One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time by Craig Brown

This is a comprehensive history of the Beatles, told through a series of short vignettes, anecdotes and contemporary quotes that put the well known milestones of the Fab Four’s career into perspective. It’s mostly a chronological account from their earliest days as a school skiffle band, through their time playing in dive bars in Hamburg and the Cavern club, to conquering America and the world, to their eventual (and seemingly inevitable) breakup.

Some of the stories are familiar, but others were new to me, especially those focusing on some of the peripheral characters such as John’s Aunt Mimi and drummer Jimmy Nicol who stood in for Ringo for two weeks on tour. We also hear contemporary accounts from fans and public figures, and one fascinating section compares the annual Beatles Christmas messages with those of Queen Elizabeth.

I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by the author along with Mark McGann and Kate Robbins, who all do a pretty good job of imitating the characters they are quoting. There is also a fair amount of swearing, which might be a surprise to anyone expecting a clean cut portrayal of the lovable mop tops.