APPLE TO THE CORE - THE UNMAKING OF THE BEATLES by PETER McCABE & ROBERT D. SCHONFELD - HARDCOVER BOOK

"Published in 1972, "Apple to the Core" was the first in-depth examination of The Beatles' split and their myriad financial disputes. It documents the formation of Apple, the ensuing battle for the Lennon/McCartney songbook and the High Court action instigated by McCartney to dissolve the group.

Authors McCabe and Schonfeld interviewed an impressive array of key participants including McCartney's in-laws/representatives the Eastmans, Apple chief Neil Aspinall, legendary Beatles spokesman Derek Taylor, the notoriously publicity-shy Allen Klein (brilliantly profiled here), and even the Lennon's, then in the midst of their "revolutionary" period in New York.

Perhaps over-enamoured by their Lennon/Ono exclusive, the authors are almost relentlessly negative towards the McCartneys. Paul's eponymous debut album and its follow-up "Ram" come in for particularly savage assessments and Linda is portrayed as nothing less than a talentless groupie (largely based on the dubious testimony of a disgruntled former friend). This questionable bias aside, it's fascinating to read about these events from a contemporary perspective, free from decades of revisionist hindsight (the book was published before Lennon, Harrison and Starr severed their ties with Klein, vindicating many of McCartney's suspicions).

Apple to the Core" reads like a great cautionary tale about the depressing reality of untold wealth and adulation. Many of The Beatles' business whims are related in harshly disapproving terms. The book is also unsparing in its condemnation of Apple-era associates such as The Fool and Magic Alex, bankrolled by The Beatles at outrageous expense for increasingly ludicrous schemes. Even the Maharishi comes in for a rollicking (according to the authors, his immediate response to The Beatles' abdication from his meditation camp was to set up a base of operations in the New York Plaza and employ one of the top PR firms of the era to counter any subsequent negative publicity).

Peter Doggett's wonderful  You Never Give Me Your Money: The Battle For The Soul Of The Beatles  would later use the same template to greater (and considerably more balanced) effect; however, Doggett had four decades of hindsight at his disposal. "Apple to the Core" had but two years of testimony to draw upon, and is surprisingly thorough. For all its bias, this is a highly detailed and entertaining read, deserving of a place in any Beatles library."  -  a review by "Chankos" 

RARE HARDBACK EDITION 

VERY GOOD+ Secondhand condition. Covered in library plastic, the sticky tape used to tape the plastic down has left adhesive stains on the first and last pages. Other wise the pages are crisp and clean. 

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