Les has often described himself as the ‘Forrest Gump of education’, as he seems to have been present at all the major educational developments since World War 2. This book is a very personal retrospective on a life in education over the last three-quarters of a century. He avoids personal negativity, though much of the narrative comes from a negative view of school and its impact on the lives of children. It is also a book full of hope that the human potential at the top of Maslow’s hierarchy, self-actualisation, can realistically be achieved. An optimistic, humorous, self-mocking account, it emphasises the seriousness of the issues covered - corporal punishment, industrial disputes, the impact of bereavement on children and many more - by sleight of hand. Important educational debates are cunningly illuminated through the reflections of a simple Geordie lad. There are key messages here for all those engaged in the process of life-long learning. Education: the Rock and Roll Years' is visionary, practical, rebellious, idiosyncratic and beautifully idiomatic. Its strength is combining personal experience with key principles. This is an excellent piece of writing. Professor Andy Hargreaves, Boston College and University of Ottawa Les Walton has achieved great things at the most senior levels of education. The thing that marks him out is that no matter how senior his post, he has never forgotten that the purpose of education is to give opportunities, excite minds and change things. His reflections, which show how education and learning have done all these things in his life, make good reading and remind everyone why education is one of the most important things if a society is to thrive. Former Secretary of State for Education, Baroness Morris of Yardley

Les has often described himself as the ‘Forrest Gump of education’, as he seems to have been present at all the major educational developments since World War 2. This book is a very personal retrospective on a life in education over the last three-quarters of a century. He avoids personal negativity, though much of the narrative comes from a negative view of school and its impact on the lives of children. It is also a book full of hope that the human potential at the top of Maslow’s hierarchy, self-actualisation, can realistically be achieved. An optimistic, humorous, self-mocking account, it emphasises the seriousness of the issues covered - corporal punishment, industrial disputes, the impact of bereavement on children and many more - by sleight of hand. Important educational debates are cunningly illuminated through the reflections of a simple Geordie lad. There are key messages here for all those engaged in the process of life-long learning. Education: the Rock and Roll Years' is visionary, practical, rebellious, idiosyncratic and beautifully idiomatic. Its strength is combining personal experience with key principles. This is an excellent piece of writing. Professor Andy Hargreaves, Boston College and University of Ottawa Les Walton has achieved great things at the most senior levels of education. The thing that marks him out is that no matter how senior his post, he has never forgotten that the purpose of education is to give opportunities, excite minds and change things. His reflections, which show how education and learning have done all these things in his life, make good reading and remind everyone why education is one of the most important things if a society is to thrive. Former Secretary of State for Education, Baroness Morris of Yardley

Rock and Roll - Changing Society, Evolving History - Rock and Roll: Its History and Stylistic Development, gives a thorough historical and musical analysis of rock artists, styles, and events in a clear and accessible language. This new edition includes callouts in the text that links students to the new MySearchLab with eText website. KEY TOPICS: Improve Active Listening - Updated "Take Note" section at the beginning of each chapter focuses on a series of key questions in the chapter. The questions are restated at the end of the chapter along with concise answers derived from the text. MARKET: For anyone interested in a comprehensive book about the history of rock and roll, including those in the music industry, such as disc jockeys, rock music writers, and promoters.

The legendary critic and author of Mystery Train “ingeniously retells the tale of rock and roll” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Unlike previous versions of rock ’n’ roll history, this book omits almost every iconic performer and ignores the storied events and turning points everyone knows. Instead, in a daring stroke, Greil Marcus selects ten songs and dramatizes how each embodies rock ’n’ roll as a thing in itself, in the story it tells, inhabits, and acts out—a new language, something new under the sun. “Transmission” by Joy Division. “All I Could Do Was Cry” by Etta James and then Beyoncé. “To Know Him Is to Love Him,” first by the Teddy Bears and almost half a century later by Amy Winehouse. In Marcus’s hands these and other songs tell the story of the music, which is, at bottom, the story of the desire for freedom in all its unruly and liberating glory. Slipping the constraints of chronology, Marcus braids together past and present, holding up to the light the ways that these striking songs fall through time and circumstance, gaining momentum and meaning, astonishing us by upending our presumptions and prejudices. This book, by a founder of contemporary rock criticism—and its most gifted and incisive practitioner—is destined to become an enduring classic. “One of the epic figures in rock writing.”—The New York Times Book Review “Marcus is our greatest cultural critic, not only because of what he says but also, as with rock-and-roll itself, how he says it.”—The Washington Post Winner of the Deems Taylor Virgil Thomson Award in Music Criticism, given by the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers

An Epic Journey through the Golden Era of Rock & Roll Embark on a thrilling musical voyage with The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 1. The book traces the evolution of rock and roll from its humble origins in the 1920s, culminating in the seismic shift ushered in by the Beatles in the 1960s. This rollercoaster ride through the decades invites you to tap your feet to the music of vaudeville and minstrel acts, rhythm and blues, and the unmistakable sounds that defined post-World War II America. Our guide through this iconic era is none other than celebrated writer Ed Ward. With his definitive narrative style enriched by a profound knowledge of music, Ward spotlights lesser-known heroes and big-name legends alike. Uncover the fascinating stories of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, and Ray Charles. Delve into the unsung tales of pioneers such as the Burnette brothers, the “5” Royales, and Marion Keisker. For all music lovers and rock & roll fans, Ward spins story after story of some of the most unforgettable and groundbreaking moments in rock history, introducing us to the musicians, DJs, record executives, and producers who were at the forefront of the genre and had a hand in creating the music we all know and love today.

The birth of rock 'n roll ignited a firestorm of controversy--one critic called it "musical riots put to a switchblade beat"--but if it generated much sound and fury, what, if anything, did it signify? As Glenn Altschuler reveals in All Shook Up, the rise of rock 'n roll--and the outraged reception to it--in fact can tell us a lot about the values of the United States in the 1950s, a decade that saw a great struggle for the control of popular culture. Altschuler shows, in particular, how rock's "switchblade beat" opened up wide fissures in American society along the fault-lines of family, sexuality, and race. For instance, the birth of rock coincided with the Civil Rights movement and brought "race music" into many white homes for the first time. Elvis freely credited blacks with originating the music he sang and some of the great early rockers were African American, most notably, Little Richard and Chuck Berry. In addition, rock celebrated romance and sex, rattled the reticent by pushing sexuality into the public arena, and mocked deferred gratification and the obsession with work of men in gray flannel suits. And it delighted in the separate world of the teenager and deepened the divide between the generations, helping teenagers differentiate themselves from others. Altschuler includes vivid biographical sketches of the great rock 'n rollers, including Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly--plus their white-bread doppelgangers such as Pat Boone. Rock 'n roll seemed to be everywhere during the decade, exhilarating, influential, and an outrage to those Americans intent on wishing away all forms of dissent and conflict. As vibrant as the music itself, All Shook Up reveals how rock 'n roll challenged and changed American culture and laid the foundation for the social upheaval of the sixties.