John & Paul - by Ian Leslie

Book Synopsis

"A new take on a legendary partnership...Thoroughly delightful...Fans will love this fresh, insightful approach to the band."
--Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

John Lennon and Paul McCartney knew each other for twenty-three years, from 1957 to 1980. This book is the myth-shattering biography of a relationship that changed the cultural history of the world.

The Beatles shook the world to its core in the 1960's and, to this day, new generations continue to fall in love with their songs and their story. At the heart of this phenomenon lies the dynamic between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Few other musical partnerships have been rooted in such a deep, intense and complicated personal relationship.

John and Paul's relationship was defined by its complexity: compulsive, tender and tempestuous; full of longing, riven by jealousy. Like the band, their relationship was always in motion, never in equilibrium for long. John & Paul traces its twists and turns and reveals how these shifts manifested themselves in the music. The two of them shared a private language, rooted in the stories, comedy and songs they both loved as teenagers, and later, in the lyrics of Beatles songs.

In John & Paul, acclaimed writer Ian Leslie uses the songs they wrote to trace the shared journey of these two compelling men before, during, and after The Beatles. Drawing on recently released footage and recordings, Leslie offers us an intimate and insightful new look at two of the greatest icons in music history, and rich insights into the nature of creativity, collaboration, and human intimacy.

Review Quotes

"Thoroughly delightful... Fans will love this fresh, insightful approach to the band."
--Kirkus, Starred Review

"A triumph, full of insight and revelation: the story of the most successful 20th century songwriting partnership in 43 songs."
--Jon Savage, author of The Secret Public

"The most moving and revelatory book on Lennon and McCartney I have ever read - so joyous, so sad. About the alchemy of youth, of friendship, of love. I just wish I could enjoy the experience of reading it for the first time again."
--Tom Holland, co-host of the podcast The Rest Is History

"Of all the creative partnerships of the past century, none seems more resonant or permanent than that of the two Liverpool boys who met as teenagers, collaborated for a dozen years, and altered the world's expectations of what popular art can accomplish. Ian Leslie's new book is the best study of that friendship, from improbable beginning to melancholy end -- and of all the songs produced between-- that we have ever had."
--Adam Gopnik, staff writer for The New Yorker and author of Paris to the Moon

"I was enthralled by John and Paul--one of the most insightful books I've ever read on creativity, genius, and collaboration."
--James S. Shapiro, author of award-winning 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare

"The first new Beatles story in decades, and the one that will make your heart burst!"
--Caitlin Moran, author of How to be a Woman

"No writer has ever gotten to the heart of the John/Paul saga as brilliantly as Ian Leslie. This extraordinary book sheds light on a cultural mystery: how two nowhere boys from Liverpool formed a teenage bond that transformed the future, and in so many ways, invented it. John and Paul is a bold, original, empathetic revelation of why our world is still fascinated by this friendship--and still trying to live up to it."
--Rob Sheffield, author of Dreaming the Beatles

About the Author