Paul McCartney: Now & Then

written by Tony Barrow and Robin Bextor | edited by Julian Newby

A unique and intimate portrait of the world's most successful singer-songwriter and musician, this remarkable book draws principally on the experience of two people who have worked closely with Paul McCartney at opposite ends of his career - Now and Then.

Tony Barrow was The Beatles' press officer from 1962-68. He coined the phrase "the Fab Four" and wrote sleevenotes for early Beatles' albums that have themselves become part of Beatle history. Writing about this period for the first time, he recalls those six crazy years that took in Beatlemania, world tours, meeting Elvis Presley and the filming of Magical Mystery Tour.

Writer and film-maker Robin Bextor spent time with Sir Paul as the musician approached his sixtieth birthday, and just as his extraordinary life was taking another set of dramatic turns. About to embark on a record-breaking world tour that would spawn yet another worldwide best-selling album, McCartney was set to be newly married, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and become a father once again.

Fully illustrated with rare, many previously unseen photographs, Paul McCartney: Now & Then also contains eyewitness accounts, observations and insights from other key figures in McCartney's life, including Steve Miller, Bob Wooler, Peter Asher, Donovan, Brian Wilson and Sir George Martin.

The result is a fascinating insiders' perspective on McCartney's whole career, which offers a revealing glimpse of the man behind the myth, and celebrates the work and life of an icon.

Award-winning film maker and writer ROBIN BEXTOR has made programmes on subjects ranging from heart transplants to the British Schindler, which won the Columbus Film Festival top prize. During the making of his "Discovery Special" documentary film Paul McCartney, he had unique access to Sir Paul and met all the major characters from the Beatles' past and present. He has also made hundreds of pop videos and written for many newspapers and magazines. He lives in London.

Writer and veteran show-business PR consultant TONY BARROW, who originally coined the phrase "the Fab Four" and whose memorable sleevenotes adorned some of The Beatles' biggest-selling albums, was the band's public relations manager for six years, 1962-1968, and travelled the world with them on their biggest concert tours as part of their inner circle. He lives in Lancashire.

"He's the charismatic Beatle whose life has become an enigma... A book by Robin Bextor and Ex-Beatles PR man Tony Barrow - including never-before-seen pictures from their personal albums - gives a unique insight into what he's really like" -- Daily Express

This book is not a biography of Paul McCartney, but something far more personal and out of the ordinary.

It is a series of snapshots that together form a picture of the man who, it could be argued, did more to change the face of popular culture than any other.

Bringing together a carefully selected series of eyewitness accounts - the authors' own plus others exclusively assembled for this project - and illustrated throughout with many rare photographs, Paul McCartney: Now and Then is an array of very real memories that create an intimate portrait of the man they call "Macca".