Publication of “The Beatles Anthology” book

On this day, “The Beatles Anthology” book was published to complement “The Beatles Anthology” film and music project. It includes interviews with all four band members — John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr — as well as contributions from others closely involved with the group, most notably producer George Martin, press officer Derek Taylor, and road manager and later head of Apple Corps, Neil Aspinall, who oversaw the project.

Billed as the only autobiography of The Beatles, the book features more than 1,200 rare photographs and colourful illustrations. Many of the interviews were drawn from those used in the documentary films, while additional interviews were conducted specifically for the book. John Lennon’s contributions were compiled from various archival sources, including his December 1970 Rolling Stone interview, his September 1980 Playboy interview, and quotes from Hunter Davies’ 1967 biography of the band.

Upon release, the book went straight to the top of The New York Times bestsellers list. In 2002, it was issued in a large-format paperback edition. It was then reissued in 2025 to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

We had a good time doing it, and it brought us closer. In truth, we had healed the wounds already when we decided we wanted to do the book.

Paul McCartney – In the magazine Publishers Weekly

Going further

The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After The Break-Up 1970-2001

An updated edition of the best-seller. The story of what happened to the band members, their families and friends after the 1970 break-up is brought right up to date. A fascinating and meticulous piece of Beatles scholarship.

Buy on Amazon