The Walrus & the Elephants: John Lennon's Years of Revolution

In late 1971 John Lennon left London and pop stardom behind and moved to New York City, looking to find his way as a solo artist, record producer, and antiwar activist. Embraced by the Movement, he settles in Greenwich Village and quickly becomes a champion of its causes. Seen as a savior by a generation in need of cultural heroes, Lennonn is harassed by the Nixon administration. He releases the solo albums "Imagine" and "Some Time in New York City".

"The Walrus and the Elephants" is based on new interviews by the author with the members of Lennon's American band, Elephant's Memory; writer and feminist leader Gloria Steinem; Congressional Black Cacus cofounder Ron Dellums; "Chicago Seven" veteran Rennie Davis; immigration attorney Leon Wildes; and poet-activist John Sinclair, the man whom Lennon springs from a ten-year prison term, a feat that demonstrates Lennon's enormous political and cultural clout and sets into motion the story told here.

"Mitchell has done the legwork, and there is enough new material to make it worthwhile, with insightful contributions from a clutch of fellow travellers. ... [a] nice portrait of Lennon emerges" ("The Independent", UK)

"Lennon is one of the most documented individuals in modern culture, yet never before has this early New York period of his history been examined with greater depth and clarity." (Lee Ranaldo, Sonic Youth)

"This book is our backstage pass to the missing link between Lennon?s music and his activism" (Paul Krassner, "The Realist")

"James Mitchell has carefully and lovingly reconstructed an inspiring and poignant chapter of John Lennon's odyssey and [placed it] in the tangled flow of the American history" (Danny Goldberg, author of "Bumping Into Geniuses")

CONTENIDO:

1. The advent of the hippie messiah
2. John and the Elephants
3. "Doped with religion and sex and TV"
4. "A thorough nuisance"
5. Wordplay
6. "We'll get it right next time"
7. "You can't keep a good band down"
A posttrip postcript: "We all shine on..."

Acknowledgements
Author''s note: Sources and methodology
Select bibliography and further reading
Index