What do you think?
Rate this book
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!: The Beatles, Beatlemania, and the Music that Changed the World
It starts in the housing projects and school playgrounds of Liverpool, where four boys would discover themselves--and a new form of music called rock 'n roll. It takes us from the famous first meeting between John and Paul, to the clubs of Liverpool and Germany when George and Ringo join the band, down Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields, to America and the height of the Beatles' success--when they were still teenagers.
In Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!, Spitz recreates the thrills, tears and magic of his New York Times bestselling adult biography, but in a style and format that's accesible for young readers. This book includes photos, sidebars and graphic elements. It's a book about teens who changed the world.
In Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!, Spitz recreates the thrills, tears and magic of his New York Times bestselling adult biography, but in a style and format that's accesible for young readers. This book includes photos, sidebars and graphic elements. It's a book about teens who changed the world.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published September 19, 2007
About the author
Bob Spitz
19 books188 followersBob Spitz is the award-winning author of The Beatles, a New York Times best seller, as well as seven other nonfiction books and a screenplay. He has represented Bruce Springsteen and Elton John in several capacities. His articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times Magazine; The Washington Post; Rolling Stone; and O, The Oprah Magazine, among others.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 28, 2012
As a huge music fan, I knew that Yeah Yeah Yeah had the potential to pull me in as soon as I began reading. Focused on The Beatles, this is written into the text from the start. This biographical novel covers so many different aspects of the lives of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, and also of band members and production teams that came and went along their journey from unknowns to international superstars. Having the opportunity to learn about what it took for The Beatles to become what they were disguises the “informational” tone of the book.
As a reader, I was interested in this book because I wanted to obtain the information it offered. I like The Beatles’ music, and I knew a little about their history before reading, so I found reading the novel pretty enjoyable. However, it did get a little overly descriptive at times, and I found myself skimming over chunks of text that didn’t catch my attention. The pictures in the novel were a nice touch and added a level of visual interest that is not always present in biographical novels.
As a teacher, I probably wouldn’t use this text in its entirety as a classroom tool. The novel is a little lengthy and in-depth to hold the reader’s interest if read that thoroughly. I think it would have a great use as a reference book for a report about musicians in history, as an example of a biographical novel about a famous subject, or as material for shorter text selections to be used for any other purpose in the classroom. It might be a great book to recommend for students to read in their own free time as well.
In all, Yeah Yeah Yeah is a well-written biographical novel, and certainly appropriate for young adults. It many lack the vocabulary plot developments that generally work to hold the interest of young adults, but it would provide plenty of insight for the student or the teacher who wants to expand their knowledge of music history and its influences or who just wants to learn a little more about a famous band. In any case, the book is appealing and could be a good choice for many readers, regardless of their age.
As a reader, I was interested in this book because I wanted to obtain the information it offered. I like The Beatles’ music, and I knew a little about their history before reading, so I found reading the novel pretty enjoyable. However, it did get a little overly descriptive at times, and I found myself skimming over chunks of text that didn’t catch my attention. The pictures in the novel were a nice touch and added a level of visual interest that is not always present in biographical novels.
As a teacher, I probably wouldn’t use this text in its entirety as a classroom tool. The novel is a little lengthy and in-depth to hold the reader’s interest if read that thoroughly. I think it would have a great use as a reference book for a report about musicians in history, as an example of a biographical novel about a famous subject, or as material for shorter text selections to be used for any other purpose in the classroom. It might be a great book to recommend for students to read in their own free time as well.
In all, Yeah Yeah Yeah is a well-written biographical novel, and certainly appropriate for young adults. It many lack the vocabulary plot developments that generally work to hold the interest of young adults, but it would provide plenty of insight for the student or the teacher who wants to expand their knowledge of music history and its influences or who just wants to learn a little more about a famous band. In any case, the book is appealing and could be a good choice for many readers, regardless of their age.
January 9, 2013
When my fourth grader brought this book home from school, I picked it up to have a look, and ended up reading the entire thing.
Although this book is written for "young readers", I found that I learned more about the band, the social changes they effected and were affected by, and the 1960s music scene in general than I had learned from more comprehensive Beatles biographies.
I recommend this book to Beatles fans of all ages.
