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Mark Lewisohn
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The Beatles - All These Years - Extended Special Edition: Volume One: Tune In Kindle Edition

by Mark Lewisohn (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 472 ratings
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'Mark Lewisohn knows the Fab Four better than they knew themselves' The Guardian


This extended special edition of Mark Lewisohn's magisterial book Tune In is a true collector's item, featuring hundreds of thousands of words of extra material, as well as many extra photographs. It is the complete, uncut and definitive biography of the Beatles' early years, from their family backgrounds through to the moment they're on the cusp of their immense breakthrough at the end of 1962.

Designed, printed and bound in Great Britain, this high-quality edition consists of two beautifully produced individual hardbacks printed on New Langely Antique Wove woodfree paper, with red-and-white head and tail bands and red ribbon marker. The two books will sit within a specially designed box and lid featuring soft touch and varnish finishes. The whole product comes shrinkwrapped for extra protection.

Mark Lewisohn's biography is the first true and accurate account of the Beatles, a contextual history built upon impeccable research and written with energy, style, objectivity and insight. This extended special edition is for anyone who wishes to own the complete story in all its stunning and extraordinary detail. This is genuinely, and without question, the lasting word from the world-acknowledged authority.

'Mark Lewisohn is the world's leading Beatles historian and writer' Nothing is Real - A Beatles Podcast

'An absorbing and enthralling account of the lives of all the leading players, written with integrity and honesty' thecavernclub.com

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  1. Print length
    1484 pages
  2. Language
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    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Little, Brown Book Group
  5. Publication date
    November 14, 2013
  6. File size
    6435 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A radical event and a joy to read - Lewisohn tells the tale with such authoritative command of the evidence and so intimate a grasp of the Beatles' daily lives that the reader emerges knowing - with a certainty denied all previous generations - that this is how it really happened.


Lewisohn's work stands as a monumental triumph, a challenge not merely to other Beatles biographers but to the discipline of biography itself. If only all important subjects had their Lewisohn

―Washington Post

Lewisohn's work stands as a monumental triumph, a challenge not merely to other Beatles biographers but to the discipline of biography itself. If only all important subjects had their Lewisohn―Washington Post

A triumph. Not only an enthralling account of the Beatles' origins, far superior to anything that has gone before, but also an essential piece of social history.

Lewisohn has set out to do the Beatles justice and write the definitive history. I think he is succeeding

―The Times

Mark Lewisohn raises the biographical bar to stratospheric heights. This first volume suggests he is on the verge of achieving what was heretofore considered impossible: blowing the cobwebs off one of the late 20th century's hoariest cultural myths, scraping away decades' worth of accumulated crud and revealing detail no one previously suspected was there―Literary Review

An epic unprecedented in rock 'n' roll biography, and a great read ... Does far more than enrich with mind-boggling detail, there's a surprise on every page ... The detail is sharp and incisive ... It's the kind of book where want-to-know and need-to-know is wrapped into a narrative that unfolds brilliantly and, for once, justifies that 'real story of the Beatles' billing―Mojo

Positively a page turner, both for excitement and anticipation - Lewisohn has enhanced the story as a beautifully flowing factual tale that reads like a classic novel. Nobody but nobody could begin to match this work of joy and detail; and reassuringly, nobody ever will. This is the best work ever produced on the subject of the Beatles. A five star review is an insult, it merits an unheard of ten―Colin Larkin, Best Things On Earth

The accomplishments of the Beatles has given rise to a near deification of them as both people and myth. Lewisohn brings that story back down into the world of real people.

Tune In clears the air of myth and legend, leaving as much reality as a biography can offer. Every single page brings the Beatles back into focus and moves them away from legend. Common myths fall apart under Mr. Lewisohn's research

―New York Journal of Books

Presents the Beatles story in a way it's never been seen before: truthfully and completely. The end result is a herculean effort, a fast-moving page-turner overflowing with warm humor, passion, and (of course) music. Likely to become a principle text in 20th-century studies, a sort of Complete Shakespeare with a much better soundtrack. For anyone who loves music, this book is the genuine ultimate―VH1.com

The saga is clearer and richer here than it's ever been. Lewisohn writes in novelistic detail and with the obvious conviction that none of the previous Beatles biographies have ever been good enough―Entertainment Weekly

This is Torah! Huge on a massive scale, the most altruistic thing anybody's done in the arts since the Beatles, and it needed to be done. God keep Mark Lewisohn alive to finish what he's started―Howie Edelson, US radio writer/producer

Tune In is brilliant in describing the addictive power of rock and roll when there was no imaginable alternative in a doomed town. Mark Lewisohn's achievement lies with the fact that he never tries to 'explain'. He is not argumentative but turns up the colours in a world that has faded to grey―Herald Scotland

