‘In this fascinating biography, Norman charts the intriguing contradictions of Harrison’s life’ Daily Mail. From the author of the bestseller Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation and the bestseller John Lennon: The Life comes a revealing portrait of George Harrison, the most underrated and mysterious member of the Beatles. Despite being considered one of the best guitarists of his time, George Harrison, especially in the early decades of his life, struggled with feelings of inferiority. He was often the butt of jokes by his bandmates due to his lower social background and was usually allowed to contribute only one or two songs to each Beatles album from the dozens he had written. Now, acclaimed Beatles biographer Philip Norman examines Harrison through the lens of his countless contradictions.

Compared to prominent songwriters John Lennon and Paul McCartney, he was considered a modest talent, yet he composed masterpieces such as ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ and ‘Here Comes the Sun’, while his solo debut album ‘All Things Must Pass’ achieved great success, appearing on many lists of the 100 greatest rock albums of all time. Contemporary music critics place him in the pantheon of iconic guitarists of the 1960s alongside names like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, and Jimmy Page.

Harrison resisted material reality, yet wrote the first pop song lamenting income tax. He spent years restoring Friar Park as a spiritual quest but quickly mortgaged the property to help save a film project that would be widely banned as blasphemous, the film Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Harrison could be fiercely jealous, yet he not only remained friends with Eric Clapton when Clapton fell in love with his wife, Pattie Boyd, but the two men became even closer when Clapton eloped with her.

Unprecedented in scope and filled with numerous color photographs, this richly detailed biography captures George Harrison in his most multifaceted form: a devoted friend, loyal son, outstanding guitarist, brilliant songwriter, immersed in cocaine use, serial cheater, global philanthropist, student of Indian mystical thought, self-deprecating comedian, and, ultimately, an iconic artist and person loved by millions.