Book Description
"PAUL IS DEAD."
It was the late 1960s, the Beatles hadn't toured since 1966, and some truly bizarre indications began appearing, pointing to the unthinkable: Paul McCartney had been killed in a car accident and replaced by a look-alike. The Walrus Was Paul unearths every single clue from one of rock 'n' roll's most enduring puzzles and takes you on a magical mystery tour of baffling, yet fascinating, hints for solving this mystery.
Test your "Paul is dead" trivia knowledge. Did you find and answer the following clues on the front cover?
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To what song does the title, The Walrus Was Paul, refer?
"I Am the Walrus," which appeared on the clue-filled album Magical Mystery Tour.
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There is an egg in Paul's eye. Why?
In the song "I Am the Walrus," John Lennon sings, "I am the eggman...I am the walrus" -- and later, in the song "Glass Onion," we find out that, in fact, "the walrus was Paul."
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To what album (and richest source of "Paul is dead" clues) do the red, Victorian-style design elements on the front refer?
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
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Why is the image of Paul McCartney on the cover blurry? Are there distinguishing characteristics that might lead you to conclude something is awry?
Many photographs of Paul in these questionable years were blurry, and Paul had a mustache, which allegedly concealed the fact that this was not Paul and the plastic-surgery scars were being hidden from his curious public.
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The anagram on the bottom of the cover refers to a Greek island where John Lennon had what planned?
The island Leso is the "hidden Greek island" on which John Lennon planned to bury Paul, and it is spelled out as "Be at Leso" on the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Customer Reviews:
Good overview on a fascinating topic.......2007-05-17
This is a good overview of the "Paul is Dead" rumor/conspiracy theory. Although a good bulk of it is filler type stuff consisting of general Beatles history I think I actually liked this book better than the other one that was written on the topic.
Great for Beatle Fans.......2007-05-07
I am a huge Beatle Buff and when it came to my senior class project I knew it would be about the Paul is Dead hoax. The first thing I bought was this book and I used it as a mjor resource for my report. Not only is it well written but provides massive amounts of information relating to the hoax. Definitely a good read for any fan of the group, Paul, or conspiracy theories!
A paycheck for R. Gary Patterson - nothing more........2006-08-11
I would never waste my own money on such mindless blather. I received it is as a gift from a well meaning friend who knows I am a Beatles officianado and thoutht I might enjoy it. First, it is just a useless rehash of an urban-legend / supposed conspiracy that's long since been accepted to be total rubish. So, who cares? I suppose there may be some who still do but I am certainly not among them. Secondly, it is fraught with inaccuracies - many of which are detailed in other reviews on this site. The logic throughout the book follows the original disinformational logic used during the initial "revelations". ie: A cat has 4 legs and a tail. A horse has 4 legs and a tail. Therefore, a cat is a horse. DUH! A recommended read only for the most addicted Beatle historians or those who have absolutely no life and all the time in the world to live it. I can only justtify my own time spent reading as Taking One for the Team. Please learn from my mistake.
Welcome to the Mystery Tour.......2006-05-23
In was in October of 1969 that American radio spread the incredible news that Paul McCartney "may" have been killed in a car crash and his place taken by an imposter. Like many others who lived this the first time around, I spent many hours in my dorm room playing my Beatles records backwards and caught up in the "Paul is Dead" hysteria. This book takes me back to those magical days as each chapter reveals many of the clues I grew up with. What was fascinating to me is how many clues I missed!! It is true that there are several websites that include photographs from this work along with the author's anaylsis ( in particular the bass drum clue from the Sgt. Pepper's LP).
If you are just discovering the "Paul is dead" phenomena for the first time you are in for a treat. All the clues are contained in an appendix along with a quiz to test your knowledge of one of the greatest myths of all time. The author is also a fascinating radio guest and is capable of keeping me up all night long listening to his stories of rock and myth. Pick this book up. You'll enjoy it!
One of the worst Beatle books.......2006-05-18
This is not a serious examination of the "Paul is Dead" clues and should not be mistaken for one. The credibility of the book is nil because it is full of obvious factual errors such as...
Pg 14: Glen Campbell spells his name with one "n" not two. It's Bruce Johnston with a "t". Page 65: Though an early working title for the Stones lp was possibly Her Satanic Majesty's Request, the actual title of the final release was Their Satanic Majesties' Request. (Neither title makes a whole helluva lotta sense)
Pg 21: Robert Fraser is misidentified as a "photographer," when in fact he was Paul's heroin-addicted gallery owner friend, a business partner with the actual photographer for the Sgt Pepper sessions, Michael Cooper. All this is detailed in the book, Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, released after Patterson's book, but Cooper is clearly noted as photographer on the back cover of Sgt Pepper!
