Hoolies

by Garry Bushell

Skinheads, Mods, Teddy Boys, Hell's Angels, Punks, Glory Boys, to name just a few—this fascinating book is the definitive guide to hooligan history in the UK. It examines who the men behind the cults were, what made them tick, and why they fought their battles. These warring youth factions inspired copycat cultures around the globe. This in-depth book cuts through the myths that Fleet Street built up around the cults; it tells the truth about the young, angry Britain of the 1970s that inspired a kaleidoscope of chaos which continues to this day with copycat scenes everywhere from Argentina to China and Japan.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Punk

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

English newspaper columnist, OI! music journalist, television presenter, author, musician and political activist. Bushell also sings in the Cockney OI! bands GBX and the Gonads. He managed the New York City Oi! band Maninblack until the death of the band frontman Andre Schlessinger. Bushell's recurring topical themes are comedy, country and class. He has campaigned for an English Parliament, a Benny Hill statue and for variety and talent shows on TV. His TV column Bushell on the Box still appears weekly in the Daily Star Sunday, and he writes for the Arts & Entertainment section of the Sunday Express.

Reviews

[Pete Judge · Rating 4 out of 5]

For most of the book I was prepared to give it 5*. It’s better than the book looks from it’s cover - well researched and interesting guide to youth groups in 20th century uk. my favourite bit was on teddy boys (which was before the writers time) so his personal biases are less evident. bushell is opinionated throughout which even though you may disagree at times he puts forward his case well and is usually pretty funny doing so. he is knowledgeable about 2 tone and oi in particular and clearly a fan.

by far the worst bit of the book is chapter 16 - on politics in music history where he attempts to cram in far too much content, deviates from the topic and showcases some laughable opinions - for example claiming that stalin killed more than hitler (who asked, im trying to read a book called hoolies). He’s also out of his depth when talking anything from the 90s onwards such as hip-hop or 90s punk.


overall this was a fun book to read and if you can get over the writers dumb arse views you will enjoy a lot, and learn a lot too. id recommend this book in particular to londoners as there is an understandable focus on london youth culture throughout

[Gary K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and written