Fleetwood Mac was a triumph from the beginning—their first album was the UK's bestselling album of 1968. After some low points—when founder Peter Green left, some fans felt that the band continuing was sacrilege—Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined, and the band's 1977 album Rumours became one of history's immortals, a true classic that remained in the charts for years and public affection forever. In the press, the ethereal Californian Stevie Nicks, the tormented rocker Lin...

Planet of the Apes started life in 1963 as a quirky work by Pierre Boulle, the French literary novelist famous for The Bridge over the River Kwai. His concept of a world where humans are ruled over by apes proceeded to become one of the biggest multi-media sensations in history.The 1968 Charlton Heston motion-picture adaptation of Boulle's book was celebrated and successful but was just the beginning. By 1973, said picture had spawned four sequels. It then spun off a live-action TV ...

Many have long found it difficult to take Rod Stewart seriously. However, once we get past the awkward stuff—leopard-skin leggings, bum-wiggling stage schticks, and a hairstyle unseemly for a man of his age—there remains the undeniable fact that the "Caledonian Cockney" is responsible for some of the greatest recordings ever made. Again and again, the combination of his heartwracked songs and gravelly, sensitive vocal delivery have conjured sonic magic.The bulk of Stewart's classic ...

When considered in a broader social context, The Clash stand as one of the most important musical acts in rock history. Original punks who transcended the music’s minimalist origins, The Clash lived and breathed the idea that they could change the world with their art.In The Clash: The Only Band That Mattered,respected music critic Sean Egan examines The Clash’s career and art through the prism of the uniquely interesting and fractious UK politics of the 1970s and ’80s, without whi...

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s masterpiece of American rock ’n’ roll with this handsomely produced and stunningly illustrated volume.Bruce Springsteen and Born to Run: 50 Years is the definitive story of a landmark album in American rock music. In 1975, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band released what would become their breakthrough album and arguably the most lauded album of Springsteen’s long, illustrious career. Born to R...

For the Internet generation, a quick introduction to the great and inventive chameleon of rock, David Bowie.David Bowie needs no introduction. An immense star whose music and writing transcended generations he was one of the most articulate influencers of modern music. Over fifty years his singles and albums slid up and down the bestseller charts, adapting to the changing times, exploring new musical themes, always pushing at boundaries in a desperate desire to see...

Tommy Docherty dragged the world's biggest football club into the modern era. Between 1972 and 1977, 'The Doc' led Manchester United on a rollercoaster ride of failure and success unmatched at any time in their history. Appointed manager in late 1972 when the club was at their lowest post-War ebb, Docherty dismayed many with muscular tactics in his efforts to keep the club in the top flight. But after initial problems, not least relegation to the Second Division, he and the club never look...

Their songs have been covered by acts as diverse as Ride, Boney M and the Sex Pistols; they impressed Pete Townshend so much that he asked their guitarist to join the already successful Who; said guitarist pioneered the use of the violin bow on guitar strings – a trick promptly lifted and made famous by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page; they inspired the name of Creation Records, the most influential record label of the '90s; they have been cited as an influence by Paul Weller, Alan McGee, Ride, ...

During the 1960s—a juncture in history when music was the meeting place for the ideas of the young and questioning—Bob Dylan stood head and shoulders in influence above all others. In telling the story of his first calendar decade as a recording artist, Decade Of Dissent provides a unique angle on an endlessly fascinating and truly peerless career.Dylan’s 60s recordings constitute a dizzying run that includes such landmark albums as The Freewheelin’ Bo...

The Who were a mass of contradictions. They brought intellect to rock but were the darlings of punks. They were the quintessential studio act yet were also the greatest live attraction in the world. They perfectly meshed on stage and displayed a complete lack of personal chemistry offstage.Along with great live shows and supreme audio experiences, the Who provided great copy. During the 1960s and '70s, Pete Townshend, messianic about contemporary popular music and its central import...

The Clash thought they could change the world. They never did, but they created some of the greatest rock music of all time in the attempt. Clash interviews were mesmerizing. Infused with the messianic punk spirit, the Clash engaged with the press like no rock group before or since, treating interviews almost as addresses to the nation. Their pronouncements were welcomed but were hardly uncritically reported. The Clash's back pages are voluminous, crackle with controversy, and constitute a...

The Last Dance looks at how the barbaric practice of dancing bears worked and how a coalition of animal charities set about bringing it to an end and rescuing every bear off the streets of India. The book exposes the terrible suffering the bears endured to make them dance. Compelling photos show bears being surrendered and the ropes being cut to set them free. The book describes the process of negotiation with the Kalandar gypsies and explains how they were persuaded to give up their bears...