WHEELS OUT OF GEAR - 2 TONE, THE SPECIALS AND A WORLD IN FLAME by Dave Thompson. Helter Skelter publishing 2004 (released in 2005 in Sweden). This book concentrates not so much on the music, but on everything around it. What did the music lead up to? What made people need this music? What led up to certain songs being written? My personal opinion is that the book could be 50 pages shorter, but i also get the feeling that everything that is told is important to the writer. At the end of this almost picture-less book, we get an update on "where are they now?" and also a very detailed list of exactly everything was released. A big minus though, for calling the caracther Walt Jabsco for Walt Jabasco throughout the whole book, and for listing the 2tone TT1 and TT2 as singles released different months, as they were really exactly the same single! Rating: 3.


SKIN by Peter Milligan, Brendan McCarthy & Carol Swain. This is a cartoon about a skinhead with hands, but no arms. The story tells about revenge and people who dont fit in. Rumours has it that the caracter in this cartoon is based on a swedish skinhead who emigrated to Britain long ago. The original issue is in english, but my copy is the Swedish translation, published by Medusa in 1992. Well worth the buy! Rating: 4.


BOSS SOUNDS - CLASSIC SKINHEAD REGGAE by Marc Griffiths. ST publishing 1995. The ultimate guide to skinhead reggae: records, companies, and a lot of old ads, and examples of recommended records. This is a must for every true fan of skinhead music, and it is probably the only skinhead-book with a picture of a black singer on the sleeve! Rating: 5!


SENT FROM COVENTRY: THE CHEQUERED PAST OF TWO TONE by Richard Eddington, published by Independent Music Press in 2004. This is an easy-to-read very informative on everything you could possibly want to know about the 2tone-movement, and then some! From birth to death of great acts like The Specials, The Selecter, Madness, The Bodysnatchers, The Beat and many others, and also about their revivals and the 3rd wave-ska. A minus though for the far-from-complete discography. Rating:4.


MODS! Published by Plexus in 1979 "over 150 photographs from the early 60s of the original Mods!". This is a beautiful book with lots of black&white pictures of our predessessors, and of the early skinheads in Britain. Its great fun to read all the old cut-outs from magazines too - yep, the press was angled already in those days! Rating: 4.


THE TWO TONE STORY by George Marshall, ST publishing 1990/1997. This book has been published in many variations, and the reason for that is that its actually a really good guide to the great 2tone music! Laso, in this book, we get a very very good discography, even mentioning the record companys maxisingles, promos and rarities. Good b&w pics of the groups in concert. Rating: 4.


YOURE WONDERING NOW - A HISTORY OF THE SPECIALS by Paul Williams. ST publishing 1995. 128 page book with some few b&w pictures, you probably understad who this book is about? Heres everything you didnt know you needed to know about one of the best groups of all times, and at the end of the book, theres a very good discography, including promos, rarities and bootlegs! Rating: 3.


OI - A VIEW FROM THE DEAD-END OF THE STREET. Babylon books, probably 1979. About 50 pages about the early oi-bands with lots of pictures. This was when the skinhead and the punk got together, and a good documentary about this period. Rating: 4.


TOTAL MADNESS by George Marshall, ST publishing 1993. The author of "Spirit of 69-a skinhead bible" and "skinhead nation" pays a hommage to the nutty men in musically diverse Madness. Even if they turned more pop than ska through the years, i guess Madness at least owns a small spot of every skinheads heart! 12o pages with all the info you could possibly ask for about the group, both b&w and colour photos for once, and also a very good discography up to the year of publication. My copy is signed by the author and was given to me by my british then boyfriend Tim. Rating: 3.


ECCE HOMO by Elisabeth Ohlsson 1998. This was a very controversial exhibition that even got banned by the Pope himself! You can see me in one of the pictures, a front figure in the group of skinheads on the Skinnarviksberget in Stockholm. Swedish and english language.


ECCE HOMO - BERÄTTELSEN OM EN UTSTÄLLNING by Gabriella Ahlström, 1999, Swedish language. Here you get to read about all the fuss around this highly controversial exhibition by Elisabeth Ohlsson, and it is also in this book it is revealed that all the skinheads in the pictures are actually skinheads who happen to be gay.


SCOOTER BOYS by Gareth Brown, GB publications 1989. About 130 pages with texts (mostly magazine cut-outs) and pictures about scooterists from early days to 1989, like mods and skins of course! The fashion is excellent on some of those people! Rating: 3.


DANCING WITH SKINHEADS & OTHER BIBLE STUDY TOPICS by David Pierce, published by Steiger International 1998. This is a very strange book… Why use a punk to illustrate the titles skinhead? That makes no sense! And yes - it is indeed a religious book! Although that sounds like crap, the book was for free, and containes many thoughtworthy thoughts and ideas - as long as you can keep away from turning into a fanatic religious person. 156 pages, almost no pictures. Rating: 2.