Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now

Those of us who grew up watching the evolution of the Beatles and Paul McCartney will find this authoritative biography written by longtime friend Barry Miles a thought-provoking and interesting glimpse into many aspects of McCartney's otherwise quite private and personal life story. The view is startling, given the fact that so many in the media have forwarded the view that Paul was the lesser of the two main creative forces within the group. The account delivered here via a long-running series of interviews with Paul puts the lie to that notion, showing just how influential and fateful were Paul's contribution to the Lennon and McCartney writing genius. It also gives the fascinated reader a mind-boggling glimpse into the creative forces behind the individual songs, and travels knowingly along the historic path leading each of the "Fab Four" from poverty and obscurity to fabled fame and fortune. The result is a marvelous biography and an immensely entertaining reading experience. The book is full of insider information about the genesis and sources of each of the songs and albums along the way, ranging from the creation of "I Saw Her Standing There" all the way to the "Long And Winding Road", at a time when the members of the group could barely stand to inhabit the same space for any period of time. We come to understand how the arrival of fame and fortune changed each of them forever, and although Paul's perspective is the only one aired here, one marvels at just how fair-minded and self-effacing he seems to be in assessing the values, contribution, and failings of each of the Beatles, himself included. It also shows just how instrumental the guidance of the so-called fifth Beatle, George Martin, was to both their initial breakthrough as well as to their successful riding of the wave-crest of fame that swept over them with such an enormous impact. It also illustrates just how versatile and intelligent Paul has been, masterfully managing and orchestrating both his music and his fortune to become one of the wealthiest and most successful of the rock luminaries emerging from the sixties. And while his later music may have been disappointing in more critical terms, there is no doubting that he has been a continuing critical influence in the continuing evolution of popular music in the thirty years since the Beatles disbanded. Paul has had a rich and rewarding life, and has become a well-known benefactor of worthy causes and sometimes-reclusive widower of his long-time love and wife Linda, who died several years ago, succumbing to cancer. Still, the McCartney magic seems to shine, and this biography of him is both an interesting read and a privileged look behind the tall walls that he has built around himself in the last several decades. Given the crazed attack that fellow Beatle George Harrison suffered from a deluded fan, perhaps his concern about privacy and protection are all too well advised. Enjoy!

This is a very good, very in-depth view of the life of Paul McCartney, up through the mid-nineties. It was written by Barry Miles, one of several who knew Paul very well, but was also a writer and involved with the Indica Shop in London as was Paul in his early years. This biography chronicles Paul's life from the beginning and is well written and informative. The perspectives and data given are not fiction, or somebody's crazy notions of a famous individual's life. I'm almost done with it, and I have found it very interesting. It's probably a book I will re-read in the future. There is some mention of The Beatles included here and there, naturally, but it is not a book about The Beatles. This is an excellent story of one man's life who happened to be the bass player for The Beatles. Relationships between Paul and the other members of that band are explored a little, but if that's what you're looking for, you won't find much of it here. This is Paul McCartney's story, with numerous quotes from him on his life and perspectives, and why he got involved with the things he did throughout his life, as any good biography should do. I feel it's a well done, honest portrayal, and I'm glad I bought it and read it. If you have any interest in this one-time member of the most famous rock band in history, and what his life was like up through his 50's, then this is a good book I highly recommend. You may be surprised to learn some little known, or at least little publicized, facts of his life. I've always felt this man was especially gifted musically. His talents combined with those of the other three lads from Liverpool is what made The Beatles such an incredible band during an incredible decade.This book reaffirms that belief and reveals in Paul's own words just how some of the ideas for many of his songs came to him. It's a keeper. Buy it and read it.

Habe dieses Buch meinem Papa geschenkt und er schwärmt ununterbrochen wie gut dieses Buch ist und das er es kaum zur Seite legen kann. 👍🏽👍🏽

Excellente biographie, très captivante à lire, avec beaucoup de citations directes de Paul. Ce livre permet de mieux évaluer l'apport de Paul aux Beatles, plus important que ce que l'on croit. Il raconte aussi la relation féconde de Paul et de John, leur façon de composer... C'est l'histoire des Fab Four qui se lit à travers ce livre (et au-delà l'histoire du foisonnement créatif et artistique des années soixante) écrit par quelqu'un qui connaissait Paul (et les autres) depuis le tout début. Une lecture indispensable pour qui aime les Beatles.

Some writers have criticised what they see as Paul's self-serving revisionism of the Beatles post-Lennon. Others sympathise with Paul's defensiveness as a natural reaction against the sanctification of Lennon. I began this book open-minded but alert for signs that it was an apologia for Paul written by a partisan insider. It is full of extensive quotes from Paul, said to be taken from interviews, and I wondered to what extent these might be polished and selected to serve the writer's/subject's agenda. I finished it feeling that I had read a sympathetic portrait but one containing a lot of truth. Outside of a physics textbook (maybe not even there), nobody ever wrote anything that didn't have an agenda, so Miles has a point of view of course, His perspective is that of someone who knew both Paul and John, but who found more of an affinity for the former because of background, character and circumstance. Miles clearly can understand things better from Paul's point of view than from John's and occasionally Miles' underlying distaste for some of the coarser, more ungenerous sides of John's own flawed character does show through. But generally he does not allow this to obtrude and there is a certain amount of what might be called "evidence against interest" from Paul, especially in the later chapters, self-justification being balanced by admissions of failings and regrets that help give the whole the ring of truth. Paul's comments on song-writing credits that occur throughout are always interesting. Of course the truth is in many cases impossible to know, and probably impossible even to define - both co-writers themselves have often been confused and contradictory in their recollections, and collaborators who often worked so closely can honourably have different perspectives on the same facts. I had the impression in the early chapters that there may have been a tendency to slightly guild the lily in Paul's favour, but I found this impression corrected later on when Paul gave attributions to John that I did not expect. On the whole there is (I think) a lot of fairly objective reportage here including much indispensable background on Paul's connections with Indica and the so-callad avant garde London scene of the 60s. There is a great deal that you will not find anywhere else. I don't think it would possible to have a balanced view of what The Beatles (and specifically Lennon-McCartney) were and achieved without this book. Unmissable read.

I love this book!

Un libro pieno di aneddoti, in cui Paul si racconta facendoci conoscere particolari inediti della sua vita e dei suoi "compagni di viaggio" fino al 1970. Poi il suo racconto diventa ancora più bello quando comincia la sua nuova vita senza i Beatles, per finire con la commovente lettera scritta a Linda dopo la sua morte. Scritto in inglese , ma comprensibilissimo se si conosce un pò la lingua.