The Beatles Book

The Beatles Book (also known as Beatles Monthly) was founded in 1963 by publisher Sean O’Mahony. It was first published in August 1963 and continued for 77 editions until it stopped publication after the December 1969 edition, by which time The Beatles had effectively ceased to exist.

In May 1976 O’Mahony revived the publication and republished all 77 original issues surrounded by eight (later sixteen) pages of new Beatles news and articles. The reissue program completed in September 1982, coincidentally at a time when interest in the band was high due to the impending twentieth anniversary of Love Me Do. Consequently the decision was taken to continue the magazine with all new content. Publication continued until January 2003 (Issue 320) when it once again ceased.

In early 1963 O’Mahony published a magazine about the music scene called “Beat Instrumental”. On hearing Please Please Me he realised something special was happening and asked Brian Epstein if he could publish a magazine devoted to The Beatles. Epstein and the group agreed and the title launched in August 1963 with a print run of 80,000 [ The Beatles Who’s Who by Bill Harry. Aurum Press 1982 ] . By the end of the year circulation had grown to 330,000 copies per month [ Beatles Book January 2003 ] . O’Mahony edited the magazine under the name of Johnny Dean.

The magazine’s photographer, Leslie Bryce had unrivalled access to the group throughout the 1960s, travelling the world and taking thousands of photographs. In addition, Beatles roadies Neil Aspinall and the late Mal Evans wrote many of the articles, and artist Bob Gibson created numerous cartoons and caricatures of the fab four on a regular basis.