Postcards from the Boys

This is the sweetest coffee table book. If we didn't already have reason enough to fall for Ringo, this book sealed the deal. His handwritten notes to the boys show the lighter side of post-Beatles relationships between the four young men and show Ringo's innocence. In all, a very touching and funny book to flip through with a cup of tea.

As I write this letter...Funny, ain't it how the Beatles had appropriate songs and lyrics to fit any given occasion! This book is sure to delight all who come across it. Readers get to see the Beatles in their natural state and get a sense of these four distinct and very unique individuals. It was a happy day for Beatle fans when this book was sold at afforable prices since the Genesis Publication version of this book is prohibitively expensive for most people. The Genesis version shows a simulated version of the cards in an equally simulated postal box and are presented in a photo album format with accompanying anecdotes. I loved the funny messages from the other Beatles and Paul's inclusion of his childrens' names in his signatures. I really like that. I loved George's cards with his straightforward message and beautiful tropical images. The majority of the cards are addressed to Mr. Richard Starkey (aka Ringo Starr, Beatle and artist extraordinaire) and John's unique brand of humor will certainly bring smiles to the faces of all who read this delightful collection.

This is one of those books you come back to because it is so neat... you will also want to share it with your friends. I purchased a copy of this book for myself as well as one for my brother (as a Christmas present). The quality of the print is excellent where you get to view postcards in great detail (front and back). Many of these will make you laugh and some might even make you cry. It is amazing how reviewing many of these postcards will take you back in time.

I had a chance to page through the Genesis Publications version of this book that sells for about $600, I think, and I had to be careful not to drool on it so they wouldn't make me buy it! That book comes packaged in a replica of a red metal British post office box. The postcards, though fake, look incredibly realistic, as they are glued in like you would glue real postcards into a photo album. They are limited to 2,500 and Ringo signs each one. But since I can buy 35 of these books for less than one of the Genesis versions, I'll stick with this. I was so happy when I found out there was going to be a cheaper version so everyone could enjoy the postcards. I love reading the personal, sometimes silly messages the Beatles wrote to Ringo. Since they were never really intended for public viewing, you get to see the Beatles as just four close, normal friends. This is evidenced by the way they addressed most of the cards to Richard Starkey, Ringo's real name. I especially like the funny messages and drawings on John Lennon's postcards. This book is a really fun piece of Beatles history, and I am glad Ringo saved all those cards years ago!

In one interview or another over the years, all four Fabs have commented that nobody outside of the four of them can really know what it was like being a Beatle. This book, really quite simple, unpretentious and unassuming, takes us more inside their world than any previous one ever has, ever could. There are some funny little holes too - dates that Ringo gets wrong in his text that the editor let slide, for example - but these add to the genuine quality of this humble collection of priceless scribbles, doodles and scrawls. The more you know about the Beatles, the more you will get out of this book.

This is a wonderful little book, what a great peek into the lives of the Beatles. Genesis publications put out a collectors edition of this book that sold for $500+ - what a bagain at under $20! Of course, this version is nowhere near as fancy, but delivers the same content in an affordable format. Nicely done, and Ringo's cut goes to charity, just like the Genesis version. Kudos to Ringo for sharing with us!