Book Review: Paul McCartney: The Biography

It was a surprise when Paul McCartney granted Philip Norman – a writer he’d considered hostile towards him – approval to be his biographer. Despite penning tomes about Elton John and Mick Jagger, Norman says the offer from McCartney was “the biggest surprise of my career”.
The book delves into the emotional trauma the young Macca experienced following his mother’s death, as well as the inspiration he gained from his only music teacher, his father Jim.
It exposes the troubled creative partnership he shared with John Lennon, which still haunts him, in addition to his complex, workaholic nature, Norman also examines McCartney’s near-breakdown post-Beatles, his determination to form Wings and his marriages to Linda Eastman – who died of cancer – and Heather Mills. This biography is a compelling chronicle of the life of an immortal icon.