Although this book is written for "young readers", I found that I learned more about the band, the social changes they effected and were affected by, and the 1960s music scene in general than I had learned from more comprehensive Beatles biographies.
I recommend this book to Beatles fans of all ages.
Read
November 8, 2021HI FREAKIN LOVE THIS BOOK SOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOD ID SUGGEST YOU TO READ IT
March 22, 2017
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Is an exemplary book, for someone who is looking for more information about the Beatles, and about their outside life from the band. It gives in depth details about the John, Paul, Ringo, and George's childhood, and how they got into music, and how they met. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Informs you of the troubles the Beatles went through as children and as adults. This book tells you about the rise and fall of the greatest and most inspirational band ever created, The Beatles!
May 25, 2018
It had a lot of interesting tidbits of information. i had fun reading it to my kids. We watched A Hard Day's Night afterwards. I wish there had been a bit more about how the beatles filmed Yellow Submarine and the projects they went on to do right after the Beatles.
October 16, 2012
The Evolution of Rock
While reading this biography Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! By Bob Spitz I learned a lot about the Beatles career and I discovered a whole new side to the British rock band. I very much enjoyed reading about life in England during the late 50’s-early 60’s; life was very different than ours, especially in another country. Every aspect of this book held my attention, I loved hearing about how they started playing instruments, how they all met, the hardships they faced as a band, and then the inevitable pay off that followed. Discovering all of the specific little things that would ultimately make them “bigger than Elvis” really brought things into perspective that being that famous has its many downfalls too.
The story takes place in Liverpool, England and four young boys in high school who all had separate dreams of fame and fortune. Their interest in music however is what allowed fate to bring them all together to form a legendary band. Once all four of them were united and were given their first record deal they unknowingly became an unstoppable force that moved hearts and fueled dreams. As they started becoming more popular in England America still had them in their blind side and missed the chance to claim the Beatles as their discovery, fortunately for their career one of the people was Ed Sullivan. The Daily Mirror an English newspaper came up with the perfect word for the situation, “BEATLEMANIA.” Their fame rapidly flourished and they toured America several times before an incident in the Philippines helped bring Beatlmania and concerts to a stop. They were relieved to not have deadlines anymore; this really allowed them to express their true creative power and talent. The Beatles wrote a few more albums but with the release of their final album the Beatles AKA the white album they decided to stop recording and began doing individual work which ultimately made the Beatles to disband.
With the Beatles being one of my favorite bands I knew I wouldn’t have any trouble reading this book. The beginning was fairly slow but gradually became exciting. This book is perfect for people who love the Beatles and who are interested in pop culture during the 60’s and 50’s, I would also recommend this book to select teens who enjoy reading about classic bands. Just reading about post World War two life was enough to get my attention but I also happened to love music and biographies. It was fairly easy for me to relate to the characters when they were teenagers because I also looked to music for acceptance and thankfully like them rock found me and brought me into a world where anything can be possible and any dream can be achieved. “Miracles are for dreamers” (1) John Lennon complained to his friend before discovering rock, seeing that as the first line of the book really let me see how music changes people, as his life went on he realized that he was a dreamer and that he had received a miracle.
I had the mindset before reading this that the Beatles were all about music and had an easy life; this is not the case however. Two of them lost their mothers at a young age and the others were brought up poor and had things like sicknesses holding them back. It truly inspired me to find out that their fame came to them through years of perseverance and hard work, when they were doing their first “tours” they weren’t even making enough money to eat. All of them seemed to have problems with school as music began coming into their lives but somehow they pulled through and that made me think about my life a lot. They behave like your average teen and that means fame and fortune could come to anyone. “They just put their heads down and played ” (98), recalled Brian Epstein.
No matter how bad things got for these musicians they always kept a positive outlook and always kept their charm and wit. What with being attacked by fans and southerners threatening to murder John there was always a reason to stay positive but their ability to be happy no matter what really says something about character and the ability to shed light on every situation. Even when people in the Philippines tried murdering them because they didn’t go to their leaders palace they still didn’t shy away from tours, I personally would have been terrified especially if I was a celebrity who was used to special treatment.
