Magical Mystery Tours

I am in the process of reading Magical Mystery Tours: My Life with the Beatles by Tony Bramwell, boyhood friend of the Beatles and employee of Brian Epstein. I’m only about 20% done with the book – I had expected more airport time this weekend but I was able to catch earlier flights – but so far I’m really enjoying it. This is a story I know well, having read way too many Beatles books, but Bramwell’s take on it is his own personal story and that adds a layer I have not read before. Plus, the writing is engaging, thanks to co-author Rosemary Kingsland.

Terry Ott has written a few things about this book – how John Lennon is the “star” of the first part – and I’d have to agree. (Terry's review nudged me to get the book from the library). It seems that Tony was particularly struck with how John Lennon was a genius, although a haunted one. The firing of Pete Best was also an interesting part. I find it easier to picture where things took place because of my visit to Liverpool this past January. I was even in the reproduction of the Cavern at the Beatles Story Museum. That helped me put myself in the Cavern with them as I read along. If you’re a Beatles fan (and why not?) and you’ve read other versions of their story or if you’ve seen the Anthology, then this book strikes me as a must read.