Blackbird: The Life and Times of Paul McCartney

Rating:
Summary: MACCA FOR REAL!
Review: A reader wrote that "Geoffery Guiliano makes it his life to put out as much as he can about the life of The Beatles..." Well, actually, Guiliano makes it his life to try and dig up dirt and when he can't, just makes it up as he goes along.

Guiliano has long been known as the very worst kind of Beatles opportunist; somehow, likely by sheer volume, he's developed a reputation as an "expert", but he's traded on his friendships with Fab Four hangers-ons to pump out cheap low-brow books (mostly picture books, appropriately) and talk CD's on the group and the various members. Clearly, he doesn't really LIKE the group that much, as he is hell-bent on demystifying them.

With "Blackbird" he's set his sights on Paul McCartney. For his primary research he's pretty much limited himself to Denny Laine and his wife Jo Jo (clearly beloved by Guiliano who describes her in glowing, flowery terms and dotes on her "talent"), who clearly have a MASSIVE axe to grind and their dislike of McCartney is palpable on every page. Guiliano delights in this all, as he spins a tale of a massive egomaniac of limited talent and range, a complete fraud and probably a commie - everything but gay (which he saves in his hatchet job of Lennon in "Lennon in America"). So...given the extreme bias of the "primary research", it throws the legitimacy of the entire book into question...and thus, finds the book to be deserving of being thrown out altogether.

Look folks...really...there is absolutely NOTHING whatsoever of value, historical interest or entertainment on this lightweight piece of junk. It's just designed simply to separate the casual Beatles fan from more of his hard-earned money. You're smarter than that, I just know you are. Don't buy this - if the public avoids this miserable type of garbage, hopefully Guiliano might someday go away.

Oh...don't buy his CD's or videos either.

Rating:
Summary: If you hate your subject, why write a book?
Review: A reader wrote that "Geoffery Guiliano makes it his life to put out as much as he can about the life of The Beatles..." Well, actually, Guiliano makes it his life to try and dig up dirt and when he can't, just makes it up as he goes along.

Guiliano has long been known as the very worst kind of Beatles opportunist; somehow, likely by sheer volume, he's developed a reputation as an "expert", but he's traded on his friendships with Fab Four hangers-ons to pump out cheap low-brow books (mostly picture books, appropriately) and talk CD's on the group and the various members. Clearly, he doesn't really LIKE the group that much, as he is hell-bent on demystifying them.

With "Blackbird" he's set his sights on Paul McCartney. For his primary research he's pretty much limited himself to Denny Laine and his wife Jo Jo (clearly beloved by Guiliano who describes her in glowing, flowery terms and dotes on her "talent"), who clearly have a MASSIVE axe to grind and their dislike of McCartney is palpable on every page. Guiliano delights in this all, as he spins a tale of a massive egomaniac of limited talent and range, a complete fraud and probably a commie - everything but gay (which he saves in his hatchet job of Lennon in "Lennon in America"). So...given the extreme bias of the "primary research", it throws the legitimacy of the entire book into question...and thus, finds the book to be deserving of being thrown out altogether.

Look folks...really...there is absolutely NOTHING whatsoever of value, historical interest or entertainment on this lightweight piece of junk. It's just designed simply to separate the casual Beatles fan from more of his hard-earned money. You're smarter than that, I just know you are. Don't buy this - if the public avoids this miserable type of garbage, hopefully Guiliano might someday go away.

Oh...don't buy his CD's or videos either.

Rating:
Summary: MAYBE I'M AMAZED...
Review: at how utterly ATROCIOUS this work is! This is ghastly and appalling and slander, plain and simple. It is bad enough that the author neglects to do his homework. Inaccuracies regarding dates and other documented facts abound; slanderous attacks against Paul McCartney's wife Linda are numerous.

Although I am an inveterate Beatles fan, I do not regard the Beatles as "sacred cows." It isn't so much that the author has thrown negative items into the mix. It is his approach. He appears to be looking for anything he can to smear the McCartneys. This is disgraceful! I am so glad I borrowed this from the library instead of wasting my hard earned money on it.

What this author fails to realize is that Paul and Linda have contributed so much to the world at large. Paul used his artistic talents and natural intelligence and Linda her love for children, animals and environmental issues. They were clearly a rock solid couple and loving parents to their children. Theirs is truly a story of love, commitment and respect for one another.

The author appears to have a real axe to grind and one cannot help but wonder why. He is no "Paperback Writer!"

In the words of Paul McCartney in 1964, "then we will remember things we said today."

Rating:
Summary: MAYBE I'M AMAZED...
Review: at how utterly ATROCIOUS this work is! This is ghastly and appalling and slander, plain and simple. It is bad enough that the author neglects to do his homework. Inaccuracies regarding dates and other documented facts abound; slanderous attacks against Paul McCartney's wife Linda are numerous.