Pg 27: Though Lennon may've said that Paul's major contribution to "A Day in the Life" was the "I'd love to turn you on" bit, surely his major contribution is the well-known middle eight, the "woke up, fell out of bed" bit. Paul wrote that exclusive of John and Paul sings it.
Pg 40: The assertion that it "took a full night" to record the "inner groove" is wrong. It was a fairly quick effort on Friday 21 April, part of a session that also included mono mixing for "Only a Northern Song." Surely the mixing took up most of the time. Why, when Patterson's own bibliography lists the Lewisohn book, The Beatles Recording Sessions (univerally admired for its accuracy), did he go to the suspect Dowlding for the lowdown on this issue? (See page 109 of Lewisohn).
Pgs 99-100: The Question and Answer session described as a "press conference" is no such thing. Those questions and the answers were authored by Paul McCartney as part of a promotional insert given away with some early copies of the McCartney lp. There was no real press conference, just a self-serving fake one by a recently solo Beatle.
There's too much reliance here on bad secondary and tertiary sources, and no fact checking. It's just plain awful. This odd pop culture phenomenon deserves better treatment. (Comments are based on an earlier edition by Dowling Press)
Book Description
World class klutzoid,, Wally McDoogle, and his buddies, Opera and Wall Street win the Gazillion Dollar Lotto! Everything is great!!! . . .for a total of 1.3 seconds. That's how long before their greed kicks in. Add some bungling bad guys, a break-in to the local zoo (where Wally has lost the ticket), the accidental release of all the animals, a SWAT team or two. . . And you have the usual McDoogle mayhem as our boy blunder leers the dangers of both greed and materialism.
Customer Reviews:
My Life as a Walrus Whoopee Cushion.......2002-03-07
My Life as a Walrus Whoopee Cushion
By: Bill Myers
The comedy/novel, My Life as a Walrus Whoopee Cushion, is about a klutzy kid named Wally who messes up everything. Wally and his two friends, Opera and Wall Street, buy a Lotto ticket that is worth 2.1 gazillion dollars. Through a series of misfortunes, they learn their lesson.
One of my favorite Characters in this book is Opera. He is very dumb, and will do anything for potato chips and classical music; henceforth, the name, Opera. This book teaches that greed can ruin lives. What I like best about the book is how the writer grabs you with things you can relate to. The ending of this book is satisfying and realistic.
Bill Myers' style of writing keeps you engrossed in the book. There are so many funny jokes and things about life you can relate to, you can't put the book down. Bill gives the exact right amount of details, and the vocabulary is intermediate. This book would appeal to 8-13 year-olds because it is easy and fun. I recommend this book for it's hilarious content, and great theme.
I give this book four stars.
A wonderful book!.......1999-07-13
This book, just like any other Wally McDoogle book was wondeful. It used much humor and shows an important moral about greed. The Wally McDoogle books are geared toward twelve and thirteen year- olds, like myself. Any kid would enjoy it!
Average customer rating:
- Not much like "The Matrix" at all
- I Guarantee You Will Love This Book
- First get a good grip on Reality
- Good 13th Floory Fun
- One of the best cyberspace series yet!
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The Cybernetic Walrus (The Wonderland Gambit, Book 1)
Jack L. Chalker
Manufacturer: Del Rey
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March Hare Network (#2) (The Wonderland Gambit , No 2)
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Balshazzars Serpent
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Ghost of the Well of Souls (Well World)
ASIN: 0345386906
Release Date: 1995-11-14 |
Book Description
Everything you think you know is wrong... That was the strange message left on Cory Maddox's E-mail - just at the moment when years of work on a revolutionary subspace computer system was about to pay off. Nothing would be the same for Cory again. Suddenly his life was thrown into chaos when the company that controlled his patent was sold out from under him, and instead of imminent wealth, Cory was facing immediate poverty. Then along came Alan Stark, who wanted to recruit Cory for a special research project on virtual reality.
Customer Reviews:
Not much like "The Matrix" at all.......2004-05-13
I tracked down a copy of this book after reading the comments suggesting that "The Matrix" appropriated some of Chalker's ideas.
