The Ship that Rocked the World: How Radio Caroline Defied the Establishment, Launched the British Invasion, and Made the Planet Safe for Rock and Roll

by Tom Lodge

Did you ever wonder why so much fantastic music started coming out of Britain in the 60s? Pirates did it. That's right, Pirates. The story of how they did it seems unbelievable, but it really happened, and it completely altered the course of rock and roll. Talent alone was not enough to break through the rigid broadcasting system that filtered anything it deemed 'unsafe'. Only bands approved by the BBC, which controlled radio across Britain, could get air time. That is, until 'pirate radio' was born. This book tells of Radio Caroline, and how a band of pirates changed the world of music forever. Written by Tom Lodge, main DJ of Radio Caroline, with Foreword by Steven Van Zandt, this is the true inside story of the British Invasion.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

258 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2003

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was SO disappointed. Pirate Radio was such a good movie I expected the book to be equally entertaining. Not so much. The writing was dry and stilted, and I stopped reading it after the Beatles interview because it just made NO sense to me at all. The book captured none of the emotion, none of the sense of adventure that you would have thought existed. A dreary read.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light, mildly educational autobiography about the early days of rock and the British invasion. I wish there was more depth about commercial radio policy in Great Britain, but there was enough to direct you to other avenues if you are interested in digging further.

[Craig Hannington · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not great at all in fact disappointing read,Lodge writes he invented 60’s and discovered every hit... Naff and crass in parts

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative read. I had no idea that the British government was so overbearing. This is a very interesting piece of Brisith rock n' roll history. A must read for Who and Beatles fans, especially. There is a chapter-long interview with the Beatles.

[Gemutlichkeit · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a book, this is not very good. But. If you are interested in the history of radio as a technology or as a cultural force, or if you just like pirate radio, it’s an important part of the story.