holidayed alone and disappeared from late night parties to cruise the streets, much to the anxiety of his friends and work colleagues. Out of respect for those still living no names of his lovers (who never stayed around very long anyway) are mentioned - except for one.
A very worthwhile read, a lively style and will give a well rounded picture of a much talented but tortured individual.
December 14, 2018
A sympathetic telling of Brian Epstein's story, Ray Coleman's book is credible, well-researched and well-written. Perhaps because he seems to be writing for a British audience, Coleman assumes readers will know that he was the editor of Melody Maker, a popular and widely-circulated magazine in the U.K. Without this information his occasional use of the first person is less understandable.
August 7, 2025
The man who managed the Beatles, who took them from the Cavern to the top of the pops, was a complicated figure in his own right. A Jew and a homosexual at a time when neither was looked upon favorably in polite British society, Brian Epstein transcended stereotypes to become a pop-star impresario with a stable of acts who stormed the charts in England and abroad. But he was a profoundly lonely and unhappy man, and while his early death from drug abuse could be read as a suicide or as a reckless "misadventure," the fact remains that his exit from the stage sent the group he loved the most off into a downward spiral which resulted in their break-up just three years after his death.
"The Man Who Made The Beatles" is journalist Ray Coleman's attempt to put Brian Epstein front and center in his own life story. Epstein, only thirty-two when he died in August 1967, had a whirlwind ride of a life. Coleman rushes through the early, pre-Beatles years so quickly that I felt some whiplash. But all of that is done so that Coleman can give the bulk of the book over to Epstein's tenure as the manager of a group that he genuinely thought would be bigger than Elvis (and he wasn't wrong). The parts of the book that sing are the descriptions of the early years of his partnership with John, Paul, George, and Ringo, and his efforts on their behalf (getting a record deal, finding George Martin, sacking Pete Best, etc.). Coleman, whose massive biography of John Lennon was one of the first Beatles books I consumed as a new fan of the group when I was a teenager, captures the heady spirit of this old-beyond-his-years salesman finding an outlet for his theatrical bent with four scruffy young lads whose musical talent was undeniable.
The problem with the book is, it's a first draft of Epstein's life in many ways. I don't mean the book itself is a first draft (Coleman was an experienced journalist and would've done multiple efforts to finesse his prose); it just feels like this, the first major biography of the Beatles' manager, has a lot of faults that any subsequent biography could correct. As mentioned before, Coleman doesn't spend a lot of time on Epstein's early life, which could be rich material for examining and "diagnosing" what factors if any from his formative years compelled him to seek out this minor "Mersey Beat" combo that he allegedly had never heard of before that fateful day that he stepped down into the Cavern's cellar-like space. His homosexuality was something that he struggled with (and which likely played a role in his attraction to the group, at least early on, though Coleman believes that Epstein never crossed any lines with "the boys," unlike some other Beatles biographers). His Jewish identity was also seen as a "handicap" in the rigid class structure of postwar England (after all, his group received MBEs while he did not), and his lonely life apart from his groups was a major source of unhappiness. I think a more subtle, nuanced biography of Epstein could explore these threads deeper; Coleman does his best (and has the benefit of primary sources still being alive to consult at the time of his writing, something which isn't necessarily true today), but I would like to think that a better look at Epstein's life could be out there.
All that being said, for its time "The Man Who Made the Beatles" is more open-minded about Brian Epstein than might be expected, while still guilty of gross misobservations here and there. It's a flawed book in many ways, but a good first attempt to rescue Epstein from the (then) twenty years or so of neglect that had been his legacy up to that point. As the history of the Beatles continues to fascinate, it's important not to lose sight of the man who, as a member of two marginalized communities, took them to the heights of fame, and who died before his accomplishments could be put in proper context. Brian Epstein's life has tragic elements to it, but it isn't a full-scale tragedy, and Ray Coleman makes a convincing case for it to be considered in a fuller context.
