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December 8, 1980

The Day John Lennon Died
by Keith Elliot Greenberg
December 8, 1980: The Day John Lennon Died. Backbeat: Hal Leonard. Nov. 2010. c.256p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780879309633. $24.99. MUSIC
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True crime author Greenberg (coauthor, Perfect Beauty: A Glamorous Socialite, Her Handsome Lover, and Brutal Murder) chronicles the final hours of former Beatle John Lennon's life on the day of his murder in New York City. Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, were busy recording, doing a photo shoot with Annie Leibovitz, and giving interviews for their just-released comeback album, Double Fantasy. Greenberg frames the day's events by intercutting details of Lennon's biography as well as histories of the other Beatles, Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman, and even the police officers who were first on the scene that night.
VERDICT The book does not cover much new ground, and Beatles and Lennon fans will be aware of most of the facts presented here, but this is an interesting examination of one of rock's darkest days and a poignant reminder of what was lost when Lennon died. Philip Norman's recent John Lennon: The Life is more suitable for readers seeking an in-depth look at Lennon's life.
Reviewed by Jim Collins, Morristown-Morris Twp. Lib., NJ , Oct 01, 2010
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