Teddy Boys: Post-War Britain and the First Youth Revolution

by Max Décharné

'Enormously enjoyable' Sunday Times

'Genial and entertaining' Daily Telegraph

'A joyous celebration of the founding fathers of British youth culture' Alwyn Turner, author of All in it Together and Little Englanders

With their draped suits, suede creepers and immaculately greased hair, the Teddy Boys defined a new era for a generation of teenagers raised on a diet of drab clothes, Blitz playgrounds and tinned dinners.

From the Edwardian origins of their fashion to the tabloid fears of delinquency, drunkenness and disorder, the story of the Teds throws a fascinating light on a British society that was still reeling from the Second World War. In the 1950s, working-class teenagers found a way of asserting themselves in how they dressed, spoke and socialised on the street. When people saw Teds, they stepped aside.

Musician and author Max Décharné traces the rise of the Teds and the shockwave they sent through post-war Britain, from the rise of rock 'n' roll to the Notting Hill race riots. Full of fascinating insight, deftly sketching the milieu of Elvis Presley and Derek Bentley, Billy Fury and Oswald Mosley, Teddy Boys is the story of Britain's first youth counterculture.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Music

344 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 25, 2024

Reviews

[Nigeyb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teds were the original working class youth subculture and they sent shockwaves through postwar Britain. This account of their rise is recommended for those that like books about subcultures and social history. Max goes into interesting detail about the birth of the movement, the associated moral panic and demonisation by the media, and its subsequent evolution, decline and afterlife.

I was interested to discover that the movement predated rock 'n' roll by a few years. There's loads of great detail in this book and I learned a lot.

4/5



'Enormously enjoyable' Sunday Times

'Genial and entertaining' Daily Telegraph

'A joyous celebration of the founding fathers of British youth culture' Alwyn Turner, author of All in it Together and Little Englanders

With their draped suits, suede creepers and immaculately greased hair, the Teddy Boys defined a new era for a generation of teenagers raised on a diet of drab clothes, Blitz playgrounds and tinned dinners. From the Edwardian origins of their fashion to the tabloid fears of delinquency, drunkenness and disorder, the story of the Teds throws a fascinating light on a British society that was still reeling from the Second World War. In the 1950s, working-class teenagers found a way of asserting themselves in how they dressed, spoke and socialised on the street. When people saw Teds, they stepped aside.Musician and author Max Décharné traces the rise of the Teds and the shockwave they sent through post-war Britain, from the rise of rock 'n' roll to the Notting Hill race riots. Full of fascinating insight, deftly sketching the milieu of Elvis Presley and Derek Bentley, Billy Fury and Oswald Mosley, Teddy Boys is the story of Britain's first youth counterculture.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by Décharmé. I've added several more to my "to read" list. I've read about Teddy Boys from time to time over the last 50 years, primarily in the context of a 50's youth movement that dovetailed (or ducktailed) into the UK punk movement twenty years later.
The authors take on the doldrums of British men's fashion just after WWII is well researched and fun. Every generation brings a new cultural shift through fashion, music, politics et al. A pivotal moment in 50's culture happened when in the start of the film "Blackboard Jungle", Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock" blasted out of movie theater speakers. Rock n' roll was an American phenomenon, and it influenced kids all over the world. Teddy Boy fashion borrows a bit of the American rocker look and augments it with elements of the very English Edwardian "old school" style. Max details the influence of costumery in later music trends. Two chapter titles secure my four star rating- "Drape Expectations" and "Don't Fear The Creeper".

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every bit as rich and easy to consume as a chocolate brownie, Max Décharné’s portrait of the Teddy Boy movement is vivid, witty, and tremendously perceptive about post-war English attitudes.

[Peter Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice view of social history and the evolving music scene involving the Teddy Boy.

[Tristram · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers an incredibly thorough overview of the teddy boy subculture during the 1950s, which is something of an accomplishment itself, given that the existence of the teddy boy has been almost completely lost to time.
Décharné looks at what the subculture developed out of, its peak, its perception, and its gradual deterioration. There seems to be many misconceptions about teds, their views, and their behaviours, which are clearly explained and clarified through the book. This is a great delve into a more social aspect, and there is a particularly interesting section around the Notting Hill riots of 1958 and how one newspaper cartoonist managed to get these youths linked to white supremacist ideology with no real basis in reality.
I think this is just a really important book due to the fact that this is genuinely now a lost subculture, and it is hard to find anything of great substance on it or find anyone who knows about it under middle age. It is a massive shame, but hopefully it will find a resurgence one day?

[Brian Haining · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed Rock n Roll music and 50's styles and was drawn to this book.
It provides an interesting and thorough look into post-war Britain, it's youth and music. It's hard to compare how news was shared in the 50's to the instant social media of today. I found the book interesting and informative

[Demeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read. One tiny thing is in his conversion of prices in 1949 incorrectly: a jacket from Harrods which he calls too expensive for most people at 29 Guineas , he converts to £30.45. More like £933 in 2025 prices- according to the Bank of England anyway!

[Callum Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative on all aspects of Teddy Boy culture, I learnt a lot!