The McCartney Legacy: Volume 2: 1974 – 80

I bought McCartney: The Biography as a gift for my stepdad, and he absolutely loved it. The book dives deep into Paul McCartney’s life and career, from his days with The Beatles to his solo work and Wings. It’s full of fascinating stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and a real sense of his personality. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just curious about his journey, this book is engaging, thorough, and inspiring. Highly recommended — a perfect gift for anyone who loves music history.

Absolutely delivers on the first volume (which was superb) - an essential purchase for the serious McCartney fan!

I grabbed this on Kindle at an absolute bargain price, and it is excellent. I know quite a bit about Paul McCartney and Wings, but I learned a lot from this book. The descriptions of the recording sessions are very detailed, which McCartney fans will love. This would be potentially dull for lesser fans, but the narrative keeps things spicy, with important details of Paul's professional and family life, interspersed with key moments of interaction with the other three Beatles. Some contemporary reviews add flavour too.

There are no superlatives to sum up just how impressive these two volumes are. Where McCartney’s own book The Lyrics gives loose retrospective views of his compositions, this book covers each song from this era from writing to recording, plus every event that was happening in Sir Paul’s life. Garnished with hundreds of original interviews with those who were there - including Geoff Britton who has barely spoken about this time, and Joe English who retired from public life three decades ago - this volume offers a fly-on-the-wall portrait of this lesser known period of Sir Paul’s life. Paul himself is not without a voice here, through hundreds of interviews - including some never seen before - McCartney offers his views on everything and everyone along the way. Decades from now these books will be considered important historical documents, chronicling in great and precise detail one of the most important figures in the history of popular culture. A must have for any Beatles or Wings fan.

The merits of this book include the undoubted quality of the research behind it and the amount of detail it offers. The downside, for me, is that it became a rather dull, repetitive read; and it's a very long book. Yes, it has great insights into McCartney's post-Beatle years. But it's a mostly linear, descriptive catalogue of very similar, recurring events - studio anecdotes, incidents involving band members, disappointing album reviews, encounters with ex-Beatles and so on. It lacks analysis and overviews of those themes so the narrative feels stuck in the same gear. Other readers obviously appreciate it, but I'm sorry to say it didn't sustain my interest.

Bought this book as a present for super McCartney fan. They are very pleased. Looked good together with volume one.

A thorough, gripping and endlessly fascinating account of 5+ years in McCartney's life, shedding new light on major events that other authors only skirt by. This is an essential read for any McCartney fans.

I got this second volume on the day of release after being totally gripped by the first book. What a wealth of detail in terms of the where when and who of Macca's day to day life and work. I spotted one small teen tiny error in a footnote (EMI did not release a Sex Pistols album). Otherwise this book is incredible. I cannot wait for Volume 3. As a music author myself, I have to take my hat off to this utterly supreme effort.

This is a massive and deeply rewarding book. It’s even larger than Volume 1, and somehow even more detailed. For fans of Paul, Wings, or the art of recording during this era, it’s a pure joy to read. I’m old enough to remember when Beatles albums were still being released for the first time, and I’ve followed McCartney’s solo career closely ever since. For fans like me who believe Paul’s post-Beatles work is every bit as fascinating, The McCartney Legacy: Volume 2 (1974 to 1980) is an absolute gem. This book covers the years when I really came into my own as a listener. Albums like Venus and Mars, London Town, and McCartney II weren’t just records to me ... they were EVENTS. Reading this book brings back the feeling of hearing those songs for the first time, and it’s a thrill to relive that creative period with such depth and care. I’m still making my way through it, but every chapter is full of new insights. Even after decades of listening, I’m learning things I never knew. The authors clearly did their homework, but the writing never feels dry or academic. It reads like it was written by people who truly love this music and want to share that love with fellow fans. If Volume 1 was impressive, Volume 2 takes it to another level. I’m already counting the days until Volume 3. This series is quickly becoming the definitive chronicle of McCartney’s solo journey.

super bien écrit, tres complet, reprend l'oeuvre de P. McCartney en détail, donc interessant

Really pleased with my purchase. Highly recommend seller - good price, quick delivery.

Fascinating reading

Great book. Perfect fast delivery. 10/10.