I Am the Walrus Books

Hunter Davies, The Beatles (1996)

From their official biographer comes a sweeping timeline of the band's saga, with all the history and heartbreak that we have come to know and love.

Cynthia Lennon, John (2006)

His first wife's take on his life, obviously a little less worshipping and a little more scathing than some of the other biographies.

John Lennon, In His Own Write (2000)

Published posthumously, this collection of John's writings contains an introduction by Yoko Ono and also a humorous Carroll-esque "About the Author" section.

Barry Miles, Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now (1998)

"If you think John Lennon was the smart, arty Beatle while Paul was an empty head twittering prettily, this book will hip you to the facts."—Tim Appelo

Philip Norman, Shout! The Beatles in Their Generation (1996)

Here's "the best, most detailed, and most serious biography of the Beatles and their time."

Philip Norman, John Lennon: The Life (2008)

The definitive biography of the musical genius for peace, written by the author of Shout!

Yoko Ono, Grapefruit: A Book of Drawings and Instructions (1964)

This is the collection of instructional poetry that got John to fall in love with Yoko. The first line of the book is, "Burn this book after you read it," and John's contribution is, "This is the greatest book I've ever burned."