Shout! The Beatles In Their Generation – Philip Norman, 1981 ★★★

The Act You've Known for All These Years

The murder of John Lennon on December 8, 1980 was the biggest thing that could have happened to a book called Shout! Coming out just weeks later, Shout! was effectively marketed as the first serious journalistic account of the rise and dissolution of Lennon’s famous band, the Beatles.

People mourning Lennon’s death, or simply curious about the global outcry surrounding his passing, proved a ready audience for the book by first-time author Philip Norman.

Comstock Lode – Louis L'Amour, 1981 ★★★★

L'Amour Goes Long, Successfully

Walking steady to face down a dangerous hombre, sharing coffee under the stars with people happy to take a bullet for you; catching up with a girl from your past who turns out both beautiful and fascinated by you: Reading this made me feel like a 12-year-old. Comstock Lode is pure escapism, and I lapped up every page.

The novel presents familiar territory for legendary Western author Louis L’Amour: Val Trevallion comes to the American West from Cornwall, England with his parents, who seek their fortune in an untamed land.