Although "The Matrix" does begin in a way that is superficially similar to Chalker's novel -- a mysterious woman prods a computer programmer to realize his world is a virtual-reality illusion -- it quickly diverges into a wildly different story.
I'd be more sympathetic if Chalker wasn't such a mediocre writer. His prose is cliche-ridden and meandering, and his narrative is completely devoid of any tension or momentum; he takes 50 tedious pages just to get the story rolling. Characterization ranges from minimal to nonexistent. It's hard to believe that the Wachowskis would even bother to slog through this.
In his self-indulgent introduction, Chalker says this is an homage to Philip K. Dick. Too bad he didn't emulate Dick's crisp, clear prose style.
I Guarantee You Will Love This Book.......2004-04-18
If you are naturally curious, like interesting plot twists and rich environments, then you are going to love this book.
I tend to agree with other reviewers that this work is the inspiration for the movie "The Matrix" and in many ways is a superior work. The ideas in Chalker's work are much more developed than in The Matrix and does a much better job of keeping it's integrity throughout.
First get a good grip on Reality.......2002-09-11
Jack L. Chalker's theory of existence was spelled out in Book I, P. 223: "... Sometime, somebody, in a world we otherwise know nothing about but which has to be far more advanced than the one we now knew, built a vast computer for some reason and put tremendous knowledge and capability into it. Something went wrong, or so it seemed. A group, a small group, of people from that original place, that true universe, had come into the system and gotten lost, then trapped, in an ever-increasing series of exquisitely detailed virtual universes.. [Brand] was the only hope of getting everybody together again and back to reality. ..."
Chalker wrote, "All reality is programming. We cannot know the real: we are trapped in an endless series of simulations, all of us, and some, like myself, in simulations within simulations. ...." He uses an IT, a thing, a faceless one or a gray ancient to speak these lines, rather than a flesh and blood character. This device implied a para-programmer, one outside the mind of man. This invented God is in control not only of the author outside the story's pages but in control of all the characters within the pages of the book.
Reality now has a counterpart, virtual reality. The characters, en mass, stare into the mirror of their own minds and realize that they had no measuring rod with which to gauge their own realities. The mind is self reflective. The mind has no outer objective way to measure either its input or output. The characters reveal the dead end of human thought. The fact that the tactile nerves register solidity reveals little regarding production or projection of such solidity. There is no way to distinguish whether the neurons fire due to sensory input rather than from say drugs or computer generated inputs. Reality, thus loses its previous foundation.
Chalker posits an Existence Computer with limitless memory able to fill in a separate reality for each and every mind. Everyone gets their own set of individual mental constructs. With this god-like computer unlimited universes to surround each person's set of ideas could be created. (P. 211 BK II). Taking this idea one step further, each person is a circuit on the mother board of the universe. Every solid item that surrounds a person is created within another little circuit. The whole universe is the giant circuitry, the mother board of existence. We are all but chips, powered from this hidden source of energy that we call existence. Chalker names his god character Matthew Brand. Brand understands the circuitry and power of the Existence Computer enough to become part of it. Brand was able to join with the energy reactor in order to control the energy flow into the mother board of the Existence Computer.
Good 13th Floory Fun.......2001-05-12
I know! Thirteenth Floor wasn't based on this novel (or the series, either), but that movie kept coming to mind as I read the first part of Cybernetic Walrus. Chalker is original and creative in this book, though, and it's much more satisfying than the "What Is Real?" movies out there. A thoroughly enjoyable book, stands as an adventure in its own right, but also beckons the reader on to the rest of the trilogy.
The protagonist, Cory Maddox undergoes plenty of transformation in this story, running through several life "phases" while trying to sort out who to trust. One of the enjoyable features of this series is that the reader is never quite certain who he should trust, either. Often, I found myself wanting to urge Cory & Riki to trust the wrong (in hindsight) characters.
Plenty here for either the SF or fantasy fan. Thoroughly enjoyable--Chalker knows how to entertain while stretching the mind and imagination. Perhaps the worst feature of this book is that the 3rd book of the trilogy is so difficult to obtain.
A solid four-star rating: great fun, but not absolute genius.
One of the best cyberspace series yet!.......1999-12-20
Jack Chalker continues his tradition of unique ideas and perspectives in the Wonderland series. What starts out as a classic cyberspace story quickly turns in unexpected directions. This book will definitely get you thinking about the true nature of reality. If you liked the movie, "The Matrix," get this book! The movie stole Chalker's ideas without giving credit, and the book explores the ideas to a greater depth. Too bad Del Rey is so short-sighted and has not reprinted the 3rd book in this series.
