This book is a fascinating account of the life of Ravi Shankar. I was a little reluctant to pick up this book at first- -I thought to myself, "Ravi Shankar- pop star, a musician who lives on hype - who wants to read a fan book? If George Harrison hadn't stumbled across him, he would have been just another sitar player." But after reading this book, I have a much greater understanding and respect for Shankar and all that he has accomplished.

Shankar's early life was simply amazing. His first tour of the US was in 1932, when he was all of 12 years old. With that in mind, it makes perfect sense for Shankar to be the leader in bringing Indian classical music to the West, since he spent so many of his formative years in Paris and on tour throughout Europe and the US. During this time, he became familiar with Western audiences and their expectations, as well as with Western music traditions. It is this familiarity that has enabled him to be so successful at explaining Indian music to Westerners. But as this book details, Shankar was not only popular in the West, but long before George Harrison met him, he had built a very successful career in India. For example, he was the one who did the music for film director Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy, among so many other projects.

Shankar's influences on music in both India and the West are enormous and far-reaching. He was one of the first musicians to gain a following in world music, and he fought strongly against the marginalization of world music as a field only fit for ethnomusicologists. As described in this book, in India, he helped change attitudes towards musical performance and performers by demanding full attention from audiences and formal venues, much like classical performers in the West expect.

Interspersed throughout Shankar's text are short interludes from friends such as Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison. The book includes hundreds of pictures that span Shankar's entire career, including the pre-World War II tours with his brother Uday. There is also a very informative glossary at the end, as well as a chronology and index.

Raga Mala is destined to be a classic of literature.
It is a biography, history, diary, and a basic primer
of Hindustani (North Indian) music.
As a beginning Sitar student under a Guru myself.
I appreciate Raviji's journey from student to master.
The life covers so many memorable moments of history.
His triumphs and pain are an inspiration to all who
are open enough to see it. There is not enough that
can be said to fully explain the depth of this book.
It is fair to say that most will not fully understand
it in one reading.
In closing, Raga Mala will be the textbook to be used
by all interested in Pandit Ravi Shankar, Indian music,
and how it has gained popularity in America since the
1960's. I recommend this book as in the top 5 of my
all time favorite books.

Regardless of how you come into this book, as a Beatles fan, as an admirer of Indian classical music, or someone who studies the Indian culture, you will come out of it thinking of Ravi Shankar as someone very special, but who shares the same passion for life as many of us. "Raga Mala" is his story through his words, from his days as a dancer to traveling out of India for the first time, and eventually setting a goal to spread his music and culture around the world. With celebrity comes fame, and with fame comes admiration, and there were many women who admired him, only for he to admire them back. His love of women is at times overshadowed by his love of food, which is something I never knew before this.

But he talks about his music as his core (at point during the book he compared the sitar to his wife), and gets in-depth about his mission to enlighten people with his music. He loved the hippies but hated their lifestyle, and felt that he could make them high, and higher, with his music.

"Raga Mala" shows a well-traveled and cultured man with the utmost respect for his culture, his people, his music, and life in general. At 81 years old, he knows his "old junk of a body" can't do the things it did when he was 15, but he refuses to slow down for anyone, including himself.

Finally, someone has published a guide to dealing with my backyard foes. For years, master gardners, nursery workers, etc. have told me there was absolutely nothing I could do to protect my flowerbeds and bird feeders from squirrels, pesky birds and roaming cats. After reading this book, I know what works and what doesn't. This book not only tells me what to do, I now have some good insight into what's going on in the minds of those little critters (I wish more authors would do this). Yeah!!

My only complaint: the title is a little misleading. I got this book so I could deal with squirrels. This book covers many more backyard critters than squirrels such as cats, crows, deer, raccoons, and so on.

An invaluable book for any homeowner who's ever had problems with squirrels (enemy number one), rabbits, racoons, skunks, possums, deer, cats, rats, dogs, even birds, etc. Each section is dedicated to solving a problem with your animal of choice. And that's just it. It could have easily been called "skunk wars" or any other "animal wars" mentioned in this book. I guess he chose squirrels because they seem to be the most persistant animals to invade our backyard. They are truly clever. However, there's another "Squirrel Wars" book that deals with squirrels only, written in 1996, and the author's attempt to outwit them from raiding his birdfeeders. It's funny and serious. I highly recommend both Squirrel Wars. Enjoy while learning.

