Sir George's much-anticipated autobiography has now been released in a limited-edition run of 2,000 copies! Containing some 50,000 words, the memoir is fully-illustrated with private photographs and never-before-seen documents, such as his hand-written arrangements of Beatles songs, and selected pages from his diary. It contains forewords by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and is accompanied by an exclusive CD featuring 12 rare tracks, including his first composition aged seven. The book is leather-bound with silver-edged pages, and comes individually numbered and autographed by Sir George. In Australasia, it is priced at $AU880/$NZ1050. European and American fans can choose a regular edition for £GBP234/$US375 or a deluxe version for £GBP425/$US674.

Sir George and Lady Judy were guests of honour at the worldwide launch of Playback during a lavish 3-course Dinner With Sir George Martin at the Westin Hotel in Sydney, Australia, on Friday 11 October 2002. Sir George had the 400-strong audience spellbound during his 45-minute talk, in which he recounted his pre-Beatles days as "the comedian's producer," the making of Sgt Pepper, and his charity efforts for the people of Montserrat. Glenn Shorrock made an entertaining Master of Ceremonies, and the Playback String Quartet performed beautiful Beatles music with a classical twist. I was privileged to attend the launch and the pre-dinner book-signing, and a splendid time was had by all!

• Jump to the reviews page for a detailed account of the launch event, and another sighting on the promo tour of Australia.
• Visit the official Playback site to purchase in Australasia.
• Check Genesis Publications to purchase in Europe, America and other regions.
• See a nice photo of Sir George at the worldwide launch.
• Visit The Picture House for three Quicktime videos.
• Listen to a fantastic RealMedia interview from ABC Radio.