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John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs
by Ian Leslie - £25.00 Faber & Faber (2025)
hardback
ISBN 13: 9780571376117 | ISBN 10: 0571376118
The story of the love and jealousy between two geniuses behind The Beatles, who merged and multiplied their talents to produce one of the greatest bodies of creative work in history.
‘A triumph.’ Deborah Levy, New Statesman
‘Tremendous.’ Alwyn Turner, The Times
‘Revelatory.’ Simon Schama, Financial Times
‘The gold standard of Beatles books.’ Anthony Quinn, Observer
‘As enthralling and astonishing as their music.’ Jon Dennis, Sunday Telegraph
‘A masterpiece.’ Dylan Jones, Evening Standard
‘I so loved John and Paul. I found it completely absorbing and painfully moving... It has rather turned me into a bit of a Beatles person.’ Nigella Lawson
‘The first new Beatles story in decades – and the one that will make your heart burst.’ Caitlin Moran
‘The most moving and revelatory book on Lennon and McCartney I have ever read. So joyful, so sad.’ Tom Holland
A majestic biography of two young geniuses who merged their talents to create one of the greatest bodies of music in history.
John & Paul begins in 1957, when two teenagers in suburban Liverpool meet and decide to play rock n’roll together. It ends twenty-three years later, when one of them is murdered. In between, we see them become global stars, create countless indelible songs, and play a central role in shaping the modern world.
Lennon and McCartney were more than friends, rivals or collaborators. They were intimates who both had the fabric of their world ruptured at a young age, and who longed to make emotional connections; with each other, and with audiences. The pop song was a vessel into which they poured feelings of grief and euphoria and everything in between. When they couldn’t speak what they felt, they sang it. After the break-up of their group, they maintained a musical dialogue at a distance, in songs full of recrimination, regret, and affection.
Ian Leslie traces the twists and turns of their relationship through the music it produced and offers rich insights into the nature of creativity, collaboration and human connection. Drawing on recently released footage and recordings, this is a startlingly fresh take on two of the greatest icons in music history.
Leslie’s majestic and wildly enjoyable biography will make us see and hear Lennon and McCartney anew.
(Price & availability last checked: April 2025)
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