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A panoramic view of the events leading up to the infamous murder of John Lennon (1940–1980).
Lennon plainly said that one reason he relocated to New York City was that he could be, if not anonymous, at least left alone there. He didn't bank on the dozens of die-hard Beatles fans—never Lennon-as-solo-artist fans—who camped out on his doorstep, a few of whom he even befriended while gently encouraging them to get a life. He had had premonitions for years, saying at the height of his Beatles fame, "We'll either go in a plane [crash] or we'll be popped off by some loony." Unfortunately so, and as America's Most Wanted producer Greenberg (co-author: Perfect Beauty: A Glamorous Socialite, Her Handsome Lover, and Brutal Murder, 2002, etc.) writes, each of the Beatles, and particularly George Harrison, lived in understandable fear of being killed by a deranged admirer. The author's account is sometimes moment by moment, sometimes a sweeping view of decades, and it often jumps backward and forward in time, occasionally yielding reader whiplash. Yet, in the space of a relatively short book, he ably captures all the right themes, from the hazards of fame to the curious reception of Beatles lyrics among a certain class of fans, who regarded them as life instructions. Greenberg does not shy from remarking on some of Lennon's less likable features, including his de facto abandonment of son Julian, but neither does he paint Lennon as a monster deserving of comeuppance, in the manner of the loathsome Albert Goldman. The author is also evenhanded in his portrayal of murderer Mark David Chapman, who, of course, has found Jesus in prison and is said to be lobbying for release. However, Greenberg attributes the celebrity-killing meme of the 1980s and beyond—to say nothing of the breakup of Wings—to Chapman's example, noting also that Chapman liked the Beatles less than he liked Todd Rundgren.
Timely and significant—a dark look through a dark glass onto the events of 30 years past.
Anonymous
Posted January 14, 2012
First off, i am 12 so ineed a book that is a little bit easier to understand. #2 how long is it? I am a average pase reader, but i don't want to be reading forever. #3 how long it from the begining of the book to the fatal murder? Again i don't wana read about what john had for lunch for 7 pages. Okay if u couod please answere that wouod be nice. My name is amanda if u couod put it in the title box.
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Posted March 15, 2011
As far as Lennon biographies go, this one seems almost amateurish. Dates and events are gathered and sometimes directly lifted from inaccurate sources. I would not recomend this to the serious reader. Even the title is a little misleading, as the book switches back and forth between Lennon's last day and his life history. The history feels like filler. Almost as if you are listening to a very unsatisfying cover version of a John Lennon album full of bum notes.
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LendMe™
Overview
In a breathtaking, minute-by-minute format, December 8, 1980: The Day John Lennon Died follows the events leading to the horrible moment when Mark David Chapman calmly fired his Charter Arms .38 Special into the rock icon, realizing his perverse fantasy of attaining perennial notoriety. New York Times bestselling author Keith Elliot Greenberg takes us back to New York City and the world John Lennon woke up to. The day begins with a Rolling Stone photo session that takes on an uncomfortable tone when photographer Annie Leibowitz tries to maneuver Yoko Ono out of the shot. Later Lennon gives the last interview of his life, declaring, "I consider that my work won't be finished until I'm dead and buried and I hope that's a