Publication Date October 24, 2023

Summary

A biography of George Harrison, the book actually begins with Harrison’s death in 2001, followed by the Concert for George performed a year later at Albert Hall. Afterwards, the story flashes back to his parents meeting one another, the birth of his siblings and then his birth. At roughly 512 pages, approximately a third of the book is dedicated to the first 21 years of Harrison’s life, a third to his time in the Beatles and a third to his time as a solo artist. 

My Thoughts

At the end of the book, Norman apologizes for the obituary he wrote about George for the Sunday Times. I hadn’t read the obituary back in 2001, so I looked it up online. Some of what is said in the obituary is repeated verbatim in this book. In my mind, that draws the sincerity of the apology into question and reinforces my feeling that there was bias at play, whether consciously or not, in the writing. 

It would be easy to discount this biography because of the apparent bias. Certainly, the tone of the book is more overtly hostile than that of the average biography. I think it’s important to keep the author’s dislike of George in mind while reading, and I certainly wouldn’t use it as my sole source of information about George Harrison. At the same time, I do think it is an important addition to the collection of books about the Beatles.

This book paints Harrison as an almost perpetually angry, disgruntled, jealous, and stingy misanthrope who, by the way, hated every moment as a Beatle. His loyalty, closeness with his family, generosity as a friend, and commitment to global philanthropy appear to be acknowledged grudgingly. However, the author does recognize Harrison as a gifted musician and provides a good deal of information about the music. While I don’t believe Harrison was a saint, I felt that there wasn’t as much balance as there might have been. 

There are a handful of stories in here from the time prior to the dissolution of the Beatles that I hadn’t heard previously, as well as some stories about the Beatles with which I wasn’t familiar. The content with which I was least familiar was the post-breakup era, but sadly these chapters weren’t quite as rich in detail as the earlier parts.

Neither Olivia Harrison, nor Dhani, were interviewed for this book, which is perhaps why the later years of his life lack the same depth of coverage as the early years. This book is roughly 300 pages shorter than Norman’s biographies of Lennon and McCartney.

What Else I Liked

• The recounting of the knife attack on George in his home was so well-written that it brought me to tears.

• I appreciated the detailed reflections on the music. Norman’s work as a rock critic is clearly evident here.

• There are some excellent photos. Including some I hadn’t seen before.

• Norman didn’t have a negative thing to say about Ringo.

What Else I Didn’t Like

• The use of foreshadowing is beyond excessive, entirely unnecessary, distracting and exasperating. 

• The time line was often vague.

Content Warnings

There are mentions of:

• Drug and Alcohol Addiction

• Classism

• Sexism

• Mental Health Issues

• Domestic Violence 

• Segregation/racism

• Homophobia

• Violence – some graphic

• Eric Clapton and several other musicians had girlfriends of 16 and 17 years of age, while they were in their 20’s. It was culturally acceptable at that time, but more importantly it was legal, which is why I’m not labeling it abuse. However, I feel it is important to mention for those who might find it triggering.

My Rating 3/5

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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About the Author

Philip Norman worked for the Sunday Times in London writing profiles on public figures and celebrities. He also worked as a rock critic before turning to a career writing books about musicians.