Most Popular Books by Barry Miles

Updated for the third time to include Pink Floyd''s activities in the late 1980s and 1990s, this biography includes the acrimonious split between Roger Waters and his three colleagues, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright, and also details of their Division Bell album and the tour that followed. It includes rare early photographs of Pink Floyd with their founder, Syd Barrett, biographies of each member of the band, posters and lost ephemera from the group''s own collections, a chronology which lists every concert by the group, and a Floyd discography, including solo work and spin-off projects.

Detective Sergeant Carmoody has gotten complaints about a peeping tom from a woman named Miss Morgan. Carmoody put her beachfront motel under surveillance, but while he was taking a meal break, someone broke into the motel, and murdered her.

William Burroughs ha cinque anni quando, seduto con il fratello nella casa di famiglia, in un quartiere altoborghese di St. Louis, scoppia improvvisamente a piangere: «Era come la sensazione disperata e assoluta di essere vulnerabile». William ne è ancora ignaro, ma lo Spirito del Male è già penetrato in lui, entità ostile che lo perseguiterà per tutta la vita. Che studi medicina a Vienna o antropologia ad Harvard, che faccia il disinfestatore a Chicago o si rifugi tra le braccia dell''amico Allen Ginsberg a New York, lo Spirito del Male non gli darà mai pace, portandolo alle azioni più sconsiderate e alle sperimentazioni più folli, ma anche, per reazione violenta, alle visioni più lucide e alle verità più drammaticamente insondabili. L''uccisione della moglie nella delirante e ubriaca imitazione di Guglielmo Tell, la ricerca di giovani corpi nei casini di Tangeri, l''automutilazione del mignolo per farne dono all''innamorato, la dipendenza dall''alcol e dalle droghe, la fascinazione per l''occulto in tutte le forme con cui si manifesta, dallo sciamanismo a Scientology alla stregoneria: Burroughs, vestito di un abito scuro e di un cappello fedora per scivolare tra la folla come un hombre invisible, con l''immancabile pistola in tasca e la freddezza inquietante dello studioso, sperimenta ogni possibile deragliamento dei sensi, convinto di poter sfuggire al controllo dello Stato, delle religioni, del sesso, della droga, delle dipendenze solo immergendovisi fino in fondo, sprofondandovi ogni volta, dando in pegno la sua vita per guadagnarne mille. Sempre in fuga – Tangeri, Parigi, Città del Messico, New Orleans, Chicago, New York – e sempre un passo oltre, non solo rispetto agli amici beat, che ammirati lo elessero capo spirituale, ma anche alle mode letterarie e culturali e a qualsiasi limite dell''immaginario e della morale. Il Saggiatore porta in Italia la biografia fondamentale di uno degli scrittori più radicali e decisivi del XX secolo. A firmarla è Barry Miles, che assistette in presa diretta alla sua eccezionale esistenza e ne ricostruisce qui, tramite testimonianze inedite, l''intera vicenda biografica: una storia privata estrema che getta nuova luce sull''opera letteraria di Burroughs come tentativo disperato di esorcizzare lo Spirito del Male e «scrivere la propria via di fuga».

Beginning with the Weathermen explosion in Greenwich Village and ending with punk, the seventies was the age of extremes; sex, drugs and, of course, rock ''n'' roll.With an extraordinary cast of characters, and even more extraordinary anecdotes, In The Seventies tells, firsthand, the story - and stories - of the decade. From Allen Ginsberg''s hippie commune in upstate New York to the time Miles spent cataloguing William Burroughs'' archives in London, from David Bowie in drag to Grace Jones naked at Studio 54, it''s all here. Vivid, compelling, intimate and, sometimes, insane, Barry Miles reveals the truth behind this legendary era.

