A celebration of the four longhaired, oddly dressed chaps who took over America—filled with facts, stories, and photos. Within just two months of the Beatles' debut on Ed Sullivan's variety hour, the band had secured all five top spots on Billboard's Hot 100, and before year's end would sell an astonishing ten million records. Filled with dozens of color and black and white photographs, The Beatles details the rise and fall of the Fab Four, and the stories behind the men, their relationships, the creation of the songs, the tours, the albums, and the unstoppable spread of Beatlemania around the globe. Topics covered include: The band's rise to fame in 1964 and their grueling schedule of sixty-six tours in three years The unique songwriting partnership between John Lennon and Paul McCartney The Soviet Union's banning and bashing of the band—and how it backfired A debate over the best Beatles tunes The inevitable demise of the Fab Four, and the reasons behind it The long solo careers of the four artists after the dissolution of the band The five top contenders for the "Fifth Beatle" (plus ten runners-up) The story of Capitol Records exec who nearly stalled the Beatles' entrance into America A look at the band's children, discussing the music careers of Julian Lennon, Sean Lennon, Zak Starkey, James McCartney, and Dhani Harrison