John Lennon

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

The debut title in the publisher's Pop Culture Legends series combines attractive design, numerous well-captioned photos and clear writing to introduce readers to one of the music industry's most influential figures. Conord traces the much-publicized developments in the life of John Lennon, from his tumultuous childhood through his glory days as part of the most successful band in music history to his murder by Mark David Chapman in 1980. Lennon's career with the Beatles is intelligently integrated, with Conord navigating the series of legal and personal troubles that plagued the band and its members. In tracing these stories, he provides both a picture of the rise and fall of a pop music phenomenon and an in-depth study of Lennon and his art. The author does not shrink from the darker side of Lennon's personality, detailing his periods of drug use, his troubled relationships with friends and family, and his struggles with depression. By contrasting these qualities with Lennon's strong commitment to peace and his love of music, Conord portrays a man caught between inner demons and a desire to offer a lasting contribution to the world. Reliable and informative. Ages 12-up. (Nov.)

School Library Journal

Gr 7-12-Conord presents a concise, well-researched biography of the man and his music, together with a history of the Beatles. He recounts Lennon's youth with background information about his parents and dysfunctional home and documents the musician's successes, failures, feelings, political views, personal secrets, and much more. However, the small print, lack of full-color photographs, and the decreased interest in the Beatles for the current generation cause this monograph to have a limited audience.-Linda Zoppa, Pablo Casals Intermediate School, Bronx, NY

Jeanne Triner

This first book in the Pop Culture Legends series is a concise and honest look at Lennon's turbulent life. Beginning with his virtual abandonment by his parents as a child in Liverpool, continuing through the birth and break up of the Beatles, and ending with the final post-Beatle years, the author gives the reader a look at the man behind the legend. Lennon's drug and alcohol use, womanizing, and general dissatisfaction with the life his fame brought him are all frankly discussed, and there is a particularly strong section on the development of his relationship with Yoko Ono. The numerous black-and-white photos aren't always placed properly in relation to the text, so reading the captions interrupts the flow of the story, and the writing, which relies on secondary source materials, is choppy in places. Overall, however, Conord does a nice job of presenting a sympathetic but truthful story of a complex man and the forces that drove him. The book can supplement high-school units on biography, pop culture, or contemporary history, as well as provide an enjoyable read for today's teens. Discography; bibliography; chronology.