Review: Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney

by Elizabeth Read

Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney by Howard Sounes

As evidenced by the 28 pages of source notes and the over two hundred interviews documented in this unauthorized biography, Howard Sounes has delved extensively into the life of Paul McCartney. Recording undisputed facts as well as tracking the veracity of rumours, the author provides a “warts and all” examination of a talented musician who rocked to superstardom in his early twenties with the world’s most famous band.

The most ambitious of The Beatles, McCartney knew from an early age that he wanted to be famous and he capped that goal with his knighthood. Sounes traces early influences, the musicians who shaped his career, his relationship with Jane Asher, and the two marriages that defined his home life. The Asher family took him into their home as the Beatles grew in fame and McCartney rewarded Jane’s devotion with numerous affairs and demands that she give up her acting career for him. He finally settled down in his first marriage to a former groupie, Linda Eastman, which ended with her death from cancer. McCartney’s second ill-fated marriage to Heather Mills ended in lurid headlines. Many of the choices in his life, including numerous drug possession arrests were not wise ones. But as an extremely wealthy man he has the resources to live life on his own terms, while also enjoying the perks of being famous.

The “nice” image that McCartney has cultivated hides his determined and controlling personality. He is understandably fanatical about protecting his privacy, but he also requires deference from those in his inner circle. Since the break-up of the Beatles, McCartney has surrounded himself only with musicians who follow his lead. As a result, his later musical output is often bland and superficial. It appears McCartney required input from the acerbic John Lennon to induce his best efforts. Ironically, McCartney has now found himself in the positing of being the keeper of the Beatles’ legacy. Bowing to audience demands, he has gradually included more of their music in his sold-out concerts.

The amount of detailed information in Fab: An Intimate Life could overwhelm even the most enthusiastic fan of Paul McCartney. But it’s written in a conversational style and with the author’s candid yet reverential look at his subject, the book is hard to put down.