The book in three sentences or less

For any true fan of the Fab Four, owning this exhaustive, forensic analysis of The Beatles’ music should be a non-negotiable, and will add a greater depth to your understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of what are – objectively – some of the best songs ever written. Yet even non-fans will be fascinated by the two essays that bookend author Ian MacDonald’s magnum opus: the first a detailed exploration of the 1960s and how young people’s changing attitudes that decade (the titular “revolution in the head”) continue to influence today’s culture, politics, and society; the second a breakdown of how music composition and production has changed since the heyday of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. MacDonald’s style is witty, wry, and faultlessly well-researched.

Further reading

The following books are recommended by this book’s author:

• Shout! by Philip Norman

• McCartney by Chris Salewicz

• Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles

• The Beatles: The Authorised Biography by Hunter Davies

• Lennon by Ray Coleman

• John Lennon In My Life by Pete Shotton and Nicholas Schaffner

• Speaking Words Of Wisdom by Spencer Leigh

• It Was Twenty Years Ago Today by Derek Taylor

• The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions by Mark Lewisohn

• The Complete Beatles Chronicle by Mark Lewisohn

• The Beatles Live! by Mark Lewisohn