s, along with their associated singles, introduced the Beatles first to England and then to several countries across the world, including Canada and the United States. Although often overlooked due to the excellence of the group's later albums, these early albums contain the exciting songs that fueled Beatlemania. These albums showcased the songwriting talents of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, as well as incredible cover versions of songs from the group's stage show. Had the Beatles not evolved and matured, the group would still be well respected for the quality of the recordings on these two albums. In addition to the usual chapters on the British, American and Canadian perspectives, the book contains chapters on the Decca audition and the EMI artists test session. There are also chapters on the recording sessions and album covers, as well as on the news, music and films of the era to place these albums in their proper context. It is a 9" x 9" hardcover book to match the other books in Bruce Spizer's Beatles Album Series. It is 272 pages long and contains over 290 color and original black and white images.