London Calling - A Countercultural History of London since 1945

London has long been a magnet for aspiring artists and writers, musicians and fashion designers seeking inspiration and success in this great city. In London Calling, Barry Miles explores the counter culture that sprang up in the decades following the Second World War, focussing on the West End and Soho, where the presence of so many artists has established a unique atmosphere; creative, avant garde, permissive, anarchic—the throbbing heart of London.

Here are the heady days of post-war Soho when suddenly everything seemed possible, the jazz bars and clubs of the fifities, the teddy boys and the Angry Young Men, Francis Bacon and the legendary Colony Club, the 1960s and the Summer of Love, the rise of punk and the early days of the YBAs. The vitality and excitement of these days and years of change—and the sheer creativity of London—leap off the page of this marvellously evocative and riveting book.

About the author

In the 1960s, Barry Miles was co-owner of the Indica Gallery—known in Beatles circles as the place where John Lennon and Yoko Ono met—allowing him to meet many of the stars of the Swinging London social scene. He brought Paul McCartney into contact with people who wanted to start the International Times, which Paul helped to fund. He later ran Zapple, the short-lived, spoken-word division of the Apple record label.

Barry Miles is the author of many seminal books on popular culture, including Paul McCartney's official biography, Many Years from Now; Frank Zappa; Ginsberg: A Biography; William Burroughs: El Hombre Invisible; Jack Kerouac: King of the Beats and The Beat Hotel: Ginsberg, Burroughs and Corso in Paris, 1957–1963.

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