No youth cult has been so enduring, yet so misunderstood, as the Teddy Boys. From the moment they appeared in the early 1950s, inspired by the flamboyance of Edwardian clothing and the hot sounds of dance bands to seek escape from the austerity of the era, the Teds were maligned by a starchy British Establishment that had no idea what they were really about. As the movement swept the country, that scorn turned to fear, sparking moral outrage that lasted for a decade. Teddy Boys traces the roots of the Teds among the post-War spivs, the music of jive and boogie artists, and dances like ‘the creep’. The new fashion and its link with violence began to attract media attention after a fatal gang fight in south London, and soon Teddy Boy clothes, haircuts and dance styles were banned from concert halls around the country, to no avail. The arrival of rock ‘n’ roll and the hit movie Rock Around the Clock saw the craze reach its frenetic peak. This lively history tells how the Teds fell into decline after the Notting Hill Riots of 1958, but how their spirit was preserved by the leather-clad Rockers who fought with Mods in the 1960s. A landmark concert at Wembley in 1972, with artists like Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry, revived the fashion, and the rising popularity of rockabilly expanded interest across Europe and beyond. The scene is now thriving again, with numerous reunions, gigs and events worldwide. Teddy Boys is the first ever account of an enduring popular phenomenon.

In the mid-1950s, Britain was gripped by the sudden terror of its own youth. As if from nowhere, gangs of young men, dressed in a remarkable new fashion, emerged to turn the streets, dance halls and fairgrounds into battlefields. The Teddy Boys had arrived. Soon they were blamed for a rising tide of post-War crime. Then the arrival of rock 'n' roll sparked rioting and further condemnation. Yet others saw the Teds as a positive sign of an independent generation, and similar fads were embraced in other countries. Their legacy survives today.

'Enormously enjoyable' Sunday Times 'Genial and entertaining' Daily Telegraph 'A joyous celebration of the founding fathers of British youth culture' Alwyn Turner, author of All in it Together and Little Englanders With their draped suits, suede creepers and immaculately greased hair, the Teddy Boys defined a new era for a generation of teenagers raised on a diet of drab clothes, Blitz playgrounds and tinned dinners. From the Edwardian origins of their fashion to the tabloid fears of delinquency, drunkenness and disorder, the story of the Teds throws a fascinating light on a British society that was still reeling from the Second World War. In the 1950s, working-class teenagers found a way of asserting themselves in how they dressed, spoke and socialised on the street. When people saw Teds, they stepped aside. Musician and author Max Décharné traces the rise of the Teds and the shockwave they sent through post-war Britain, from the rise of rock 'n' roll to the Notting Hill race riots. Full of fascinating insight, deftly sketching the milieu of Elvis Presley and Derek Bentley, Billy Fury and Oswald Mosley, Teddy Boys is the story of Britain's first youth counterculture.

Three boys. Two murders. One terrible choice. Twelve years ago, my mother climbed into a limo with a fae stranger and left without looking back. Seven years ago, my magic came in, marking me as an Earth-witch, the Element most feared by other mages. One month ago, my father exiled me to college in another country. I may be a stranger in a strange land, but no one will keep me down. Charlie, Gabe, and Darwin. Three boys who are more than my match. My best friend. My new love. My worst enemy. Are they also killers? When a fellow student is murdered, the finger of suspicion points at my boys. Can I prove their innocence? Or will I be their next victim? Meet the Bad Boys of Bevington … Publisher's Note: Teddy's Boys is a college-aged, MMFM, whychoose romance. Books 1 and 2 end on cliffhangers. This book is intended for mature readers only.

Following his progress from ice-cream salesman to gambler, agent, record producer and traveller, the irrepressible Mim Scala takes us on a helter-skelter journey through Swinging London and its afterlife on the hippie trail. A must read for the arm chair traveller

In the desert town of Richland, Washington, there stands a giant sycamore tree. Horribly mutated by nuclear waste, it feeds on the life energy of boys that it snags with its living roots. And when Teddy Matthews moves to town, the tree trains its sights on its next victim. From the start, Teddy knows something is very wrong with Richland-every kid he meets disappears before his eyes. A trip to the cemetery confirms that these boys are actually dead and trying to lure him to the tree. But that knowledge is no help when Teddy is swept into the tree's world, a dark version of Richland from which there is no escape . . .

The Cultural Studies Readeris essential reading for any student wanting to know how cultural studies developed, where it is now, and its future directions.