Many favorite wildlife species wreck havoc on backyard gardens: Squirrel Wars tells how to solve a range of problems, from birds which raid bird feeders and squirrels which are geniuses at food to creatures which nest in chimneys and dig holes in lawns. Deer, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, skunks and opossums are covered, with some remedies more effective than others.

This is by far the best book for children and families on attracting birds to your yard. Chock-full of information that is presented in an appealing manner, this book covers a wide range of material to help children and families get started with backyard bird watching. Some of the more unique sections are a directory of plants providing food for birds, a table showing the types of seeds and food eaten by various bird species. There are lots of good color photos, and a variety of projects for children.

This is a neat book. I learned alot about what to feed the birds. I liked the pictures.

This is the version used in my college Shakespeare courses, way back in 1972! It was lost in a housefire, and I haven't seen it since. The one hundred page introduction is dense and rich in historical detail. This IS the best version I have ever encountered. What a find!

This is the most excelent compliation of the works of William Shakespeare that I have ever seen. The introductions to the works are thorough and the footnotes are easily understandable. I highly recomend this book to any Shakespeare fan

This book is astounding. Geoffrey Gulliano describes in detail the life of the man so few people know about because of his reputation as the "Quiet Beatle". This book takes you from George's early life in Liverpool to his recent one, as an established solo artist. It contains elements such as George's mistakes in life, such as his drug use, along with his accomplishments. A fantastic book on a fantastic man.

Buying this book is about the only way to find the 2 CD set. George borrowed Eric's band (Eric returning the favor, having earlier borrowed George's wife), and the music is incredible. Clapton's band and back up singers perform spectacularly, as do Eric and yes, even George. Update renditions of George's favorite tunes, with screaming Japanese fans in the background. And the book's not bad either!

i am 14 years old and am in love with george harrison! once my family learned this, every single member presented me with a copy on christmas because they had heard how great it was. and it is. this book is practically my bible! it's awesome! i read all of the other reviews on this page, and they are 100% true. this is a great book with wonderful pictures!

This is one George Harrison that was not thrown together after his death to make a quick buck. The book is well written, full of great photos, and has a beautiful foreword written by George's wife Olivia...the book also includes personal stories of friends who were very close to George.

It's a great book about one of the great artists of the 20th century...it's "fab" and "gear"...you should be scraping your hooter in this bloomin' book!

This one is worth the cover price for the pictures alone. You get all the Rolling Stone interviews, the photos, and some great tributes. I've read this cover to cover several times. George Harrison guitarist, songwriter, spiritualist, producer, and gardner. You'll get a glimpse into the elements that made up the man. This book and the huge Beatles anthology sit on my coffee table and I flip through this one often. Enjoy it!

This book is truly a masterpiece and will delight all readers, from the inveterate George Harrison fans to people just becoming familiar with his works. Leng has a real flair for written expression and research. His extensive knowledge of Eastern music and how Harrison incorporated Eastern styles into his music enrich this work. Leng offers extensive coverage to people who influenced the late guitarist such as Klaus Voorman, an artist who had known George since the inception of the Beatles and who later drew the 1966 album cover for "Revolver," pianist John Barhman and Ravi Shankar, the man who taught George to play the sitar.

Leng plainly respects the intelligence of his readers and his writing is clear, clean and crisp. There is no extraneous matter. Leng has a gift for piquing the interest and curiosity of readers. In reading this, one wants to know more about John Barham and the other people who influenced George Harrison. Leng's work is expansive; he excites interest and curiosity in an almost "ripple" effect form; each person named in his book "interlocks" in the way they influenced George Harrison. It is this approach that maintains readers' interest. Leng has researched his information well and his respect for George and the many people who influenced him and his art comes through plainly in this work. I like the way Leng accepts and acknowledges George, warts and all and the musical analysis he provides in this work.

The writing's on the wall - try some, buy some and please try and buy this book! This is a superior work!