This book is in my top five list and I will recommend it too everyone who asks, not only did it entertain me but it taught me many lessons about life and all of the things I shouldn’t take for granted. The Beatles were a huge influence to my father when they first became famous and now they continue to influence him and me as their legacy continues to flourish in modern society. Bob Spitz concluded “And from them, a flood of song and love and pain and beauty, a flood that cascaded out of the Cavern of Hamburg and London into the world, a flow that pushed aside what had come before and, in the end, nourished” (221).
While reading this biography Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! By Bob Spitz I learned a lot about the Beatles career and I discovered a whole new side to the British rock band. I very much enjoyed reading about life in England during the late 50’s-early 60’s; life was very different than ours, especially in another country. Every aspect of this book held my attention, I loved hearing about how they started playing instruments, how they all met, the hardships they faced as a band, and then the inevitable pay off that followed. Discovering all of the specific little things that would ultimately make them “bigger than Elvis” really brought things into perspective that being that famous has its many downfalls too.
The story takes place in Liverpool, England and four young boys in high school who all had separate dreams of fame and fortune. Their interest in music however is what allowed fate to bring them all together to form a legendary band. Once all four of them were united and were given their first record deal they unknowingly became an unstoppable force that moved hearts and fueled dreams. As they started becoming more popular in England America still had them in their blind side and missed the chance to claim the Beatles as their discovery, fortunately for their career one of the people was Ed Sullivan. The Daily Mirror an English newspaper came up with the perfect word for the situation, “BEATLEMANIA.” Their fame rapidly flourished and they toured America several times before an incident in the Philippines helped bring Beatlmania and concerts to a stop. They were relieved to not have deadlines anymore; this really allowed them to express their true creative power and talent. The Beatles wrote a few more albums but with the release of their final album the Beatles AKA the white album they decided to stop recording and began doing individual work which ultimately made the Beatles to disband.
With the Beatles being one of my favorite bands I knew I wouldn’t have any trouble reading this book. The beginning was fairly slow but gradually became exciting. This book is perfect for people who love the Beatles and who are interested in pop culture during the 60’s and 50’s, I would also recommend this book to select teens who enjoy reading about classic bands. Just reading about post World War two life was enough to get my attention but I also happened to love music and biographies. It was fairly easy for me to relate to the characters when they were teenagers because I also looked to music for acceptance and thankfully like them rock found me and brought me into a world where anything can be possible and any dream can be achieved. “Miracles are for dreamers” (1) John Lennon complained to his friend before discovering rock, seeing that as the first line of the book really let me see how music changes people, as his life went on he realized that he was a dreamer and that he had received a miracle.
I had the mindset before reading this that the Beatles were all about music and had an easy life; this is not the case however. Two of them lost their mothers at a young age and the others were brought up poor and had things like sicknesses holding them back. It truly inspired me to find out that their fame came to them through years of perseverance and hard work, when they were doing their first “tours” they weren’t even making enough money to eat. All of them seemed to have problems with school as music began coming into their lives but somehow they pulled through and that made me think about my life a lot. They behave like your average teen and that means fame and fortune could come to anyone. “They just put their heads down and played ” (98), recalled Brian Epstein.
No matter how bad things got for these musicians they always kept a positive outlook and always kept their charm and wit. What with being attacked by fans and southerners threatening to murder John there was always a reason to stay positive but their ability to be happy no matter what really says something about character and the ability to shed light on every situation. Even when people in the Philippines tried murdering them because they didn’t go to their leaders palace they still didn’t shy away from tours, I personally would have been terrified especially if I was a celebrity who was used to special treatment.
This book is in my top five list and I will recommend it too everyone who asks, not only did it entertain me but it taught me many lessons about life and all of the things I shouldn’t take for granted. The Beatles were a huge influence to my father when they first became famous and now they continue to influence him and me as their legacy continues to flourish in modern society. Bob Spitz concluded “And from them, a flood of song and love and pain and beauty, a flood that cascaded out of the Cavern of Hamburg and London into the world, a flow that pushed aside what had come before and, in the end, nourished” (221).
