Lennon

On the anniversary of his death, there will be an inevitable surge in all things 'Lennon' and 'The Beatles'. There are a lot of books on Lennon, some good, some not so good. Some have simply done a hack job, relying on gossip and hearsay as 'fact' for the sake of profit and shock - such as Lennon's sexuality for example. In this book, hearsay stays as hearsay, and doesn't evolve into fact or truth. From early on in this book, it is fair to say that Ray Coleman does have a genuine fascination/respect for John Lennon and I thought this will sour the book and turn it into a biased sugary affair that will forsake Lennon's 'human' elements and instead opt for a crux to prop up The Myth, The Legend, and The Superhuman Lennon instead. But, Coleman doesn't allow bias to get in the way of getting an accurate portrayal. Lennon comes across as a flawed human being -like we all are. Lennon is not an angel, but nor is he a monster. He is, simply, and most interestingly, a rather complex man whose childhood was set by tragedy and rejection, therefore fuelling his temper and frustrations in the process. This book shows Lennon as a man who could cruelly hurt the ones he loved (both physically and mentally). But, he is also a man who could show compassion and generosity - and away from the media spotlight. These contradictions in Lennon's life doesn't mean that one side of Lennon must be true and the other side not. But, instead, it reinforces Coleman's objections in this biography - Lennon was a complex human being, with the same faults, as well as the same kindness, of us all. For more music-orientated fans, Lennon as a songwriter is vividly disected, with his songs broken up and analysed carefully. My favourite part of the book is Lennon's time at Art college in Liverpool. Coleman manages to set an atmosphere in a city of unlimited supply of talent in young people, but have nowhere to channel it or turn it into something productive (obvioulsy, Lennon did). Nothing changes... After reading this book, you have the strange feeling that you actually KNOW Lennon, rather than simply hating him or loving him, which I think, is a golden sign of a good biography. Highly recommended.

This is an outstanding biography of the man who came to be known as the Chief Beatle and the Founder of the World's Greatest Band, the Beatles!Coleman does an in-depth analysis of the former Beatle and traces his ancestry. One comes away with a "sense" of John, the natural and environmental forces that molded and shaped this highly gifted and articulate man. One can smile at the bright, high-spirited child who reached developmental milestones early and was also an early reader; one can smile at the artistic boy who created complex drawings at a very young age; one cheers for the talented young boy who proved to be quite adept at things musical. Coleman does an admirable job of portraying John's natural parents, half-sisters and the indomitable aunt who raised him in realistic lights; one gets a good sense of how each one of these people influenced John and how his life experiences were expressed by his early experiences. In a very touching description of John reconnecting with his natural father, one feels John's anguish at having been promised a life with him and denied; one feels John's devastating maternal loss when his natural mother Julia is killed in an accident when John was in his teens. John takes those experiences and fleshes them out musically; his songs "Mother" and "Julia" are songs that come straight from his early loss. His interpersonal relationships with the other Beatles, his first wife Cynthia and their son Julian and his second wife Yoko and their son Sean are fully examined in this work. John describes the "strong women" in his immediate family and how he drew strength from their examples. This book makes readers feel as if they are seeing John emerge from his own "Hard Day's Night" to "Starting Over," which appeared to be where he was in his life during his last five years. Sadly, on December 8, 1980 an assassin's bullet silenced the voice of the man who got the world to listen.This is a must read for all John Lennon fans and for people becoming familiar with his work. Please listen to John Lennon.

This is the most in-depth of all John Lennon biographies, but I wouldn't recommend it to casual or new fans. Ray Coleman's non-linear analysis of the ex-Beatle's life, constantly flashing back and forward to illustrate an angle or exhaust a topic, can only be appreciated if you're already familiar with the basic story. Since no other good Lennon biographies are currently available ("The Ballad of John and Yoko", by the editors of Rolling Stone, would be a good start, but it's out of print) you can either begin with a Beatles biography (The Beatles' own "Anthology", Phillip Norman's "Shout" or Hunter Davies' "The Beatles") or you can research about John Lennon on the Internet and other sources. THEN, if decide you want to go really deep into the subject, you'll find all you need in Ray Coleman's book. On the other hand, if you're a long-time Lennon fanatic, this book is a must.

I have read many Lennon biographies, but none of them compared to this one. The late Ray Coleman proves that he knew John Lennon at the best and worst times of Lennon's life. Coleman does a good job by including postcards John sent him. Instead of getting the same Beatles information that you can find in many other books. You get in-depth information, such as the time John had to choose between his mother and father, his hand-written love letters to his first wife (Cynthia), the price he paid for being a Beatle, his struggle with fatherhood, drug abuse, possible depotration and the F.B.I. I first read this book over the summer of '96 and I have read it many times since then. I highly recommend this book for Lennon fans or anybody who wants to know about John Lennon the man. END

Most biographors who have written about Mr. Lennon ether tell you very little or they tell you too much about his private life. This book did not do that it told you about his acheivements and it also told you about his faults. When Mr. Coleman wrote this book he showed his love for the person and not the name. There have been writters who have written in envy or hate. There is not one part in this book that is written under thoes pretences. This book helps you see his human side and how giving, caring, and how loving this man was. It told you about his life from childhood right up to his death. I would not recomend this book for any one who can not stand to read a verv long time but if you really are interested in John Lennon, out of all the books I've read this would be the one I would recomend