Simon Leng's book not only provides wonderful insight to George Harrison's music, but manages to do so in a thoughtful, informed and unbiased manner. Leng's knowledge of Indian music and its application in Harrison's work is particularly welcome in light of the many critics, Iam MacDonald in particular, who overlooked Harrison's talents in their haste to credit the Beatles' success to the genius of John Lennon. In addition, Leng refutes much of the criticism heaped on Harrison's work in light of commentary given by musicians who toured with Harrison and documentary footage of live performances. Even so, Leng never excuses all of Harrison's shortcomings nor forgets to acknowledge his indebtedness to other artists.
This is a very enjoyable book, and one could only wish Leng had been able to include material on Brainwashed and the Concert for George given in his honor at Albert Hall. The inclusion of drawings by George's longtime friend and fellow musician Klaus Voorman are a wonderful addition. Read this work near your stereo, and have ready George's "I, Me, Mine" for additional reference.

I agree with the praise given this book by other Amazon reviewers, but would like to add a few points. First, Simon Leng discusses Harrison's musical relationship with pianist, composer & arranger John Barham, ranging from George's first interest in the sitar through their work on Ravi Shankar's "Chants of India" album. I would like to read more about Barham. Secondly, the book gains quite a bit from Klaus Voorman's involvement. Voorman is the artist and bass player who met the Beatles in Hamburg, produced the covers for "Revolver" and the Anthology CDs and played on Harrison's early solo albums. Voorman also contributed two nice sketches of George for this book. There are extensive quotes from others, including Doris Troy and David Bromberg (the latter of whom, although very insightful, may be quoted a bit too much considering his brief acquaintance with Harrison). This book may be the best available work on George Harrison.

So very many books were written about the Beatles, and so many TV documentries were made about them. Anthology is definitely the best one yet, and I don't think there will ever be another book as complete and sincere as it. For the first time the Beatles tell their own story (yes, even John - material from old intreviews with him are beautifuly collected and edited into the book), along with some help from George Martin, Derek Taylor and Neil Aspinall and some old quotes from Brian Epstein, Mel Evans, Pete Best and others, and that makes Anthology a truly unique experience. The story is told from such a personal viewpoint that you will feel like you're part of the band. George, Ringo, Paul and John will become your closest friends for the period of reading the book.

Anthology covers every (well, probably almost every) aspect of the Beatles' life and musical career. It starts as four seperate stories as every band member describes his childhood, then melds into the story of the band. All the interviews from the wonderful Anthology TV series are in the book, but so are many more. There are far more details - especially about the music itself, which was neglected in the series. While in the series some albums were hardly mentioned, in the book the Beatles refer to almost every song, telling a thing or two about its background. Also, more touchy subjects which were avoided in the series appear here - such as, the (phony) death of Paul McCartney, the (real) death of Stuart Sutcliffe, the unfortunate Hell's Angels incident and the terrible case of Charles Manson and his connection to the White Album. The photographs and documents shown in the book are facsinating as well.

And no, it's NOT too long. The only problem with the book is its weight, which makes it quite uncomfortable to read. Anthology is a superb book, which reminded me why I used to love the Beatles so much and got me to hear all their albums again - twice.

So very many books were written about the Beatles, and so many TV documentries were made about them. Anthology is definitely the best one yet, and I don't think there will ever be another book as complete and sincere as it. For the first time the Beatles tell their own story (yes, even John - material from old intreviews with him are beautifuly collected and edited into the book), along with some help from George Martin, Derek Taylor and Neil Aspinall and some old quotes from Brian Epstein, Mel Evans, Pete Best and others, and that makes Anthology a truly unique experience. The story is told from such a personal viewpoint that you will feel like you're part of the band. George, Ringo, Paul and John will become your closest friends for the period of reading the book.

Anthology covers every (well, probably almost every) aspect of the Beatles' life and musical career. It starts as four seperate stories as every band member describes his childhood, then melds into the story of the band. All the interviews from the wonderful Anthology TV series are in the book, but so are many more. There are far more details - especially about the music itself, which was neglected in the series. While in the series some albums were hardly mentioned, in the book the Beatles refer to almost every song, telling a thing or two about its background. Also, more touchy subjects which were avoided in the series appear here - such as, the (phony) death of Paul McCartney, the (real) death of Stuart Sutcliffe, the unfortunate Hell's Angels incident and the terrible case of Charles Manson and his connection to the White Album. The photographs and documents shown in the book are facsinating as well.

