The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four [2 volumes]

by Kenneth Womack

Overview

A fascinating look at the history of the Beatles, from their formative years through the present day, as detailed in hundreds of entries chock-full of information never before shared with the public.

The Beatles have sold at least 2.3 billion albums; achieved 6 Diamond, 24 Multi-Platinum, 39 Platinum, and 45 Gold albums in the United States alone; and continue to experience impressive commercial success—now more than at any other time. What is it about this iconic group which continues to draw attention from each successive generation, even more than 40 years after their disbandment? The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four provides casual fans and aficionados alike with a comprehensive study of the historical, cultural, and musical influence of the Beatles, providing hundreds of insightful entries that address the people, places, events, and other details that have contributed to the band's status as a global phenomena.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798216052005
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	06/30/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	1232
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 17 Years

About the Author

Kenneth Womack is professor of English and integrative arts and associate dean for academic affairs at Penn State Altoona.
Kenneth Womack is Professor of English and Head of the Division of Arts and Humanities at Penn State Altoona.

Table of Contents

Alphabetical List of Entries,
Guide to Related Topics,
Preface,
Acknowledgments,
Chronology,
Entries A–Z,
Discography of the Beatles,
Recommended Resources,
Index,

Editorial Reviews

The entries are well-written and should be clearly understood by a general reading audience. The sheer amount of information contained between the covers is impressive and certainly helpful to anyone interested in, or researching, Beatles-related information.” —ARBAonline

“Numerous Beatles books tell the group's story, or may focus on very specific periods in their relatively short but complex history. Now, all the major topics are included in one convenient place in The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four, the latest work by Beatles scholar Kenneth Womack. From A to Z (or Apple to Zapple), Womack provides succinct yet thorough entries for topics from songs to albums to significant people in the Beatles' story.” —Something Else Reviews

“This well-researched and accessible resource is suitable for public and academic library music-reference and circulating collections.” —Booklist

“This encyclopedia is crucial for any music library. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers.” —Choice

“This compendium of facts about the Beatles will serve as a useful resource for basic information about the band, its members, and the people around them and their influence on popular music and culture. There is no shortage of information on this subject, but it is sometimes difficult to verify the authority of a given source. For that reason, I recommend this book for inclusion in general reference collections as much for its factual content as for its bibliographic utility in recommending authoritative sources for further investigation on this multi-faceted, and seemingly endlessly revisited, topic.” —Reference Reviews

“Everything Fab Four has been placed at our fingertips. As such, the content of these two volumes will simultaneously expedite our searches for this or that detail while also sending us back to Beatles books we have read or should read. It will enlarge considerably our conception of what the Beatles accomplished, just as it will strike us as practical, fun, and, most important of all, indispensable. Certain it is that fans and scholars of the Beatles will find themselves describing the feat that Kenneth Womack has achieved in compiling The Beatles Encyclopedia in adjectives such as these.” —Popular Music and Society

From the Publisher

★ 01/01/2015
Womack (The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles) compiles and consolidates a wealth of information on the famous band in two volumes. An alphabetical list of entries at the front of both books can help locate an item not readily apparent, such as "Paul Is Dead Hoax," or jog your memory for a song title "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand" (German version of "I Want To Hold Your Hand"). Besides the Fab Four, other key figures profiled include Neil Aspinall, a childhood friend of Paul McCartney and George Harrison, who later headed Apple Corps; the "fifth Beatle," producer George Martin; and Jane Asher, an English actress who was once engaged to McCartney. Numerous intriguing quotes are featured with a Beatle commenting on how a song was crafted. There are entries for LPs, songs, films, and even places such as Hamburg, Germany. Summaries highlight background, track listings, and cover art. Also discussed are chart performance, legacy/influence, and controversy. Some of the most exciting details are in noting what instrument each Beatle played on a song, for example, on "Norwegian Wood," John Lennon uses a "Gibson J-160E." Additional material includes Beatles prehistory items: Lennon's skiffle band, the Quarry Men, and an earlier name for the Beatles, (the Silver Beetles). Valuable further reading lists are offered at the end of entries. There is a chronology, recommended resources list, and a guide to related topics. Easily digestible and concise, this is a set all libraries should own, especially those that lack fairly current resources on the band. Instead of keeping it in reference, though, try circulating it! VERDICT A handy volume filled with Beatle facts, especially of interest to rock music and pop culture readers.—Barbara Kundanis, Longmont P.L., CO

Library Journal