Brian Epstein - The Man Who Made The Beatles: Ray Coleman

In 1962, Epstein was the restless manager of the record department of his father's Liverpool store. By 1967, the architect of the biggest music phenomenon in history was dead at the age of 32. This is an in-depth look at the private man and the public legend - the suave, well-spoken pop tycoon who lived through his role as an impresario but whose flamboyant lifestyle marked a clandestine life of homosexuality. Ejected from the Army during national service, Epstein was a frustrated actor and bookshop salesman before finally returning to his father's furniture shop. At lunchtime, on November 9 1961, he drifted into a rock 'n' roll cellar, the Cavern, saw the Beatles and was transfixed. He quickly became their manager and was determined to make them world stars. To millions, it seemed the Beatles were an overnight sensation but behind the scenes was constant frustration and endless rejections from record companies. Once he secured their recognition, he went on to build a show business empire, managing Cilla Black, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and many others. But Epstein's relationships with his acts was never smooth; as the Beatles ran into problems during their 1966 US tour, Epstein was under siege - millions of pounds were lost through poor exploitation of their merchandising interests and Epstein was pilloried for his business ineptitude. At the same time his homosexuality added to the pressure, causing him to resort to a cocktail of pills - uppers and downers, causing his mood to swing from elation to despair, affecting his work. Yet he never lost the respect and affection of the entertainment world. He died on August 27 1967 from 'an incautious overdose' of drugs. The verdict was accidental death - yet the circumstances still remain mysterious. Without Epstein, the Beatles would never have succeeded as they did. Their story and music is immortal - yet the life and death of their mentor is at once a celebration of his conviction and a story of sad isolation. A must for any Beatle fan. Illustrated with black and white photographs.