John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth

When I put a hold on this at my local library, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It was for a book club so I thought I'd give the book a try.

I have an ugly confession - I'm not a very big fan of the Beatles. Not my era? Not my genre? I don't know, I just know that I've never really listened to their music or gotten to know their band members. So, I went in to this book pretty fresh not really knowing much about the story. My only experience was visiting Central Park in New York city where there is a very big tribute labyrinth and rose garden to Lennon. It was a beautiful site in the park, but the person behind didn't mean anything to me.

Although it's not my type of book, I actually thought it was very good. I thought the show more book did a great job of touching on the whole life but not bogging down in the details too much. It gave just enough of the story, atmosphere, and people to keep me interested without losing me in information overload. The story was fascinating, even to someone that wasn't huge on appreciating his art or craft. And the photos were intriguing and really made it all come together.

I'm glad it was nominated, I would have never read it without this club.
Thanks Carrie! ;) show less

In Allegan, we often have trouble enticing students into reading biographies. Perhaps that is because Elizabeth Partridge is NOT writing more of them. Her biography of Woody Guthrie was one of my favorite books of 2002 (This Land Was Made For Me and You: The Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie). Partridge is back this year with her biography of John Lennon. Like the Guthrie biography readers finish this book feeling like we have met a real person and not an icon or God.

One of my favorite stories about this book is that Yoko Ono reviewed the manuscript and sent Partridge back long lists of changes that needed to be made. Partridge refused to make all the changes because Yoko Ono wanted to exclude or de-emphasize any faults and expand and show more embellish all those stories that changed John from mere human into a superhero. Readers have a book that captures much that is true about John, the Beatles, and the effect that John had upon the music world and our western society.

The first very noticeable fact of this book is that it is gorgeous. The production values are stunning. The blue end papers of the Beatles in concert, the stitched binding, the large size, the quality paper, and the fabulous illustrations combine to present readers with a book that says, “Put me on your coffee table. I am a showcase.” The second fact of this book is how much fun it is to read. For an older reader like me, I enjoyed returning to the “Bed-in” and “Bagism.” I remember very clearly what I was doing the night Lennon was shot and Partridge captures the horror of the assassination and the following two page pictorial spread of fans outside the Dakota speaks volumes and reminds me of Russell Freedman’s books at their best.

Perhaps the most important fact of this book is that Lennon is neither put on a pedestal nor underwritten. Lennon was one of the most important members of one of the most important musical groups in recent history. Lennon and the Beatles not only changed the music world but had a tremendous influence on social change as well. His place in history is without question, but he suffered, made mistakes, and was as boring as any other individual. Partridge does an amazing job of portraying the extremes without neglecting to give readers a real feel for what daily life must have been like for this legend of rock and roll music from birth until death. The folks at Viking are to be commended for taking Partridge’s words and putting them in such a beautiful package. This book is one of the nicest looking books of the year.

[Side Note: Elizabeth Partridge played the part of "Lust" in Washington D.C. as one of the seven deadly sins (The Seven Deadly Sins of YA Literature,) at our YALSA pre conference for YALSA. After listening to her speak, I think I am in love (and not because her talk included lots of references to condoms). She is truly a teen champion!] show less

An uncomplicated story of a very complicated man pared down into pictures and essential information.

Great Photobiography with great insights into Lennon's life. It seems to stick to the facts and does not try to glorify or tear down Lennon.

It's a nice biography. I thought it presented his life in a fluid, fast a reasonble way. I kept picking it up whenever I had time to read a bit more. A few times an excessive use of opinion felt a bit awkward, but that's okay to do, I guess.
3Q, 3P; Cover Art: Awesome!
This book is best suited for middleschoolers on up.
It was selected due to an enjoyment of biographies, the constant use of pictures, and being a fan of John Lennon.
Grade (of reviewer): 10th
AT-AHS-NC

If you’re an avid fan of John Lennon or the Beatles, this book is full of intriguing and interesting information to learn about. Great read! I’ve read many Beatles biographies, and this one is in me top 5. The reason I selected this book is because I’m a huge fan.

This book would be great to use in a fifth grade classroom as well as in any middle or high school classroom as well. This book would be great for this wide range of grade levels beucause it covers a topic or individual that many kids will find interesting. This book would be a great way to connect music to history and the Beatles and John Lenon himself had an impact during the 60's unitl hies death. This book would be great for an independent read or as a part of a project in a middle or high school class. In a fifth grade classroom I would use this book as a class raad aloud becuause some of the events in John Lenons life may not be appropriate for these kids or would need to be discussed.