Rating: 
Summary: Should have been called "The Love You TAKE:
Review: ...A Fountain Of Misinformation."
One of the things that I found the most agitating about this book is the fact that the author, Peter Brown, titled it after one of the Beatles' most profound lyrics, when he obviously doesn't LOVE the Beatles like you or I do. In fact, he seems to have an apparent axe to grind against most of the Beatles and their associates. Upon nearly every mention of Brian Epstein's, George's, Ringo's, and especially Paul's name, Brown manages to slip in a subtle (and occasionally blatant) put-down. John also gets his share of the smack, but it is far less vicious and accusatory. The reason for John's somewhat (for lack of a better word) "gentle" treatment, I believe, is because his tragic death occured when this book was about halfway finished, therefore making this book probably one of the first writings to have that "John was smart and always right and Paul was dumb and wrong about everything he did" attitude. Brown's favoritism towards John is too obvious (perhaps because John "immortalized" him in song), especially in the final three chapters where he discusses each of the Beatles' lives after the breakup--Paul, George, & Ringo share one chapter between them, while John gets a full two!
Some of the more annoying characteristics of Brown's words include his selling himself and this book on the fact that he was an "insider" and building up his own importance. ("I told Paul to junk it . . . but Paul's ego wouldn't let him consider this.") The phrase "revealed here for the first time" also becomes quite irritating. The worst thing, however, is that most of his "facts" are completely or at least partially wrong! (I rolled my eyes quite often throughout this book.) The book reads like a fictional story rather than a biography. What I mean is, Brown retells the stories of events that happened as if he were there, which, for at least 95% of them, he wasn't. (For example, in his story of George's visit to Haight-Ashbury: "Out of the crowd came a guitar, which was thrust into George's hands. 'No...no, please,' George stammered, trying to return it. 'Play!' someone shouted in the crowd . . . George gave Pattie a sick look. He began to strum a few chords, but the acid made the cheap guitar feel like a lump of cheese in his hands . . . George insistently returned the guitar, with profuse apologies, and they tried to make a break for it back to the car. Angry hoots were heard as the mood of the rejected crowd turned malevolent." I know it's been long documented that George had a bad time there, but there is plenty of literary and photographic proof that Brown's version isn't accurate.) Reading this book reminded me a lot of the kids in grade school who'd tattle about every little thing, usually making up lies. To give Brown his due, I do admit that his first-hand recounts of the terrifying incidents in Japan and the Phillipines which happened during the Beatles' final tour are excellent.
Brown's strong point is obviously his knowledge of the financial aspect of the Beatles' lives, as he quotes quite a few figures throughout the book (how accurate they actually are can't be certain). However, when discussing their songs, lyrics, or phyches, he appears rather foolish. Unprofessionally for a biographer, he can't seem to keep his personal opinions to a minimum. (What I found most hilarious was that, towards the end of the book, he mentions a project comprising of video footage of the Beatles being put together by Neil Aspinall. Brown calls it "pathetic." Well, 15 years later, this "pathetic" project turned out to be The Beatles Anthology...something much bigger and much better than Peter Brown's little storybook.)
I rate this book 2 stars because, inaccuracies aside, it actually IS entertaining. However, believe in many of Brown's words and you'll end up feeling depressed, I'm sure, as he absolutely does NOT focus on ANYTHING positive. If you haven't read many Beatles books yet, this is definately not recommended. For an unbiased look at the Beatles, try Nicholas Schaffner's "The Beatles Forever," which came out a few years before "The Love You Make."
Rating: 
Summary: A guilty pleasure
Review: As the paperback cover states, longtime Beatle insider Peter Brown dishes out the dirt, National Enquirer style. Written with the cooperation of the Beatles, their wives/girlfriends etc., there was nonetheless a backlash when they read what went to print (though they didn't deny much of it) and he was forever cut from the Beatles' inner circle. Lots of information about the drug and sexual habits of those cuddly Liverpudlians, as well as the antics of manager Brian Epstein. Nice to know these things, but I think I'll just listen to their music.
Rating: 
Summary: Loved it then, Love it now
Review: It seems as though many people have rated this poorly. I have to disagree. I've read many books about the Beatles and this is one of my favorites. I first read this after seeing the Beatles Anthology on T.V. when I was eleven years old. I loved this book. Reading "The Love you make" is a guilty pleasure like no other for any Beatles fan. Although there are inaccuracies it's a good read.
Rating: 
Summary: Lurid and Depressing
Review: Of all the Beatle books I've read, this is the most disappointing. Peter Brown gained immortality when he was mentioned by name in "The Ballad of John & Yoko", and I expected to get a good feel for what it was like to be inside the maelstrom of Beatlemania -- and for what the Fab Four were like in person. But Brown's portraits are one-sided and facile. John Lennon is described as relentlessly sarcastic and drug-crazed. We never see the warm side Paul and George often talk about, nor do we glimpse the creative man behind the songs. In this book, Paul is a sex-crazed skirt chaser, George an ignorant lout who is called "his lectureship" behind his back, and Ringo a lovable incompetant -- a "poor little man" who lucked into the bigtime, but was no longer good enough to play regularly for the band in the latter years. Brian Epstein is even more pitiable in Brown's descriptions, and we're told (without proof) of a sexual encounter between Epstein and Lennon. We're also told (again without proof) of an affair between George Harrison and Ringo's first wife, Maureen. Road manager Neil Aspinall also doesn't escape Brown's condescention -- his efforts to compile a Beatles retrospective from archival films is described as "pitiful" as he watched flickering images of his younger self during the heights of Beatlemania. (Wouldn't I love to be able to look at films of myself in my 20's cavorting with the Fabs!) The book is also full of inaccuracies, making me wonder if Brown ever actually listened to Beatle music. Sorry Peter, John does NOT say "I buried Paul" at the end of "Strawberry Fields Forever", he says "Cranberry Sauce"; and George does NOT play a "neo-Indian raga" at the end of "Rain". When you're presented with "facts" like this that you know are wrong, you're never sure how much else is right. Certainly, this book is not as sensationalistic or smutty as Albert Goldman's "The Lives of John Lennon", but then, Goldman wasn't pretending to give an "insider's view" of the band. After reading this, I can fully understand why Paul and Linda McCartney burned their copy in the family fireplace.