Greenwich Village, 6 marzo 1970. Tre esplosioni in rapida sequenza sventrano l''elegante palazzo al numero 18 dell''Undicesima Strada Ovest; dalle fiamme escono, confuse ma illese, due ragazze seminude. Domato l''incendio, le forze dell''ordine trovano in cantina più di sessanta candelotti di dinamite, una bomba anticarro e tutto l''occorrente che sarebbe servito al gruppo terroristico Weather Underground per produrre altri ordigni. È l''atto di nascita degli anni Settanta e Barry Miles è a New York per registrarne i primi, turbolenti vagiti. Giornalista inglese sbarcato negli Stati Uniti per lavorare con i grandi della Beat Generation, Miles attraversa la decade più anticonformista e trasgressiva del Novecento e ne sperimenta in prima persona la genialità e gli eccessi: è con Allen Ginsberg nella comune di Cherry Valley, dove il poeta accoglie amici, amanti e artisti newyorkesi alla ricerca di pace e disintossicazione; è nel capanno di Lawrence Ferlinghetti nel Bixby Canyon, a poca distanza da dove Jack Kerouac ha scritto Big Sur; è nel bunker di William Burroughs sulla Bowery quando «Bill», per dimostrare l''efficacia della sua pistola antiaggressione, finisce per riempire la stanza di soffocanti fumi tossici. È l''epoca di sesso, droga e rock''n''roll; della cocaina, della pornografia, delle mode estreme; delle stravaganze notturne all''Hotel Chelsea, casa di poeti come Gregory Corso e musicisti come Bob Dylan e Patti Smith, e degli spettacoli drag delle Cockettes, il gruppo teatrale fondato da Hibiscus, alias George Harris, l''hippy con il dolcevita che in una storica fotografia infila un fiore nel fucile di un militare, fuori dal Pentagono. Ossessioni, provocazioni, conquiste. Ci sono tutti i Settanta in questo memoir suggestivo, nostalgico e insieme sfavillante: gli astri di quegli anni – come le stelle visibili a Manhattan durante il famigerato blackout del luglio 1977 – bruciano con un''intensità che non accenna a spegnersi.

Fashion designer Peter Golding’s comprehensive collection is a unique, insightful record of the 20th century’s most exciting and productive periods of rock poster art and graphics. Fashion designer Peter Golding’s comprehensive collection is a unique, insightful record of the 20th century’s most exciting and productive periods of rock poster art and graphics. As part of the ’60s and ''70s fashion movement, Peter Golding’s famous ACE boutique in London’s Chelsea district brought him into regular contact with the biggest names in rock ’n’ roll, and he went on to create one of the most comprehensive collections of rock ’n’ roll graphics in existence. Showcasing the cream of this collection and more, Rock Graphic Originals is packed with vibrant poster art, logos, stage set designs, and promotional ephemera created for artists such as the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, The Doors, and many others. Barry Miles’s concise introduction places the key protagonists and their work within their cultural and political context, while reflections from the artists themselves lend unique perspectives on their influences and methods. The book is punctuated throughout with special illustrated features on the social, political, and cultural phenomena that influenced the music scenes and design approaches of the period, including radical collective, The Diggers, US and UK underground comics, the psychedelic shops, and the legalize pot rallies. Rock Graphic Originals is a unique, insightful record of the 20th century’s most exciting and productive periods of rock poster art and graphic design. As part of the ’60s and ''70s fashion movement, Peter Golding’s famous ACE boutique in London’s Chelsea district brought him into regular contact with the biggest names in rock ’n’ roll, and he went on to create one of the most comprehensive collections of rock ’n’ roll graphics in existence. Showcasing the cream of this collection and more, Rock Graphic Originals is packed with vibrant poster art, logos, stage set designs, and promotional ephemera created for artists such as the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, The Doors, and many others. Barry Miles’s concise introduction places the key protagonists and their work within their cultural and political context, while reflections from the artists themselves lend unique perspectives on their influences and methods. The book is punctuated throughout with special illustrated features on the social, political, and cultural phenomena that influenced the music scenes and design approaches of the period, including radical collective, The Diggers, US and UK underground comics, the psychedelic shops, and the legalize pot rallies. Rock Graphic Originals is a unique, insightful record of the 20th century’s most exciting and productive periods of rock poster art and graphic design.

In 1966 Barry Miles and John ''Hoppy'' Hopkins decided to start a newspaper. They called it International Times and launched it in April. It was the first British underground newspaper, and began a news media revolution. This catalogue accompanies the exhibition of the same name and displays the covers of every British underground paper that launched in the 1960s: ''International Times'', ''Oz'', ''Friends/Frendz'', ''Gandalf''s Garden'', ''Black Dwarf'' and ''Ink''. It also includes the comic books that grew out of the papers, and various examples of the graphics, ads, posters and flyers produced by each publication.

