The Beatles: All These Years by Mark Lewisohn | Page 8 | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

I’ve always thought that the 31 December 1962 was the right ending for the first volume, and it is the one being used. You end it in 1961, you still have Pete Best in the band, and Ringo still with Rory Storm. Lewisohn has, rightly IMO, the first volume bringing all the pieces together for the fame that engulfs the group during 1963. Ending it with the ending of the Hamburg years, as they step off stage at The Star Club for the last time, just makes sense. I think he would have faced a lot of questions if Volume One ended before Ringo had even joined.

He does not end it at the end of ’61, but at the end of ’62. As I posted above (now on bottom of previous page), the article which gave ’61 has since changed it to ’62 – which has been the date floating around for ages. The one article that said ’61 no longer does. ’61 was a typo.

The length differences are explained in the article. I know they ask us not to reproduce in full, so here are the two relevant paragraphs:

          Lewisohn says the smaller mass-market U.S. hardback with 1,200 pages will be released Oct. 10 by Crown Archetype. The mass-market U.K           hardback with 1,000 pages, will be released Oct. 10 from Little, Brown.

          “The difference between the editions is words,” Lewisohn said, “about 380,000 in the UK, about 430,000 in the U.S. (The U.S. edition) will
          include the endnotes, omitted in the UK for space reasons.”

It goes on to say that the “author’s cut” will include about 780,000 words, and be about 2000 pages. Lewisohn also adds that Crown Archetype are yet to pick up the “author’s cut” and so, for US customers, it will only be available as import.

DrBeatle said

mja6758 said
The length differences are explained in the article. I know they ask us not to reproduce in full, so here are the two relevant paragraphs:

          Lewisohn says the smaller mass-market U.S. hardback with 1,200 pages will be released Oct. 10 by Crown Archetype. The mass-market
          U.K hardback with 1,000 pages, will be released Oct. 10 from Little, Brown.

          “The difference between the editions is words,” Lewisohn said, “about 380,000 in the UK, about 430,000 in the U.S. (The U.S. edition)
          will include the endnotes, omitted in the UK for space reasons.”

It goes on to say that the “author’s cut” will include about 780,000 words, and be about 2000 pages. Lewisohn also adds that Crown Archetype are yet to pick up the “author’s cut” and so, for US customers, it will only be available as import.

I know that, I read the article, too. I wasn’t asking *if* there were page # differences, I was asking *WHY*. His answer saying the publisher hasn’t decided to offer the longer edition in the US isn’t a reason *why*.

 

I believe the “why” to the questions is inferred in what’s said. For the standard edition, the UK publishers balked at the length and Lewisohn agreed to cutting the endnotes, knowing that all he wanted would be included in his “author’s cut”. As for the US publisher deciding not to take the “author’s cut” at this time, it can be assumed that they do not believe such a long and expensive book will sell in the market they are catering for.

That’s just my reading between the lines though.

I know Lewisohn has expressed some unhappiness at the £120 price tag on the “author’s cut”, saying that he expects it to be lower by the time of publication, and that he hopes to see it at around £85 when it hits the shelves.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, £85 is still damn expensive here in the UK as well! It’s just less expensive than the £120 price-tag on it at the moment, and every pound off… My order is already in, knowing that in the end I’ll pay whatever the price is when we reach October.