The Beatles

　　Starred Review. With this massive opus, veteran musicjournalist Spitz (Dylan: A Biography) tells the definitive story ofthe band that sparked a cultural revolution. Calling on books,articles, radio programs and primary interviews, Spitz follows theband from each member's family origins in working-class Liverpoolto the band's agonizing final days. Spitz's unflinching biographyreveals that not only did the Beatles pioneer a new era of rock butthey also were on the cutting edge of rock star excess, from their1961 amphetamine-fueled sets in the clubs of Hamburg to theireventual appetites for stronger drugs, including marijuana, LSD,cocaine and, eventually for John Lennon, heroin. Sex was also partof the equation; in 1962, when the band cut its first audition forSir George Martin, all four members had a venereal disease, andboth John's and Paul McCartney's girlfriends were pregnant. Spitzdetails the tangled web of bad business deals that flowed fromnovice manager Brian Epstein (though the heavily conflicted Epsteincan be forgiven since he was in uncharted territory). Although thisis a hefty volume steeped in research, Spitz writes economically,and with flair, letting the facts and characters speak forthemselves. In doing so, he captures an ironic sadness thataccompanied the Beatles' runaway success—how their dreams ofstardom, once realized, became a prison, forcing the band to spendlarge parts of their youth in hotel rooms to avoid mobs and tostage elaborate escapes from literally life-threatening situationsafter appearances. As with all great history writing, Spitz bothcaptures a moment in time and humanizes his subjects. While somewill blanch at the unsettling dark sides of the Beatles, most willcome to appreciate the band even more for knowing the incrediblepersonal odysseys they endured. 32 pages of b&w photos.