John and Paul - A Love Story in Songs
By Ian Leslie

A triumph.'and Deborah Levy,and New Statesman'Tremendous.'and Alwyn Turner,and The Times'Revelatory.'and Simon Schama,and Financial Times'The gold standard of Beatles books.'and Anthony Quinn,and Observer'As enthralling and astonishing as their music.'and Jon Dennis,and Sunday Telegraph'A masterpiece.'and Dylan Jones,and Evening Standard'I so loved John and Paul. I found it completely absorbing and painfully moving . . . It has rather turned me into a bit of a Beatles person.'and Nigella Lawson'The first new Beatles story in decades - and the one that will make your heart burst.'and Caitlin Moran'The most moving and revelatory book on Lennon and McCartney I have ever read. So joyful, so sad.'and Tom Holland---A majestic biography of two young geniuses who merged their talents to create one of the greatest bodies of music in history.John andamp; Pauland begins in 1957, when two teenagers in suburban Liverpool meet and decide to play rock n'roll together. It ends twenty-three years later, when one of them is murdered. In between, we see them become global stars, create countless indelible songs, and play a central role in shaping the modern world.Lennon and McCartney were more than friends, rivals or collaborators. They were intimates who both had the fabric of their world ruptured at a young age, and who longed to make emotional connections; with each other, and with audiences. The pop song was a vessel into which they poured feelings of grief and euphoria and everything in between. When they couldn't speak what they felt, they sang it. After the break-up of their group, they maintained a musical dialogue at a distance, in songs full of recrimination, regret, and affection.Ian Leslie traces the twists and turns of their relationship through the music it produced and offers rich insights into the nature of creativity, collaboration and human connection. Drawing on recently released footage and recordings, this is a startlingly fresh take on two of the greatest icons in music history.Leslie's majestic and wildly enjoyable biography will make us see and hear Lennon and McCartney anew.