Rating:
Summary: Sad but Interesting
Review: Peter Brown gave an insider view of The Beatles' life, but he dedicate most of the book to John and Brian lives, leaving the other Beatles as fillers in the story. Even more, John and Brian always seems to be the heroes while Paul is almost always the bad guy. It is interesting to read as you get to know unkown details of their lives, but at the same, what we care the most, their music legacy, is rarely discussed in the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Brown tells his (and probably Lennon's) story of the divorce
Review: Peter Brown, the Beatles' business manager after Brian Epstein's death, documents his recollections of all the events surrounding the Beatles' divorce. I can not help but believe that he has painted an accurate portrait. Brown had access to dozens of individuals that were connected to the Beatles in some way and that add the feeling of authenticity.I read the book every couple of years and it seems to be more powerful each time. It does not paint the Beatles, as individuals, in a very favorable manner, and it is a bit disturbing. However, if you want "the story" this is as close as you will probabally get.
Rating:
Summary: This isn't a BEATLES book...
Review: Sure, it is billed as a Beatles book and the majority of the book revolves around the idea of the Beatles, but this book is not about John, Paul, George, Ringo or the music. I could not even finish the book because it was so maddening. The reader is expected to plow through pages upon pages of rambling about Cynthia Lennon, Brian Epstein, the Beatles' money and cruel tales of how awful the Beatles were. As a Beatles fan, I was appalled at how their legacy was treated in this book. Albums were summed up in a sentence ("Oh yeah, they released Revolver this year"), songs were NEVER mentioned and none of the excitement or sheer importance of the Beatles was given a glance. It was as if Peter Brown set out to write a book that would disprove their greatest. The Beatles are painted as royal jerks. Sure, they weren't perfect, but I don't think anyone is as cruel as they are written in this book. If you are a Beatles fan, or even an intelligent reader, I caution you to stay as far away from this book as possible.
Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Review: This book was excellent. I took great pleasure in reading this life story of the Beatles from beginning to end. The Beatles story is one not easily told to the truth. This story however was written by insider Peter Brown and has a good view of what it was really like being in their shoes. It explains how they lived, what they did, and why they made decisions that they may regret. Hopefully you will find this book as good as it is.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Beatles Story
Review: When I first was introduced to the Beatles music, I loved it right away because of the sound and mood it gave. I was so impressed with the fab 4 that I went to the library as soon as possible to find out a little about them. I happened to come across the best Beatles story available. The Love You Make told each detail as someone living the story would see it...that's because the author did live it. The Peter Brown from 'The Ballad of John and Yoko' wrote the book. I was hooked till the end. Since then, I've read several other books about the Beatles, but none have come close to being as good as this one. If you want to know the true story of the Beatles, this is the book you should choose!
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing, but ultimately disappointing.
Review: While I had a workman's knowledge of the Beatles and their story, being a fan of theirs for nearly twenty years, this was the first "biography" of the band I have ever chosen to read. Initially I was highly engrossed by Peter Brown's writing, for he has a clear, easy-to-read style that somehow manages to make even pages upon pages of business dealings and contract negotiations fascinating.
However, as the story progressed I found myself growing less happy with this book. Mr. Brown clearly has little understanding and knowledge of the creative side of the Beatles' work, or musicianship in general. Therefore the reader is not going to learn very much at all about the creative process involved in Beatles' music, only how it was marketed (and for the most part, mis-managed). And while I have little doubt that many of the more "juicy" stories of the band members' excesses with drugs, sex, and vanity are true, Brown's increasingly snide attitude about these things and insistence on dwelling on these sordid details quickly turns the mood of the book quite sour. Though he claims to have "remained friends" with the band members through the years, I would certainly hate it if any of my "friends" were to write about me with the attitude and obvious contempt Brown seems to show for all the Beatles (save, to an extent, John Lennon.)
There is also little evidence presented to back up many of his claims, so one is left to wonder about the truth of certain stories particularly revolving around incidents where Brown clearly was not present. Typos also begin to creep into the later chapters, making one wonder how much of it was rushed through to get to its clumsy, abrupt ending (and why this wasn't smoothed out for later printings).
Still, I will give the book 3 out of 5 stars because it did keep me reading from start to finish and presents an interesting take on the behind-the-scenes, business-side of trying to manage what had been the biggest band in the world. But this is far from the definitive story of the Beatles, and I would caution every reader to take Brown's stories--and attitude--with a grain of salt.
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