Reading the 20th Century discussion
This topic is about
John Higgs
Favourite Authors
>
John Higgs
date
newest »
newest »
Mod
Mod
Love Me Do, and the first James Bond film, Dr No, were both released on Friday 5 October 1962
It's the starting point for this book. At the time no one would have predicted that The Beatles's music would be so popular six decades later, or that the film franchise would still be going strong
Love and Let Die: The Beatles, James Bond, and the British Psyche explores their creation, development and afterlives in parallel. It's fab - like the Fabs
Mod
Yes, looks good. I have a few Beatles books on my radar which I haven't read yet and the new David Hepworth about Abbey Road out soon too. I think a few people have mentioned the fact that the first James Bond film was released the same day as Love Me Do, such as On the Cusp: Days of '62. Anyway, glad to hear you are enjoying it.
Mod
John Higgs has a gift for finding interesting nuggets of information and making unexpected connections. He doesn’t seek absolute answers but identifies coincidence and meaning in his chaos of connections. His books are rich with possibility which makes the world a more interesting place.
Mod
Watling Street: Travels Through Britain and Its Ever-Present Past is exactly the kind of book I love.
Higgs is the master of disparate, quirky, unexpected and interesting connections.
As he made his journey along Watling Street, one of Britain's oldest roads, travelling from Dover to Anglesey, he uncovers a hidden history, or histories to be more accurate. Part of his thesis is that if we don't like the narrative we are given we can find numerous alternatives, such is the rich history and culture of these islands.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I feel that way about Stuart Maconie, who writes terrific books about travels in Britain. I imagine you're already a fan, Nigeyb?
Mod
Mod
"I finished Love and Let Die: The Beatles, James Bond, and the British Psyche yesterday. Utterly fabulous. I love John Higgs. Review coming soon"
And here it is...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Enthralling
5/5
Reading the 20th Century
Books mentioned in this topic
Love and Let Die: The Beatles, James Bond, and the British Psyche (other topics)Love and Let Die: The Beatles, James Bond, and the British Psyche (other topics)
Watling Street: Travels Through Britain and Its Ever-Present Past (other topics)
Watling Street: Travels Through Britain and Its Ever-Present Past (other topics)
On the Cusp: Days of '62 (other topics)
More...
All his books are great. I've read them all except two - and I have copies of those and will be reading them very soon.
He has that incredible knack of making complex ideas simple, and finding fascinating connections between seemingly unrelated subjects. His new book, which I'm deep into, is a case in point. It's called Love and Let Die: The Beatles, James Bond, and the British Psyche and I'm loving it
John sends me occasional emails and said this about Love and Let Die: The Beatles, James Bond, and the British Psyche...
It’s the story of two clashing world views that took the form of implausible global culture-shaping phenomena. These both emerged on the same windy Friday nearly sixty years ago - on 5 October 1962. Telling their stories together offers a wealth of new insights and perspectives about this strange split country - along with its strengths, its delusions and its place in the world. You don’t have to be heavily invested in either Bond or the Beatles, I think, to get a lot out of this.
There’s an extra treat for those who choose the audiobook - after my reading, there’s a special edition of I Am The Eggpod at the end, in which host Chris Shaw interviews me about Bond and the Beatles. If you are new to this podcast and have any interest in the Beatles, I wholeheartedly recommend it - it manages to capture how inclusive and joyful the world of Beatle fandom can be, especially in comparison to other modern fandoms.