March 31, 2012
As a huge music fan, I knew that Yeah Yeah Yeah had the potential to pull me in as soon as I began reading. Focused on The Beatles, this is written into the text from the start. This biographical novel covers so many different aspects of the lives of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, and also of band members and production teams that came and went along their journey from unknowns to international superstars. Having the opportunity to learn about what it took for The Beatles to become what they were disguises the “informational” tone of the book.
As a reader, I was interested in this book because I wanted to obtain the information it offered. I like The Beatles’ music, and I knew a little about their history before reading, so I found reading the novel pretty enjoyable. However, it did get a little overly descriptive at times, and I found myself skimming over chunks of text that didn’t catch my attention. The pictures in the novel were a nice touch and added a level of visual interest that is not always present in biographical novels.
As a teacher, I probably wouldn’t use this text in its entirety as a classroom tool. The novel is a little lengthy and in-depth to hold the reader’s interest if read that thoroughly. I think it would have a great use as a reference book for a report about musicians in history, as an example of a biographical novel about a famous subject, or as material for shorter text selections to be used for any other purpose in the classroom. It might be a great book to recommend for students to read in their own free time as well.
In all, Yeah Yeah Yeah is a well-written biographical novel, and certainly appropriate for young adults. It many lack the vocabulary plot developments that generally work to hold the interest of young adults, but it would provide plenty of insight for the student or the teacher who wants to expand their knowledge of music history and its influences or who just wants to learn a little more about a famous band. In any case, the book is appealing and could be a good choice for many readers, regardless of their age.
- Casey Vaughan
As a reader, I was interested in this book because I wanted to obtain the information it offered. I like The Beatles’ music, and I knew a little about their history before reading, so I found reading the novel pretty enjoyable. However, it did get a little overly descriptive at times, and I found myself skimming over chunks of text that didn’t catch my attention. The pictures in the novel were a nice touch and added a level of visual interest that is not always present in biographical novels.
As a teacher, I probably wouldn’t use this text in its entirety as a classroom tool. The novel is a little lengthy and in-depth to hold the reader’s interest if read that thoroughly. I think it would have a great use as a reference book for a report about musicians in history, as an example of a biographical novel about a famous subject, or as material for shorter text selections to be used for any other purpose in the classroom. It might be a great book to recommend for students to read in their own free time as well.
In all, Yeah Yeah Yeah is a well-written biographical novel, and certainly appropriate for young adults. It many lack the vocabulary plot developments that generally work to hold the interest of young adults, but it would provide plenty of insight for the student or the teacher who wants to expand their knowledge of music history and its influences or who just wants to learn a little more about a famous band. In any case, the book is appealing and could be a good choice for many readers, regardless of their age.
- Casey Vaughan
February 19, 2013
Beatles! Beatles! Beatles! This book truly focuses on the Beatles' influence on music. It offers great facts about the 'fifth Beatle,' top hits, and more. This book had me feeling many emotions: worried that the boys would never become popular, excited when they made it to the "toppermost of the poppermost," and sad when they broke up. Throughout the whole book, I was hoping that the end would be changed, but it never does. However, this book kept the ending quite positive. If you're wanting to read a book about Beatles, I suggest this one.
November 13, 2007
After publishing his exhaustive biography of the Beatles for adults in 2005, Bob Spitz gives us this for the younger set. Highly recommended, although probably best for those ages 10 and up as Spitz discusses frankly the Beatles experimenting with drugs and their various struggles with wives and girlfriends. Wonderful at giving context for the many twists and turns of the Beatles phenomenon and their profound effect on pop culture and music.
November 3, 2012
A fun quick read, I think I read it in a few days. Gives a basic overview of the Beatles from the beginning to the end, some fun anecdotes, a few stories behind some of their songs, photos, etc. Glad I borrowed it from the library, but I wouldn't mind reading a more in-depth book about the stories behind each of the songs in their catalog.
April 7, 2009
Hear my conversation with Bob Spitz
http://web.mac.com/garyshapiro
http://web.mac.com/garyshapiro
August 1, 2011
Not anything I hadn't heard before, and apparently geared toward a younger demographic, but still, nicely written.
October 19, 2011
I loved it! perfect for any Beatles fan.
April 28, 2013
This is the best biography I have ever read. Ever.
July 12, 2013
A manageably sized, clearly written bio that doesn't require the commitment that the more weighty tomes do.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews