Absolute Beginners: The twentieth-century cult classic

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Description

London, 1958. In the smoky jazz clubs of Soho and the coffee bars of Notting Hill the young and the restless - the absolute beginners - are forging a new carefree lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. Moving in the midst of this world of mods and rockers, Teddy gangs and trads., and snapping every scene with his trusty Rolleiflex, is MacInnes' young photographer, whose unique wit and honest views remain the definitive account of London life in the 1950s and what it means to be a teenager. In this twentieth century cult classic, MacInnes captures the spirit of a generation and creates the style bible for anyone interested in Mod culture, and the changing face of London in the era of the first race riots and the lead up to the swinging Sixties...

Reviews

'The 1959 novel by Colin MacInnes was once described by Paul Weller as "the ultimate mod book". Written in the 'Beat' style of Kack Kerouac...describing their love of Italian style, from suits to cappuccinos, the novel captured the fat-moving, cosmopolitan style craved by the mods.' Shortlist

Author Bio

Colin MacInnes (1914-76) was the son of novelist Angela Thirkell, cousin of Rudyard Kipling and grandson of Burne-Jones. He was brought up in Australia but lived most of his life in London about which he wrote with a warts-and-all relish that earned him a reputation as the literary Hogarth of his day. MacInnes was a talented off-beat journalist and social observer, and is best known for his three London novels, City of Spades, Absolute Beginners and Mr Love and Justice.