BEATLENESS, by sociologist Candy Leonard, is the story of how the Beatles’ constant presence in the 1960s transformed the childhood and adolescence of millions of fans and how, with a little help from their fans, the Beatles remade the world.
Based on interviews with hundreds of fans of different ages and genders, Beatleness is a richly textured cultural history, showing what it was like to grow up immersed in not only the Beatles—from Ed Sullivan to the Apple rooftop—but the cultural zeitgeist they created.
Beatleness holds up a magnifying glass to the six-year timeline of the fan experience and allows the reader to experience—or re-experience—what it was like to be a young person during the Beatle years.
Reviews of Beatleness
“Candy Leonard was ‘possessed’ when she first heard the Beatles, and Beatleness is her story and ours. It’s breezy, smart and open-hearted, and everyone who grew up with the band—or wants to know what that was like—will appreciate its insights and feel its emotional impact.”
“Candy Leonard’s focus on the way the Beatles’ fans saw them—particularly as they changed, musically and otherwise, during the 1960’s—is both innovative and revealing, and adds new dimension to how we think of the Beatles and their accomplishments.”
“Beatleness taps into our generation’s collective memory and evokes the sixties through our personal relationship with the Beatles. The Beatles were our troubadours who helped us make sense of a turbulent era, and Beatleness shows us how. For those who want to see how the Beatles helped define a generation, this is the book to read.”
“Beatleness” goes way beyond the simple chronology of events, explaining why we felt the way we did about The Beatles and their music, and why they were so important to us. In telling the story this way, Beatleness provides a clearer picture of how they changed the world.”
“A fascinating study of the Beatles’ resounding impact upon late-twentieth-century American culture. . . . While hundreds of Beatles books stake claims about being the definitive work, Leonard’s Beatleness finally gets to the heart of the matter, offering readers new insights into the unusual and lasting nature of Beatles fandom.”
“As a college level Beatles instructor, I find Dr. Leonard’s work accessible to students new to the fields of sociology and critical cultural studies. This text puts the ‘popular’ back in Popular Culture Studies. What Howard Zinn accomplished in A Peoples History of the United States, Dr. Leonard achieves in Beatleness, a true People’s History of The Beatles.”
“First generation fans will appreciate this look back at a particular time in music history, while subsequent generations will enjoy learning why the band still plays a significant part in music and general history.”
“Candy Leonard’s evocative book is filled with striking insights into the experiences and sensibilities of the young who plunged into Beatlemania, and contributes much to a composite portrait of the sixties as they were lived.”
“Beatlemania was a singular force in the history of the world, and it has never been capably explained in all of its dimensions. But Candy Leonard’s Beatleness gets us a little bit closer. This is a soulfully written, genre-defying book that should be of interest to Beatles fans and cultural historians alike.”
“Unique among Beatle books, Beatleness is a heartfelt exploration of the relationship between the lads from Liverpool and first-generation fans, showing how that relationship changed all of us. You will find yourself in these pages, and you will love what you read.”
Candy in Person
Candy is available for media interviews, panel discussions, and presentations on Beatleness, the Beatles, the sixties, and the baby boomer experience. She is an engaging and charismatic speaker who delights in “edutaining” an audience.
Beatleness in the Classroom
Candy can also create a guest lecture or presentation tailored to the age and interests of students K-12, college age, or adult learners.
Suggested Beatleness Interview Questions
Who would be interested in this book? Is it only for Beatle fans?
You say the relationship between the Beatles and boomers is historically unique? How so?
You describe the fan experience as a “joyful trauma.” What does that mean?
You say the Beatles changed the culture of childhood in the sixties? How so?
How did the Beatles impact family life in the 60s?
Did the Beatles influence young people in the 60s to use drugs?
Did the Beatles influence young people in the 60s to oppose the war in Vietnam?
Were the Beatles agents of change or a reflection of change already happening?
What’s the connection between the Beatles and the ongoing “culture war?”
In what ways were the Beatles a significant force in post-war American history?
What role did the Beatles play in popularizing meditation and other Eastern spiritual practices?