Although I am an inveterate Beatles fan, I do not regard the Beatles as "sacred cows." It isn't so much that the author has thrown negative items into the mix. It is his approach. He appears to be looking for anything he can to smear the McCartneys. This is disgraceful! I am so glad I borrowed this from the library instead of wasting my hard earned money on it.

What this author fails to realize is that Paul and Linda have contributed so much to the world at large. Paul used his artistic talents and natural intelligence and Linda her love for children, animals and environmental issues. They were clearly a rock solid couple and loving parents to their children. Theirs is truly a story of love, commitment and respect for one another.

The author appears to have a real axe to grind and one cannot help but wonder why. He is no "Paperback Writer!"

In the words of Paul McCartney in 1964, "then we will remember things we said today."

Rating:
Summary: Glad to hear the truth!!
Review: Finally an author who didn't see the need to act like Paul was a God or saint or something. I think there needs to be more books like this about Paul that don't hide the real him or whom he marries etc.

Rating:
Summary: One star is being awfully generous...
Review: For a book that is as rotten as Mr. Giuliano's. Um, if you hate McCartney,and his late wife Linda(god rest her soul)so much then why'd you write a book about them?

It sufferes from the biases of several people who have been associated with the McCartneys(Denny and ...JoJo Laine.Linda comes off as being a it-rhymes-with-witch at times. But then again, JoJo Laine has a lot to gain(it rhymes!)by expressing her(negative)opinion of the McCartneys. She claims that they were drug users. Interesting given the story in the book about JoJo selling spare tickets she stole to get drug money, Tsk tsk. Giuliano also drags out Paul's former stepmother and stepsister who lost out on the McCartney millions once Paul's father died and that Paul didn't help them out

Giuliano also manages to get in digs at Yoko Ono(granted, she isn't high on Beatles' fans lists of favorite people)but he stoops pretty low just the same.If you've read any of his books you know that Mr.Giuliano wishes that he were some sort of music insider,which he obviously isn't(read any of his other books on the Beatles-of which there are many)for proof of this.And more than that, it's just BORING!!and there's stuff in there that I'd read a zillion times before, in other, better, Beatle bios.The one good thing about this book is that there are some great pictures in it.Otherwise,it'd be a waste of your money.

Rating:
Summary: Modified character assassination
Review: Geoffrey Giuliano seems to be deeply conflicted about Paul McCartney. On the one hand, he acknowledges Sir Paul's awesome musical genius by commenting favorably about a number of his songs in the book. On the other, he seems determined to trash his subject's reputation by seeking out and quoting at great length two people he knows will "dish dirt" -- whether true or not is a matter of opinion -- about the ex-Beatle; that is, Denny Laine and Jo Jo Laine.
A few of the incidents in the book also have a "made up out of whole cloth" feel about them, such as John Lennon's supposedly smashing a window in Paul's house on one occasion, and ripping a painting from the wall and demolishing it on another. In neither case, as Giuliano tells it, does McCartney do anything to retaliate or get back his own -- just stands there in frustrated impotence. Is this intended to make McCartney look like a weakling -- not quite a "real man" -- and Lennon to appear as a daring, macho "tough guy?" Remember, the book Giuliano wrote about Lennon was titled "John Lennon, My Brother," which might lead one to believe he idolizes Lennon and wants to tear down McCartney as a definite threat to that idol.
If you hate Paul McCartney, you'll love "Blackbird."

Rating:
Summary: I would've given it half a star
Review: I did read another book by this particular author and although I found it thoroughly amusing I just thought he wrote it for entertainment. There were obviously not enough people that had said actual good things and it just seems like her rounded up people that really disliked Paul McCartney and I know that everyone isn't angelic but he didn't just bend the halo, I thought it was pretty low the way he basically stripped her of her integrity with a full on attack.

Rating:
Summary: Consider the sources.
Review: I read this book last year, so I'm light on specifics. But it was awful, I remember that well. I read it shortly after reading "Many Years From Now," which I thoroughly enjoyed. Don't bother with this one. Obviously the only people who would talk to the author had an ax to grind and a very inflated idea of themselves relative to Paul or the other Beatles. The book would have been funny if it weren't so stupid. Paul and Linda can't win for losing. For instance, their modest lifestyle is criticized as being hypocritical, given their vast wealth. But in other instances where they spend money in some noticeable way, they're criticized for flaunting the wealth. To top it all off, Giuliano is a bad writer of wooden prose--or does that cancel out to a "good" writer?

Rating:
Summary: The Real McCartney
Review: I really liked this book. Its not the usual worshipfull tome one might expect. Here is McCartney warts and all. Its about time we knew the real man behind the overblown legend.