A wonderful read a few years back, the King’s Road book by Max Decharne is back, both updated and expanded.
I’m not sure how much more could have been squeezed in, as the original was quite a hefty read. But according to publisher Omnibus, another 30,000 words were added, as well as lots of new illustrations. So there’s now a total of 528 pages covering the iconic London road.
Also, good news if you’ve been looking for an original, which does change hands for quite a price these days.
I probably don’t need to explain the subject matter as it is pretty self-explanatory. This is all about ‘The Rise and Fall of the Hippest Street in the World’.
But the publisher pads that out a little more…
The King’s Road in Chelsea was at the epicentre of not one but two worldwide cultural shifts.
In the mid-sixties, it became a focal point and shop window for the new ‘swinging’ London, encompassing music, theatre, the visual arts, fashion and much more. It remained at the forefront of developing trends throughout the following decade until it became the breeding ground for UK punk rock, helping inspire youthful rebellion the world over.
In short, it was the place to be. In the time between the formation of the Rolling Stones and the demise of the Sex Pistols, the King’s Road had the attention of the world. Just how this came to be is a classic rise-and-fall story of satisfaction and sedition, featuring some of the most famous people of the late twentieth century and many of the pivotal moments of the fifties, sixties and seventies.
This revised and expanded edition of King’s Road covers the cultural history of the King’s Road, tracking many key figures who lived or spent time there, from Henry VIII to David Bowie, Margaret Thatcher to Vivienne Westwood, Karl Marx to The Beatles, and Mozart to Mary Quant.
Based on the original (which I own), this is well worth considering if you fancy a long read about the famous road. It arrives on 13th April 2022, with pre-orders now being taken at Amazon for £25.
Find out more at the Amazon website
Via Modculture
