In 1964 Brian Epstein was the manager of the most famous and adored pop band in the world.  As the man who discovered the Beatles, Epstein was perfectly placed to document the circus that surrounded them.  A Cellarful of Noise is his personal account of life with the Fab Four, starting at the very beginning.

An autobiography, Brian Epstein wrote this book just before his 30th birthday.  As a young man of 27 he was working in ‘NEMS’, one of his family record stores, when a lad by the name of Raymond Jones asked him for a very specific record.  The record was “My Bonnie” by the Beatles and that random meeting would change his life.

Epstein’s description of his own childhood is detailed – it’s easy to see where his grit and determination to succeed came from. Expelled from school at 10 (he was exiled to Southport during the war with his family just four years before) his attitude toward formal education continued to decline until leaving Wrekin College aged 15, excelling in art and drama and, shockingly, with ambitions to become a fashion designer.  He left RADA and began working for the family business, soon running his own chain of record stores. By the time John, Paul, George and Pete Best came into his life the Liverpool music scene was thriving and Epstein knew he was onto something.

This concise tale is considered one of the essential texts about the Beatles. And for good reason – Epstein’s account is well-written and littered with important details. From The Cavern via Hamburg to the top of the US Billboard Charts, everything is covered and the dynamics of the band are evident (John was the dominant one – the leader, Paul was moody but loyal, George was “the business Beatle… generous but shrewd” and as for Ringo, he was “…uncomplicated, a very nice young man”.)

Epstein died of an accidental drug overdose in August 1967. Paul McCartney once said of Epstein: “If anyone was the Fifth Beatle, it was Brian.”  If you’re into the Beatles make sure you read this book.