McCartney Times

It’s not strictly a Beatles book, but “The Time Traveler’s Handbook: 18 Experiences From the Eruption of Vesuvius to Woodstock” by James Wyllie, Johnny Acton and David Goldblatt, which hits the streets May 10, is a Reader’s Digest-type history book that looks at a variety of past events covering history, sports, music and literature from the year 79 A.D. to 1969. It includes a chapter with a special moment of Beatles history and this time it’s not “The Ed Sullivan Show.” It’s the years 1960 to 1962, when the pre-fame Beatles were playing away night after night in Hamburg.In the book, you make three separate time trips to see the group there. Each is sourced from Mark Lewisohn’s “The Beatles: All These Years – Volume 1, Tune In.” The first, on Aug. 26, 1960, finds the five Beatles (then with Stu Sutcliffe and Pete Best) at the Indra where they do four one-hour sets between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. performing songs including “Over the Rainbow.” The second, on April 15, 1961, is at the Top Ten where the band performs with Tony Sheridan. The third on Nov. 11, 1962, finds the Beatles, now managed by Brian Epstein, at the Star-Club after the death of Sutcliffe and with new drummer Ringo Starr. On this night, they are opening for Little Richard, who is performing with Sounds Incorporated. Each entry features what someone might have observed if they had been there.

Source: New book travels back in time to the Beatles before they were famous | Examiner.com