2006-10-02 The insider's view

I had been waiting for years for Tony Barrow to tell his story and he doesn't disappoint. It's fascinating to watch the Beatles rise to stardom through the eyes of an unpretentious PR man with no axe to grind. Barrow manages to avoid the myth-perpetuation of some eyewitnesses and, as a result, the Beatles and Brian Epstein emerge from the book as ordinary people who suddenly find themselves making history. The book is especially strong on the 1962-63 period, conveying the dizzying pace of that first year, and there is also an utterly compelling behind-the-scenes account of Lennon's 'more popular than Jesus' remark. Recommended - even for the most jaded Beatles fan.