Pishu kak Pishetsia [In His Own Write].

£450 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

First complete Russian edition of Lennon's first book In His Own Write. Published at the fall of the Soviet Union John Lennon's book features poems, short stories and illustrations. The Beatles were first mentioned in the Soviet press in 1964, but the band's albums were considered dangerous for Soviet youth and were subsequently banned in the USSR. Nevertheless, the Soviet Beatles fans collected information about the group piece by piece, and there was no shortage of a Beatles cult, just like anywhere else in the world. In fact, some Soviet schoolchildren even studied English to understand what the Beatles were singing about. The band's albums were distributed underground and recorded onto x-rays using a modified record player, commonly referred to as 'music on the bones.' On January 21, 1980, after Lennon's death, several hundred students held a spontaneous memorial service in front of Moscow University. First complete Russian edition; 8vo, 78pp., illustrated throughout by John Lennon, translation and preface by A. Kurbanovskiy; publisher's printed blue soft wrappers with photographic portrait by Robert Freeman, wrappers slightly scuffed, a very good copy.

• Binding: Hardcover

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