Mr. Moonlight: Brian Epstein and the Making of the Beatles by Philip Norman

This captivating biography of Beatles manager Brian Epstein proves that Norman (Shout!), one of the band’s most prolific chroniclers, still has plenty left in the tank. It begins with a jaw-dropper about Swinging London gangster Reggie Kray’s scheme to blackmail Epstein by releasing sexual photos of him with another man, payment being control of the Beatles (Epstein died before the plan could be carried out). The narrative doesn’t sustain that level of drama, but Norman still tells a great story by focusing on what made Epstein a crucial partner to the Beatles at a vulnerable time, tracing how the quiet, charming scion of a Jewish Liverpool retail family offered to manage the band after being enthralled by their scorching performances at the Cavern in 1961. (He forgot “even his painful self-consciousness... and long[ed] somehow to be a part of them.”) Epstein began managing the band in 1962 and became a canny negotiator right as Beatlemania exploded, harnessing his meticulous attention to detail and his talent for managing personalities to set them up for fame. The author also doesn’t stint on the complications of success, including how Epstein’s insecurity pushed him toward risky behavior, from dangerous sexual encounters to the drug use that eventually caused his 1967 death. The result is a rip-roaring yet empathetic rock history.

Source: publishersweekly.com