Stuart Maconie once remarked to Hunter Davies that the Beatles had been the subject of so many books that a new biography would be redundant. Yet Davies holds the distinction of being the world’s sole authorized chronicler of the band, despite an estimated 3,000 titles exploring various aspects of the Fab Four since the 1960s.
Davies, who developed a friendship with Paul McCartney while working at the Sunday Times in the 1960s, suggested a comprehensive biography was needed to provide the Beatles with a definitive account, sparing them from repeating the same interviews. After securing a contract with their manager Brian Epstein, Davies spent two years closely following the band and their families. His effort culminated in the 1968 publication of *The Beatles: The Authorised Biography*, which has sold millions of copies and remained continuously in print.
Reflecting on the Beatles’ lasting legacy, Davies acknowledged that even he underestimated their enduring influence and popularity. “I thought my book would be out of print in 10 years, that they’d be superseded by other acts,” he said, noting how the band’s stature has only grown with time. Now at age 90, Davies continues to write about the band and recently published his fifth Beatles-related book.
His latest work, *GET BACK: The Boys Who Became The Beatles*, situates the band within broader British social history of the post-war period, intertwining their early lives with the author’s experiences. Davies explores how shared backgrounds and access to public services—such as the National Health Service, which proved crucial for Ringo Starr’s childhood illnesses, and educational reforms—shaped them. He draws parallels between his upbringing in Carlisle and the band members’ lives in Liverpool, highlighting common cultural touchpoints like bicycles and working-class roots.
The book concludes with the release of the Beatles’ first single, *Love Me Do*, in 1962, underscoring the transformative impact of their emergence on music and society. Davies also touches on the interconnectedness of the band members’ schooling and upbringing, which he describes as a remarkable coincidence contributing to their unique collaboration. He compares their cultural significance to Shakespeare’s, noting that Beatles music remains universally accessible in a way the Bard’s work often is not.
This renewed interest in the Beatles parallels the upcoming release of a quartet of feature-length films by director Sam Mendes, each telling the band’s story from a different member’s perspective. Davies credits Mendes’s project with rekindling his own reflections and those hundreds of interviews he conducted over decades with band members, their families, and associates such as Brian Epstein.
Despite having authored over 100 books across six decades, Davies’s work on the Beatles remains a defining legacy, contributing to the ongoing narrative of one of the most influential musical acts in history.