Howard Sounes is the bestselling author of meticulously researched and revelatory books including Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan and Charles Bukowski: Locked in the Arms of a Crazy Life. He lives in London.
InfoDad.com, 11/18/10"Exhaustively researched...Name-packed,
gossipy, interpretative but not judgmental, and very
detail-oriented...Fans of McCartney will surely find [it]
intriguing if they receive it as a gift." BlogTalkRadio's "Mr.
Media," 11/18/10"Howard Sounes won't deny that there have been an
awful lot of books about the Beatles and Paul McCartney. But that
didn't give him pause; he just researched and wrote one of the
best." New York Times Book Review, 12/5/10
"Fab lifts off...in 1967, with the introduction of its most
interesting character--the rock photographer Linda Eastman, who set
her sights on Paul and determined to marry him even before they had
met...Sounes's portrayal of her is complicated, fascinating in its
contradictions."
Miami Herald, 11/28/10
"The first serious biographical attempt to pay as much attention to
the 40-year span that followed McCartney's run in the Beatles as it
does to his decade within the Fab Four...Sounes' reach is
commendable."
Stuff.co.nz "Blog on Tracks," 9/14/10"
A fantastic tome...Sounes adds a lot to the story and his
methodical, meticulous research style means that he's actually
bringing new things out...Sounes has, through hundreds of
interviews, built a book about McCartney that addresses the myth,
understands the legend and is balanced; never getting anywhere near
the all too common hagiography that is the bane of reading the
modern music biography/ghost-written-autobiography...I found it the
perfect balance of entertainment and education/research--and, as
such, it'sone of the best biographies I've ever read."Blurt Online,
10/18/10
"The portrait painted in Howard Sounes' Fab is of a man with more
to him than meets the eye or ear...Sounes' treatment of Paul is
fairly even-handed though. He doesn't shy away from the bad and
doesn't overstate the good...There's still a hunger for all things
Beatle and Sounes' book has its place."
National Post(Canada), 11/1/10"Massive...Full of intriguing
snapshots."
CBC News (Canada), 11/4/10"A compelling biography."
Record Collector (UK), December 2010"Macca examined in high-def
accuracy...Where Sounes scores...is in scything through the wild
undergrowth of facts, misinformation and myths to present a
level-headed portrait of a musician who, obviously, is still held
in fascination by the public...The definitive take on an
extraordinary career...Sounes is also admirably responsible in his
dissection of the Heather Mills years, sifting through the tabloid
salaciousness to outline chains of events with the confident,
dispassionate eye of a seasoned and reliable journalist."
The Onion, 11/11/10"Fab does a credible job of outlining
McCartney's life and habits. So much has been written about The
Beatles--and by contrast, so little about McCartney's far longer
(and during the '70s, nearly as popular) solo career--that Sounes'
equal treatment of the eras is welcome."
Tucson Citizen, 11/8/10
Booklist, Top Ten Biographies: 2011, 6/1/11
"This is the first comprehensive, candid, and up-to-date portrait
of Sir Paul McCartney."
Curled Up with a Good Book, 9/25/11
"Sounes is not afraid to call out McCartney on some of his less
than stellar work...Fab is a good book for learning who McCartney
was and who he became." Hudson Valley News, 12/21/11"The Beatles
did, indeed, change the course of music forever. Read all about it,
fans."
Portland Book Review, March/April Issue"This book takes readers
beyond the success of the Beatles--the pop culture icons and
classic musicians--and sheds light upon their life before stardom.
The author writes with so much heart he makes readers feel as
though they're walking with Paul McCartney through his life...Fab
is an essential piece to add to any Beatles fan collection."
Vancouver Columbian, 6/24/12"A well-researched extremely detailed
biography...If you're a fan of 'the cute Beatle' and want more than
the tidbits you might find in People magazine, this is the
biography for you."
Houston Press Rocks Off Blog,1/26/11"Howard Sounes has produced the
finest, most detailed, and most up-to-date doorstop tome on the
life and music of Macca. And that includes the similarly-large
near-autobiography Many Years from Now...[He] conducted more than
200 original interviews, and the effort shows...Fresh glimpses and
incidents from McCartney's youth and solo career abound."
Reference & Research Book News, February 2011
"The author's lively style makes his book an interesting read."
Internet Review of Books, 1/4/11
"A solid, exhaustively researched, and very readable account...The
portrait of 'Sir Paul' is a balanced and honest one." Magill Book
Reviews"Sounes makes a convincing case that McCartney needed to
play off the strong-willed Lennon to do good work...Well written,
with Sounes providing lively accounts of concerts he has
attended."
LosingToday.com, 5/22/11
"The author does a more than commendable job of detailing
McCartney's activities in both the public and personal domain...A
very detailed and very human portrait that can just as easily be
enjoyed by casual fans as devotees."