"The Man Who Made The Beatles" is journalist Ray Coleman's attempt to put Brian Epstein front and center in his own life story. Epstein, only thirty-two when he died in August 1967, had a whirlwind ride of a life. Coleman rushes through the early, pre-Beatles years so quickly that I felt some whiplash. But all of that is done so that Coleman can give the bulk of the book over to Epstein's tenure as the manager of a group that he genuinely thought would be bigger than Elvis (and he wasn't wrong). The parts of the book that sing are the descriptions of the early years of his partnership with John, Paul, George, and Ringo, and his efforts on their behalf (getting a record deal, finding George Martin, sacking Pete Best, etc.). Coleman, whose massive biography of John Lennon was one of the first Beatles books I consumed as a new fan of the group when I was a teenager, captures the heady spirit of this old-beyond-his-years salesman finding an outlet for his theatrical bent with four scruffy young lads whose musical talent was undeniable.
The problem with the book is, it's a first draft of Epstein's life in many ways. I don't mean the book itself is a first draft (Coleman was an experienced journalist and would've done multiple efforts to finesse his prose); it just feels like this, the first major biography of the Beatles' manager, has a lot of faults that any subsequent biography could correct. As mentioned before, Coleman doesn't spend a lot of time on Epstein's early life, which could be rich material for examining and "diagnosing" what factors if any from his formative years compelled him to seek out this minor "Mersey Beat" combo that he allegedly had never heard of before that fateful day that he stepped down into the Cavern's cellar-like space. His homosexuality was something that he struggled with (and which likely played a role in his attraction to the group, at least early on, though Coleman believes that Epstein never crossed any lines with "the boys," unlike some other Beatles biographers). His Jewish identity was also seen as a "handicap" in the rigid class structure of postwar England (after all, his group received MBEs while he did not), and his lonely life apart from his groups was a major source of unhappiness. I think a more subtle, nuanced biography of Epstein could explore these threads deeper; Coleman does his best (and has the benefit of primary sources still being alive to consult at the time of his writing, something which isn't necessarily true today), but I would like to think that a better look at Epstein's life could be out there.
All that being said, for its time "The Man Who Made the Beatles" is more open-minded about Brian Epstein than might be expected, while still guilty of gross misobservations here and there. It's a flawed book in many ways, but a good first attempt to rescue Epstein from the (then) twenty years or so of neglect that had been his legacy up to that point. As the history of the Beatles continues to fascinate, it's important not to lose sight of the man who, as a member of two marginalized communities, took them to the heights of fame, and who died before his accomplishments could be put in proper context. Brian Epstein's life has tragic elements to it, but it isn't a full-scale tragedy, and Ray Coleman makes a convincing case for it to be considered in a fuller context.
January 14, 2018
Some winds blew my way to steer me to this book, after years of loving and listening to the Beatles, and of being an original member of the "Beatlemania" wave. Maybe it was something that somebody said about Brian Epstein, the man who "made" the Beatles, but I took myself over to the library and chose this book. I'm glad I did.
Having been swept up in the wave, I had no idea what was behind it. In fact, Brian was behind it, and this book tells about the boy, the man, the man's career, the Beatles and their career, and in fact pop music in general and its arc. It also shows us how the music business has changed from the days when a man who works in the record department of his parents' furniture store could walk into "The Cavern" in Liverpool and see a promising young band and shoulder them, to today, when everything is big business.
Brian was brilliant, Brian had integrity, and Brian cared. With all his friends, he was also lonely, having thrown himself into his performers, and was caught between his Jewish heritage and love for his parents, his homosexuality (which his parents, by the way, accepted), and society's norms, when at that time homosexuality was a crime in the UK. Today we don't see that much integrity and we don't see that much caring for the personal side of ones protegees - just remember Michael Jackson and how his managers pushed him to go on stage and perform an enormous number of shows, when he was sick and ill.
The book contained so much detail. Coleman did an amazing job of research. Some readers may learn more than they want to, but there's no doubt that Brian's life, though short, was complex, that he touched many, and that he singularly had a major influence on the direction of music as we know it today.
