I thought this was an insightful look at the Beatles inside relationships and the turmoil that fame caused. It was very raw and not glossed over to protect reputations of the Fab Four. I really liked it.

Let's see... The Beatles reached their peak as a working band almost 55 years ago and still we can't seem to get enough of them. I wonder how many new Beatles-related books are still published each year. They broke up as a band well over 50 years ago, never had a reunion tour, two of the members have passed away ... what more can we write and publish about them?

Answer: Who cares ... just keep 'em coming!

Author Marc Shapiro digs deep to come up with a new twist on Beatlebilia - let's look at their wives.

Why didn't anyone think of this before? A spouse has considerable influence on an artist (or at least often can), as evidenced by so much hatred by many Beatle fans for Yoko Ono and the sometimes tepid reactions to Linda McCartney.

The book isn't really written so much as it is pieced together. Shapiro has researched old interviews, and visited a good number of Beatles-specialty websites to gather a clear snapshot of the former and current Beatle wives. Because of this, it's little more than window dressing. But for those of us not really willing to put in the time to do even this much research this is a nice, quick look at these women who are generally (not always) famous for whom they were married to, rather than for who they themselves are.

I'm not a super-knowledgeable Beatle fan but having read a lot of the books about them, I feel I have a better than average understanding of the lads so it was nice to learn a few new things through Shapiro's work.

While I know this is specific to the wives, I wish Shapiro had found a way to include more information about Paul McCartney's long-time partner Jane Asher.

Looking for a good book? Beatle Wives by Marc Shapiro is a quick look at the various former and current Beatle wives - a work of piecing together of available information. Consider it a Polaroid™ snapshot of these women, rather than fresh, in-depth essays, but it's still a valuable (for Beatles fans) addition to a Beatles library.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

There's countless of books on The Beatles and their individual careers after the band broke up, but what's to say about the women they wrote these song's about?

As a massive Beatles fan, most of the info in this book about Cyn, Linda, Maureen, Yoko and Pattie wasn't new to me, but I did appreciate learning about the women from the band members later years. I know the books called "Beatle Wives," but I don't think you can talk about the women who meant so much to these mens and not mention May Pang or Jane Asher.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book, but I do wish there were more solidified sources.

Thank you to Riverdale Books, Marc Shapiro and NetGalley for the ARC!

Marc Shapiro, Beatle Wives The Women the Men We Loved Fell in Love With, Riverdale Avenue Books 2021

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof in exchange for a review.

Marc Shapiro has been effective in providing more of the stories of the women who became part of the Beatles’ lives, as wives, lovers and supporters. Although the Beatles’ contribution is quite an important part of the material, they do not take over. Shapiro has been effective in giving the women a voice. Their voices are heard through others’ interviews with the women and reports, rather than first-hand through Shapiro. However, despite the shortcomings of this method – personal interviews (where possible) would surely provide a livelier text based on Shapiro’s own questions, responses and follow up research – this is a useful collection of information about women whose lives were impacted by their relationships with the famous men whose music and lyrics were such an important part of the music world.

The book is chronological, so the young Beatles and their young wives personalise the extraordinary world into which four young men from Liverpool and Cynthia Lennon, Maureen Sharkey and Patti Boyd/Harrison/Clapton were swept into lives they could only have imagined. Although Linda Eastman/McCartney is part of this early period, her role was somewhat different from the other three wives. They were young, with little formal education and few career aspirations of their own.

Linda Eastman was an older early wife, had a career, and the marriage lasted until her death. Her experiences provide another aspect of the impact of marriage within this group impacted on a wife. Second wives, Barbara Bach/ Starkey, Yoko ono and Olivia Arias/Harrison, and later, Heather Mills/McCartney then Nancy Shevell/McCartney also had careers, were older, and, in some cases were dealing with the drug and alcohol problems of their husbands as the Beatles as a group disintegrated and the men began their independent lives.

Whether experienced, older, focussed on lives other than those that were the focus of the young wives’ lives, all the women had to deal with fans, and the requirement that they put themselves second to their roles in their husband’s careers. The impact of this on even their marriage ceremonies makes instructive reading. The women’s lives under public scrutiny, and the attendant criticisms and cruelty to some through the press comes to life through their stories.

The wives’ and Beatles’ shortcomings that are raised in graphic detail in the book are not necessarily peculiar to them, but the publicity attendant on being a Beatle or the wife of a Beatle make them even more prominent. At the same time, the dedication and support provided by some of the wives is also described – possibly receiving less publicity than Shapiro has provided. Shapiro has dealt with the material he has accumulated with a sensitive short chapter at the end of the book, where he is keen to give the wives their due.

