See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

20 used & new from £0.77

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Billy Bragg: Still Suitable for Miners - The Official Biography
 
See larger image
 

Billy Bragg: Still Suitable for Miners - The Official Biography (Paperback)

by Billy Bragg (Foreword), Andrew Collins (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


11 new from £2.99 8 used from £0.77 1 collectible from £32.50
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Paperback (Rev& Updtd) Order it used

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Progressive Patriot

The Progressive Patriot

by Billy Bragg
3.1 out of 5 stars (17)  £6.99
Pies and Prejudice: In Search of the North

Pies and Prejudice: In Search of the North

by Stuart Maconie
3.8 out of 5 stars (73)  £5.59
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now: My Difficult Student 80s

Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now: My Difficult Student 80s

by Andrew Collins
3.3 out of 5 stars (12)  £5.99
That's Me in the Corner: Adventures of an Ordinary Boy in a Celebrity World

That's Me in the Corner: Adventures of an Ordinary Boy in a Celebrity World

by Andrew Collins
3.8 out of 5 stars (13)  £5.99
Mr. Love & Justice

Mr. Love & Justice

~ Billy Bragg
4.1 out of 5 stars (14)  £8.88
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 296 pages
  • Publisher: Virgin Books; 2nd Revised edition edition (7 Feb 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0753506912
  • ISBN-13: 978-0753506912
  • Product Dimensions: 23.5 x 15.5 x 2.3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 424,050 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
Suitable For
   www.Ask.com    Find the Best Results for Suitable For 
  
 

Product Description

Review
"* 'A good, enthralling, recommended read' Folk Roots * 'Essential reading for anyone who thinks that pop music is either a redundant or a toothless art form.' The Irish Times

Billy Bragg (or Stephen William Bragg to give him his full name) was born on 20th December 1957 in Dagenham, Essex. From an early age his interests were eclectic, including politics and local history as well as punk and pop music. The young Bragg spent time in the army although he later became a peace campaigner. The 1980s saw his rise to fame, following the release of his first hit album, 'Life's a Riot With Spy vs. Spy' in 1983. Later his reputation as a political songwriter blossomed, and he championed his ideals through practical as well as artistic means, forming Red Wedge (a touring band of Labour-supporting musicians) and playing benefit gigs during the miners' strike. In this excellent authorized biography various friends and colleagues pay tribute to him, including DJ Andy Kershaw and his long-standing bandmate Wiggy. Bragg comes across as a genuinely decent man and one who sticks to his beliefs, whilst always trying to understand more about the world around him. He retains his left-wing views, although he is no fan of New Labour. This is a fascinating insight into an unsung hero in modern music and it deserves the best recommendation you can give this sort of book - it makes you want to go out and buy his music. (Kirkus UK)

Product Description
He was a punk. He was a soldier. He was a flag-waver for the Labour Party. He is Billy Bragg, best known as a passionate political songwriter and urbane folk singer, but equally admired for his offbeat love songs. Billy Bragg is a British institution who never went out of fashion (he was never in fashion in the first place). In America he was chosen as the spiritual heir to legendary protest singer Woody Guthrie, beating rival claims from the likes of Bob Dylan and Neil Young. In the UK he surfaced on current affairs TV programmes during the 2001 election dressed as a Roman legionary advocating tactical voting to keep the Tories out. Billy Bragg is a one-off and Still Suitable for Miners is his official story, a portrait of a peerless entertainer and a fearless campaigner growing up in Britain in the years after rock 'n' roll. The book includes childhood photos and previously unseen images from Billy's personal archive.

See all Product Description

Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Billy Bragg: Still Suitable for Miners - The Official Biography
40% buy the item featured on this page:
Billy Bragg: Still Suitable for Miners - The Official Biography 4.2 out of 5 stars (4)
Billy Bragg: Still Suitable for Miners
37% buy
Billy Bragg: Still Suitable for Miners
£6.99
The Progressive Patriot
23% buy
The Progressive Patriot 3.1 out of 5 stars (17)
£6.99

 

Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Billy Bragg: A Plumber?, 28 Aug 2003
How disappointing that the official biography of such a lyrical songwriter should contain almost no references to the songs. Collins seemingly forgets to examine any of the songs in any kind of depth, doesn't give any insights into how when or why they were written and fails miserably to give reasons for songwriting. Reading this book Billy Bragg could easily have been a plumber, what Collins gives is a litany of Billy Braggs tour dates and album releases.
The reason I read a biography of a songwriter or poet is not so that I can learn where they played in the summer of 1984 but why they created, what makes them different from me or other people. Andrew Collins should have read another songwriters' biography before putting pen to paper, Joe Kleins "Woody Guthrie : A life" that not only told you When but How and Why
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars He's making the World safe for capitalism, dont'cha know?, 7 April 2003
By MisterKeith (Southgate, London, England) - See all my reviews
  
It's not what you'd expect. Billy Bragg, he's an out-and-out politico, who writes the odd love song here and there.

Let's face it, unless you know your Billy Bragg in depth, that's probably what you'd be thinking. And how wrong you'd be. Andrew Collins has written a superb book that really goes a long way to exploding the myth of Bragg. Using Bragg's own scrapbooks, and interviewing all the key people in the story, he's put together a highly detailed biography that doesn't flinch from showing his subject in an (occasionally) unsympathetic light. But what shines through is what an honourable and hardworking, unbelievably hardworking, if sometimes misguided, man Billy Bragg is. And he has some strange friends: I ask you - Boris Johnson???

OK, so some of the puns are somewhat laboured (boom boom), but it all adds to the tone of the book - it could all have been so dour.

And anyway, it's worth buying purely because Collins constantly calls Phil Jupitus "Porky". Hahahahahahahaha, no, seriously, if you liked anything about "indie" music from the last 70s onwards, you need this book.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A SUPERB BOOK, 15 Jun 1999
By A Customer
Andrew Collins combines both personal insights and a fascinating history of Billy's career. Very easy to read and never dull, the book should be an inspiration to any aspiring singer-songwriter.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars offers a valauble insight into the man and his music
For anybody who ahs followed Billy's career through the last 15 years this book should bring back some good and some sad memories. Read more
Published on 15 Jun 1999

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

Discover Health & Beauty

 

Up to 75% off Shoes

Shoe Clearance - 75% off Shoes
Save up to 75% on shoes for the whole family.

Shop clearance shoes

 

A Close Shave

Philips Nivea Coolskin HS8060 Moisturizing Rotary Shaving System
For all types of hair removal, stay smooth with Amazon.co.uk.

Discover Shaving & Hair Removal

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates