I thought I knew a little about punk but this book changed that view. It is well researched and gives fascinating insights into how punk came about and also the class difference between this and other music genres. The book was also a nostalgic roll back to the 70s when I was fascinating with the haircuts and attitudes of the punk rockers. It's an excellent addition to anyone who loves reading about music.

This is a fascinating book though only taking in the first year or so of punk and mentioning New Wave and not really going into the anarchopunk movement
As expected for the era covered the book mainly covers the main protagonists from this era focussing on the Sex Pistols, the damned and Clash . Other bands are mentioned that existed in this sphere but with not nearly as much depth.
An easy read and pretty informative though if you are already a fan of the bands you may not learn a lot that is new.

While parts of this book did drag for me a bit, overall I did enjoy it and learning some new things about the birth of punk in the UK. I do wish there had been a little more focus on some of the other bands rather than just little bit about a couple other bands and the bulk of the info being about the Sex Pistols. Don't get me wrong, I understand that they are, in large part, responsible for the birth of punk. But there a lot of other bands who contributed to the movement who deserve a shot in the limelight too. I do also think the book needs another round with an editor. Other than that I found some of the info in the book interesting, and I really appreciated how the author talked about the need for and importance of the punk movement in current times.

“A History Of Punk: Punk & Pistolry” by Stephen Palmer takes a look at a very specific time and a very specific place: London, 1976/77. This was a bleak time for England’s youth, social and economic pressures led them to believe that there was “no future” where they could break out of the poverty, the oppression, the boredom. They were angry, and out of that anger came punk rock, an explosion that shook England, scared the establishment, and then quickly faded away, but the remnants are still visible today.

The main focus of Mr. Palmer is, of course, The Sex Pistols, which encapsulated the whole movement at its core. Johnny Rotten and the boys came together, scared the heck out of society, were manipulated and exploited, and quickly self-destructed. But in that time they showed others what was possible, and the wake that they left led directly to post-punk and new wave that quickly followed. But there’s more than just the Pistols, we also see the rise of The Damned, the pivot of The Stranglers into punk, the political rock that was The Clash (still in my mind the only band that matters, as CBS records once claimed), and many others as well.

Overall not a bad introduction for those who know little about this music. However, there are a couple of things that are a bit irritating about this history. First of all it’s not really chronological, which leads to some confusion. Each chapter that covers a different aspect/different band goes back and forth in time, leaving the story feeling disjointed. And also there are several instances where the author gets a bit too philosophical, attributing feelings and meanings that are more evident in retrospect, or else assuming the individual’s feelings and motivations. There are better histories out there, but still a fine addition.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Pen & Sword, White Owl via NetGalley. Thank you!

I enjoyed this book, having hit the bars as this music was being played by bands. There is a lot explained in it about the anger and truth. Loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Managing to document the entirety of the punk movement would be an ill advised and, frankly, impossible undertaking. There are so many subgenres, side movements, and other things that feed into it, and it’s simply not feasible. That said, this book is an admirable attempt to summarise the bulk of the punk movement’s emergence in the early scene.

There’s definitely a focus on very specific players, sometimes to the detriment of others, and I felt the interview scope especially could have been wider, but I liked the way the author approached the subject material. It’s clear they care very deeply about the punk movement as a whole, and it shines through in this work.

One thing I did have trouble with was the length of the book. I just don’t feel like the opportunity to cover as much as could have been covered was given, and it was a bit of a shame. I did really like the epilogue, particularly the author’s discussion about how the punk movement today was an impossibility, but about how we need to consider our own movements in the modern era to bring things forward.

This is a great starter read for those not familiar with the genre, and well worth the time to learn a baseline about some of punk’s biggest players in the early years.

Stephen Palmer’s The History of Punk Music dives deep into the short but explosive rise of punk in 1970s Britain, painting a vivid picture of the anger, rebellion, and raw creativity that defined the movement. While the book certainly conveys the passion, energy, and cultural shockwaves punk delivered, it often feels more like a niche history lesson than an engrossing read. Ultimately, not for everyone.

I feel like I came in to this book expecting a specific 'vibe' or 'feeling', so maybe it's on me that I didn't like it as much. It DID give me a history of the punk movement, specifically the 1970s. I found myself wishing it was more of an overall view of punk from the 70s to now, as opposed to such a deep, deep dive into this specific time frame.

It WAS well written, and extremely informative. It was very apparent that the author has a strong connection to what they're writing about. It did read dry at times though, more textbook.

