Paul McCartney: The Life

Well balanced biography about an extremely well balanced superstar. I read Geoff Emerick's autobiography first and would suggest that one read that as a preface to this book to gain further insight into how Geoff, George Martin, Paul and the Beatles created their truly groundbreaking "second half" body of work. No doubt Paul really drove the bus for much of that new style of studio music that re-invented rock. Paul isn't perfect, none of us are, but compared to so many other rock stars and legends, he was and is a good and level headed man. When others snorted millions worth of cocaine or heroin, Paul pretty much stuck to pot and alcohol and always seemed focused on music above all else. I believe he truly realizes that he was born with talent, luck and timing, and worked hard to educate himself and achieve what he did. Sir Paul truly changed the face of music in the 20th century and beyond. I think Paul chose Norman partly because Norman had that anti-Paul feeling that most young men did; all the girls wanted Paul so he was the competition. Who better to write your bio than someone who wasn't always nice to you but was cut from the same cloth as you. The chapters about his solo work and Wings was very informative, as was the details of the relationship he had with the Asher family in London, and the part they played in his musical education. The Heather Mills years painted an accurate picture without really slamming her, just it is what it is. Seems like he found another final mate in Nancy as they had a very long friendship on Long Island and NYC for decades. Very good insight into THE LEGEND of our times.

I purchased both the Kindle and Audible versions of this book because I like to both listen to and read at the same time using Audible Narration through whisper sync, so my review will be for both formats.When I started reading the first couple of chapters I was wondering if maybe I had made a mistake buying this book. I was very wrong. Phillip Norman did a great job of giving us an in depth look into Paul McCartney's life, the good and the bad, without making it a sleazy tell all. In short, we got to meet and know Paul McCartney. I am a life long Beatles and Paul McCartney fan, that spent over 20 years in the music business, and I know a lot about both, and this book was still a continuous smorgasbord of fascinating facts that made me never want to put it down. This book begins with his life before the Beatles, continues through the Beatles years, and then moves on through the rest of his life. The research is incredible, and the writing is done in such a way that by the time you finish you will feel like you know Paul McCartney.

Love this book about one of my favorite Beatles. Includes some rare photos of Paul.

Philip Norman wrote one of the definitive early books on the Beatles, Shout!, and in that book, he didn’t present Paul in a very positive light. This book, however, shows a more balanced view of a man loved by millions but known by very few. While certainly not a perfect man (who is?) Paul is first and foremost an enormously talented human being with all the wonderful qualities people would hope to believe. Norman does show some sides of Paul that aren’t the most flattering but he does show a side of Paul that is very warm and compassionate. I think the only flaw of the book is that it doesn’t say enough about his musical talent. Paul is easily one of the most brilliant musicians of the past 50+ years and it would have been nice to see such commentary in the book. In any case, this book is a terrific read and a wonderful tribute to an amazing man.

This was an honest biography, with plenty of people from Paul McCartney's and the Beatles early days giving their memories of the events of McCartney's life. While there are several other biographies out there, this one goes back to McCartney's parents and paints a vivid portrait of life in Liverpool back in those days as well as the early formative years. It covers the whole of Paul's life up to now, and while Norman is respectful of his subject, he is also honest in his reporting, giving us a portrait of a man who, while undeniably a tremendous talent, a musical genius who helped to change the world, was in the end a real human being, with all the insecurities and flaws that real people have. This is definitely not a biography that bashes anyone, but rather paints a clear and revealing portrait of Paul and the important people in his life. Excellent read, a must-read for any fan of the Beatles and/or Wings and McCartney.

I truly enjoyed the details of this biography, from the early days of The Beatles to the recent days of his marriage to Nancy Shevell. He is a national treasure both for the UK and the US. The book is extremely well researched.

As a biography, this book is amazingly well-researched and provides more detail into one man’s life stretching back decades than one could ever imagine being comfortable. It is by nature informative and provides as much information as one could ever hope to read on McCartney.Unfortunately for the book, Norman regularly feels it necessary to include the occasional “kids these days” complaint about upcoming generations and short-form political tirades about various politicians which have no place in this book. It cheapens what would otherwise be one of the best and most detailed biographies I’ve read.Be prepared to read plenty of asides— written between hyphens in every other sentence— and burn constant resurgence of the word “pastiche” into your mind for the foreseeable future.

Arrived safely, well packaged, great book.

Ottima, dettagliata e fedele biografia di Paul McCartney di autorevolissima provenienza.

I enjoyed it a lot. The gossips on his second marriage and the divorce are the only tiring part, tough.

I have read all books about Paul McCartney's life to date and did not expect to find much new material here. I was pleasantly surprised. This a well-written, thorough, and mostly objective look into the life of the most famous musician on the planet. Previous books have ended with the Beatles break-up with sometimes an added section on Linda's death and his second marriage.(Man On The Run covers the 70s) .This was a long -after all, there is a lot of material to cover- read, but an enjoyable one. For Paul and Beatles fans I guess there can never be TMI (Too much Information) An interesting sociological study would be why the Beatles and Sir Paul still are such a subject of fascination and devotion after all these years. Three generations of fans now. I am guilty(?) of propagating this by introducing my great-grandchildren to Beatles music and "Yellow Submarine" DVDS. Oh well... Loved the book.

This bio is well-written, well researched and fact filled. Norman is a great writer, a good storyteller and although he is known to be more Lennon than McCartney, Paul is given more than a fair shake here. The Beatle days take minimal but adequate space in this almost 800 page book, quite fine although the author could have updated his facts about the Love Me Do recording as much has been learned since Norman wrote 'Shout! - The True Story of the Beatles' in the early 80's. To be honest, this is more than balanced by a good number of other small but interesting facts most Beatles followers didn't know about.Up to now, my Paul McCartney 'must have' library included Ray Coleman's 'Yesterday & Today' and Barry Miles' 'Many Years From Now', I've now added Philip Norman's 'Paul McCartney: The Life' and I'd suggest anyone interested start with this book.