Average customer rating:
- Hack writing covered up as a reference work
- Couldn't Put It Down
- Another Beatle Rip Off Book
- Don't waste your money on this one...
- Debunking the myth that the sun is cold
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The Walrus Was Ringo: 101 Beatles Myths Debunked
Alan Clayson , and
Spencer Leigh
Manufacturer: Chrome Dreams
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The Walrus Was Paul: The Great Beatle Death Clues
ASIN: 1842402056 |
Customer Reviews:
Hack writing covered up as a reference work.......2005-03-25
I am unsure as to who gets books like this published. These 101 "myths" are "debunked" using hack writing, non-facts, theorization, scare tactics and shock value. This seems to be the process that the authors went through:
1) A fact ("Lucy In The Sky" was based on a Julian drawing) is taken
2) That fact is then taken and theorized about("Everyone's seen the drawing but are they lying?")
3) The fact is then skewed and the supposed pretentions of the group are used to "debunk" something that's not a myth ("Sure, they all said it was a drawing, but *come on!* That doesn't make sense- it had to be something more because I think so.")
Sure some of it makes sense, and could be accepted as good myth-debunking, but the rest is National Enquirer B.S. Save the debunking to Jan Harold Brunvand and the Mythbusters.
-The Unknown Reviewer
Couldn't Put It Down.......2004-02-24
I stayed up all night reading this book. Spencer bravely shoots down myths like the Cunard Yanks and others. There are so many Beatles books to sift through, at least this has a different angle besides "stories behind the songs" or "another Hamburg tale" or even a book about their various drum kits. I think you'll enjoy it if you're tired of the same stories rehashed over and over again. Spencer has a very popular radio show on Merseyside and is a leading historian.
Another Beatle Rip Off Book.......2004-01-28
Most of the other reviews have said it well, this book is a total waste of time and I wouldn't have told my wife to get this for me for x-mas had I seen who the "authors" were (I was basing my want for the book based on the title which sounded like it could have been very cool) Most of the "myths" aren't, has some very bad, inacurate and distorted facts, poor writing, I could go on and on---I think the only reason I even finished it (mostly when taking a crap) is for the laughs I got on how stupid and ludicrous it was---If I could give this a negative star I would, in fact it pisses me off that I have to give this 1 star ---don't buy any Beatle book by these "authors" they all stink.
Don't waste your money on this one..........2004-01-14
I was beyond disappionted with this book. The "myths" the title refers to are nothing but trivia, and many are "trivial" Beatles trivia at best. There are absolutely no revelations or new facts here. It is also full of errors and inaccuracies. The authors approach this book with arrogance, condescension, and a lot of snideness. I'm very sorry I threw away almost $20 on this.
Debunking the myth that the sun is cold.......2003-12-22
The dictionary defines myth as "a traditional or legendary story". Most of the "myths" in this book are nothing but trivia; hardly legendary. For example, was the recording of the Beatles at Hamburg's Star Club in 1962 unauthorized? Some may believe that to be true, but you could hardly call that a belief of mythical proportions. I got the impression that many of these 101 items are simply obscure facts with the truth inverted and then debunked as myth. More disturbing, however, is the authors' putting forth their own questionable theories as myth-breaking fact. Despite assertions by John Lennon, Ringo Starr, George Martin and Julian Lennon that "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was inspired by a drawing by young Julian and was not secret code for LSD, Clayson/Leigh cook up a conspiracy between Lennon and Jimi Hendrix to write code named songs. Hendrix did indeed write "The Stars That Played with Laughing Sam's Dice" with STP and LSD in mind and I don't doubt that Hendrix or his manager knew Lennon, but that's hardly a basis for a conspiracy theory. Similarly, their theorizing on John's "bigger than Jesus" comment is appalling.
There are many good books on the Beatles. Get one on those. If you've already got those, you don't need this one.
Average customer rating:
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Supermarine Walrus and Stranraer
James Kightly , and
Roger Walsgrove
Manufacturer: Mushroom Model Publications,Poland
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 8391717895 |
Average customer rating:
- a classic not well known childrens book, must read
- What spot
- great kid's book, shouldn't have taken out of print
- Still remembered after all these years...