Library Journal, 10/15/10"A probing work that examines McCartney's
foibles to a much greater extent than, for example, Barry Miles's
authorized Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now...There is a ton of
engrossing, well-documented material here...A worthwhile read for
McCartney fans; recommended for all public libraries." The
Independent, 9/24/10"Exceedingly thorough...A good read for those
seeking a Pauline perspective on the Beatles plus a look at his
solo career."
Metroland, 12/13/10
"Moves smoothly from the familiar coming together and dissolution
of the Beatles on to the subsequent bulk of his life as a solo
artist, father, husband (including the disastrous second go-round),
and knighted man of wealth." Waterbury Sunday Republican,
12/5/10
"Door-stopper thick...Though the Beatles may be the most written
about musical act in world history, Sounes' giant book reminds us
that the existence of the 'Fab Four' comprised only a thin slice of
McCartney's life." Acadiana LifeStyle, December 2010
"Paul's life, loves and music are fully explored. This is a must
for Beatle/McCartney fans." Winnipeg Free Press (Canada),
12/11/10
"Provid[es] a window into the entirety of the great pop musician's
creative and personal journey...Impressive...McCartney's life has
been well documented in print, but never with such expanse...In
many ways, Fab is as much a recollection of another time as it is a
window onto a great artist's accomplishments and, not infrequently,
failures."
Montreal Gazette, 12/11/10
"One might think Paul McCartney's life has already been examined
exhaustively, but the post-Beatles years--and that's a lot of
years--have always been given short shrift until now...Sounes is a
tenacious researcher." Kirkus
One of the Best Biographies of 2010. Booklist, 12/20/102010 Adult
Editors' Choice
New York Times, 12/19/10"Expand[s] on the myth for insatiable
Beatlemaniacs."
Washington Times, 12/24/10"[Sounes] writes quite movingly about
[Linda McCartney's] death from cancer."
WomanAroundTown.com, 12/17/10
"This book...is nearly as fascinating as 'the cute Beatle'
himself." Blog on Books, 12/1/10
Word, November 2010
"[T]he first major unauthorized biography.... Howard Sounes brings
to the task the same solid journalistic values he employed in
writing his Dylan biography Down the Highway, which succeeded in
unearthing troves of new information through the simple expedient
of diligent legwork, hunting down the right people, and asking them
the right questions."Rolling Stone, 11/11/10
"Few Beatle biographies are as exhaustive as this 634-page epic:
Sounes paints an unsparing portrait of McCartney...For fans willing
to ponder their hero's flaws, Fab delivers all you need to
know--and a lot more."Wall Street Journal, 10/29/10"Provide[s]
sound background on Mr. McCartney's working-class roots, the
environs of Liverpool, and the bonding of two song-writing youths
(Mr. McCartney and John Lennon) who both lost their mothers while
still in their teens. The author turns up new details on these
early topics." San Antonio Express-News, 10/24/10"[A] massive,
exhaustively researched biography." New York Journal of Books,
10/26/10
Eat Sleep Drink Music, 12/9/10
"A proper biography...Given that Sounes manages to tackle both the
highs and the lows of McCartney's career while neither rhapsodizing
nor crucifying the man, it's no surprise that the reviews for Fab
have been, well, fab."Melbourne Herald Sun (Australia), 1/8/11
"Howard Sounes has done his homework to turn up so much that even
Beatles fans might not have known. These 672 pages mostly demand
attention, much more so than 671 pages of McCartney's authorised
biography...A compelling re-telling of rock's greatest
story."Charleston Post and Courier, 1/9/11
"This comprehensive text is billed as 'the first exhaustive
biography of Sir Paul, ' and it lives up to that billing. The book
is well-researched and finely detailed, with many pages of source
documentation provided...The book is stuffed with fascinating
anecdotes and previously unpublished incidents...An excellent
resource."Ellsworth American, 1/13/11"An insightful and human look
at the cute (and nice) Beatle from his early life in Liverpool up
to the present day." Midwest Book Review, January 2011
"A 'must' for any library seeking a definitive representation of
the Beatles."
HistoryWire.com, 12/3/10
"[A] doorstop of a biography of one of the few musicians ever
knighted by the Queen." Los Angeles Times, 12/5/10
"Ambitious, ruthless and charming: A Liverpool lad's journey to
music superstardom and icon status. And it's unauthorized,
love."Detroit Metrotimes, 11/30/10
"Exhaustive... A warts-and-all treatment." Salon.com, 12/6/10
"I'm not going to pretend that I've read everything or even most of
what has been written about McCartney; from what I have read,
Sounes' book is easily the best. For one thing, he can write...For
another, Sounes has a proper appreciation of how much sleaze is
needed in a book about any pop idol...Sounes is quite good on
Paul's childhood years, his Liverpool working-class background, and
his early associations with the other future Beatles." Austin
Chronicle, 12/10/10
"Sounes' epic McCartney biography is essential...Sounes is no
hagiographer, but in the end, his vivid rendering of McCartney
reveals a fundamentally decent chap on balance."
