Rating: 
Summary: A must have for any true beatles fan
Review: Do not be deterred by the high price of this book, it is worth every penny. For everyone one of us who ever wondered exactly why did the beatles break up? how bad was John's drug problem? and who were the beatles before they were the "Beatles"? this book finally has all the answers. The stories in this book catalogue both the personal lives and trials of all the members and also the blossoming of thier music careers (and how thier manager tried to shaft them left and right. And as if the stories were not enough, the book is filled with so many photos that don't be surprised if you have a flash back to that Beatlemania you once knew...
Rating:
Summary: Everything you could ever want to know...
Review: Wow! Where do I begin? This fascinating book contains intimate details on every aspect of The Beatles career - from start to finish. Comments from John, Paul, George and Ringo are frank, engaging and often very funny. The photographs are from the Beatles own private collection and some of them are really amazing...It's worth every cent.
Rating:
Summary: I Read The News Today...
Review: I know that the Beatles' story has been told, and retold, by others endlessly, but it was nice to actually read what was going on in their minds as they experienced the madness. From the opening chapters, where they each explain their families and upbringings, through adolescence, Hamburg, London, the U.S.A, Elvis, drugs, groupies and the end, it's all here in their own words. John's quotes are notated with the year they were actually given. The photos throughout the book are amazing; at least half have never been published before. I have read at least 50 books on the Beatles' history in the last 25 years, and there were revelations from the opening pages of this book. The only thing that would have made it complete is John's quotes having the perspective of the past 20 years like Paul, George and Ringo. This is THE definitive story of a musical phenomenon.
Rating:
Summary: The Definitive Chronicle At Last
Review: Hundreds of books have been written about The Beatles, but it is
crushingly obvious when reading this Anthology volume that by far the
best one would naturally come from the bandmembers themselves. [The
price] seems like an incredible bargain considering the size and
quality of this work, which covers the years 1940 (the birth of Ringo
and John) to the breakup in 1970. At 368 coffee-table sized pages
it's already huge, but the small print makes it almost double that
size. The book would be worth it just for the photos alone, which
are beautifully reprinted--many from the early years are actually in
color--chronicling dozens of previously unpublished, intimate moments
taken straight from the group's personal archives. But what really
makes this one essential is the text itself, which is taken from
interviews conducted with Paul, George and Ringo in the 90s and an
exhaustive compilation of Lennon quotes from all points in his life (I
recognized many, but there were also some I've never seen before).
Even after the dozens upon dozens of biographies which have recounted
the group's earth-shattering tale ad nauseum, you feel like you're
reading it for the first time. All four bandmembers speak with a
thousand times more wit, frankness and detail than all of their
previous biographers combined; in fact, they manage to offer up
juicier tales, and more interesting spins on already known events,
than anything you've read before even in the most gossipy bios--and
you get it this time knowing that it's honest (you know it's honest
when you hear conflicting memories about certain events!).
"Anthology" is especially revealing when it comes to the
childhoods and Hamburg era: you get to hear about the first time
George got laid (right in front of the other three bandmembers!), or
when Ringo was a member of the Dingle gang, or what they did at
teenage parties. The detail is so thorough and vividly recalled for
the early years (and butressed by the photos) that you feel like
you're living it as it actually happened. No stone is left unturned
about the famous years, either: George and Ringo philosophize about
their first LSD trips and the meaning of "Tomorrow Never
Knows", the Maharishi controversy is finally put to rest (hint:
he never made a pass at anybody), and new insight is shed on the
evolution of the friendships between John and the other three. More
is made about the breakup than was on the "Anthology"
videos, including Yoko's presence and the business hassles, as well as
the making of "Abbey Road". Finally, all of this is told
with such an elegant sense of Beatle humor that even the heaviest
moments are a joy to read. Also included are excerpts from Stu
Sutcliffe and Brian Epstein's personal diaries. With this volume now
finally released, the only other essential Beatle books to get are
Lewishon's "Beatles Chronicle" and Miles' "The Beatles:
A Diary", both of which give exact reference dates and
descriptions for every live show, radio, recording and filming session
(as well as more great photos).
Rating:
Summary: couldn't have asked for a better book on the Beatles
Review: To be honest, I have always liked the beatles music from as far back as I can remember late 60's. Anyway, in the mid. 90's when the anthology cd's came out and was on tv, I bought those and enjoyed them a lot. I just happened upon this book. I enjoy knowing the history of certain bands, and despite a few people saing you can read or have a hard time reading certain pages - it's not that big of a deal. You do have to take more time and read about 10 to 20 pages. Also how large the book is and how heavy. People will complain about anything. I like hardbound books best so thats what I got. If paperback doesn't bother you get that. One final complaint is that they brag and pat each other on the back - HELLO - I find the Beatles to be very modest considering how their music changed the world. Geat pictures, and great inside stories from the Beatles. Before reading the book I had doubts about reading a book in which the people involved write the book, because an outside view is also very good for certain reasons - I would recommend Shout, and I haven't read The Beatles ten years that changed the world, but the reviews are very good. However, you really need a great book on the Beatles by an outsider, and you need one geat book from the band and thats what you have. If you like the Beatles want to know the history - this is a wonderful book to get.
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Book. Ever.
Review: Published a year before George Harrison's death, "The Beatles Anthology" (2000) is not a revisionist whitewash in comparison to the 1995 video and audio versions of the Fab Four's archival project. The group's autobiographical effort is a compelling and, at times, poignant read -- with a treasure trove of never-before-seen photographs and artwork. There have been numerous biographies and critical studies on the group, yet the British quartet's story is doubly fascinating when the members have their say on the subject. Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have followed the late John Lennon's "warts and all" approach in discussing their Beatle past. For all the fame, wealth and plaudits the group received, one also senses the undeniable burden placed on each member. Regardless of the mixed emotions, the Beatles succeed admirably in placing their remarkable legacy in its proper perspective. This aspect alone makes "The Beatles Anthology" a valuable work.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent production.
Review: I thought the book was excellently produced, but would have liked more input from non-Beatles and from sacked drummers (nudge nudge wink wink). For instance, Lennon and McCartney recount the time they finished up "I Wanna Be Your Man" for the Rolling Stones; I'd like to have had a word from Mick Jagger and Keith Richards about that experience as well. To the reviewer who complained that they were still slamming Pete Best's drumming ability and mental acuity, or lack thereof, forty years on--that's not strictly true. Pretty much all the statements in the book on that subject are at least 35 years old. But I'd still like to have seen some more input from Pete, as well as a page or two regarding his post
Beatles musical career. He did actually have one, and did fairly well for a couple of years. But, as this book presents him, he was basically a non-entity, just the last in a long line of drummers who occupied the Beatles' drum stool before Ringo came along. There have been some conflicting reports on the musical skills of the various members of the band, ca. 1962. McCartney's own brother said of the group at that time, none of them was a rocket scientist, musically speaking, and it could have been any one of them fate could have chosen to go. Granted that statement was a bit disingenuous in retrospect, but wrt Pete Best it seems as if there was always an official policy in the Beatles' organization to purge his memory. For instance, when the BBC tapes were put on CD, the first two shows, with Pete Best, were omitted due to problems with the 'sound quality'. I've heard some of those performances, and the sound was fine. The drumming wasn't fantastic, but seemed more than adequate in the context.
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