Rotten

In Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs, John Lydon (aka Rotten) looks back at himself, the Pistols and the 'no future' disaffection of their time. More than just a music book, Rotten is a history of punk: angry, witty, poignant and crackling with energy. Malcolm McClaren, Sid Vicious, Chrissie Hynde, Billy Idol, the Britain of the late '70s, the Pistols' creation and collapse – all are here, as one of punk's foremost protagonists brings us perhaps the best book ever written about youth culture.

'A pavement philosopher whose Dickensian roots blossom with Joycean color . . .' Rolling Stone

'Invaluable . . . sheds welcome light on that short period of great music and spasmodic cultural change.' San Francisco Chronicle