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Roag Best
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The Beatles: The True Beginnings Hardcover – May 1, 2003

by Roag Best (Author), Pete Best (Author), Rory Best (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 28 ratings
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The Casbah Coffee Club, which opened in Liverpool on August 29, 1959, was the brainchild of Mona Best, the mother of Pete Best. It is well known that Pete Best was the drummer for The Beatles in their early days in Liverpool and Hamburg. But less well known is that The Beatles’ origins were in fact at Pete’s mother’s club-it was at the Casbah and with Mona Best’s blessing that the greatest popular music phenomenon of the twentieth century began.

And now, the basement club where The Quarrymen, The Silver Beatles, and finally The Beatles played over 90 times before they hit the Cavern has been reopened and revealed by this remarkable new book. The Casbah’s significance cannot be overestimated-it brought together some of the greatest names in rock music and became the catalyst for the Mersey Beat phenomenon that swept Liverpool in the early 1960s.

Seen here for the first time in forty years is the basement’s interior as it was at the very beginning, juxtaposed with the rooms as they are today, where the ceilings painted by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best still rest. A wealth of rare material from the club and the Bests’ own archives, together with newly-commissioned images by renowned photographer Sandro Sodano, documents the club’s and The Beatles’ intertwined stories.

The Beatles: The True Beginnings also features accounts from early fans hearing the Beatles for the first time. Stunning new color photography of the rooms and memorabilia of the Casbah Coffee Club. Gritty, never-before seen photos of the young Beatles playing for hundreds of of their very first fans. And comments from the Beatles and their closest friends from the period.

Accompanied by a fascinating personal memoir of this extraordinary time, written by Roag Best with his brothers Pete and Rory, this is both a moving family tribute and a unique insight into a remarkable period of Beatles history. The glory of the Casbah has hidden for almost half a century in the Best family’s basement rooms. This account of their earliest days promises to blow back its roof, and that of the Beatles’ unbelievable history, forever.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    200 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Thomas Dunne Books
  4. Publication date
    May 1, 2003
  5. Dimensions
    11.38 x 0.88 x 9.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0312319258
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0312319250
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Handsomely presented and written in clean, lucid prose, the book informs the Beatles' story with an unlikely family history and a vivid portrait of Liverpool's vibrant music scene in the late Fifties and early Sixties." ---Rolling Stone

“I think it’s a good idea to let people know about the Casbah. They know about the Cavern, they know about some of those things, but the Casbah was the place where all that started. We helped decorate it and stuff. We looked upon it as our own personal club.” --Sir Paul McCartney

“A wonderful book.” --Mail on Sunday (UK)

“At last something new to experience about Beatles history.” --Observer (UK)

“Popular Culture’s Sistine Chapel.” --BBC News


"Handsomely presented..., the book informs the Beatles' story with an unlikely family history and a vivid portrait of Liverpool's vibrant music scene in the late Fifties and early Sixties." (Rolling Stone)

About the Author

Roag Best has worked in the music industry since he was fifteen. He has traveled all over the world as a musician, songwriter, promoter, and manager.

Pete Best is world-renowned as the ‘fifth Beatle’ who played drums alongside John, Paul, and George through 1962. Today he writes, records, and tours with his own group, The Pete Best Band.

Rory Best found the house at 8 Haymans Green, which was to become home to the Casbah Coffee Club, the birthplace of The Beatles and the catalyst for Mersey Beat.

Sandro Sodano (Art Photographer) graduated from St. Martin’s College of Art and Design in 1989.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition (May 1, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0312319258
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312319250
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.58 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 11.38 x 0.88 x 9.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 28 ratings

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Roag Best

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
28 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

JEANNE L. GIBSON
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2019
Verified Purchase
I'd just returned from Liverpool and the Casbah.......in awe of this historical place when I found this book on Amazon. Ordered it used ( was from another states library) one page missing......but it made it so easy to remember all the great treasures I saw there with the author. ( I'd had a private showing with Roag at the Casbah. Thanks to the Best family for their early contribution to the founding of the Beatles !)
2 people found this helpful
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Strozy
5.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to the Casbah
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2007
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This book is heavy with pictures on every page,including rooms The Beatles painted and played in,clothes they wore before the leather look,a diagram of The Casbah. Many stories about people and events that took place there."As was written,It was hot and sweaty.No booze,just coffee and coke and fantastic live music."If you are wondering who Roag Best is,he is the son of Mona and Neil Aspinall.
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D. Thomas
4.0 out of 5 stars The story of an often overlooked, but critical part of The Beatles' history
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2019
Found a couple of unfortunate errors. 1) "Ain't She Sweet" is not a Beatles "original" and 2) there was a photo of a harmonica, with a caption says "John Lennon gave this harmonica to Mona after The Beatles' first US tour in 1969". Now that sentence is not well worded; it's POSSIBLE that John gave Mona the harmonica in 1969, but The Beatles' 1st tour of the US was definitely NOT in 1969; so, is the date a typo, or should they have constructed the sentence a bit differently?

