The best way to get a sense of how the new edition of Nowhere Man: The Final Days of John Lennon has changed from previous editions is to take a look at the table of contents. For one thing, this is the first English-language edition to have a table of contents.
In addition to the new introduction, "In My Own Write," which grapples with many of the obstacles I had to overcome before Nowhere Man could be published, most of the new material can be found in Part V, "Afterlife." In these chapters I delve into such things as conspiracy theories and the absurd lengths that certain compromised people in the media and law enforcement went to in an effort to derail the book's publication. There's also an extended exchange I had with Bill Harry, founding editor of Mersey Beat, the first newspaper to cover the Beatles and to publish Lennon's poetry and prose.
Throughout Nowhere Man there are countless refinements, updates, corrections, additions, and clarifications. You can look at this new edition as the "director's cut." Here's the complete table of contents.
CONTENTS
In My Own Write xi
PRELUDE
John Lennon's Diaries 3
Jerusalem Fantasy 11
PART I
DAKOTA 1980
Being Rich 15
That Magic Feeling 20
Sean 25
The Lunatic Incident 27
Answered Prayers 29
Cold Turkey 35
Macrobiotic Perfection 37
The Servant Problem 39
After Breakfast 47
Dream Power 49
Afternoon 53
Lennon's Complaint 62
The Occult Arts 64
The Book of Numbers 67
The Cards According to Swan 80
Beatle Economics 86
Money 90
His Finest Hour 97
People I Remember 101
PART II
GETTING CENTERED
Interlude at El Solano 107
The Visitors 112
Happy Birthday Dear Yoko 115
Imagine 116
Jude 117
Born Again 121
Going Back to New York City 123
Cannon Hill 124
A Plan 127
Vow of Silence 129
Cape Town 131
Voyage to Bermuda 134
Knapton Hill 137
Villa Undercliffe 138
American Tourist 140
Night Life 145
Birth of a Song 147
Mother's Arrival 151
Inspiration 154
Madonna and Child 158
PART III
THE FINAL DAYS
Double Fantasy 161
Media Blitz 167
Geffen's the One 169
October 9 170
Completion 173
Ecstasy 174
Life After Double Fantasy 175
Yoko Only 179
Weekend 181
12/8/80 182
The Best Is Yet to Be 183
PART IV
THE CODA 1980–1981
The City on the Edge of Time 187
Young Man with a Goal 191
What Would Holden Do? 193
The Diagnosis 204
God's Decision 207
Chapter 27 209
Dakota Fantasy 214
PART V
AFTERLIFE
Aftermath 217
Strawberry Fields Forever 228
And the Mersey Beat Goes On 229
The Unfinished Life of John Lennon 238
An Open Letter to G. Barry Golson 242
A Question of Conspiracy 250
The Book That Cannot Be 254
(Just Like) Starting Over 258
How It Began 259
Sources 261
Index 263
About the Author 279
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