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The Last Days of John Lennon

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The Last Days of John Lennon

Written by: James Patterson, Casey Sherman, Dave Wedge
Narrated by: Matthew Wolf, K.C. Clyde
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About this listen

Discover one of the greatest true crime stories in music history, as only James Patterson can tell it.

With the Beatles, John Lennon surpasses his youthful dreams, achieving a level of superstardom that defies classification. “We were the best bloody band there was,” he says. “There was nobody to touch us.” Nobody except the original nowhere man, Mark David Chapman. Chapman once worshipped his idols from afar - but now harbors grudges against those, like Lennon, whom he feels betrayed him. He’s convinced Lennon has misled fans with his message of hope and peace. And Chapman’s not staying away any longer.

By the summer of 1980, Lennon is recording new music for the first time in years, energized and ready for it to be “(Just Like) Starting Over". He can’t wait to show the world what he will do.

Neither can Chapman, who quits his security job and boards a flight to New York, a handgun and bullets stowed in his luggage.

The greatest true-crime story in music history, as only James Patterson can tell it. Enriched by exclusive interviews with Lennon’s friends and associates, including Paul McCartney, The Last Days of John Lennon is the thrilling true story of two men who changed history: One whose indelible songs enliven our world to this day - and the other who ended the beautiful music with five pulls of a trigger.

©2020 James Patterson, Casey Sherman, and Dave Wedge (P)2020 Little, Brown & Company
Entertainment & Celebrities Music True Crime Celebrity Exciting
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What the critics say

“A must read for music fans, true crime aficionados, or anyone looking for a deep, insightful dive into a dark chapter of American history.” —Town & Country

“Incredibly tense and thriller-like … I totally recommend it.”—Lee Child, #1 bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series

“A first-rate book . . . a winner.”—Baltimore Post Examiner

What listeners say about The Last Days of John Lennon

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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow

What a story. Always have been a huge Lennon and Beatles fan but did not know a lot of these stories.
Great production and story development.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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MIND BLOWING

I struggled with some of the later chapters because I had to re-play them over and over- WHY? because I really had difficulty dealing with Chapman's premeditated actions. I remember the night Lennon was murdered as if it was yesterday.

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Almost perfect

The chapters devoted to the life of John Lennon and the history of The Beatles are exquisite. The pages devoted to the inner thoughts of John Lennon’s assassin left me feeling uneasy. I don’t believe the murderer deserves the POV he is given. I’m sure it isn’t the intention of the author(s), but they have given far too much weight to a "person" who does not deserve to be spoken of in the same breath as the great artist whose life be so ruthlessly and pointlessly destroyed. The interest here in the soulless void that is John Lennon’s killer is the sort of attention for which he committed the act. And while it makes sense as a purely structural conceit, in practice the juxtaposition of POV felt tacky. It distracts from an otherwise sublime celebration of the life and times of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. The book is at its best when it focuses instead on the life, loves, and friendships of John Lennon and the Beatles. His killing was tragic; his killer, merely pathetic. My advice to anyone interested in this otherwise excellent and joyous celebration of Lennon's legacy is to simply skip the few chapters that attempt to peer into the mind of a murderer, where nothing of value is gleaned -- a black hole from which no light escapes.

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Well done

I just finished listening to this book, loved it! Great history about an amazing man! His life was too short, very sad!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Title a bit misleading......

It’s not really about the last days.......... it’s the entire life biography of the Beatles!!

Don’t get me wrong the story is good,

But I really was interested in the last days....

The Beatles are amazing and this story is good,

Should have been called” History of the Beatles including last days of John Lennon”

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Insightful

it is very nice to receive and read researched and first hand accounting of the Beatles beginning and rise to fame, yet still at such young ages. To learn where they went and what took them there. Clearing up and putting to rest the rumours of their eventual breakup without the demonisation of anyone. And the tragic end of John Lennon's life, put forth by a twisted and sick individual.
the characterisation of the parties involved made me feel a part of their success and their losses. It made me wonder how many interviews were done to fill in the blanks. And how many tireless hours of rechecks and rewrites were needed to keep this story honest, accurate and on track.
Thanks, as well, to the artful reading of this engrossing book.

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great book

Excellent listen. Now I hope to listen to Catcher In The Rye. This was well read and I learned a great deal more than I understood previously

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A fantastic recollection of a sad and devastating story

This was a fantastic recreation of the history of the Beatles through the life of John Lennon. I listened to it during my evening walks with my dog and was enamoured with the retelling of such a sad and devastating story about the life and death of one of 20th century’s greatest musicians.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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If you are a true fan-stay away!

Terrible! Basic info is wrong. Nothing new and much material is questionable. If you are a true Lennon fan don’t waste your time.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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not for audio

I couldn't fully get into the book. The accents sound weird, I'm not sure if the Mark Chapman narrative is based on reality or make belief assumptions...I personally didn't enjoy the back & fourth between the story of the Beatles & what Chapman was thinking.

Nothing worth listening to in my opinion. I'm going to check out the other book that was published less than two months before on Lennon next.

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