HELLS ANGELS Hunter S Thompson (1967); Paperback 1971 Penguin reprint, Classic cover.  Biker/Hunter S Thompson/Cult, Used This is a report on a marginalized American subculture, written by an expert on American subcultures.  With deep roots in reality, this is the true dawn of Gonzo Journalism. This is journalism rooted in first-hand experience, slightly twisted by a fine mind and writer of the first calibre.  This book is about exactly what it says on the front cover, the 'Hell's Angels" as they were, where they came from, what they believed, how they operated and how they evolved and peaked (in terms of piquing America's interest) over the two year period Hunter set out to collaborate and verify their story by 'hanging out' with them and becoming their spokesman for the blatant truth, but in the context of the often grossly exaggerated image bestowed on them by the press and public officials.  It's a fantastic account of a way of life that few have ever seen or understood, and as usual, Hunter nails it with his brilliant accuracy and immaculate research.  This in-depth documentary, technically and historically precise, is an absolutely brilliant piece of work.

VACANT: A Diary of the Punk Years 1976-1979; Paperback 1999 Nils Stevenson 128 pages, Punk/Music/Documentary, Used From its beginnings at World's End, King's Road, London, where Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood turned art into fashion and fashion into life from their shop SEX, punk sent shock waves of anarchistic music, attitude, fashion, and style through Europe, the United States, and beyond with a force that is still at work at the end of the century. Nils and Ray Stevenson were there from the start. More graphically than any other writer, Nils traces the roots of the experience that lay at the heart of punk: "We had no regard for 'authenticity.' We owned it and we manipulated it with an irreverence that was previously unheard of. . . . Punk was a cage to go wild in." The raucous reality of the unfolding story is recreated month by month in Ray's riveting photographs, accompanied by his brother's startlingly frank diary entries and handwritten comments from others who were part of the scene. McLaren and Westwood, the Sex Pistols, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Clash, the Buzzcocks, the Slits, the Stranglers, and their fellow renegades from across the Atlantic--Richard Hell, the New York Dolls, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, and Debbie Harry--all come alive and kicking off the page. The first book to capture the immediacy and excitement of the original punk, this is a must-buy for all fans of punk, neo-punk, and the distinctive British music and fashion scenes.  (Nils Stevenson was the Sex Pistols' tour manager, and then managed Siouxsie and the Banshees.)

UNEMPLOYABLE: 30 years of Hardcore, Skate and Street (2016); Hardcover HUUUUGE!! 708 pages (4.5 Kilos- check for postage) Skate/Documentary/Skateboard, New "Clearly we were unemployable. To the outside that meant we were losers with juvenile hobbies and no future. To us, it meant not following a conventional life path. We wanted a grown-up life that would match our teen lives: optimistic, innovative, and fun.” ―Globe cofounder Matt Hill From the 1970s underground Melbourne skate scene to a company with a presence in over one hundred countries, Unemployable is the story of how three Australian brothers―Stephen, Peter, and Matt Hill―founded one of the world’s biggest skate, street, and surf companies, Globe International. Throughout several iterations, the company was the first Australian skate shoe player; a creator and distributor of leading streetwear fashion labels such as Stüssy, Mossimo, Obey, and Mooks; a producer of celebrated skate and surf movies; and from its earliest beginnings, a business that recognized the importance of connecting to the customer.  Beyond the story of the Hill brothers, the book features a large cast of players who ran Globe’s debauched skate tours, infamous industry parties, exotic surf contests, frenzied stadium events, cutting-edge fashion parades, and red-carpet launches. In addition, it includes over 190 exclusive contributions from Globe insiders and untold tales from the world’s most respected skaters and surfers including Rodney Mullen, Tony Hawk, CJ and Damien Hobgood, and many more. It also touches on Globe’s affiliations beyond action sports.  A story about following your dreams, Unemployable will resonate with a broad range of readers beyond a purely skate/surf/street audience. 500 illustrations

GANG SLANG: A Dictionary of Criminal and Sexual Slang (2002); Paperback 192 pages Gangs/Dictionary/Adult, Used The complete guide to criminal slang in the UK, US and Australia.  Are you a nob, on a one-way ride? Perhaps you're a mechanic, or a stand-over man? Do you have brown kotchel or do you go mumping? If you don't know what this means then this complete guide to criminal slang as spoken in the UK, USA, and Australia should help.