George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars | 847 ratings

Price: 19.68

Last update: 12-22-2024


About this item

From the premiere Beatles biographer—author of the New York Times bestseller John Lennon: The Life and Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation—a rare and “absorbing biography” (Wall Street Journal) of George Harrison, the most misunderstood and mysterious Beatle, based on decades-long research and unparalleled access to inside sources.

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, Philip Norman examines Harrison through the lens of his numerous self-contradictions in this “keen and lovely tribute” (Booklist, starred review). 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 appears 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 color 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.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Michael Walter
    5.0 out of 5 stars Such an Awesome Book!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2024
    When I was writing On This Date in Music, I kind of overdosed on books and articles and documentaries and interviews with and about rock stars. In the years since, I've read very few books like this. But I heard Chris Russo raving about this book recently so I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm very glad I did.

    I always say I like a flawed and complicated protagonist and George Harrison was nothing if not flawed and complicated. The man whose magnanimousness includes literally inventing the concept of the benefit concert and album could also, as author Phillip Norman put it, break "the First Commandment of Beatlehood: Thou shalt not have it off with another Beatle’s wife" when he had an affair with Ringo's first wife Maureen (while both were still married). But we don't judge people by their worst actions or mistakes (or at least we shouldn't) and with George Harrison you got way more good than bad.

    This was not only a well-researched book but Norman's writing is crisp throughout. I highlighted many a passage just for its clever prose like when he described "Something" as "a love song with the brevity and mystery of a Japanese haiku" and called 1963 in England "Beatlemaniacal." Nor was I disappointed that Norman choose Harrison's posthumous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction for his epilogue, gushing over Prince's guitar solo as encomiastically as I do in my aforementioned book.

    John and Paul took up most of the oxygen in the Beatles. They supplied the vast majority of the songs (much to Harrison's growing frustration) and were the two biggest stars. But George Harrison's career (both as a Beatle and after his time in the Fab Four) is as fascinating as anyone's. And this book did an awesome job of shining more light on the musician, as well as the man. that Harrison was.

    I'd highly recommend this to any Beatle fan or simply music lover.
  • Rosemary
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Telling of the Life of the Quiet Beatle
    Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2024
    Honest, but heartfelt, of a life lived passionately and all too briefly. I learned so much that I'd never known about George.
  • Katal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Honest Review
    Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2023
    I am a big fan of presidential biographies, yet their problem is they frequently become hagiographic. One would expect a biography of say, James Buchanan or Andy Johnson to focus on their mistakes as president, but they tend to attempt to explain why they were actually great men who history misunderstands. Those biographies are disappointing.

    This is my way of saying that I was very impressed by Norman’s biography of George Harrison. I love the Beatles and have a great deal of respect for George, but I am an adult; I’m capable of appreciating Mr. Harrison and also understanding that he is a human being who frequently made mistakes. The author recognizes this too, as the biography makes clear. The book details George’s highs as well as his lows.

    This is an honest, if not always flattering, look at the “silent Beatle.”
  • Peter H. Knothe
    3.0 out of 5 stars Does Norman actually like Harrison?
    Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2023
    I am 2/3 of the way through this tome. My overall sense is that the author doesn’t particularly like George Harrison. The author has a relentlessly cheeky style of writing ( the apropos British term here), is at times quite humorously sardonic, but that tone can get tiresome. He portrays George as an individual who held a massive grudge about the lack of respect and confidence he received from John and Paul to pursue his own compositional skills. Of course by the time of Abbey Road, George had the last laugh with Something and Here Comes the Sun. Take a look at Spotify and see which Beatle songs have the most streams. He also dwells in a gossipy way about George’s indiscretions outside of his first marriage. George is portrayed as a highly conflicted individual (aren’t we all?) who wavered between being a devout and zealous believer in Eastern religion/ philosophy and being a cocaine sniffing party boy. There is not much analysis so far of George’s many contributions to the success of the Beatles, those magical, iconic guitar fills and solos! Without a doubt there are true Harrison-authored masterpieces in the Beatles’ catalogue. But at the risk of repeating myself, there isn’t much appreciation for the artist in this book or sympathy for the incredibly Herculean effort (and at times challenge to one’s sanity) it must have been to be in the most famous pop musical phenomenon of our time.
    I am looking forward to the last third of the book which deals with George’s post Beatles era, and hoping that the author touches sympathetically on some of the many high points and frightening low points ( the terrible attack on his life in his own home) George experienced , including the monumental. All Things Must Pass, subsequent solo albums, and his 1970’s/1980’s triumphs, including his return with the Traveling Wilburys and movie production involvement with the Pythons and others. See Withnail and I????

    Update: I have finished the book and am sorry to say I cannot recommend it. The author jams in 30 years of George’s life in the final third of the book. This cannot possibly do justice to a life, especially its titular subject. Too much and constant petty gossip dwelling on George’s character flaws, his financial disasters, his emotional coolness. As others have mentioned, Norman basically does a cut and paste job here, taking his information from other well-known sources such as memoirs, autobiographies etc. of those whose lives intersected with George’s. But when you think about it, are those “primary sources” even 100% reliable?

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