After digging through my attic I found Mods! It’s an old book that I loved in the late 1980’s. I have also found a great little review that adequately describes how influential I found this book.

Mods! by Richard Barnes (1979) was another Townshend-sponsored project. It remains a great first-hand observer’s account of the rise and demise of 60s modernism - including plenty of modlike attention to detail and personal stories. The bulk of the book consists of a large number of period photographs, not just nameless faces but also pictures of several then-scenesters who went on to achieve worldwide fame. Pictures and text from Barnes’ book are responsible for much of the information presented at this site. In the same manner, Dick Hebdige and George Marshall have several tomes to their credit dealing with subcultures, with an emphasis on all things Jamaican-influenced. And no collection is complete without Kevin Pearce’s Something Beginning With O, a brilliant, concise, and sharp exploration of the world of pop music and its most relevant characters.

If you fancy buying the book you can pick it up from Amazon here: Mods!

What is your favourite book relating to the mod era?

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