Audiobooks by Philip Norman

Mr Moonlight: Brian Epstein and the Making of The Beatles

"The definitive biography of Brian Epstein – the man who made the Beatles – by leading Beatles biographer Philip Norman. Brian Epstein didn’t just manage the Beatles – he transformed them into the most famous band the world has ever known. A young record-shop owner from Liverpool, he took four relatively unknown musicians and set out to make them ‘bigger than Elvis’, changing pop music, celebrity and British culture forever. Only a few years older than John, Paul, George and Ringo, he called them ‘the Boys’, guiding, protecting and relentlessly believing in them as no one else did. Without Brian Epstein, there would have been no Beatles as we know them. Brian’s achievement in a profession in which he had no experience remains astonishing. A passionate devotee of classical music, he was nevertheless instrumental in shaping a new kind of pop that would revolutionise its sound, its business and Britain’s image around the world. Yet for all his achievements, he received no public honour – and scarcely any thanks. Drawing on a remarkable cache of exclusive interviews with those closest to him, Philip Norman delivers the most intimate and revealing portrait yet of this complex, conflicted and ultimately tragic figure. Mr Moonlight reveals the depths of Brian’s many trials and tribulations – how he almost lost the Beatles to organised crime; the antisemitism and homophobia he endured even at the height of his success; his intense and fraught relationship with John Lennon; and the haunting circumstances of his lonely death during the so-called Summer of Love. At once revelatory and deeply moving, Mr Moonlight restores Brian Epstein to his rightful place at the heart of the Beatles’ story."

Philip Norman (Author), George Weightman (Narrator)

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George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle

"From the author of the million-copy selling Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation and the bestselling John Lennon: The Life comes a revealing portrait of George Harrison, the most undervalued and mysterious Beatle. Despite being hailed as one of the best guitarists of his era, George Harrison, particularly in his early decades, battled feelings of inferiority. He was often the butt of jokes from his bandmates owing to his lower-class background and, typically, was allowed to contribute only one or two songs per Beatles album out of the dozens he wrote. Now, acclaimed Beatles biographer Philip Norman examines Harrison through the lens of his numerous self-contradictions. Compared to songwriting luminaries John Lennon and Paul McCartney he was considered a minor talent, yet he composed such masterpieces as 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' and 'Here Comes the Sun', and his solo debut album All Things Must Pass achieved enormous success, appearing on many lists of the 100 best rock albums ever. Modern music critics place him in the pantheon of Sixties guitar gods alongside Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards and Jimmy Page. Harrison railed against the material world yet wrote the first pop song complaining about income tax. He spent years lovingly restoring his Friar Park estate as a spiritual journey, but quickly mortgaged the property to help rescue a film project that would be widely banned as sacrilegious, Monty Python's Life of Brian. Harrison could be fiercely jealous, but not only did he stay friends with Eric Clapton when Clapton fell in love with Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd, the two men grew even closer after Clapton walked away with her. Unprecedented in scope and filled with numerous colour photos, this rich biography captures George Harrison at his most multi-faceted: devoted friend, loyal son, master guitar-player, brilliant songwriter, cocaine addict, serial philanderer, global philanthropist, student of Indian mysticism, self-deprecating comedian and, ultimately, iconic artist and man beloved by millions.  "

Philip Norman (Author), David Holt (Narrator)

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Sir Elton

"The definitive biography of the much-loved star Elton John Elton John is one of the biggest stars in the world, a man whose extraordinary career has resulted in timeless songs and sold-out world tours. But how did the sensitive boy from Pinner, become such an iconic figure? Philip Norman’s acclaimed biography paints a frank but sympathetic portrait, from Elton’s rise to success to the attempted suicides, from football club chairman to flamboyant Versace shopaholic, and the extraordinary moment in Westminster Abbey when ‘Candle in the Wind’ turned into a requiem for his friend Diana Princess of Wales. Covering the first five decades of Elton’s life, setting him in the context of the changing music scene, this is a vivid, perceptive, superbly researched account of a musical legend. 'He's got me spot on' Elton John 'Norman writes like an angel, Sir Elton could talk the hind leg off a donkey, and anyone who can read will admire the intelligence, the detail and the robust good sense of this biography. It captures the flavour of the times every bit as distinctively as it captures the personality of Elton John' Sunday Telegraph 'This biography stands as a definitive insight into the life of the balding, bespectacled pub pianist who conquered the world' The Times"

Philip Norman (Author), Peter Noble (Narrator)

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Paul McCartney: The Biography: The Authorised Biography

"Since the age of twenty-one, Paul McCartney has lived one of the ultimate rock-n-roll lives played out on the most public of stages. Now, Paul’s story is told by rock music’s foremost biographer, with McCartney’s consent and access to family members and close friends who have never spoken on the record before. Paul McCartney reveals the complex character behind the façade and sheds new light on his childhood – blighted by his mother’s death but redeemed by the father who introduced him to music."

Philip Norman (Author), Jonathan Keeble (Narrator)

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