One of the great music biographies, and widely considered to be the definitive book on The Beatles, Shout! was first published in 1981, many years after the group broke up and each went their separate ways. By this time, their story had been mangled in the retelling, reduced to half-truths and semi-myths – but the actual truth still remained to be told.

In his research, Philip Norman tracked down a huge number of major and minor players, including George Martin (their producer), Mimi Smith (Lennon’s aunt and guardian), Mike McCartney (Paul’s younger brother), Brian Epstein’s mother, the doorman at the Cavern and countless others. The resulting biography is fascinating and forensic in its detail, beautifully told and full of literary depth.