Beatles, Twiggy, Sex Pistols, and The Queen

Have you seen the Penguin Decades series in our store? It's the most amazing bunch of books that have - over the course of 40 years - shaped and reflected modern Britain. Featuring some of the most celebrated and controversial stories, some of these were bestsellers, some were considered scandalous, while others were simply misunderstood. Plus we really like the covers!

The 1950s was the decade of post-war glamour, Barbie dolls, Pop Art and the Cold War. Britain celebrated the coronation of Elizabeth II and welcomed the Angry Young Men. The teenager was invented, rayguns were the toys of the moment, and Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley changed the face of modern culture forever.




The 1960s was the decade of social revolution, anti-war protests, liberal reforms, civil rights and psychedelia. Skirts got shorter and hair got longer, London swung, the Berlin Wall went up, a man walked on the moon, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones reigned and England even won the world cup.




The 1970s was a decade of anger and discontent. Britain endured power cuts and strikes. America pulled out of Vietnam and saw its President resign from office. Feminism and face lifts vied for women’s hearts (and minds). And for many, prog rock, punk and disco weren’t just music but ways of life.




The 1980s was the decade when Thatcher reigned and money talked. It was a time of boom and bust, yuppies, New Romantics, riots, miners’ strikes, Live Aid and the Falklands, ending with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of Communism and the triumph of shopping.