Sir Edward Heath KG MBE MP (1916–2005) was one of the most influential and controversial British politicians—and one of the most elusive and enigmatic personalities—of the post-war era. He was the first leader of the Conservative Party to be formally elected by the party's MPs, rather than "emerging;" and the party's first ever leader from a working-class background. His time as prime minister (1970–74) was marked by industrial unrest, an upsurge in violence in Northern Ireland, and severe...

TORY PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is an authoritative but highly accessible account of the Conservative Party's social attitudes from the 1950s to the present day, with a particular focus on homosexual law reform and equal rights for LGBT citizens. Presented in the context of contemporary social and political developments, it draws upon extensive primary research and exclusive interviews to chart the party's progress from a stubborn unwillingness to decriminalise homosexuality in the 1950s and 1960...

In the 1990s private security patrols in public places were occurring in many areas of the UK and moving closer to that traditional domain of the public police – streets and neighbourhoods. Such a phenomenon was ripe for sociological enquiry and, accordingly, this book, originally published in 1995, provides a focused interpretation of six key concepts, each central to the equity debate on private policing. Data from three research sites in the UK are presented throughout the book in the f...

Every person who dreams of "making it" doesn't take into account the cold, harsh reality of the music business. Neither do parents, spouses, friends, and other influences, who are undoubtedly instrumental in helping them achieve their goals. During his career, Michael has had many triumphs, but not without hard lessons learned. His successes with international bands, tours, and recordings also came with failed record deals, false promises, and empty hopes (and pockets.) These are just a fe...

"You have to bear in mind that [Questlove] is one of the smartest motherf*****s on the planet. His musical knowledge, for all practical purposes, is limitless." --Robert ChristgauA punch-drunk memoir in which Everyone's Favorite Questlove tells his own story while tackling some of the lates, the greats, the fakes, the philosophers, the heavyweights, and the true originals of the music world. He digs deep into the album cuts of his life and unearths some pivotal moments in black art...

The cofounder of Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver, and Walking Papers shares what the hard-knock rock life has taught him about how to be a good dude (in spite of it all).One wouldn't usually turn to a veteran of Guns N' Roses for advice on how to live, but Duff McKagan is not a typical rock musician. As chronicled in the New York Times bestseller It's So Easy (and other lies), Duff got sober at thirty, went back to school, got smart about money, fel...

The long-awaited, full-force autobiography of American punk music hero, Bob Mould.Bob Mould stormed into America's punk rock scene in 1979, when clubs across the country were filling with kids dressed in black leather and torn denim, packing in to see bands like the Ramones, Black Flag, and the Dead Kennedys. Hardcore punk was a riot of jackhammer rhythms, blistering tempos, and bottomless aggression. And at its center, a new band out of Minnesota called Hvºsker Dv...

Rock-and-roll icon and three-time bestselling author Nikki Sixx tells his****origin story: how Frank Feranna became Nikki Sixx, chronicling his fascinating****journey from irrepressible Idaho farmboy to the man who formed the revolutionary rock group Mötley Crüe.Nikki Sixx is one of the most respected, recognizable, and entrepreneurial icons in the music industry. As the founder of Mötley Crüe, who is now in his twenty-first year of sobriety, Sixx ...

*National Bestseller* Legendary musician Richard Marx offers an enlightening, entertaining look at his life and career.Richard Marx is one of the most accomplished singer-songwriters in the history of popular music. His self-titled 1987 album went triple platinum and made him the first male solo artist (and second solo artist overall after Whitney Houston) to have four singles from their debut crack the top three on the Billboard Hot 100. His follo...

Rolling Stone magazine called Butch Walker one of "America's best singer-songwriters" and voted him a "Producer of the Year." An American music industry giant, Walker has worked with some of today's hottest talent, including Weezer, Katy Perry, Dashboard Confessional, Pink, Tommy Lee, Fall Out Boy, and The Donnas to name but a few. In his riveting memoir, Drinking with Strangers, Walker tells the fascinating story of his life and remarkable career, taking readers on a bre...

After four decades in the music industry, Michael Bolton has become one the most successful musicians of our time. THE SOUL OF IT ALL is his backstage pass into his life lived thus far-into the venues, busses, limos, and hotel rooms of stardom, and finally into his home and heart. His story will go long and dive deep, not only into his self-proclaimed "vagabond vampire" life, but also into the belly of the beast that is the music industry, with its joys, follies, and torments.From a...

Alan Cross is the preeminent chronicler of popular music.Here he provides a history of nu metal band Linkin Park.This look at "the best-selling American rock band of the 20th century" is adapted from the audiobook.