John Lennon has been a more popular figure for biographers

All Things Must Pass, The Life of George Harrison documents episode after episode of depression and egomania brought about by being one of the most famous people in the world.

For avid fans of the Fab Four, learning more about "the quiet Beatle" is an eye-opening experience.

George Harrison spent a lot of his later life out of the media spotlight.

Only the attack on his life in December 1999 and his illness propelled him unwittingly back into the public eye.

Before that, Harrison had kept his private life under wraps. Beatles biographies have understandably concentrated on the more colourful lives of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, leaving Harrison's character largely misunderstood.

For post-Beatles generations, this book may also be of interest in the way that it illustrates the ups and downs of an individual's life, and leaves us wondering whether we would have coped any better.

It is strangely heartening to know that someone as successful and famous as George Harrison suffered good and bad patches emotionally and personally - just like anyone else.

Age and wisdom did not necessarily make his journey through life any easier.

His death, aged 58, through smoking-related cancer late in 2001, was expected, but nevertheless shocked a generation who grew up with him.

However, Harrison was so successful at hiding himself away from the public, that they may have stopped caring about his life a long time before his death.

Marc Shapiro's biography of George Harrison is reportedly the first to be published since his death - but one wonders, will it also be the last?

All Things Must Pass - The Life of George Harrison by Mark Shapiro is published by Virgin Books Ltd