This is the story of the Cavern Club - the most famous club in the world. The Cavern saw the birth of the Beatles and Merseybeat, and more. Respected author, music journalist and Merseybeat historian Spencer Leigh - with a little help from Sir Paul McCartney, who provides the Foreword - tells the Cavern's history by talking to the owners, hundreds of musicians who played at the club, the backroom staff and fans. Spencer paints a vivid picture of the Cavern, from its days as a jazz club, through the Beatles years to the present.

'The Cavern was the breeding ground for what would become the Beatles' early repertoire, and I will always think of the place with great affection for the days spent with my pals in its sweaty, damp atmosphere.' Sir Paul McCartney; When we got into the Cavern, we were hit by that fabulous, intoxicating smell of cheap perfume, disinfectant and rotting fruit, which was very heady for 14-year-olds. The Beatles kicked into 'Some Other Guy' and that was like the end of life for me, and a whole new life began from that very moment.' Willy Russell, 'Educating Rita' and 'Shirley Valentine'. 'Spencer Leigh, arguably one of the foremost experts on the times and a journalist and broadcaster of true distinction when it comes to the era and the Beatles.' Liverpool Sound and Vision

Spencer Leigh was born and still lives in Liverpool, England, and is an acknowledged authority on the Beatles. He has been broadcasting his weekly show, On The Beat, on BBC Radio Merseyside for more than 25 years and, over that time, has conducted more interviews about the band - all captured on tape - than anyone in the world. He has also written over 25 books including biographies of Lonnie Donegan, Billy Fury, Buddy Holly, the Merseybeats and the Merseysippi Jazz Band.