In any event, apart from those two errors (which are not a good thing in historical books), the book was truly enjoyable, and helped me to relive my 2018 trip to the Casbah. Roag Best (the author of this book) was an OUTSTANDING tour guide; his energy and enthusiasm are contagious. When you get to Liverpool, the Casbah is a MUST see. If you can't make it to The Casbah, this book is the next best thing.
One person found this helpful
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Cynthia L. Roberts
5.0 out of 5 stars The Beatles: True Beginnings
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2009
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I bought this book for my sister-in-law from her wish list on Amazon. I am happy with my purchase and thank Amazon for wish lists for customers so others can buy items people would like for gifts. This book is for my sister-in-law for a Christmas gift this year. I know she'll like and enjoy it.
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Ron Ganz
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2018
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Love this book
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John Spytek
5.0 out of 5 stars Do people just write stuff they read on other websites?
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2012
Several of the negative reviews contain misinformed information - the Beatles were friends of the Casbah owner Mona who was a significant reason for their success. First the house she purchased was bought on a horse race wager made with money from her pawned jewelry - it was a 33 to 1 bet in a win. Imagine if she had and the Casbah never came into existance.

Second the Beatles hand painted each of the rooms in the Casbah. After playing there for several years to hundereds of fans - the final show had 1,500 fans trying to get in.

The book is a great resource to a different side of the beginning of the Beatles.
3 people found this helpful
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Leggo Ami
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2010
Random great things about this book:

1.) Fab photos of gear, memorabilia and the Casbah space iteslf as it appears today.

2.) Even for this seasoned veteran of Beatles books, I learned quite a lot. I won't spoil it for you.

3.) It's a great context-builder and provides information about the Liverpool scene. A nice glimpse into this gone world.

4.) A complete lack of bitterness! That's a pleasant shock. We learn that Mona Best, founder of the Casbah, kept in touch with the Beatles after Pete was sacked. I had no idea. There are pictures of souvenirs they sent her from their world travels. No assumptions are made. If the Best family authors don't know something, they don't assume. Though the book is about the Beatles and Pete Best, it is also, in large part the story of Mona Best and her basement coffee bar, the Casbah...The latter is what makes the book unique. I promise you the story is interesting.

5.) The book's design is worth comment. Text is frequently broken up by the lavish illustrations. Text pages are plain brown paper; those with nice images are glossy. It's not the usual photo supplement in the middle thing.

One of the best Beatle books of the last 5-6 years.
3 people found this helpful
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Patrick King
2.0 out of 5 stars CAVEAT EMPTOR!
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2011
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Anyone who's followed the illustrious careers of the Beatles for the past 48 years has encountered any number of Beatle rip-offs. Most of these consist of long narcissistic analysis from some completely unqualified writer. In The True Beginnings, we have a completely NEW Beatle rip-off. These authors definitely have a product here that any Beatlemaniac would want to own. There are some spectacular photos of the Beatles and their contemporaries from when they were first learning to play music. Very exciting, right? That's why I plunked down my $16.

The problem is ALL of these photos are reproduced here on BROWN MANILLA-STYLE PAPER that completely absorbs the ink and leaves the viewer, in many cases, unable to distinguish who the person is in the photo. Unfortunately, all the significant text is on these pages as well, in about an 8 point type so it is very hard to read, especially if you happen to be about 62-years-old.

Disappointed? Let me tell you about it! But it gets better: About 25% of this book is on beautiful, glossy paper just loaded with photos... of a 45 rpm record, of microphone wire, of a pair of broken glasses, of a Marine Band harmonica. A TWO-PAGE GLOSSY SPREAD OF A MARINE BAND HARMONICA! Could I make this up?

Why didn't they put the old photos on the glossy pages so their readers can see them? That's all I'm asking.

Do NOT, as I did, buy this book sight unseen. Go to a books store or a library and see it yourself, first. I would NEVER have bought True Beginnings had I perused it.

One of my fellow reviewer says this books makes her want to fly to Liverpool. It makes me want to fly to Liverpool too... so I can strangle the art director of this project.
10 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

S. Collini
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous book!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 6, 2023
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Very interesting. A different 'take' on the Beatles
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Herbert Major
5.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting Book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2020
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Excellent account of the very early life of the Beatles, and the Importance of Pete's mum to the growth of the Mersybeat sound. Mo Best and the Casbah Club were far more important to the rise of the Liverpool sound than is generally known. One problem I found was the coloured pages combined with small print made it hard for me to read. I am in my mid seventies and need glasses to read with. However I am glad I bought it, And well worth the money Tom
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jan
4.0 out of 5 stars good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 2, 2010
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this book is as it says the true beginnings of the beatles with some great pictures in there too
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maurice hayes
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books on the beatles ever!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2019
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This was a truly great book on the real birth of the fab four, great tribute to mona best and her club and her children, would really recommend it for all hard core fans!!
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Marsden R LORDGE
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 15, 2014
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I love this book because of it history with the BEST family and the Beatles. I highly recommend this book.
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