The best book I read all year. I expected data collection. I got data, but also interpretation at a very high level, obsessive reporting and high quality music criticism. Lewisohn's a writer as much or more than an assembler of information. This is a great book, there's nothing like it in music and damned little anywhere else (it makes The Power Broker seem superficial)―Dave Marsh, Rock & Rap Confidential

Lewisohn amasses and investigates facts without sacrificing an iota of the excitement. In its close focus and historical ambition, the trilogy may be compared to Robert Caro's biography of Lyndon Johnson, or John Richardson's Life of Picasso; it is unlikely to be surpassed―Daily Telegraph

A game-changing study which raises the bar in a genre characterised by pap or pretension. A meticulous piece of work - I can't wait for volume two ―Independent

I can think of no greater praise for Tune In than to say that it gives the Beatles the beginnings of the biography they deserve. It is hard to imagine the subsequent volumes, covering more familiar ground, matching the gripping quality of this constantly surprising work―Financial Times

With imagination, energy and a gripping plotline, Lewisohn manages to put flesh and blood on the story as never before―Sunday Times

Packed with revelations and demystifications―James Woodall, The Economist

A major event in music publishing . . . the definitive account of the Beatles―GQ

I doubt anyone expected to be surprised about the Beatles again, but the story only needed supersizing. I continued reading with bewildered pleasure―Daily Telegraph

Fills in vital details that had been missing from the existing Beatles canon and corrects mistakes that have been reprinted for years. A definitive history of the band―Wall Street Journal

The widest possible angle on an extensive and engrossing group biography built on a well-raked mountain of exacting new research ... expertly controlled and propelling―New York Times

Epic in its scope, forensic in its detail, Tune In is like reading the Beatles' story for the very first time.

Lewisohn's art is to tell the story compellingly: his prose has a vibrancy that sustains a remarkable page-turning momentum throughout its entire length. And what a story! Tune In leaves the reader breathless

―R2/Rock ’n’ Reel

Lewisohn manages to fill in blanks that no one knew were empty―New Yorker

An epic on an unprecedented scale . . . Lewisohn has no serious rival―Irish Times

This is the story told in Proustian detail . . . The first edited-down volume, is largely a delight, and the story is told so definitively that, after this, that really should be it. Secondary sources are comprehensively mined; letters, public records and business documents have been found in places no one else ever thought to look . . . Lewisohn is a Beatles oracle―Guardian

Lewisohn has done an astonishing job. I can't wait for volume two―Independent

About the Author

Mark Lewisohn is universally acknowledged as the world's expert on The Beatles. He is the author of six previous Beatles books and has been described by the Independent as the band's 'Emeritus Professor'.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00E9VSUS0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown Book Group; Illustrated edition (November 14, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 14, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6435 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 1484 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 472 ratings

About the author

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Mark Lewisohn

Mark Lewisohn

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MARK LEWISOHN is the acknowledged world authority on the Beatles. Before embarking on The Beatles: All These Years his books included the bestselling and influential The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions and The Complete Beatles Chronicle. He was a consultant and researcher on all aspects—TV, DVDs, CDs and book—of the Beatles own Anthology and has been involved in numerous additional projects for them. Married with two children, he lives in England.

Photo credit: Piet Schreuders

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
472 global ratings
Cant believe the 800 page book was edited down in half.
5 Stars
Cant believe the 800 page book was edited down in half.
After reading the 800 page book I saw this deluxe version was out. I thought how in the world was the book I read edited down almost another 800 pages. Well worth the money. Waiting for volume 2 of 3. I’ll buy the deluxe version this next time.
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Top reviews from the United States

David J. Pannell
5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2014
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This version is for serious Beatles fans. If you fit this category, it's required reading. Don't buy the big version - buy the extremely big version - this one. It is easily the best of the many Beatles biographies/histories I have read. It's a compelling story (always has been) but it's presented here in a way that makes all the elements vividly clear and exciting all over again. There is plenty new here to maintain your wrapped attention no matter how many Beatles books you've read before. It corrects a number of historical inaccuracies that have been perpetuated in all previous books. Most notably, George Martin did not sign the Beatles on the strength of liking the results of an audition in June 1962. They were already signed by then. In fact he was forced by his boss, for a complex set of reasons, to sign them against his better judgement!! Quite amazing. He expected Love Me Do to die, and gave it no promotional support. It was only after Love Me Do reached the top 20 that he realised he'd misjudged them. (Also, he'd heard Please Please Me by then, which he liked much more.) Even the Beatles themselves didn't know this. Another key thing about this book is that it's the first to give sufficient emphasis to what a terrible drummer Pete Best was. They had several studio experiences (in Hamburg, with Decca and then with Parlophone) and each time the engineers and producers had huge concerns about Pete's drumming. Basically, he was dreadful. The engineer at Decca said that you could find a better drummer in any pub in London. To me it has always been obvious, but other books don't give due weight to his shocking playing as THE key reason for his sacking. There were important personality reasons as well, but he probably would not have been sacked if he'd been a really good drummer. The Beatles themselves were never fully frank about this, presumably to spare Pete's feelings. Anyway, it's an absolutely brilliant book. I'll be reading it again, despite the massive size. I can't wait for the next volume. I hope Mark Lewisohn is quicker with it than he's suggested he will be in interviews (e.g. 2020).
42 people found this helpful
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Clive R. Stacey
5.0 out of 5 stars A fabulous read
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2023
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This is a big book (or two books to be precise) and is a fantastic read. Mark Lewisohn has done an enormous amount of research for this book and it shows. To give an idea of its detail, despite its size (surely the biggest Beatles biography in existence) it only goes up to the year 1962, the year of their first single in Britain. More volumes are expected. The boo not only charts the rise of the four Beatles from childhood to finally becoming the final line up of the band, it also throws you deep into 1940s and 50s Liverpool and the UK. If you’re thinking ‘what’s that got to do with the Beatles’ then trust me, it really puts a background to their story while always in context to each member. Never do you feel that this is off-subject. In fact, if you can imagine that someone existed at the time of other historical figures such as Shakespeare or Julius Caesar, and they documented their life from birth, that would be an incredibly important historical document. Well, this is the Beatles’ version of that. I’m pretty sure this will be the definitive record of the band, written by someone alive at the same time and able to use a huge wealth of sources and resources. I’m a big Beatles fan who has read a massive amount of books and seen countless films, and I’m learning so much I never knew in this book when I thought I already knew what there was to know.
Absolutely can’t wait for Volume 2.
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Colin D. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Beatles History
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2019
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Yet another book about The Beatles? There are literally hundreds of books, maybe thousands, about the Fab Four. What’s so special about this one?

I think that’s a perfectly legitimate question, and one that should be asked before anyone ventures into a writing project treading already-well-trodden ground. Does the world need another book about Star Wars, or another biblical commentary, or another book on learning Spanish, or another cook book, or another fantasy novel? There are so many books in the world, each new one ought to make a case for its existence, a reason why we should consume our precious time reading it. Especially when it’s 1,700 pages long.

Mark Lewisohn’s case is simple: Yes, there are many Beatles biographies in the world. But none of them do the job correctly. They are written by enthusiasts, journalists, people with an agenda or an ax to grind. So far, few, if any, historians have taken on the subject, treating it as worthy of serious, scholarly study. At least not to the depth the subject deserves.

Make no mistake, Lewisohn is a fan, and has been all his life. But at heart, he’s a researcher with a passion for documents. He has the journalist’s nose for a story, and the historian’s discipline to step back, weigh evidence, and discard the unverifiable no matter how juicy it might be. He also has the scholar’s (and, one might say, the geek’s) bent to dig into a topic and get to the hows, whys, and wherefores. For example, John, Paul, George, and Ringo were into rock and roll. But what exactly did they listen to? What was on the radio when they were teens? What kind of music made up their youth and influenced what they played? Where did that music come from? And why were these particular songs by these particular artists strikingly important to their sound and their lives? Lewisohn surveys the history of rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and how American music came to be in Liverpool. Along the way, he debunks popular myths, such as the Beatles getting their American records from U.S. seamen who were docked in Liverpool. They actually bought them in their local record store.

However, Lewisohn has made it clear more than once that his purpose in writing is not to debunk myths. That just happens as a course of doing thorough research, and not allowing himself to be led astray by uncorroborated (or uncorroboratable) stories. In most cases, the true story is much more fascinating than the myth (for example, the story of how The Beatles were signed to Parlophone records–let’s just say, it wasn’t on the strength of any demo recording).

One of the things that sets this work apart from other Beatles biographies is the range of material Lewisohn draws from. Everything from account books to fan letters to local newspaper archives and a host of other memorabilia. As well as the usual interview subjects, he also draws on interviews with people who were around at the time, such as Cavern Club regulars, fans as well as acquaintances. He deliberately did not interview any of the surviving Beatles, or those closest to the story for this project. They have already given many interviews over the years and would likely add nothing more than what they’ve already said. Lewisohn does have his own personal interviews to draw from, having been involved in the Beatles’ Anthology project in the 90s, and having worked for Paul McCartney for a number of years. But aside from a quick email to Macca to verify or clarify something, he let their existing words stand.