Publishers Weekly (web-exclusive), 11/22/10
"An engaging, set-the-record-straight biography...Sounes writes
knowledgeably of the Beatles' close relationship with their
tortured manager, Brian Epstein, the genius produced by George
Martin, and the dismal details of the group's final falling
out...Sounes packs in a lot."
Asbury Park Press, 11/21/10
"[A] comprehensive biography...The book is in two parts--before and
after The Beatles. It will not be surprising that the first part is
a real page-turner. Even though a lot of that material has been
covered before in countless books and articles, Sounes makes the
stories interesting."
Blogcritics.org, 11/25/10
"A must-read for the Beatles or McCartney fan who thinks he has
read it all. Billed as the first complete biography of Paul
McCartney's life, Sounes' exhaustively researched book more than
lives up to that lofty claim...Through it all, Sounes is both
thorough and unflinching in his appraisal of both McCartney's
music, and of the man himself."
TheBookWeb.com, 11/18/10
"[A] fascinating and minutely detailed biography...An illuminating
portrait of the most successful Beatle, and unlike many other
Beatle biographies, Sounes gives as much time to his post-Beatle
life as the Beatle era."
Booklist, July 2010
"Everyone knows who Paul McCartney is. And everyone can imagine how
much in demand this biography will be."Kirkus, 9/15/10
"[A] solid addition to the ever-expanding library of books about
the Beatle named Paul...More than 200 interviews--and no-nonsense
attention to detail...The graceful prose and superb storytelling
create a riveting narrative."Booklist, 10/15/10 (starred
review)"Sounes has earned a well-deserved reputation for writing
thoroughly researched, intricately detailed biographies. This
comprehensive biography of McCartney is no exception. Sounes seems
to have spoken to every living person with any connection to the
former Beatle...Fab covers all the highlights of McCartney's life
and long career...This is by no means a hagiography. On the
contrary, Sounes gives criticism when warranted, remarking on
McCartney's flaws both as a musician and as a man. Indeed, Sounes
is often brutally honest, offering a full portrait--warts and
all--of one of the most famous men of the modern era. A must for
Beatles and McCartney fans...In spite of his persistent mega-fame,
this is the first comprehensive, candid, and up-to-date portrait of
Sir Paul McCartney, making it a magnet for boomers and serious
music lovers."
"A 634-page epic about Paul McCartney that covers almost every
aspect of his life...Sounes has done his homework, his research
detailed and meticulous...The result is a rather unsettling
portrait of an incredibly creative, complex man who could be petty
and nasty, generous and charitable...Revealing, well-crafted, and
utterly fascinating."
Toronto Star, 11/5/10"[An] unauthorized biography of the famous and
unimaginably wealthy bassist and composer...A minutely detailed and
comprehensive account of the famous musician's life up to now...On
the whole, Sounes renders his subject sympathetically, as a gifted
but flawed character."
Montreal Gazette's "Words & Music" Blog, 11/11/10
"The first book to properly deal with McCartney's career after the
Beatles." BookPage, December 2010"Impressively thorough and
up-to-date."
Kirkus Reviews website, 10/26/10"Reveal[s] a side of the 'nice'
Beatle most people never knew existed."
San Francisco Book Review, November 2010"A fascinating and
nostalgic trip back to when the Beatles changed the course of music
forever."
"Delivers on every promise it even thinks about making...McCartney
fans will enjoy hearing some of the never-before-told stories about
his family...The author handles the rougher topics with a
professionalism that attempts to be as unbiased as
possible...Sounes' narrative writing style is easy to read. Instead
of feeling like a dry, academic work, the book reads almost like a
novel...The 500+ pages do not necessarily fly by, but the tale told
is worth the time it takes to tell it." The Independent,
9/24/10
"Exceedingly thorough...A good read for those seeking a Pauline
perspective on the Beatles plus a look at his solo career."
Blogcritics.org, 10/29/10"A compelling read...Since Sounes has dug
so deep into McCartney lore, there is bound to be a surprise or two
for even for the staunchest admirer...Hard to put down. Sounes'
writing style is breezy without being slight. His admiration for
his subject is evident, even when he is at his most candid, all of
which makes Fab a worthwhile read."
Desert News, 10/31/10"[The] first exhaustive biography of James
Paul McCartney."
Bookviews.com, November 2010"Will more than satisfy any one of his
fans."
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