The Beatles: The True Beginnings

by Pete Best, Roag Best, Rory Best

Book Overview

The Casbah Coffee Club, which opened in Liverpool on August 29, 1959, was the brainchild of Mona Best, the mother of Pete Best. It is well known that Pete Best was the drummer for The Beatles in their early days in Liverpool and Hamburg. But less well known is that The Beatles' origins were in fact at Pete's mother's club---it was at the Casbah and with Mona Best's blessing that the greatest popular music phenomenon of the twentieth century began...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312319266
• ISBN13: 9780312319267
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Length: 199 Pages
• Weight: 2.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 10.8" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful book

Random great things about this book: 1.) Fab photos of gear, memorabilia and the Casbah space iteslf as it appears today. 2.) Even for this seasoned veteran of Beatles books, I learned quite a lot. I won't spoil it for you. 3.) It's a great context-builder and provides information about the Liverpool scene. A nice glimpse into this gone world. 4.) A complete lack of bitterness! That's a pleasant shock. We learn that Mona Best, founder of the Casbah, kept in touch with the Beatles after Pete was sacked. I had no idea. There are pictures of souvenirs they sent her from their world travels. No assumptions are made. If the Best family authors don't know something, they don't assume. Though the book is about the Beatles and Pete Best, it is also, in large part the story of Mona Best and her basement coffee bar, the Casbah...The latter is what makes the book unique. I promise you the story is interesting. 5.) The book's design is worth comment. Text is frequently broken up by the lavish illustrations. Text pages are plain brown paper; those with nice images are glossy. It's not the usual photo supplement in the middle thing. One of the best Beatle books of the last 5-6 years.

Welcome to the Casbah

This book is heavy with pictures on every page,including rooms The Beatles painted and played in,clothes they wore before the leather look,a diagram of The Casbah. Many stories about people and events that took place there."As was written,It was hot and sweaty.No booze,just coffee and coke and fantastic live music."If you are wondering who Roag Best is,he is the son of Mona and Neil Aspinall.

A Dream Book

I love this book! Makes me want to fly to Liverpool now and visit. Pete Best, who was drummer for the Beatles before they kicked him out with no explanation, gives us a fabulous treat. His mother ran the Casbah Club in Liverpool in the family home's basement. After Pete was booted out, the club sort of died down and was closed. It remained sealed up for many, many years, until it was opened. Original murals done by the Beatles still on the walls, microphones, and other items were found, and the club reopened to people who wish to come and see the only remaining original club, with even the original walls! Let the Cavern try to claim that! Color photos, inside stories, more make this a sensational book. Beatle fans, Merseybeat fans, music historians, Scousers, etc...BUY IT!

Great combo of art and history

The Beatles: True Beginnings is the latest installment in the ever-growing genre of Beatles histories and essential collectibles for diehard fans. Where some of these, though, seem like quick cash grabs, this book is truly an incedible document of the Beatles early years at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool. Filled with hundreds of beautiful archival photos of the lads and brand new, full-colour arts shots of memorabilia and the club's interior, The Beatles: True Beginnings is the authoritative work on the club that launched the Mersey Beat.For the first time in forty years, Beatles fans can finally get an inside look at the club where the Beatles became the world's greatest rock band. Originally started in 1959 by Mona Best (mother of former Beatles drummer Pete Best), the Casbah Coffee Club was an underground rock club in the heart of Liverpool where everyone who was anyone went to see the city's greatest bands. Written by the Best family, this new book is both the story of a remarkable woman and a celebration of forty years of Beatles history, from their earliest days as The Quarrymen up to their crowning as the kings of rock. Alternating between illustrated narrative and beautifully shot, full-colour art photographs, The Beatles: True Beginnings is an essential part of any Beatles fan's library.

invaluable piece of history!

as the title refers, this book is an invaluable piece of history. a must for any beatles fan, a treat for any music fan! the book is visually beautiful and roag best has a real talent as a writer. his idea to alternate the text with his words followed by quotes from those who lived the experience, make the history come alive even more.