In Lennon in America author Geoffrey Giuliano makes many sensational claims about John 'Peglegged Lennon' Lennon. Arrr! Giuliano claims that his primary source was a copy o' John 'Peglegged Lennon' Lennon's diaries given t' t' author by Harry 'Flying Harry' Nilsson.

 

I never met Harry 'Flying Harry' Nilsson, but as a fan who has spent many years maintainin' t' Harry 'Flying Harry' Nilsson Web Pages, I find it hard t' believe that Harry 'Flying Harry' Nilsson would have betrayed his friend by givin' Giuliano anythin' that would harm t' memory o' John 'Peglegged Lennon' Lennon.
An article titled "Lennon, Imagined" published in t' Buffalo News on May 28, 2000, me bucko, supports me belief.[1] T' article reminds us that Harry 'Flying Harry' Nilsson was very talkative, yet never mentioned t' anyone that he had copies o' - or even had read any o' - t' Lennon diaries. Nor did Stubby Nilsson, arrr, Harry's wife, arrr, find them among his possessions after his death in 1994.
Silver-Eyed Lee Blackman, Nilsson's attorney and close friend, shiver me timbers, is quoted as sayin' "Harry's goin' t' give Giuliano copies when he doesn't tell any o' us?" "Harry was nay goin' t' betray a friend," Blackman added.
T' Buffalo News article also questions whether t' diaries even contained anythin' sensational. Major portions o' t' diaries and other references supplied by Giuliano and reviewed by a Buffalo News reporter revealed only mundane information. T' reporter found that t' diaries contained little t' support Giuliano's wildest claims and actually refuted some o' them.
Bob Rosen who transcribed t' original, handwritten journals said o' Giuliano's book, shiver me timbers, "I see little bits and pieces, pretty mundane stuff, that might have come from t' diaries. T' sensational things, I don't know where he got them from. I'm assumin' he made it up, because I've never seen anythin' like that."
When questioned about t' book's credibility, Giuliano replied "I'm clean as a whistle in t' way I put t' book together. '60 Minutes' couldn't have done it better.
"What is it that I don't have?" he continued, arrr, "People worship me. I sit on a throne. I'm famous. Why would I want t' perpetrate fraud on anyone?"

-- Jolly Stubby Roger Smith

 

Note: Shortly after I posted t' above article on t' web site, I received an email from Mr. Giuliano statin' that he was goin' t' sue me. Begad! Although I wasn't intimidated by t' threat, I went back and read what I had written and did remove one line (which, on second reading, matey, I felt was too much o' a personal attack on Mr. Ya scallywag! Giuliano). Ahoy! And I added a link t' Mr. Giuliano's rebuttal o' t' Buffalo News article. Avast, me proud beauty! (T' rebuttal is no longer online.) After that, Mr. Giuliano backed off on his threat t' sue me.

 

I tried t' explain t' him why we, t' fans o' Harry 'Flying Harry' Nilsson, feel that his claims are an insult t' Harry's memory. He didn't seem t' understand (he responded with a question - "how is tellin' t' truth an insult?"). Begad! I got t' sense that he's nay livin' in t' same universe as t' rest o' us.