 | |
| Author | David Leaf |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | The Beach Boys |
| Publisher | Grosset & Dunlap |
Publication date | 1978 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 192 |
| ISBN | 978-0448146256 |
| OCLC | 4333916 |
The Beach Boys and the California Myth is a 1978 biography of the Beach Boys that was written by American author David Leaf, editor and creator of the Pet Sounds fanzine. It was the first full-length book written about the band[1] and an early piece of writing that revealed much of their internal conflicts and family history.[2]
The book was influential in cementing a popular narrative of the band – one that caricatured Brian Wilson as a tortured genius.[3][4] Later biographies, including Heroes and Villains (1986) and Catch a Wave (2006), drew heavily from Leaf's book. Revised editions have been published in 1985 as The Beach Boys and in 2022 as God Only Knows: The Story of Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys and the California Myth.
- ^ Waller, Don (February 5, 1995). "California Boys". The New York Times.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
LeafUntwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Love 2016, pp. 160–163.
- ^ Sanchez 2014, pp. 24, 99.