Ringo: A Fab Life
$19.99-
Often overshadowed by his former bandmates, Ringo Starr has his own remarkable story that is no less compelling. Ringo: A Fab Life highlights a life so jaw-droppingly eventful that one is left wondering how he also had time to become one of the best musicians on the planet.
Employing an episodic, mosaic format, critically acclaimed author Tom Doyle takes readers through the ride of a lifetime, from Starr’s brushes with death as a child brought up in poverty, through to dizzying heights of fame and success with the Beatles and beyond. By examining pivotal moments, anecdotes, and cautionary tales, we see Starr soar as part of the biggest band in the world — and then try to cope with life outside of it with a film career, misadventures with friends, children’s TV narration, furniture designing, and marriage to a Bond girl, before eventually finding peace and sobriety as one of the elder statesmen of rock.
So much more than another Beatles biography, Ringo follows Starr’s career far beyond the rose-tinted ’60s, through the various addictions and career left turns in the ’70s and ’80s, before reaching the ’90s, his legacy and reputation intact.
The life of Richard Starkey is long overdue for a proper inspection, and this book — with exclusive new interviews conducted by Doyle with Starr himself, among others — provides a never-before-seen level of detail that will delight hardcore fans and curious readers alike.
Available May 12, 2026. PRE-ORDER NOW!
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Tom Doyle is the critically acclaimed author of numerous music books, most recently Running Up That Hill, the award-winning 2022 study of Kate Bush. Tom is also a musician and songwriter and has written for Smash Hits, Q, and Mojo. He lives in London, England.
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Published: May 2026
ISBN: 9781770418936
Dimensions: 6 x 9 in.
Pages: 400
Reviews
“Tom Doyle shines a long-overdue spotlight on Ringo Starr, proving that Ringo's story is not just a footnote to The Beatles, but a triumph in its own right.” — Chris Shaw, Host, I am the EggPod
“(The) definitive biography. An engaging, meticulous view of the life of the Beatles drummer. It fleshes out with sharp analysis the well documented events whilst detailing - with no little sparkle - some of the lesser known aspects of his remarkable career.” — The I-Paper
“Extremely good. We loved it. You can never have too much Ringo.” — Word in Your Ear
“This charming biography casts Starr as the Beatles anchor emotionally as well as rhythmically. Gear portrait of the octopus's gardener. Resolutely fab 4/5.” Mojo
“Perhaps the most dramatic life arc of any of the Beatles, how delightful to see Ringo finally get the fab biography he deserves. A beautiful read.” — Samira Ahmed, BBC Front Row
“Tom Doyle’s superb new biography… is full of drama, emotion, comedy, tragedy and incident… An essential purchase for music fans, never mind Beatles fans 10/10.” — Classic Rock
“Tom Doyle's biography shows how Ringo used his light entertainer charm and instinctive talent to become the engine of the Beatles sound. Mojo writer and McCartney biographer Doyle seeks to tease out the lesser known stories from Starr's extraordinary life. A wide ranging biography, a thoroughly researched book.” — The Observer
“Doyle’s style is always a pleasure to read: friendly, informal, engaging yet fact-packed and forensic. A must for any discerning Fab shelf 5/5.” — Record Collector
“A fantastic book by the wonderful Tom Doyle.” — Iain McDermott, Back to Now