The sources used in discussing each wife are listed and are noted where relevant throughout the text.
I would prefer the more engaging material that I believe would be obtainable through more personal observations and analysis by Shapiro where possible, rather than complete reliance on other interviewees’ source material. However, this is just an observation and Shapiro has certainly produced and informative book with a commendable purpose.

My feelings about this book are kind of scattered. Reading it was an opportunity to learn more about the women in the lives of The Beatles. I don't know of another book that is limited to the wives of the Fab Four. What I found though, is that the reader could not have known what kind of women married each Beatle unless you knew each Beatle, so the book was almost as intent on showing us those four men as it was the women they married.

Almost to a woman, they seemed much more accepting of their husbands' roving eyes than women today would be. It must have been cultural or a sign of those times. None of the members of The Beatles seemed able or willing to resist the temptations of groupies or, indeed, wives of other musicians, while married to their long-suffering wives.

All that aside, we learn about each of these women in fairly complete detail, at least as completely as we can. In the end, these women gave up as much information as they saw fit. The rest of what we read here is gleaned from second parties, interviews and books. If you're interested in the wives of The Beatles, their relationships with their husbands and the husbands themselves, this is a pretty good book to read.

Unfortunately, the book could have used an author and an editor who are familiar with the definitions of a few simple English words. I don't usually include these kinds of things in a review, but it became a distraction.

Great topic. Well organized chapter and prose. The downfall lies in just how the sources were incorporated. This downgrades the readability of the book for me.

A well researched biography of the wives of the Beatles. While there are probably not any new stories in this book, it is the first time all the stories are collected in one place. An enjoyable and informative read for fans of the Beatles.

I recently read a book about The Beatles and found myself during various anecdotes wondering about their wives and what it was like for them, so I was interested to read this when I saw it. It was an interesting read, but the majority of the book is taken from other sources, quoting previous articles and books, rather than fresh material from new interviews. I hadn't read any of the other sources before, so it was new to me regardless, but it's mostly a cobbling together of old interviews and biographies. Still good but worth noting. The women themselves were all interesting, and I enjoyed learning more about them. I think Olivia is my favorite Beatle wife. She beat up an intruder who stabbed George. I read an advance copy of the book, and the version I read could do with some editing for errors. There were A LOT of instances of missing punctuation, missing or incorrect words ("seemingly" in place of "seeming" at least twice), introductory clauses that didn't fit the sentence, phrases that should have been part of the previous sentence, etc. It also seemed clear that the author had no love for Heather Mills, which rubbed me the wrong way as I would prefer an impartial view from a biographer, and some of the women had a lot more detailed biographies than others. Maybe that's just due to lack of available information, but it also kind of underscores the fact that this is not new interviews, new information. Interesting book but not great writing or editing. 3 stars.

This was a very quick read that has a chapter dedicated to each Beatles Wife. The information presented was just a compilation from other books and mainly websites, so there wasn't new material or a lot of in-depth research. I would recommend it to readers who aren't die hard Beatles fans. I still enjoyed it though.

3.5 I've never been a huge Beatles fan, but my hubby loves their music. For me, I've like some of their music, other songs not so much. If I had to pick the Beatles I liked the most, I would choose George Harrison. I didn't decide to read this specifically because it is about the Beatles, but because I was curious about what is was like to be married to one and the kind of women who would chance marriage to men so often in the spotlight.

Interesting, these men and marriage were far from easy. Adultery, drugs, alcohol, loss of confidence, often these women played the idols of mother until they succumbed to the lifestyle or escaped. I'll say Paul, in my reaction to this book, was the most tand up guy. They definitely had clay feet but there is no doubt, fan or not, that they had a huge impact on music.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

As a lifelong Beatles fan, I was thrilled to receive this title. However, throughout reading I found that not only was everything taken from pieces written by the women themselves but much from it was also inferred. In my opinion if you want to learn more about the Beatles and their relationships, read the biographies/autobiographies of them and their partners.