It was sad to read that John Lennon had some anti-Semitic streaks in him and that he frequently berated Brian both for his homosexuality and for his Jewishness. It was interesting to read about John, Paul, George and Ringo from the perspective of individuals who knew them closely, and from their interactions with Brian.
I enjoyed reading about Cilla Black, who's talent I (perhaps being an American) had never known of, and I went online and saw her performances, which were knockout. She was a Brian discovery, too.
In the end it was a little difficult to follow the time sequencing of everything, the writing sometimes moved forward then shifted backward then forward again, but this book was worth it and provides a very 4-dimensional view, OVER TIME, of people, places and industries who we now take for granted.
That said, we too often lose our perspective on what we take for granted today. This book gives us a thorough and human view of how the world literally turned on Brian Epstein's discovery and stewardship of four young musicians who, with their brilliant musicianship and sparking personalities, literally changed the world.
Having been swept up in the wave, I had no idea what was behind it. In fact, Brian was behind it, and this book tells about the boy, the man, the man's career, the Beatles and their career, and in fact pop music in general and its arc. It also shows us how the music business has changed from the days when a man who works in the record department of his parents' furniture store could walk into "The Cavern" in Liverpool and see a promising young band and shoulder them, to today, when everything is big business.
Brian was brilliant, Brian had integrity, and Brian cared. With all his friends, he was also lonely, having thrown himself into his performers, and was caught between his Jewish heritage and love for his parents, his homosexuality (which his parents, by the way, accepted), and society's norms, when at that time homosexuality was a crime in the UK. Today we don't see that much integrity and we don't see that much caring for the personal side of ones protegees - just remember Michael Jackson and how his managers pushed him to go on stage and perform an enormous number of shows, when he was sick and ill.
The book contained so much detail. Coleman did an amazing job of research. Some readers may learn more than they want to, but there's no doubt that Brian's life, though short, was complex, that he touched many, and that he singularly had a major influence on the direction of music as we know it today.
It was sad to read that John Lennon had some anti-Semitic streaks in him and that he frequently berated Brian both for his homosexuality and for his Jewishness. It was interesting to read about John, Paul, George and Ringo from the perspective of individuals who knew them closely, and from their interactions with Brian.
I enjoyed reading about Cilla Black, who's talent I (perhaps being an American) had never known of, and I went online and saw her performances, which were knockout. She was a Brian discovery, too.
In the end it was a little difficult to follow the time sequencing of everything, the writing sometimes moved forward then shifted backward then forward again, but this book was worth it and provides a very 4-dimensional view, OVER TIME, of people, places and industries who we now take for granted.
That said, we too often lose our perspective on what we take for granted today. This book gives us a thorough and human view of how the world literally turned on Brian Epstein's discovery and stewardship of four young musicians who, with their brilliant musicianship and sparking personalities, literally changed the world.
March 16, 2025
I've read plenty of books about the Beatles so seemed only right to read one about their manager. It was good. I do want to comment on one grievance with the author saying "Cynthia relished some time along to adapt to life with a baby"...um sir, yeah I don't think she would be pleased to have just had a baby and be abandoned by the father for a vacation!!?! Like that's just common sense. But yeah anyway it was interesting to learn more about Brian Epstein.
September 12, 2024
Fascinating life story frustratingly told. Coleman focuses on all of Epstein's faults to the detriment of the book. One of many biographies that makes me wonder 'Why would you chose a subject you seem to like so little?'.
April 10, 2017
I'd rate this as 3 stars for the writing, but 4 stars for the overview of Epstein's life. The author meanders a bit with the timeline and repeats certain points over and over again. It does illustrate Epstein's complex personality and business dealings. I really appreciated that some of Epstein's business deals, which have been viewed in a very negative way in many later Beatles biographies, are placed within the context of the times. He was very savvy in some ways and hopelessly naive in others. It was very sad to read of Brian's utter isolation and loneliness. Warning to Beatles fans--they aren't in the book all that much. If you want background on the man that launched them and what went in to make them a success (in addition to their own talent, of course), than this book is a start. It will be interesting to see how the same events will be covered in Lewisohn's second volume to his epic biography of the band.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews