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The British Invasion: The Music, the Times, the Era
In 1964, North America had a second revolution—but this time we welcomed the British! That year, four mop-tops known as The Beatles made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, ushering in a new era of British music, film, fashion, and art. This richly illustrated and informative volume celebrates the pivotal cultural moment when the United States took on a British accent. The huge influx of talent from across the pond included not only the The Beatles, but also The Dave Clark Five, The Kinks, The Moody Blues, Them (and Van Morrison), The Yardbirds, The Who, and, of course, The Rolling Stones. But the invasion wasn’t only Peter O’Toole, Julie Andrews, Sean Connery, and Michael Caine made a splash in Hollywood, while films like Goldfinger , Alfie, and What’s New, Pussycat? topped box-office charts. The Avengers became cult TV, and Carnaby Street defined hip style, turning Mary Quant, Twiggy, and Jean Shrimpton into fashion icons. Filled with photographs that capture one of the most exciting artistic periods in recent history, this is an evocative, irresistible look back.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Barry Miles
65 books154 followersBarry Miles is an English author best known for his deep involvement in the 1960s counterculture and for chronicling the era through his prolific writing. He played a key role in shaping and documenting the London underground scene, becoming a central figure among the poets, musicians, and artists who defined the decade's rebellious spirit. A close associate of figures such as Allen Ginsberg and Paul McCartney, Miles not only witnessed the cultural revolution firsthand but also actively participated in it through ventures like the Indica Gallery and the alternative newspaper International Times.
In the early 1960s, Miles began working at Better Books in London, a progressive bookshop that became a hub for the avant-garde. While there, he was instrumental in organizing the International Poetry Incarnation at the Royal Albert Hall in 1965, an event that marked the emergence of the British underground movement and featured prominent poets like Allen Ginsberg. The same year, Miles co-founded the Indica Bookshop and Gallery, which became a gathering place for creatives and countercultural icons. It was here that John Lennon first met Yoko Ono, at one of her art exhibitions.
Miles also played a role in launching International Times, one of the UK's first underground newspapers, which Paul McCartney discreetly funded. Miles introduced McCartney to the people behind the project and facilitated many of his early connections with the underground scene. In 1967, he co-organized The 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, a legendary multimedia event at Alexandra Palace featuring Pink Floyd, Yoko Ono, and John Lennon, among others.
Later in the decade, Miles took on the management of Zapple Records, an experimental subsidiary of Apple Records. During this time, he produced poetry albums, including one by Richard Brautigan. However, his personal relationship with Brautigan became strained after Miles became romantically involved with Brautigan's partner, Valerie Estes. The fallout led to communication only through legal representatives. Although Zapple closed before releasing the Brautigan album, it was eventually issued by another label in 1970.
Miles also produced a recording of Allen Ginsberg's musical interpretation of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience, which was released in 1970. He briefly lived with Ginsberg in New York before returning to England following the breakdown of his first marriage. He later married travel writer Rosemary Bailey and continued to live and work in London.
In addition to his memoirs In the Sixties and In the Seventies, Miles has written definitive biographies of cultural icons such as Paul McCartney (Many Years from Now), Frank Zappa, William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski, and Allen Ginsberg. He is also the author of Hippie, a visual and narrative exploration of the 1960s counterculture. His writings often reflect a mix of personal experience and historical documentation, offering insight into the worlds of rock, literature, and art.
Miles is known not only for his historical accounts but also for his critical views, including pointed commentary on musicians like Rush and Frank Zappa, examining the political and commercial aspects of their work. With a career that spans over five decades, Barry Miles remains one of the most insightful chroniclers of the countercultural and musical revolutions of the 20th century.
In the early 1960s, Miles began working at Better Books in London, a progressive bookshop that became a hub for the avant-garde. While there, he was instrumental in organizing the International Poetry Incarnation at the Royal Albert Hall in 1965, an event that marked the emergence of the British underground movement and featured prominent poets like Allen Ginsberg. The same year, Miles co-founded the Indica Bookshop and Gallery, which became a gathering place for creatives and countercultural icons. It was here that John Lennon first met Yoko Ono, at one of her art exhibitions.
Miles also played a role in launching International Times, one of the UK's first underground newspapers, which Paul McCartney discreetly funded. Miles introduced McCartney to the people behind the project and facilitated many of his early connections with the underground scene. In 1967, he co-organized The 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, a legendary multimedia event at Alexandra Palace featuring Pink Floyd, Yoko Ono, and John Lennon, among others.
Later in the decade, Miles took on the management of Zapple Records, an experimental subsidiary of Apple Records. During this time, he produced poetry albums, including one by Richard Brautigan. However, his personal relationship with Brautigan became strained after Miles became romantically involved with Brautigan's partner, Valerie Estes. The fallout led to communication only through legal representatives. Although Zapple closed before releasing the Brautigan album, it was eventually issued by another label in 1970.
Miles also produced a recording of Allen Ginsberg's musical interpretation of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience, which was released in 1970. He briefly lived with Ginsberg in New York before returning to England following the breakdown of his first marriage. He later married travel writer Rosemary Bailey and continued to live and work in London.