Marc Shapiro has paid a well deserved homage to the women that married John, Paul, George and Ringo.
In the heightened days of Beatlemania, every female fan would fantasize about marrying their favorite Beatle.
Shapiro does a great job at presenting the facts from various sources. He is not one-sided or objective in any way.
Each wife (first, second and in one case third) has a dedicated chapter, some more detailed than others. One thing that is evident throughout, is the strength, dedication and endurance that these women possessed especially during the Beatle years and certainly a testament to the love they had for their husbands. I remember the outrage and judgements passed when Paul married Linda, an American divorcee with a child and when John divorced Cynthia, leaving her and their young son Julian for the avant-garde artist Yoko Ono. The author aptly writes about, the rumors and misconceptions and focuses on experiences and insights.
This is a nice addition to the library of Beatle books that have been written over the years and uniquely sheds a light on the women that shared their lives and added to their world.
Thanks to NetGalley, Marc Shapiro and Riverdale Avenue Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review.

Super interesting. Nicely done.

Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this! Of course, growing up in the 60's I was well aware of the wives, but really didn't know much about them. The author writes about them in order that they were married. Worth reading!! And I was very happy to see that Mr. Shapiro will be writing a book about Beatle Kids!! Looking forward to that one!

A few minor errors or typos. One about Cynthia & John getting married when she was 5 months pregnant....if so, the baby was born VERY late! I think the author meant weeks, not months. Would have loved some photos!!

Beatle Wives
by Marc Shapiro

Synopsis:
"They’ve had songs written about them. They’ve been the subject of legend and lore. Yoko allegedly broke up The Beatles. Pattie dropped George for George’s best friend, Eric Clapton. Olivia beat an intruder senseless and bloody with a lamp stand. The stories are endless.

“Being a Beatle wife was difficult in the best of times,” relates author Shapiro. “The fans hated them. The media hounded them senseless. These women have seen it all. This is their story.”

Review:
I was hoping author Marc Shapiro would breathe new life into his latest book Beatle Wives but I was mistaken. Shapiro is famous for writing unauthorized biographies. What was supposed to be an "in depth look" at the nine women who have been married to the Beatles (at one time or another), has turned out to be a regurgitation of old information (websites, newspaper & magazine articles). There was no effort to dig deeper into these women's lives.

Don't get me wrong! They are an interesting group of women who have had to endure unbelievable craziness because of their famous spouses. Most didn't ask to be in the spotlight but due to our society's love for anything-celebrity, they are. If you're a Beatles fan, you may be interested in this quick read; but then again, if you're really a Beatles fan, you already have heard all of this information!

I was gifted this advance copy by NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Marc Shapiro's BEATLE WIVES is an in depth look at the women who were most prominent in the lives of the "Fab Four". All nine Beatle wives, from Cynthia Lennon to Nancy Shevell McCartney have chapters devoted to them.

Using interviews, magazine articles, books written by the wives themselves and other documented information, Shapiro tells each woman's story from the time of her first meeting with their future Beatle husband until the time their relationship ends. Some of the wives remained friendly with their ex, some relationships ended very acrimoniously and some ended in the death of one spouse or the other.

I was intrigued by the ladies' stories and with how much I DIDN'T know about them. In addition, further insight into the members of the band themselves comes to light in how they lived their lives outside the career spotlight, how much they relied on their wives to keep them on track. Dependencies, promiscuity, mental issues---sometimes the wives were successful in helping them and sometimes not, but all of them did their best.

I give the women credit for what they tried to do for their men. In most cases, they were very helpful and a source of comfort to their husbands which made the men better for it. If you are a Beatles fan or have ever been curious about the women in their lives, this is a must read for you. My review is provided in exchange for t permission to read the galley proof.

Color me impressed. Having just come off watching "Get Back", I jumped on the chance to read this. Quite frankly, although never an avid enough fan to know all the trivia and details of Beatles lives and happenings, I was a fan and figured it would be a light, fun, largely repeat of info I already knew.

I was wrong. I came away from "Beatle Wives" knowing not just more about the women in the Beatles' lives but the Beatles themselves. If you've ever envied these women, think again. Being the spouse of a Beatle seems to be anything but easy. If it wasn't just having to largely live in the shadow of someone everyone thinks they knew and wanted a piece of or fans breaking and entering, you were dealing with complicated, often drug addled men. The book doesn't delve into it but one has to imagine that after Lennon's murder there was a sense of paranoia, too, the sense that outsiders couldn't just not be trusted but might be people to fear. Life in the seemingly ideal bubble was anything but ideal. These were real people, with real backgrounds, which Shapiro details, aspirations, and experiences. I came away from "Beatle Wives" with not just a new understanding of their lives but a fierce respect for it, too. Hugs to those often overlooked, derided, or simply ignored spouses.

