Book description
In The Seventies tells the story of London and New York during the
decade that is often written off as one long hangover after the
exuberance of the sixties. Miles remembers a fascinating period in which
many of the hippie dreams became realities, and others came back in
shiny new clothes at the advent of the punk revolution. Beginning with
Allen Ginsberg's hippie commune in upstate New York and moving on to his
time cataloguing William Burroughs' archives in London, Miles remembers
the decade that began with David Bowie in drag and ended with Grace
Jones naked at Studio 54. Writing for NME, he reported on both the CBGBs
scene and was the first to review and interview The Clash, The Ramones,
Talking Heads and Patti Smith. Engaging and idealistic, In the Seventies
is a memoir that challenges modern perceptions of the decade with great
anecdotes featuring an extraordinary cast of characters, from Allen
Ginsberg to Richard Hell, Leonard Cohen to Brian Eno. Barry Miles is
an English writer, luminary of the sixties underground and businessman.
In the 1960s, he was co-owner of the Indica Gallery and helped start the
International Times. Miles has written biographies of McCartney, Lennon,
William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski and Allen Ginsberg,
in addition to books on The Beatles, Pink Floyd and The Clash as well as
a general history of London's counter-culture since 1945 London Calling.
