In a breathtaking, minute-by-minute format,
''December 8, 1980: The Day John Lennon Died'' follows
the events leading to the horrible moment when Mark
David Chapman calmly fired his Charter Arms .38 Special
into the rock icon, realizing his perverse fantasy of
attaining perennial notoriety. ''New York Times''
bestselling author Keith Elliot Greenberg takes us back
to New York City and the world John Lennon woke up to.
The day begins with a Rolling Stone photo session that
takes on an uncomfortable tone when photographer Annie
Leibowitz tries to maneuver Yoko Ono out of the shot.
Later Lennon gives the last interview of his life,
declaring, I consider that my work won't be finished
until I'm dead and buried and I hope that's a long, long
time. We follow the other Beatles, Lennon's family, the
shooter, fans, and New York City officials through the
day, and as the hours progress, the pace becomes more
breathless. Once the fatal shots are fired, the clock
continues to tick as Dr.Stephan Lynn walks from the
emergency room after declaring the former Beatle dead,
Howard Cosell announces the singer's passing on Monday
Night Football, and Paul McCartney is lambasted for
muttering Drag, isn't it - his bereavement confused with
indifference. The epilogue examines the aftermath of the
killing: the considerable moment when 100,000 New
Yorkers stood in silence in Central Park, the posthumous
reunion of the Beatles in the studio - with George,
Paul, and Ringo accompanying the recordings of their old
friend - the unveiling of a bronze John Lennon statue in
Fidel Castro's Cuba, and the durable legacy that
persists today. |
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