All Beatle fans should read this book. You'll see your idols with new eyes and understanding. It's a must read.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RiverdaleAvenueBooks for allowing me this glimpse into their lives. I've been a Beatles fan for ages but learned a great deal.

This was bloody amazing!!!!!!! I literally could not put it down and read it in 7 hours straight!! To use my mother's well loved phrase, I could Wax Lyrical about this fascinating book till the cows come home

🎶I'm a huge Beatles fan and I love a big dollop of celebrity gossip and this was a giant slice of both.

🎶First chapter breezes across a few brief girlfriends then we dive straight into the meaty stuff starting with Cynthia Lennon, Maureen Starkey, Pattie Boyd and Linda McCartney, a chapter per wife... and then continuing on to second wives.
The author plays it wonderfully objectively with no forced opinions, just facts and quotes from noted media sources, #marcshapiro has created an engrossing book, revealing so much I didn't know.
It's nice to read stories with the wives dominating the story rather than their husbands.
I was completely fixated on the book. And would absolutely recommend to anyone whether you're a Beatles fan or not.
Thank you so much #marcshapiro @netgalley @riverdaleavebooks for the arc if this splendid Book

#thebeatles #beatlewives #lindamccartney #yokoono #maureenstarkey #cynthialennon #lennon #paulmccartney #ringostarr #starky #georgeharrison #beatlesbook #musicbook #booksaboutthebeatles #letsread #netgalley #bookreviewer #bookreview #greatbooks #bookstagram

Beatles Wives: The Women the Men We Loved Fell in Love With
By Marc Shapiro
Published by Riverdale Avenue Books

…”.And in the end, The love you take is equal to the love you make.”

What would the Beatle's wives say about this phrase? Some of the Beatle's wives seemed to make more love and get less. But that was the price you paid for being married to a Beatle. This book delves into the background and love lives of the 9 Beatles' wives, starting with Cynthia, one of John Lennon’s wives.

It’s a very interesting easy read—filled with fascinating facts and stories about the world-famous 4 boys from England and their torrid love affairs. I enjoyed the way the book was written giving each wife their own chapter, some longer than others, no specific alignment of the facts between each of the chapters. Some had more historical family facts, while others just spoke to when the wife met the Beatle and how their marriage unfolded. “There was a lot in the psychological and emotional makeup of John, Paul, George and Ringo that had always made the Beatles attractive to women and young girls”. I would imagine that still stands true today, even as only 2 Beatles remain and they are inching closer to their “twilight years”.

Cynthia was credited with helping John emotionally from going off the rails. He had a rebellious nature which made him a prime target for all the excesses that come with stardom. This wife recognized early on that he was “very raw inside and full of pain, emotional pain”. Reading the chapter on Cynthia, really made me dislike Lennon for how he treated her, especially when Yoko came into his life. It appears that Cynthia was very grounded and able to get through the tumulous times she had with Lennon, which enable her to move forward.

Maureen Starkey, who was Ringo’s wife, was known as “a girl with no drive, no discernable ambition and no real goals. George also admitted to being in love with Maureen. Her life ended too soon at the age of 48.

Pattie Boyd, probably the most well know of the wives, had a very starry love life. Married to both George and Eric Clapton, she was also involved with Ronnie Wood and all three wrote at least one song about her.

Linda Eastman, Paul’s first wife also had a very starry love life before marrying Paul. Tragically, her life also ended too soon at the age of 57.

Barbara Bach, Yoko Ono, Olivia Arias Harrison, and Heather Mills are also portrayed in the book. Each one of these wives had some impact on their Beatle husband, whether positive or negative. I learned some interesting facts about these wives that I had not known before and guaranteed you will as well. Whether you are a Beatles fan or not, you will enjoy this book.

This compilation of biographical information about all of the wives of the Fab Four was well put together. Even though there was much I had previously read, there was plenty of information I had forgotten or wasn't aware of. Most interesting were stories about Ringo's first wife, Maureen, and Paul McCartney's current wife, Nancy, both of whom stayed under the radar. Shapiro also explained some of the misconceptions of the relationships and what really happened, citing various sources (included is a thorough bibliography).

This was a quick and informative read but don't expect much in-depth study about each wife. If more information is wanted, read some of the memoirs/biographies he uses are resources such as Wonderful Tonight (Patti Boyd) and the biography of Paul McCartney, Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney (Sounes).