When the Beatles touched down in New York on February 7, 1964 for their
first visit to America, they brought with them a sound that hadn't been
heard before. By the time they returned to England two weeks later,
major changes in music, fashion, the record industry, and the image of
an entire generation had been set into motion.
Coming less than three months after the assassination of President
Kennedy, the Beatles' visit helped rouse the country out of mourning. A
breathless and condescending media concentrated on the band's hairstyles
and their adoring fans, but their enduring importance lay in their
music, their wit, and style, a disconnect that signaled the beginning of
the generation gap.
In this intriguing cultural history, Martin Goldsmith examines how and
why the Beatles struck such a lasting chord.