This constant trickle of books on the Beatles can overwhelm even steadfast Beatlemaniacs, but the enormity of the music has also drawn out curiosity among authors. The best books about the Beatles are found all over the world, they dwell from appreciation to criticism, the group’s rise and fall, and many an author has tried to narrate the story of the Fab Four.

Ajoy Bose’s book ‘Across The Universe’ etches in lyrical detail a picture of the world's greatest band torn apart by their inner dissensions yet bursting with creative genius. He revisits the swinging sixties with sounds from the greatest band in the history of rock music. In February 1968, John, Paul, George and Ringo visited an ashram in Rishikesh to learn Transcendental Meditation from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The book traces the path the Beatles took to India presenting a cast of colourful characters from across the universe that includes, among others, Hollywood actress Mia Farrow, Japanese performance artiste Yoko Ono, the controversial Greek Magic Alex and of course the two Indian gurus Pandit Ravi Shankar and the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It also tells the story of the author Ajoy Bose in bits and pieces.

The book was launched on the evening of 15^th March 2018 at the Royal Opera House, Mumbai. In attendance was Journalist and Editor of Scroll. in Naresh Fernandes who gave a Keynote Address on Bombay and the Beatles, followed by a conversation between the author and Journalist and Founding Editor of The Wire and author of ‘India Psychedelic: The Story Of A Rocking Generation’ Sidharth Bhatia. 

Pioneering local rockers Devieka and Suresh Bhojwani who are heavily inspired by the Beatles also performed a selection of best-loved Beatles numbers.

Bose has been associated for over four decades with a wide range of media at home and abroad including print and online publications, radio networks and television channels. He began his journalistic career in Patriot newspaper and Link magazine going on to become Delhi correspondent of Sunday magazine and later start the Delhi edition of The Sunday Observer and then on to become Executive Editor of the Pioneer newspaper. He was also India correspondent of The Guardian, London from 1978 to 1996 and later the New Delhi representative for The Khaleej Times, Dubai.

In India his columns and articles have been printed in various newspapers, newsmagazines as well as a number of online publications. He has broadcast extensively on the BBC, Voice of America and Radio Nederlands.

Bose has been associated with television in India right from its growth in the mid-1990s. He is also a leading political commentator and expert on various television news channels including CNN IBN where he used to be the Resident Commentator.

Bose has also written four books, his latest work ‘Across the Universe: The Beatles in India’ which in turn inspired his film directorial debut the award winning documentary ‘The Beatles and India’. Get your dose of the Beatles John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and ringo Starr in this well authored book. An excellent book written with great eye for detail Love the way the author connects the dots and puts everything in place for the reader to understand.

Publication date: 28^th February 2018

Pages: 320 pages

Publisher: Penguin Viking

Reviewed By Verus Ferreira