The death of John Lennon was in the news recently as 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of his murder. James Patterson is a prolific writer best known for his fictional works. When I saw the announcement of this book, I presumed the entire book was devoted to the days leading up to his murder. I started reading the book and noted that it was a history of the Beatles from the Quarrymen days to 1970 and of John Lennon as a solo recording artist. Between the chapters describing the history of the Beatles, there were small chapters describing the events of December 6-8, 1980 starting when the murderer (I refuse to write his name) boarded a plane in Hawaii with his gun in his suitcase intending to murder Lennon.
Almost all of the material describing the Beatles is common knowledge to long-time fans. There are very long bibliographies for each chapter which shows Patterson's book was well researched. Less than 20% of the book is devoted to John's murder and the events leading up to it. Eyewitness to the Death of John Lennon: A WABC-TV special provides more information on the tragic event.
This book is only suited for a very casual fan of the Beatles and John Lennon. I would not recommend it for avid Beatle fans.
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