In addition to his memoirs In the Sixties and In the Seventies, Miles has written definitive biographies of cultural icons such as Paul McCartney (Many Years from Now), Frank Zappa, William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski, and Allen Ginsberg. He is also the author of Hippie, a visual and narrative exploration of the 1960s counterculture. His writings often reflect a mix of personal experience and historical documentation, offering insight into the worlds of rock, literature, and art.
Miles is known not only for his historical accounts but also for his critical views, including pointed commentary on musicians like Rush and Frank Zappa, examining the political and commercial aspects of their work. With a career that spans over five decades, Barry Miles remains one of the most insightful chroniclers of the countercultural and musical revolutions of the 20th century.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 3, 2014
I was in the 2nd grade when the Beatles came to America and thanks to my older sister soon joined the Beatlemania craze. That's right, we were screaming our heads off watching "A Hard Day's Night" at the Saturday matinee and couldn't understand a word they were saying but we screamed along with everybody else as if we were in a trance. Great book that brought back a lot of good memories of that time. Loved reading about all the acts I watched on the Ed Sullivan show all those years ago. The rags to riches story of most of these English bands as America welcomed them with open arms was so entertaining to read. I do wish this book had explored the bands a little more in depth than some of the other areas covered but all in all a very informative and entertaining book.
October 13, 2009
Barry Miles as a friend of the Beatles and the ultimate insider of everything that is groovy about London circ. the 60's has put together a volume on something that touches my heart greatly - The British Invasion of the 60's.
There have been better books on the subject, but this is a nicely laid out object, that is not too obscure (it should be!) yet gives one a very good introduction to the scene that doesn't end (for me). The one thing that is unique is that Miles (or his editor) has put together a lot of American LP covers in the book that deal with that particular culture and era. But generally for those who are into British 60's music/fashion/cinema, this is a good one for the collection.
There have been better books on the subject, but this is a nicely laid out object, that is not too obscure (it should be!) yet gives one a very good introduction to the scene that doesn't end (for me). The one thing that is unique is that Miles (or his editor) has put together a lot of American LP covers in the book that deal with that particular culture and era. But generally for those who are into British 60's music/fashion/cinema, this is a good one for the collection.
June 25, 2022
Really nice book dealing with not just music of the era, but film, news, etc...good pictures!
July 18, 2015
The British Invasion by Barry Miles attempts to cover everything that was the British invasion of the 1960s. It wasn't just an influx of music--from The Beatles to the Dave Clark Five to the Kinks and the the Rolling Stones. British actors made their mark on Hollywood snagging Oscars and making Americans long for London. The Avengers invaded television to become a cult icon and hip and mod styles became the dream fashion of thousands of teenagers.
The book is filled with photographs that will bring back memories for those who lived through the period and will bring the era to life for those who came along too late to experience it first-hand. While Miles does make the effort to bring in music and pop culture beyond The Beatles, he still brings everything back to them. The focus is on the Fab Four and the many ways that their arrival in America in 1964 made everything else possible. An interesting look at the pop culture of the 1960s and especially of interest to Beatles and music fans. ★★★ and a half. (rounded up here)
First posted on my blog
The book is filled with photographs that will bring back memories for those who lived through the period and will bring the era to life for those who came along too late to experience it first-hand. While Miles does make the effort to bring in music and pop culture beyond The Beatles, he still brings everything back to them. The focus is on the Fab Four and the many ways that their arrival in America in 1964 made everything else possible. An interesting look at the pop culture of the 1960s and especially of interest to Beatles and music fans. ★★★ and a half. (rounded up here)
First posted on my blog
August 16, 2015
This book looks at the British cultural invasion of America. It wasn't just British music that exerted such influence (dominated, of course, by the Beatles) but also fashion, film and TV.
Music dominates the book, just as it did the period, and the book covers the whole decade of the sixties, and even the influence that American rock'n'roll and blues had on British youth in the late fifties, which inspired them to go and form the bands that dominated the sixties.
Music dominates the book, just as it did the period, and the book covers the whole decade of the sixties, and even the influence that American rock'n'roll and blues had on British youth in the late fifties, which inspired them to go and form the bands that dominated the sixties.
November 28, 2011
I thought this was a good book. It was full of very good information that really helped me understand more about the British Invasion. Although it did start to bore me because it was giving me a background story of every band that was in the time period. but other than that it was a great book that told me also how the British invasion influenced America.
December 27, 2009
I love getting books for Christmas. Heather's boyfriend, Michael, gave me this one, knowing that it would hit me where I live. For a daughter of the baby boom, a child of the 50s and the 60s, with all their smiles and all their tears, this was a very welcome gift.
January 1, 2012
The pictures were fun...but a lot of the text seemed pretty pat. Especially when he got to the section about movies and basically just listed each year's Oscar winners. I also noticed considerably more than one error throughout (and the whole thing ended on rather a sour note)...
June 10, 2010
An interesting look at how British music and fashion changed the US in the 1960's. This gets 4 stars because of all the pictures.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews