Paul McCartney helped write the soundtrack for a generation. As the Beatles skyrocketed from small gigs in basement clubs to sold out shows in Shea Stadium, they also went from singing songs like “Please, Please Me” to the transcendental “Something” of Abbey Road and ultimately “Let It Be.”

While much has been written about the Beatle years, Peter Ames Carlin takes a fresh look at McCartney’s entire life and casts new light on his years with Wings and wife, Linda McCartney. Carlin presents McCartney as a musical visionary, capable of crafting pop gems, such as “Band on the Run” and “Maybe I’m Amazed.” But he also reveals McCartney as a layered and often conflicted figure, as haunted by his legacy—and particularly his relationship with John Lennon—as he was inspired by it. Using dozens of original interviews and new research, Carlin’s lively biography captures the many facets of McCartney and paints a vivid portrait of one of our era’s living legends.  less