Paul McCartney

April 11, 2016
Norman, following up on his bestselling biography of John Lennon (John Lennon: A Life), interviews hundreds of Paul McCartney’s family, friends, and associates to draw the most complete picture of the former Beatle; however, the book’s thoroughness renders it a tiresome march through scores of facts and familiar details that will appeal primarily to ardent McCartney fans. Proceeding in a year-by-year fashion, Norman ranges over McCartney’s childhood; the death of his mother, which he later used as the basis of “Let It Be”; his early days with his mates—John and George—as the Quarrymen; and the Beatles’ squalid living conditions in Hamburg. No stone is left unturned as Norman proceeds to the infamous last days of the Beatles, the early days of Wings, McCartney’s marriage to musician and photographer Linda Eastman and the effect her death had on him, his short-lived and controversial marriage to model Heather Mills, and his relationship with his father. As Norman happily points out, while many stories of musical superstars end tragically, McCartney has enjoyed a prolonged era of happiness, especially since his 2011 marriage to trucking executive Nancy Shevell. Norman succeeds in drawing a familiar picture of a restless musician who’s always seeking to make himself over again, and who still gets a thrill when he hears someone whistling one of his songs. Thanks to Norman’s access to McCartney and his associates, this will become the musician’s definitive and authoritative biography.

March 15, 2016
A biography of the multitalented musician, written with his "tacit approval." Unless you know nothing about Paul McCartney or think the Beatles were merely his first backup band before Wings, not much in this account from Norman (Mick Jagger, 2012, etc.)--who has authored biographies of John Lennon, Buddy Holly, and Elton John, among others--will come as news. However, though late to the party, Norman has a couple of things going for him. One is the subject's tacit approval, useful considering that McCartney has "constructed ramparts of privacy rivaled only by Bob Dylan." Another is the author's comprehensive grasp of the existing literature and his sense of what makes a good story. This book is full of good stories, few reflecting poorly on McCartney though sometimes calling his impulses into question, notably with respect to his latter-day marriage to Heather Mills and the mayhem it caused. Mills emerges as the villain of that particular piece, but not without careful evidence and dissection. Elsewhere, Norman repeats well-worn yarns, though sometimes in curious ways. His account of how an apparently throwaway line became the centerpiece of McCartney's song "Hey Jude" is flat, and his retelling of his subject's helpful hints on the financial benefits of music publishing lacks the sense of tragic inevitability that we all know lurks nearby. However, Norman has considerable strengths. He understands how complicated the business dealings underlying the Beatles' Apple Corps were and just how right McCartney was to sue to dissolve that partnership. He also reveals a few little-known facets of Sir Paul's daily life and interests, including archival talents that would rival any librarian's, as when Norman takes us to the scene of a "secret underfloor compartment" containing the Hofner bass Paul played at the Beatles' last performance. There's plenty on McCartney's post-Beatles career, of course, but the foursome remains the heart of interest, especially the long rivalry with Lennon. A worthy biography that doesn't approach the greatness of its subject.

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April 1, 2016

Seven years after his comprehensive John Lennon biography, veteran music journalist Norman offers a similarly well-balanced and richly detailed portrait of Lennon's songwriting partner and pop culture icon Paul McCartney (b. 1942). While this title is not technically an authorized biography, Norman was given access to a variety of McCartney's friends, musical partners, and family members, resulting in new insight into topics ranging from the musician's marriages and many other romantic relationships to the financial and emotional fallout from the Beatles' split to the sometimes startling contrast between McCartney's sunny public persona and personal strife. The volume's first half follows his life up to the Beatles' 1970 breakup, mostly rehashing ground covered equally well in other works. Yet the second, more interesting section features an abundance of new and little-known content focusing on McCartney's post-Beatles music career and family life up through his 2011 third wedding and recent founding of a Liverpool music school. There is much to savor in this well-written, wide-ranging chronicle; unfortunately, the author skims over McCartney's post-Beatles relationships with Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr and devotes far too many pages to the Heather Mills divorce scandal. VERDICT Casual readers may find this too long and detailed, but serious fans interested in a fresh retelling of the story of the "cute Beatle" will appreciate Norman's thorough approach.--Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2016
Norman first wrote about the Beatles in 1965 as a young reporter. Later, as a rock critic for a prestigious London newspaper, he had the opportunity to interview Paul McCartney at launches for his Wings' albums but declined, feeling the celebrated singer was a self-satisfied lightweight. Then, in 1981, he published Shout!, which placed John Lennon's talent well above Paul's. But here, with Paul's blessing, he gives McCartney his due. Norman offers a fully fleshed-out biography, and though he naturally refers back to previous works, he also comes up with some new sources, including a writer who assisted on one of Linda McCartney's cookbooks; McCartney's stepmother; Linda's brother, John Eastman; and Paul's lawyer, who has been around since the Beatles' breakup and has never spoken on the record. Still, even with new sources, the facts of McCartney's life are largely familiar by now, but what Norman gets so very right are the feelings behind the facts: the intense relationship between John and Paul, with its curves and angles; the normality that being a husband and father brought Paul; the improbability of being one of the most famous men in the world. The shelves are full of books about the Beatles, but fans will want to make room for this one.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)