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List Price: $27.50 | | Publisher: Vendome Press
Salesrank: 96015
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| Our Price: $16.98 |
| Used Price: $14.00 |
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| Media: Hardcover |
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Editorial Review:
Yesterday: The Beatles Once Upon A Time documents the Beatles and the city of their birth during the making of their first film, A Hard Day’s Night, in 1964. It captures the rhythm and texture of the tough English port city where the smell of cigarettes and seawater mingled and the strains of pop music were transformed by an early 1960s music scene that gave birth to the Mersey Beat and the greatest band of all time.
Before they achieved world fame, the Beatles perfected their craft in another port of call, the northern German city of Hamburg. There they met Astrid Kirchherr, a budding photographer who became close friends with the band and later was engaged to the Beatles’ original bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe. Some four years later—by which time the Beatles had conquered the world—Kirchherr with Max Scheler visited the band and took the photographs that appear in this book. Kirchherr and Scheler focused on the Beatles in private and public moments, during the filming, and also on the city itself, on the streets, the music scene, the people, evoking for us today the gritty humor and passion of 1960s Liverpudlians.
This book offers a moving testament to the inspirational effect of the Beatles’ success on their hometown as well as an important chapter of the Beatles’ almost- mythic story.
Yesterday: The Beatles Once Upon a Time Reviews:
Lots of photos of the author 
2008-10-28 - I like this book but it has as many photos of Astrid as it does her subjects (I am exaggerating). Her preference for George is well known so there are many wonderful photos of him, just in case you are looking for a book with great George photos. Anyway, I am cynical I know but it seemed to me that Astrid really wanted to ride on the Beatles bandwagon. I would not have expected that being around the others, knowing that her love Stu was gone, would have pleased her so much. I noticed also that she abandoned the Beatles haircut and was vitually indistinguishable from Pattie and Cynthia. She looked good. All in all a nice photo essay of the early Beatles.
NOSTALGIA AT ITS BEST 
2008-02-15 - If you are a Beatles keenie and would enjoy seeing previously unpublished photos of the boys, this book is for you. It's a unique, bittersweet collection showing the joy and innocence which characterized the group's very early days together. A wonderful bonus is Astrid's introduction which provides information about these early days that was news even to this life-long Beatles fanatic!
Yesterday: The Beatles Once Upon a Time
2008-01-20 - My wife loved it and it made an a great addition to her Beatles collection.
Clarification 
2007-12-28 - To correct the previous review it should be noted that Astrid Kirchherr did NOT take the photograph which appears on the cover of Meet The Beatles. The photograph, which also appears as the cover of the band's second British release "With The Beatles" was taken by Robert Freeman. Astrid did however take some of the classic photos of the band as young, leather clad rockers in Hamburg. Those photos are not only classically artistic in their own right they are often considered to be the basic blueprint for much future rock and roll photography. Ultimately, Astrid Kirchherr did play a significant part in the early evolution of the Beatles. Like the previous reviewer I have not yet read the book so I do not feel qualified to rate it any higher than average at this time. However, as an avid Beatles fan I feel confident that any first hand account of their early days related by someone so close to the group during that early formative period should be interesting and informative reading.
Creator of the Beatle Haircut
2007-12-13 - have not read book but Astrid was their female babe friend in Hamburg. She was dating Klause Voorman, Artist on "Revolver" and Manfred Mann Bass player. Astrid and Stu Sutcliffe were in love with each other. Stu was the real 5th Beatle, friend of John and incompetent bass player for the Beatles before he died. Astrid took several famous pictures of the Beatles in Germany. She created A. the Beatles Haircut and B. the stylistic photo of the Beatles in half light and half dark as used on Meet the Beatles album cover and the British "With the Beatles" album cover. I will buy the book and read her perspective since she has a strong and unique postion in the early Beatles legacy.
Kevin Johnson
Houston, Texas
