Chris Willis

Written in the manner of a university paper, it is quite stilted in style. It has interest for someone like me who experienced Beatlemania first hand as a young person. Some of the historical stuff - the Beatles impact on contemporary culture, how they became interested in Eastern music, the “Paul is dead” controversy - is interesting and well researched. However the conspiracy theories outlined in chapter 10 are laughable. They are presented with no evidence. The section about the Frankfurt School and its “Jewish intellectuals” who may have used the Beatles as part of a communist plot, runs some tired tropes. At one point MacLeod spends nearly 2 pages outlining the case put by an ex MI5 “serviceman” that the Beatles were part of a CIA/MI5 mind control program but then immediately follows up with “many … claims were erroneous” and evidence “mostly non existent” p233-234. Still worth a read for fans of the band and the era. For those new to the subject, take the conspiracies with a grain of salt. As Lennon sang “nothing is real”.