The Cooper compendium is a great reference book rather than biography.
Beethoven: Biography of a Genius
by George R. Marek
If you are looking for a biography that focuses on the man and historical context rather than the music itself, this is the one.
Beethoven: The Music and the Life
by Lewis Lockwood
This book concentrates on Beethoven's compositions and on their historical and musical contexts. He does not offer a full biography of Beethoven only a broad outline.
I would avoid Solomon who gets bogged down in a psycho-analytical approach.
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