And no, it's NOT too long. The only problem with the book is its weight, which makes it quite uncomfortable to read. Anthology is a superb book, which reminded me why I used to love the Beatles so much and got me to hear all their albums again - twice.

The Beatles story is an incredibly fascinating one. In so many ways their history is not merely of a musical group, even a great one. The Beatles transcended mere music. From 1962-1970, the entire period of their recording career, the Beatles recorded hundreds ofbrilliant songs, groundbreaking albums and lived enough advenutre to fill a lifetime. When this book was published, the three surviving Beatles had lived more than twice as many years since the breakup as the entire time the group was together. It is really remarkable to read (or see in the video) McCartney, Starr and Harrison talking about the Beatle's times from the perspective of late middle age. The story itself will be familiar to any Beatle's fan. The early days in Britain, the crazy days of Beatle mania, the acid drenched mid-sixties when the times began to influence the Beatle's sound and the Beatle's music so headily influenced the times. The flirtation with Indian religion, the death of Brian Epstein, Yoko Ono, the slowly growing rigt and finally the acrimonious breakup. All in an incredible 8 years. What makes this book unique, even from earlier books that quote the Beatles is the perspective of time which has clearly mellowed the three surviviors. Lennon's quote's are necessarily taken from before his death in 1980 and it is interesting to see how his failure to reach middle age lends a different perspective to his memories of the Beatles, in his case memories less than fifteen years old. How fascinating to hear Paul and George discussing the making of "Let it Be" where the bitterness was clear. Paul essentially apologizes and it is nice to know he and George settled their differences before Harrison's death late last year. Not only do I recommend this book, it cannot be missed by anyone interested in the Beatle's history in their own words. No other auto-biography will be as comprehensive for one reason. It will require much of the book to focus on pre and post Beatles years. As I stated, the Beatles recording career lasted 8 years. Today a top band would record at most three albums in that time. Don't miss the book or the video collection

I finished reading this book recently and I have to say it is an excellent book. When Hunter Davies first interviewed the Beatles for this book from 1967-1968, it was before all the bickering and fighting started and before Yoko came into the picture. Davies takes an inside look in thier home and family life, the songwriting process, and recording sessions. It also gives a pretty good background on their childhoods and how they all met. Not to mention a lot of great pictures, including some I never seen before. The only reason I didn't give it five stars was because it is not a totally definative bio. Lots of things were left out because it upset thier family members. For example, it is not mentioned that Brian Epstein was homosexual because it upset his mother at the time. And some things were left out of John's childhood because it upset his aunt Mimi. Other than that, I reccomend that you read this book. It is smart and thouroughly researched. A must have for all Beatles fans!

Thank heaven for Beatle scholarship that this book was written. Competent journalist Hunter Davies spent a year observing the Beatles and interviewing them in their own homes during the heady, fascinating year of 1967. He emerged with a time piece: the Beatles as they were at that time, reflecting on what came before and unaware of what was yet to come. A chapter describing the writing and recording of "With a Little Help From My Friends," "Getting Better," and "Magical Mystery Tour" offers unique and especially valuable glimpses of the Beatles at work. Chapters depicting the home life and personal outlook of each Beatle are also very interesting. I must also say that for an authorised biography, this is remarkably honest. Perceptive readers will be able to detect the whole truth here, and a fine introduction written by the author years later helps fill in any gaps. Apart from being hugely entertaining, this book is a tremendous boon to historians interested in the Beatles.

As a 14 year old Beatle fan I read this book in its original release in 1968. (I think just about everyone in my Catholic girl's school in Queens was reading it). I loved reading about the birth of the Beatles; their days in Liverpool and Hamburg, their early influences, etc. I have always remained a fan and recently reread the book. I loved it just as much the second time around -- it brought me back to a time I loved and I remembered how great it was the grow up in the 60's and the Beatles were a big part of that great decade. My 14 year old daugher (also a Beatles fan) loves it as well. I never expected this reaction - I was suprised that the Beatles still have a huge amount of young fans. Suprised and happy because we certainly have found some common ground. She loved learning about the Beatles and the decade they came to represent. I do think this is the best book on the Beatles to date I (and the only authorized one as far as I know)- although I hear there will soon be an autobiography by Paul, George and Ringo. It's a must read for any Beatles fan!