Understanding John Lennon

Understanding John Lennon takes us back to where it all began. While other writers have only touched on the ‘cause’ of John’s genius, Francis Kenny reveals its roots in the post-war nature of Liverpool, John’s family with its complex history, and the pain and hurt John felt during his childhood, revealing how his early life experiences shaped his brilliance as a songwriter and musician. Of all the books on The Beatles, this is the only one by an author who was himself born and raised under the same influences as the band’s, in the heart of Liverpool. From the maritime nature of the city to its blue-collar background and the Irish heritage of its people, this book provides an insight into post-war Liverpool and John’s family life, which gave rise to his brilliant but conflicted nature and traces how this ultimately contributed to the fall of The Beatles. Covering Lennon’s life from Liverpool to New York, Kenny writes with sympathetic understanding of the confusion, pain, and corrosiveness that can, at times, accompany the demands and expectations of the creative process at its highest level. With new material revealing the real source of inspiration of ‘Strawberry Fields.’

After spending 20 years in the construction industry in the UK and abroad, Francis Kenny was awarded a degree by Liverpool University and went on to obtain MAs in Social Policy, Urban Regeneration, and Screenwriting while teaching in special education and the social sciences. With extensive research into The Beatles spanning a lifetime, he published his first novel, Waiting for The Beatles in 2006, including an associated screenplay and television work, followed by The Making of John Lennon in 2014.