So that is why my "Wednesday Review" this week is for a book called "Friar Park: A Pictorial History" by The Cardinals.
I have to confess that I have not completely read all of the text in the book, but as it is a pictorial history, it is full of beautiful photos of Friar Park, which I have looked through many times. This book is not a "Beatles" book, but it is one that is of great interest to George Harrison fans. George bought the property in 1970, and he built a recording studio there and recorded many albums. He made several promotional films there, and Friar Park has been the place where fans have gone and met George over the years. Now that he has passed away, his wife, Olivia, and son, Dhani and his wife live there. Beatle fans have been fascinated with Friar Park ever since George first purchased it.
This book has so many beautiful photos from all of the years and shows every part of Friar Park. It shows photos of the "small" houses (the ones that George's father and brother lived in at one time), the garden, the Matterhorn, the caves, and the big house. All the while it tells the history of Sir Frankie Crisp and how he came to build the things and the history behind them. There are not just photos, but postcards and other various things.
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| Friar Park--photo posted with permission of the author |
My favorite part is seeing some of the inside of the large house where George lived. We have seen peeks of the inside over the years, and we read about it in Pattie Boyd's and Chris O'Dell's books, but these photos are just amazing! You will love to see them and imagine George hanging out there.
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| Inside Friar Park home--photo posted with permission from the author |
My only negative comment about the book is that it doesn't contain enough George Harrison history. However, this book was never intended to be a Beatles book, and besides the recording studio, George did not make many major changes to the landscape or the home.
This would be a great Christmas gift or a gift for yourself, especially if you are interested in the Beatles homes and/or George Harrison. The beauty of the book is just amazing.
The link below is the affiliate link to Amazon, where you can purchase this book. I get a small percentage of anything purchased through this link. Money made from the Amazon Afflication is used to pay the annual fee to keep this site online. Thank you for your support. Sara
This would be a great Christmas gift or a gift for yourself, especially if you are interested in the Beatles homes and/or George Harrison. The beauty of the book is just amazing.
The link below is the affiliate link to Amazon, where you can purchase this book. I get a small percentage of anything purchased through this link. Money made from the Amazon Afflication is used to pay the annual fee to keep this site online. Thank you for your support. Sara
Wow!
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to see what Friar Park was like!
Do you think George had something to do with the book (or Olivia) and purposely downplayed the Beatle connection, and keep it focused on the house and Sir Frankie Crisp?
The book looks fantastic, exactly what I'd want to see and I have to say, I really appreciate the review Sara! I always feel like you are fair, and informative. I also really appreciate that this book is affordable!!! The first major Beatles book I had to let get away because of price (other than Derek Taylor's book!) was that "Recording The Beatles" book. And there have been so many others. They all look beautiful and great and I foam at the mouth for them but I can't afford them! This one is affordable!
this book is a collection of common info anyone can find on the net, gathered by a ghost named scott cardinal who has zero online presence, but loves confrontation and won't stop until he proves "he's right" , then he'll remove & block you from his FB friar park page! lol. He uses that page to solicit & collect as much info as he can about beatle homes (and others) then he publishes these books for profit and pretends he's the 'authority" on the topic.
ReplyDeleteThis is simply not true. Scott does a wonderful job with his books. He interviews so many people that lived or stayed at Friar Park. He not a ghost. I have met in person. Have you purchased one of his books? They are amazing. Scott is a friend of mine. When my boyfriend passed away in 2019, he was one of the few people that checked in on me on a regular basis. That meant a lot to me then and it still means a lot to me now. I do not agree with many of the things he says, but that does not mean that I dislike him. I am sure like all of us that write Beatles books, he is not making a profit from any books. Most of us are lucky to break even. Scott Cardinal IS the leading authority on Beatles homes and buildings. No one will ever change my mind.
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