Reddit reviews Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now

I'd steer away from Norman.

Regardless of age, it's hard to beat Miles' biography of Paul - because we all know it's authorised.

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-McCartney-Many-Years-Now/dp/0805052496

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As for George there was a thread today: https://www.reddit.com/r/georgeharrison/comments/cjy3hf/best_biographies/

You might also take a look at this: https://www.amazon.com/George-Harrison-Soul-Man-Vol-ebook/dp/B07N11T8W9/ and volume 2, but this one I haven't read.

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\> What are the best books on them as a band

I think that mean's Hunter Davies original biography: https://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Updated-Hunter-Davies/dp/0393338746

And it has to mean the Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Anthology/dp/0811826848

And it definitely has to mean Tune In: https://www.amazon.com/Beatles-These-Years-Extended-Special/dp/1408704781

Worth a look:

https://www.amazon.com/As-Time-Goes-Derek-Taylor/dp/0706700279

https://www.amazon.com/Magical-Mystery-Tours-Life-Beatles/dp/0312330448

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Me-Do-Beatles-Progress/dp/0140022783

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For John, I really enjoyed the 'Letters' book that Hunter edited - but I prefer first person material.

https://www.amazon.com/John-Lennon-Letters/dp/0316200808/

Also, you might look at https://www.johnlennonseries.com/ I've heard her speak and she knows her stuff - but its a long road she is hoeing.

https://www.amazon.com/Lennon-Remembers-Jann-S-Wenner/dp/185984376X

https://www.amazon.com/Daddy-Come-Home-Lennon-Father/dp/0207169969

I'd recommend reading this after, to balance it out

Oddly enough, I've been reading a Paul McCartney biography this past week and according to him, most of those early singles were co-written by the two of them as teenagers while sitting in his dad's living room. I always thought of things as being very black and white with the Beatles (I always sided with John over Paul, but favored George Harrison overall) but now I know they worked together a lot more than I thought.

On "Love Me Do" - "Love me do was completely co-written. It might have been my original idea but some of them really were 50-50s, and I think that one was."

On "From Me to You" - "Our songwriting lifted a little with that song. It was very much co-written."

On "She Loves You" - "...was written when the Beatles were in Newcastle-upon-Tyne to play the Majestic Ballroom... John and Paul sat facing each other on twin beds in their shared room at the Turk's Hotel."

On "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - "'Eyeball to eyeball' is a very good description of it. That's exactly how it was. [It] was very co-written. It was our big number one."

They switched off singing and sometimes, while recording, George Martin had them change who sang what to help the structure along... so it's hard to go on who sang lead on what, at least at first. Later on you can totally tell who is responsible for what, even in the middle of songs (A Day in the Life).