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...
A talented off-beat journalist and social observer, Colin MacInnes is best known for his trilogy of London novels which includes Absolute Beginners as well as City of Spades and Mr Love and Justice. He also wrote about the allied occupation of Germany in the aftermath of the Second World War, in June in Her Spring and England, Half English. He died of cancer in 1976. Since his death his best essays, fiction and journalism have been published in various collections.
Title: Absolute Beginners (Allison & Busby Classics)
Author: Colin MacInnes
ISBN: 9780749009984
Binding:
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Publication Date: 2011-06-13
Number of Pages: 288
Weight: 0.1996 kg
'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