It was a good book, I don't want it to seem like it's not. It's extremely informative and well researched. I think it's just not for me.

Really enjoyed the nostalgic and informative deep dive into the history of punk music. It was very much a history of that era as it was a sociological take on what made the music so memorable and how it helped define the times. Recommended!

Capturing the entirety of punk's history would be a massive undertaking. Instead the author focuses on a brief window in that late 70s when punk emerged, exploded, and fractured in the UK. He contextualizes the significance of punk within British culture and its growth beyond just a genre of music. All of this is done chronologically with beautiful prose that a little over the top at times. My biggest gripe is that there are a lot of opinions which are stated as fact, like the explanation of John Lydon's recent political stances, rather than laying them out in a way that allows the reader to form their own opinions.

Punk is not only a musical genre. It is, above all, a form of political expression. Stephen Palmer does a really good job of contextualizing the era and what the punks were rebelling against.

British history is absolutely necessary to understand what the world was like in the 70s, and it was absolutely fascinating to see how different facets of history affected the movement, such as the monarchy or terrorist attacks. To me, though, I felt like the writing was too UK-centric, and I struggled to understand some of the groups mentioned only by abbreviations like the M.P.L.A or the U.D.A. (I have learned that that is how they are referred to in the song, but I never understood the lyrics either).

Something I deeply appreciated was that the author not only explained the politics of the time; he also explained and contrasted previous musical movements such as prog rock and glam rock.

I am not punk, and I am way too young to have lived through the time period. I do, however, consider myself emo (disclaimer: in a 2010s, mall emo way), so I wanted to learn about the influences of the bands I now like. I thoroughly enjoy this books, but I felt those who are more familiar with the bands and the songs would probably appreciate it a lot more. It felt somewhat information heavy and took some knowledge for granted sometimes, which is why I will rate it 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Stephen Palmer, and Pen & Sword for the advanced copy. This review is left voluntarily and honestly.

A Passionate and Vivid History of Punk

Rating: ★★★★☆

As someone who has loved punk music for years, I found A History of Punk: Punk & Pistolry to be a fascinating and immersive look into one of the most important cultural movements in music history. Stephen Palmer captures not just the sound and chaos of 1976–77 Britain, but the deeper political and social unrest that fueled punk’s rise.

This isn’t just about the music—it’s about the art, the attitude, and the rebellion against a rigid and class-divided society. I appreciated the way Palmer explored punk’s ethic of anti-racism, feminism, and personal creative freedom alongside its notorious fury and shock value.

While it’s clear this is a work of passion, it also serves as a well-researched historical document. A must-read for punk fans and music history lovers alike.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out this month. As an anarchist, I really wanted to like this more than I did but I DNFed because I struggled following along. Although it followed a timeline, the info still jumped around too much. However this doesn't mean I don't recommend if that is less of an issue for you. The info that was in there, as far as I gotten, was pretty solid and complete, and we dont have enough books about this. It's definitely not uninteresting.

A History Of Punk Punk & Pistolry by Stephen Palmer was obtained directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I had never read this author before but I love the punk movement. This book goes into detail about the UUK punk movement, where it all began with one particular band that is gone into in great detail in this book, the Sex Pistols, who had a short lived go at it but started a phenom. This book is maybe 70% about the Pistols (thus part of the title) and mostly covers the UK Punk era but mentioned other bands such as The Ramones and others. If you, or someone you buy gifts for is or was into the Punk Rock genre, give this book a read.

White Owl, an imprint of Pen and Sword Publishing provided an early galley for review.

As someone of similar age to the author but living an ocean apart, the only things I knew of the punk movement were from records my older brother played. Therefore, I very much enjoy the way Palmer lays out this discussion and appreciate the education on the factors that contributed to the rise of the punk movement in the UK.

Looking back now, decades later, I recognize many of the names and players in the movement. Over time, I became familiar with many from the post-punk and new-wave movements that followed. All of it I can look back on fondly as I enjoy so many types of music from that time period. I am glad to have the history documented in such a manner.

Well researched and executed, this book balances the presentation of facts with entertaining stories and makes for a fantastic read. There is a balance of information across a multitude of bands, giving appropriate coverage to the better known acts while also identifying those which were I portant to the punk movement even though they did not achieve the fame or notoriety of others. I particularly enjoyed the analysis of how fashion, particularly in relation to women’s hair, and welcomed the inclusion of class consideration as a driving force, too. A terrific book.