The world''s most celebrated band has been the subject of countless books and articles over the years. But The Beatles Phenomenon is a unique new Beatles chronicle that brings their astonishing legend to life using sheet music, rare photos and a detailed chronology of their gigs, public quotes and most memorable moments. Based on the exhaustive research of the legendary Miles, intimate member of the Beatles Sixties circle, The Beatles Phenomenon weaves together the whole spectacular Beatles story, the full sheet music of their most important songs in chronological order and 240 rarely-seen colour and black-and-white photos. The result is a truly amazing personal history of The Beatles, a collectable book that will become a treasured and evocative keepsake for those who grew up with their music, and an essential reference tool for anyone seriously interested in rock''s must influential phenomenon.Each of the 100 songs featured in this prestigious collection is printed with topline, guitar chord boxes and full lyrics. The result is a magnificent musical, visual and textual commentary on the life, times and music of the most phenomenal rock n roll band the world has ever seen.

Drawn from the personal archives of the English artist, this sumptuous volume presents paintings Wesson used in his teachings. He remains a huge influence to many painters today who strive to emulate his free and liberating style.

"This is a reissue of a sought after classic that has stood the test of time, and this new edition now stands as a testament to its creators and an age that has passed." — Black + White Photography Magazine "My London is Soho" — Frank Norman For as long as anyone can remember, Soho has been the fluttering heart of London. Its storied pubs, shops, trattorias, gambling dens and nightclubs are every bit as alive as the millions of tourists, locals and crosstown visitors who crowd the streets all year round. People from all walks of life are made and unmade in Soho, and few knew it better than Frank Norman and Jeffrey Bernard. Writers and raconteurs, the pair haunted Soho’s establishments for much of their lives. While Bernard was renowned for his Low Life column in the Spectator, these pages collect his photos of the Soho he loved, with insightful commentary from Norman, an acclaimed novelist in his own right. Soho Night & Day is an authentic and very personal portrait of a special time and place, telling the tale of Soho in the ’60s. This new edition is embellished with an introduction by Barry Miles, as well as Jeffrey Bernard’s moving obituary for Frank Norman.

A detailed chronology of gigs, venues, quotes, and memorable dates relating to The Beatles.

L''hôtel du 9, rue Gît-le-Coeur ferma pour de bon au printemps 1963. William Burroughs se souvenant du moment où Madame et son chat Mirtaud sont finalement partis : "Il y avait un chat gris au Beat Hotel. C''était celui de Madame. Quand elle s''est retirée, elle est allée de l''autre côté de la rue. Elle avait l''air si triste, là, l''air des gens qui prennent leur retraite. Elle avait des géraniums et un vieux menton gris et un vieux, vieux chat gris, et elle a simplement disparu dans un fondu enchaîné..." Au coeur du quartier latin, rue Gît-le-Coeur à Paris, un hôtel miteux a joué un rôle clé dans l''histoire de la littérature beat. C''est dans cet établissement, tenu d''une main de fer par Madame Rachou, que les écrivains américains beat, exilés volontaires d''un pays trop puritain pour recevoir leurs idées, ont trouvé refuge. Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, Gregory Corso... tous y ont séjourné. Et ce petit hôtel de devenir l''épicentre du phénomène beat qui, entre New York, San Francisco, Mexico, Tanger, Amsterdam, Londres et Budapest, n''a pas simplement concerné les écrivains et artistes américains, mais toute la bohème internationale. Cet ouvrage remarquablement bien documenté retrace les années parisiennes des grandes figures beat. Il saisit l''aspect international de ce mouvement et nous plonge dans le Paris populaire et interlope de cette époque, son souffle, ses voix aujourd''hui disparus.

2010 fut une année particulière pour John Lennon. Elle marque à la fois son 70e anniversaire, le 30e anniversaire de sa mort et le 40e anniversaire de l’album Let It Be. Le mois d’octobre voit tous ses albums solo réédités, et en décembre, la sortie du biopic Nowhere Boy, avec l’étonnant Aaron Johnson dans le rôle du Beatle. Consart a décidé de consacrer un ouvrage au chanteur-compositeur. De ses débuts, avant la formation des Beatles, au sein des Quarrymen jusqu’à son assassinat au Dakota Building en décembre 1980, c’est non seulement la vie de Lennon qui parcoure les pages de ce livre, mais une époque. Celle de l’avènement du rock anglais, des années psychédéliques, de la rupture avec les Beatles, de l’exil aux Etats-Unis, des manifestations politiques. L’occasion de voir à travers le prisme lennonien une société en mouvement, qu’il incarne jusque dans ses errances.