SKINHEAD by Nick Knight. Lots of black&white photos, published in 1982 by Omnibus Press. Contains a full guide to all kinds of skinheads different fashions through the times - a must for every true skinhead! English language. Rating: 5!
GAY SKINS - CLASS, MASCULINITY & QUEER APPROPRIATION by Murray Healy, published in 1996. On the back it says: "Inarticulate, aggro-loving and hard as fuck, the mythical figure of the skinhead has embodied fears and fantasies about straight, white working-class masculinity for nearly thirty years. Dressed in standard issue flying jacket, crotch-clutching Levis and shiny DM boots, he was destined for homoerotisicm. But if the shaven-headed sexiness of the skin is beyond question for many gay men, it has been out of the question for many observers. Is the phenomenon of the gay skin a cop-out to opressive straight patriarchy? Or does it queer this totem of authentic masculinity? Sharing a uniform, a propensity for stripping to the waist, all-male environments and hard lads, straight and gay skins are radically similar - which could spell bovver for both parties. Are the two practically indistinguishable? Were all skinheads always just a touch queer? As many a gay skin will recall of his straight mates, "youll be amazed what a skinhead will get up to after a few pints". Through accounts from straight skinhead subculture, contemporary new coverage, subcultural theorists and the memories of gay skins in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, Murray Healy puts the boot into those myths of masculinity which constitute and which are seemingly evidenced by the skinhead, and challenges assumptions about class, queerness and realy men. Tracing the historical development of the gay skin from 1968, he assesses what gay men have done to the hardest youth cult of them all - and how it has tranformed the gay scene". 208 pages, some few black&white pictures of gay skins from 60s to 80s, and coverphoto taken by gay skinhead John G Byrne. This book proves that gay skins always existed and that many of us are not at all interested in fetishism and such. Rating: 5!
NOHEADS - EIN SKINHEAD-PHOTOBUCH from 1994 by Mike Auerbach. 97page book by amateur-photographer with lots of black&white pictures, mostly from concerts by oi- & punk-groups. Excellent pictures! German & English language. Rating: 5!
CROPPED HEADS - THE PHOTO ARCHIVES by Estrella & Xosé, published in 2003 by FlashWare Editions, Spain. 160 pages of black&white pictures of European skins, mostly from Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Malaysia (yes, i know thats in Oceania!) France, and the odd picture from other countries in our skinhead world. People on the pictures pose too much for the camera trying to look like they dont, but the more private pictures are very nice. Rating: 3.
CREAM OF THE CROPS - A SKINHEAD PHOTOBOOK by Mark Skanky Brown, published by Street Music Publishing 1997. Among many photographers, this excellent book contains pictures of and by gay skinhead John G Byrne, a real nice man in England. This book is probably the best, containing both on-the-booze-pics and arranged portraits, all in black and white, and pictures of bandmembers. American, european, black, gay, and older skinheads. A good diversity. Rating: 5!
SKINHEAD NATION by Gearoge Marshall, ST Publishing 1996. Only printed in 3000 exes! 155 pages of texts and black&white pictures, this book was meant as an accompaniment to "Spirit of 69 - a skinhead bible" by the same authour. Concentrated on British, American and Norwegian skins. Rating: 4.
SKINS by Gavin Watson, Independent Music Press 1994. This, though, is the 2001 edition, with an additional chapter by the author about the reactions on the book over the years. 126 pages of stunning black&white pictures, mostly of young skins, and some gay skins on page 116 (probably more elsewhere, too). Really beautiful pictures! Rating: 5.
SPIRIT OF 69 - A SKINHEAD BIBLE by George Marshall, ST Publishing 1191, 1994 edition. Not only do we get to follow the skinhead culture from the roots, we also get to know a lot of the black music skinheads has always loved, and best of all - an A-Z guide to skinwear! Not that you have to follow it, but it shows that even if we havent thought much about it, skinhead fashion is varied, and has changed a lot over the years! A MUST FOR ANY TRUE SKINHEAD! Rating: 5!
SKINHEAD - A WAY OF LIFE by Klaus Farin. Published by Europäische Verlagsanstalt/syndikat 1996. Printed in many different editions, as far as i know only in the german language. In this book you even get the "ultimate skin-test" to discover just how much a skinhead you really are! ;-) Very nice book built around comment by real people. On pages 31/32 you find a comment by gay skinhead Jens on why he is a skinhead. Rating: 5. But please let us have an english-language version!
DR MARTENS AIR WAIR, published by AirWair Limited in 1999, when the famous skinhead boot turned 50. Born in Germany, the boot is now seen on many artists and different kinds of people all around the western world, and this is exactly what the book is about. Highly illustrated, and on the early pages you find colourful pictures of skinheads, even a gay couple kissing - one of which is black! Oh my goooood! ;-) Rating: 4.