- This was my favorite book when I was a little girl
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What Spot? (I Can Read Book)
Crosby Newell Bonsall
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster, NY & Evanston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 006020611X |
Customer Reviews:
a classic not well known childrens book, must read.......2003-04-26
How many children would have never known what a puffin was, if not for this book? The simple but lovely illustrations are captivating as we look through all that white snow for that little black spot. A favorite of mine as a child, when I worked in a daycare a few years back I went looking for this book to read to the children and found it at the library. They were actually a little young for the book (3& 4 mostly) but I can guarantee those are now children who know what puffins are, and to always look for spots in the snow.
What spot.......2002-12-18
My favorite book from childhood. I have enjoyed it again as an adult reading it to my children. the story is beautifully self contained, the simple repetitive text is positively lyrical and despite the simplicity the story is full of charm and character. Perfect
great kid's book, shouldn't have taken out of print.......2001-12-21
I read this book to my kids in the 1980s and both loved it. It's nice to change some of the words to keep them interested. We made it into a funny story. Can you guess what we said the spot in the snow was?! I'm now trying to find my copy of the book from the attic, but am glad there are still a few out there in case I can't find mine. I can't wait to read to my grandson who is now 2.
Book about 2 animals, a bear, and another one (don't remember what kind), who see a spot in the snow and try to guess what it might be. It ends up being a wagon.
Still remembered after all these years..........2000-03-03
This was my favorite childhood book, too. Even decades later I still remember the walrus, the puffin, the cart... Children will love this book. The drawings are eye-catching, and there's a subtle message that children will take with them when they close the book. Highly recommended.
This was my favorite book when I was a little girl.......1999-08-18
This book was my favorite book when I was a little girl. It taught me to belive in myself even when others were doubtful and to always belive in others.
Customer Reviews:
very worried walrus.......2002-11-02
This is a book about a walrus who is very worried about riding a bike. He keeps on thinking that something could happen to him. Then his friend tells him to try it so he does he has fun and then he crashes into a tree. He gets up and is all fine.
Very Worried Walrus.......2002-10-29
The "Very Worried Walrus," written by Richard hefter. This book is about a worried walrus that is scared to ride a bike. He is worried that he will fall off and hit a tree, and have to go to the hospital, but the traffic jam stops him so the helicopter comes and as it takes him to the hospital the rope brakes and he falls in the water. Now he has to swim all the way to the shore. Then when he gets to a town all the trains had left and it was to late for the bus. So he had to walk home in the pouring rain and that made him sad. But the pig begged and begged him to try it. So finally he rode and rode but the end is up to you to read. I thought this book was a very good one and it will help your children to be brave and try everything at least once. This book will soon to your son or daughters favorite book. They will read it over and over again
Very Worried Walrus.......2002-10-29
The "Very Worried Walrus," written by Richard hefter. This book is about a worried walrus that is scared to ride a bike. He is worried that he will fall off and hit a tree, and have to go to the hospital, but the traffic jam stops him so the helicopter comes and as it takes him to the hospital the rope brakes and he falls in the water. Now he has to swim all the way to the shore. Then when he gets to a town all the trains had left and it was to late for the bus. So he had to walk home in the pouring rain and that made him sad. But the pig begged and begged him to try it. So finally he rode and rode but the end is up to you to read. I thought this book was a very good one and it will help your children to be brave and try everything at least once. This book will soon to your son or daughters favorite book. They will read it over and over again
Very Worried Walrus.......2001-07-03
This is a wonderful book for a parent to share with their child. It teaches a simple leason: don't sweat the small stuff and let it build up to be something bigger than it should be. My parents shared it with as a reading learner. It has become part of my families daily lingo.
"The Very Worried Walrus".......2000-06-21
I remember the story about that old worried walrus very vividly, and I had always loved it. The story begins when a pig askes the walrus if he would like to ride a bike. That is where the nightmare begins. This silly walrus imagines himself on the bike, yet for some reason he seems to lose control of his own imagination. He begins to see himself recklessly riding the bike through town. He gets chased by a train, and eventually ends up in a river. The next thing he knows he's being lifted out of the water by an Iguanan flying a helicopter and taken to the hospital. But what do you know he wakes up and the pig convinces him to go ahead and give it a try. I loved all the sweet pickles books as a child. This one made me realize that even though things could be scary sometimes, they usually were not as bad as they seemed.
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- Using Internet Primary Sources to Teach Critical Thinking Skills in the Sciences (Libraries Unlimited Professional Guides in School Librarianship)
- Where Is Baby's Belly Button?
- Where Is Baby's Belly Button?
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