John & Paul : A Love Story in Songs

A majestic biography of two young geniuses who merged their talents to create one of the greatest bodies of music in history.

John & Paul begins in 1957, when two teenagers in suburban Liverpool meet and decide to play rock n’roll together. It ends twenty-three years later, when one of them is murdered. In between, we see them become global stars, create countless indelible songs, and play a central role in shaping the modern world.

Lennon and McCartney were more than friends, rivals or collaborators. They were intimates who both had the fabric of their world ruptured at a young age, and who longed to make emotional connections; with each other, and with audiences. The pop song was a vessel into which they poured feelings of grief and euphoria and everything in between. When they couldn’t speak what they felt, they sang it. After the break-up of their group, they maintained a musical dialogue at a distance, in songs full of recrimination, regret, and affection.

Ian Leslie traces the twists and turns of their relationship through the music it produced and offers rich insights into the nature of creativity, collaboration and human connection. Drawing on recently released footage and recordings, this is a startlingly fresh take on two of the greatest icons in music history.

Leslie’s majestic and wildly enjoyable biography will make us see and hear Lennon and McCartney anew.

The first new Beatles story in decades – and the one that will make your heart burst.’ CAITLIN MORAN

‘Ian Leslie has done the impossible, and breathed new life into one of the world’s most studied bands.’ GQ

‘The most moving and revelatory book on Lennon and McCartney I have ever read. So joyful, so sad.’ TOM HOLLAND

‘This thoughtful, fresh look at the creative collaboration of Lennon and McCartney turns the clichés on their heads.’ SUNDAY TIMES

Ian Leslie is a writer and author of acclaimed books on human behaviour. Ian’s first career was in advertising, as a creative strategist for some of the world’s biggest brands, at ad agencies in London and New York. He now writes about psychology, culture, technology and business for the New Statesman, the Economist, the Guardian and the Financial Times. He co-hosted the podcast series Polarised, on the way we do politics today, and created and and presented the BBC radio comedy series Before They Were Famous. He advises CEOs and CMOs on communication and workplace culture. Ian is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He lives in London with his wife and two young children.