Most fans have those periods where they take a deep dive into Beatle-dom, sometimes they last a few weeks, sometimes a few months, where there is an intensity for seeking out new information. As I fall head first into my own period of exploration I am left to wonder are we now in the best era for Beatle writing and discussion and what does the future hold for future works on the band?

Over the years I have read a number of Beatle books. Starting out with reference titles like ‘A Hard Day’s Write’ and ‘We all Shine On’ I was fascinated by the stories behind the songs and the journey that John, Paul, George and Ringo took and the explosive impact they had, they were great books that you could just open to a random page and learn something new, the quintessential coffee table books for Beatle fans.

I have often found myself drifting in and out of Beatle obsession, once swearing off their music for a year to allow the heart to grow fonder and be able to come back to it fresh after a period of forced seperation. It worked and we have been inseparable ever since, although I must point out that some periods of research are more intense than others, the latest being my most intense was kicked off by reading one of the more recent books on the topic, the fabulous ‘One, Two, Three, Four’ by Craig Brown.

What Brown’s book gave me was a new lens through which to view the story. His book was not an academic trip through the history but rather the work of a storyteller who was more than aware that his readers came into the book with a fair degree of background knowledge that would enable them to fill in the blanks. That and the genius final chapter that looks at the fall and rise of Brian Epstein by flipping the story on its head, was enough for me to want to explore further and begin another trip down the Beatle rabbit hole.

I was taken aback at how much there is out there now.

The internet age has certainly been kind to music fans with lots of great reads out there and with the likes of Google books and Kindle store making it easier to find works that have long been out of print, or just a bit pricey to buy in hardback. Add to this magazine titles like Mojo, who over the years have had a Beatle obsession of their own, and the gold that can be found in more recent issues of Beatles Monthly and there is enough out there to fill more than a few lost weekends.

Podcasts like ‘Nothing is Real’ and my own personal favourite ‘The Beatles books podcast’ have elevated further the folklore and have given those of us whose spouses are bored of Beatle talk the opportunity to be the third wheel in somebody else’s Beatle discussion and satisfy that thirst for knowledge and the strange comfort that comes from talking a common language with complete strangers.

Then there is ‘The Lyrics’, Paul’s book which recalls the inspiration behind his songs and serves to be as close we will get to an autobiography from him. That Paul has taken the time to do this can be seen as his gift to the fans and a last chance to rewrite a bit of Beatle history. While not heavy in revelation for the initiated, having some of these things in black and white has led to the book being well quoted in the press, not least to confirm rocks worst kept secret that alas it was John who broke up the Beatles.

What Paul who wrote the book in a series of in conversation chats can’t provide is a forensic level of detail, despite being one of only 2 people who can say they were there. That responsibility has been taken on by Mark Lewisohn, a historian who recognises the importance of the band and the era they rose from and is working hard to deliver Part 2 of 3 of what will be the definitive work on the Beatles.

That should to some be the perfect time to put a full stop next to it all but there is it seems a never ending supply of new information and fresh opinion waiting just around the corner.

So what does the future hold for Beatles writing?

While we might have a bit of a wait, 2023 will see Kenneth Womack, having already written some excellent books about the Beatles, bring us the holy grail by translating the Mal Evans diaries for the masses.

As the bands former Road manager, Mal has had a resurgence in interest of late, in no small thanks to his cameos in Peter Jackson’s, Get Back, and it will be exciting to see what his diaries reveal.

Outside of the last hidden gems, there is a need to tell the story in a different way now. Authors such as Craig Brown knew that there is a baseline of knowledge most readers bring to books on the topic and writers can now feel free to proceed knowing that they need not tell a by the numbers account of events, there is little point. It has been done.

What I think we will see is more micro studies of the Beatles work. Deep dives into recording sessions, exploration into lost demos or even taking a looking glass to the recollections of some of the background characters like Mal Evans and the like.

To that end we can claim to be in a golden era for Beatles writing. As readers we are spoilt for choice and the demand for more is ensuring that the talented pool of scholars out there will keep digging deep and finding more for us to consume.

There is without doubt a lot to still be explored and as a Beatle fan, it has never been easier to go down the rabbit hole.

Just remember to come up for air.