Nancy J. Hajeski

The Beatles: Here, There and Everywhere by Nancy J. Hajeski is a 2014 Thunder Bay Press publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I remember when I was around 12 or 13, our small town had a huge garage sale to benefit a local resident in need of costly medical treatment. Someone had donated a huge selection of albums and priced them for 25 cents each!! Well, they had a very nice collection of Beatles albums and I stocked up, even though I didn't really know that much about the group.
The albums I bought started me on my life long love of The Beatles. I am still a HUGE fan, so this book was a “do not miss” for me.

This is a beautiful coffee table book with spectacular color photographs and offers a history of the band from their humble background in Liverpool to the their solo careers and offers the up to the minute last known facts about the surviving members, the wives, and children. I have had so much fun sitting down with this book and looking through all the nostalgic photos, reminders of the turbulent sixties, the various trends and political climate that the Beatles seemed to personify at times, and my children have also found the book to be very interesting as well. I think this book sitting out on your coffee table could encourage a lot of discussion and is sure to impress friends and family.

Highlights:

The story is told more so with pictures and less with words, but wow! What a collection of photos. Album covers, clothing styles, all manner of memorabilia, from the famed Beatles lunch boxes to wigs, to coloring sets... you name it.
Who influenced the Beatles? Who did they influence? What were the many moods of the group? Who were the people they spent time with? Who worked behind the scenes with the group?

There was a section devoted to the movies the group made, which thankfully have pretty much stood the test of time and don't illicit the usual eye roll that Elvis movies do.

One of the most interesting sections in the book was the photographs of the instruments used toward the middle of the group's success. They were being influenced by groups like the Byrds at this point, but were also beginning to see a little more income. This provided them with the opportunity to experiment with various instruments and styles.

There is section devoted to the Apple label, a section about the private lives of the members, a section offering an individual profile of each member, updating us on everything from marriages, children, and of course the sad deaths of two of the group's members.

Although the world as moved into a whole new hemisphere, people are still discovering this group, still respect the world they opened us up to which influenced so many others, and had such an incredible impact on music as know it. No one could have predicted Beatlemania, the British invasion, the concept album, and many other events that shaped so many lives during the sixties. It's a testament to the talent of these men who turned the music world on it's ear and gave us all so much pleasure over the years, that they all managed to overcome the stereotypes and forge their own success individually. Every time I pick up a book about the Beatles I am once more reminded of how awesome they were and how far they came. I am impressed all over again.
This is a fascinating look through history, pop culture, and the band that started a whole new era in our lives. Even if you think you are not a big fan of this group, you may discover after looking through this book, that they influenced you ways you never realized.
John, Paul, George, and Ringo - forever!

This book is over three hundred pages long, but you will need to know that if you buy the hardcover copy, this book is massive in size and is simply breathtaking. If you love the Beatles, history, pop culture or if you know someone who does, this would be a perfect gift. I can't say enough nice things about this book.… (altro)