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 The noted Beatles scholar, 56, fell in love with the Fab Four
as a child, and published his first Beatles-related reference
work in 1986. His latest book, "Tune In," was published late
last year.
The volume, which took 10 years to write, is the first in his
planned "All These Years" biographical trilogy. It begins in
1845, when the Irish potato famine forced John Lennon's
ancestors to migrate to Liverpool, and ends in December 1962,
shortly after the group released its first single, "Love Me Do."
Lewisohn concedes that the length, 880 pages in the U.S. version
and 1,728 in the unabridged British edition, may be daunting.
"Obviously, I want the book to be read by as many people as
possible. But it's as long as it needs to be," Lewisohn told
Reuters. "My interest is solely in learning as much as I can, to
get the story as right as possible."
Reviewers have praised Lewisohn's deft balance of scholarly
detail and gripping narrative. The author did not seek the
blessing of Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr or the estates of
Lennon and George Harrison for the unauthorized book.
"Access often comes with control, and it's crucially important
that this is no whitewash," he explained.
Lewisohn hopes that Volume 2, which will break off the narrative
around 1966, will be completed by 2020 and the third and final
installment about seven years after that.
"With this project, it's not about 'I've got enough, I can stop
now,'" he said. "It's 'If I don't turn over the next stone, I
might miss the best thing of all.' So I will turn over every
stone before I stop researching."
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 "Tune In" zeroes in on the youthful John, Paul, George and
Ringo and their apprenticeship in the rock clubs of Liverpool
and Hamburg, Germany.
Lewisohn hunted down early Beatles set lists and looked for
patterns. He discovered that Harrison was an equal partner in
the early days, at least in terms of sharing lead vocals
onstage. The 1962 performances featured a "George vocal" on
every third song, alternating with John and Paul, partly because
manager Brian Epstein wanted to show off the group's
versatility.
Lewisohn also demonstrates that, contrary to what some have said,
Ringo was a talented musician, and Liverpool's most in-demand
drummer.
"He was probably the only musician in Liverpool who had more stage
experience than even John, Paul and George," he said. "Anyone who
thinks he was an average Joe is actually insulting John, Paul and
George with their choice" of recruiting Ringo.
Lewisohn feels he still has more to learn about the group.
"I certainly don't think that this is a book just for Beatles fans.
This is a post-war history of our culture. These three books, when
eventually the series is completed, will be something that I hope
will stand for centuries to come."
(Editing by Patricia Reaney and Gunna Dickson)
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