To sum up, this book is an absolute must for the Beatles enthusiast. If you think you know everything there is to know about The Beatles, I guarantee you will still learn something from Lewisohn’s work. Many other books may claim to be the “definitive” word on the Fab Four, but truly, this is it. What’s more, it’s immensely readable. This is not a stodgy, dull textbook. Lewisohn writes with the integrity of a real scholar, and the joy and enthusiasm of a fan. He has put a lot of effort into making this huge work accessible, and as page-turning as a thriller.

You may notice that this is “Part 1.” That massive tome is only the first part in a multi-part series. Part 2 is in production with at least one more part to follow. Part 1 follows The Beatles’ story up to the end of 1962, right before Beatlemania hits the UK. There are two editions of Part 1: an edited-down 800-page version, edited by Lewisohn himself, and this “Special Expanded” or uncut edition, which is 1,700 pages long (hence it is split into two books–see the picture above). It took him 10 years to research and write part 1, and part 2 might come out next year, but there are no promises on that. While Lewisohn is anxious to get the complete story into readers’ hands, he doesn’t want to rush it. He refuses to cut corners on the research, and he wants to write it all up in a way that does justice to the material.

So we wait. Patiently.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Robert ‘Bob’ Macespera
5.0 out of 5 stars Not yet another book on The Beatles
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2024
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Not yet another book on The Beatles! My thoughts exactly when I saw the “short” story of the Fab Four: Mark Lewisohn's “All these years”. Do we really need another one? We know it all already – Hamburg, The Cavern, Brian Epstein, America, Ed Sullivan, Rubber Soul, more famous than Jesus, Get Back, etc. etc. What's the point?
Wait, it's more. Then came out the enlarged version, in three bigger-than-the-Bible volumes. Here's the first one: “Tune in (Extended Special Edition)”, telling the tale of our heroes up to December 31st 1962 in a mere 1,500 pages. Really? What's the…. Wait. Read and see.
Really indeed. What a book.
In short: this work will make any other Beatle's biography tentative, incomplete, partial, limited. Because it starts in the middle of the XIX century – no typo there, yes, the 1850s - and the grandparents of John, Paul, George and Ringo. And from there, it goes through exhaustive family trees: weddings, births, deaths, divorces, etc. etc, to Liverpool in the 1940s. Then Starr, Lennon, Harrison and McCartney start school, get ill, skip classes, work, date girls and play music, and all this is painstakingly detailed. The level of research is shocking: we read of NHS appointments, car plates, phone numbers and more. As things take shape, we know who was the tailor who cut the Beatles' first suits, or who trimmed their hair, or the accountant who assisted with book-keeping, the lawyer who drew their first contracts or the secretary who took messages for George Martin when he was having lunch away from Abbey Road studios (then called EMI Studios). And so on and so forth.
And in parallel, we know Liverpool as we were watching a documentary: the fog, the soot, the cold, the council houses, the suburbs. And so forth and so on. Perhaps one of the best bits of this massive work (do remember: 1,530 pages plus 300 with footnotes) is the very well-written chronic of Northern England in the postwar years.
As a plus, the author writes very well; the prose is sober, precise and passionate; but in check, Mr Lewisohn doesn't allow himself to turn the story into a long praise and does not fall for a constant nudge-nudge, for instance, every time he mentions Penny Lane as a local spot where the young musicians roamed in their teens. The reader goes through the many pages as in a novel - of which he knows the end.
The music John, Paul, George and Ringo gave the world has generated many, many books. Never this long, seldom this good.
Definitely, not yet another book on The Beatles.
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Marc Royo
5.0 out of 5 stars Imprescindible si eres fan de los Beatles!
Reviewed in Spain on March 21, 2023
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Está en inglés
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Timothy Hall
5.0 out of 5 stars arrived as promised
Reviewed in Canada on October 30, 2020
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Great book!
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Tay.J.
5.0 out of 5 stars A superbly researched and wonderfully readable work of scholarship
Reviewed in Germany on October 19, 2020
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This is not only the most authoritative history of the Beatles' early years, it also provides a sweeping and profoundly insightful overview of the musical, cultural and social landscape that shaped the four individuals who would go on to become The Beatles.
A joy to read -- but it's long: about 1,700 pages in total. (And this is only the first of three instalments, covering the band's history only up to 1962!)
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Luis Parra
5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate biography
Reviewed in Mexico on May 14, 2017
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The ultimate biography.
Dónde otros autores dedican 3 páginas, Lewisohn llena con información fidedigna 200.
Pero... la recomiendo sólo para fans irredentos. El nivel de información es aplastante y no todos apreciarán los capítulos dedicados a los orígenes familiares o al detalle exhaustivo de cada momento.
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