Come Together: John Lennon in His Time

This book amazed me on how accurate and truthful it was. It contains many many quotes of Lennon which supports every bit of information presented. I originally borrowed the book from a library for a school project and was very unhappy about having to give it back! I would have loved to have kept it. It is a must have for any John Lennon fan.

It is true that Lennon had much to learn about politics.It is also true that he had even more to learn about life.He even had much to learn about music (he would have been the first to agree with the last point),but he had something that only a select few people from his "genre" had,and that was desire to be heard.Naturally,when he was heard he had much to say.When he got the opportunity to say it,he had much tendency to speak it with words that made only sense to the ones who lived in his world (or at least wanted to).There were a few messages he made,however,that did not only affect millions of lives,but may have even changed it for the better.This was a power he began to realize during the height of his success with the Beatles,and it scared the hell out of him.Probably beyond what any of us could possibly concieve,it ripped him to shreads.Yoko helped much in the way of opening him up,but in using him as a puppet (as many did),she really only made matters worse.It was not until just before his death that he really began to realize that what he wanted in life was peace and good music.Not the peace of the world,but peace of mind for himself.The book Come together captures this emotional roller coaster ride better than any book written on the subject.Next to Barry Miles' "Paul Mccartney:many years from now" it is without question the most honest and well written account on one of the greatest pop culture stories ever told.And it is written with wit and wisdom,as well as sympathy for a man that was terribly misunderstood,even by his own self.Something to be read numerous times,especially the account on the "more popular than Christ" contreversey.Lennon is a true icon for this century,but he was also very human (more than most),and this book portrays this fact very well.

I have been obsessed with the beatles and john for about a year and have read many books about them. It was nice to finally find a book that concentrated more on John and his political life rather than the break-up or drug use. This is a must read for anyone tired of the usual stuff. It has lots of great stories and tidbits.

Wiener describes wonderfully, and with great interest to the reader, how Lennon inter-related with people close to him as well as events around him. It is an excellent commentary on the sixties as well as much of the seventies. Being exactly ten years younger than Lennon, I considered myself the prime age (13) when the Fab Four made it big. The "Summer of Love" fell between my junior and senior years in high school. I felt part of the times. Wiener, however, only demonstrated to me how much I missed, and how little I understood! COME TOGETHER is highly recommended not only for my generation, and my parents' (who thought they knew it all), but especially the younger generations who love the music, and want more.

Jon Weiner's book is a goldmine for all those interested in Lennon's political phase which he actively was involved in after his departure from England to the States. His underground friends and allies like Jerry Rubin, David Peel, Michael X and a host of others star in this novel which takes us down the streets of New York with a political Lennon voicing his concerns and opinions on a host of issues not related to his world of music. Though the style is not very evolved, Weiner's book is indispensible for any serious study of John Lennon's political inclinations.