Lennon Legend: An Illustrated Life of John Lennon - Hardcover

Henke, James

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0811835170 ISBN 13: 9780811835176

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2003

Synopsis

Presented in a handsome slipcase, Lennon Legend is both an illustrated and an interactive biography of the creative genius - songwriter, artist, social activist - who changed his times. Created with the cooperation of Yoko Ono Lennon, who has opened her archives for this project, the book offers insightful details about every era of John's life, from his early days at art school to the height of Beatlemania to "Imagine." A live recording of that song is included, along with several interviews of John talking about his life and art, on the audio CD contained in this package. Throughout, the book features archival photographs and reproductions of John's handwritten song lyrics, drawings, memorabilia, and personal papers. In all, 40 removable facsimiles can be enjoyed by the reader, several previously unpublished, including an intimate self-portrait in pen and ink and a plea for world peace. It's been said that John Lennon's was the voice of a generation. Lennon Legend celebrates that voice's power to resonate across the generations.

About this title

About the Author

James Henke is vice-president of exhibitions and curatorial affairs of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. For 16 years he was a writer and editor at Rolling Stone magazine. He has also written and edited several books on rock and roll.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-This book documents the contours of Lennon's personal life, from childhood through marriages and career; his extraordinary accomplishments as musician, writer, and social activist; his influence on his own generation; and his continuing legacy. The story has been told before, of course-though rarely as elegantly as it is here. Archival, black-and-white and color photos appear on every page, enriching and interacting with the text. But this is more than a book; it is a production. It is slipcased; it includes a CD (an interview and a live performance of Lennon's masterful Imagine); and many of the "illustrations" add a personal, tactile dimension to readers' experience: 40 eerily realistic facsimiles of Lennon memorabilia can be removed from pockets and handled. A weathered report card from 1956 (Art: "good work this term"; Religious Instruction: "Work fair-attitude in class most unsatisfactory"; Headmaster: "He has too many of the wrong ambitions and his energy is too often misplaced"), coupled with an issue of Lennon's bizarre hand-drawn underground school newspaper, The Daily Howl, tells more about the performer's childhood than any amount of explication could do, and adds real depth to readers' understanding of the writer, artist, and activist that Lennon would become. Henke's text is thorough but economical, avoiding the sensationalism that has always dogged Lennon's press without avoiding significant issues or events. Outstanding, and it should have broad appeal.
Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
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About this edition

• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0811835170
• ISBN 13: 9780811835176
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 64