Booted and Suited

by Chris Brown

The 1970s brought in an era of shaved hair, funky music, and violent sport, and Chris Brown was in the thick of it. The regulation haircut, clip-on braces, shrunk Levis, and bovver boots—he had the look that every self-respecting bovver boy tried for, and he launched himself into the culture of the decade with a passion. This is a story of those times, of the adrenaline-packed Saturday outings, Tonik suits, terraces, and The Maytals, of race riots, safety pins, and The Clash by way of P.Funk, platform shoes, and discos.

Genres: Nonfiction

444 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2009

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chris Brown looks back on his seventies growing up in Bristol, as a Mod that morphed into one of the 'original skinheads', and Chris found his first place for youthful rebellion on the terraces of Bristol Rovers football club with his fellow skins. The book covers the seventies as football hooliganism run rampant alongside the ever changing fashions from Smoothies, to Disco-boys, from flares to Donkey Jackets, from Ska to the late seventies' skins. Great read, capturing the anarchy spreading across the football watching youth of working class England and Wales and the music and fashion of the times as well. 7 out of 12

[Przemek]

‘Booted and Suited’ zostało wydane w 2009 jako uzupełnienie wcześniejszej, na poły autobiograficznej książki - Bovver: My Journey Through Football, Music, Fashion and Violence. Chris Brown zabiera czytelnika w podróż do lat swojej młodości, w których jako młody skinhead zdobywał uznanie i szacunek wśród kolegów kibicującym Bristol Rovers. Autor skrupulatnie opisuje codzienność lat 70 z perspektywy młodego chłopca z klasy robotniczej. Pomimo tego, że tematem przewodnim książki jest piłka nożna i stadionowe chuligaństwo, to nie brakuje w niej barwnych opisów zmieniającej się mody, ówczesnych hitów z list przebojów czy rozterek i problemów z jakimi borykał się nasz dorastający narrator. Jeśli fascynuje cię Anglia lat 70 ze wszystkimi swoimi niedoskonałościami, sięgnij po tę pozycję.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of nostalgia for a maligned decade in the UK, the 1970s, this personal memoir focusses in the main on two subjects: football hooliganism and youth culture. The violence is portrayed graphically, but honestly. and the author never tries to hide his unfortunate attachments with the right-wing. Descriptions of music, fashion and nightlife are done well, but readers not familiar with the authors home town of Bristol may not be as interested as a reader from that area.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The real story of the 1970s - it aint no boogie wonderland."

"Social history with steel toe caps"

Street culture in england during the 1970s. Skins, Suedes, Smooths, glam, funk, punk mods.

Nuff said.

[М.Е. Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good insight into the 70s