The Beatles are overrated—so say some, but I’m not among them. One of the reasons? I’ve read Steve Turner’s fantastic Beatles ‘66. The book follows the band through the entire “Revolutionary Year,” showing not only how pivotal it was for the group but also pop music, even the wider culture, more generally.

Turner’s look at the band members’ faith was fascinating, as was his take on the “more popular than Jesus” story. John, Paul, George, and Ringo (Richard) all shared names with Christian saints, but all moved on to one degree or another.

Turner also explores the internal creative dynamics of the group and the wider creative competition with acts like The Beach Boys, The Who, and others. Highly recommended.