1960s Collection BOOKS

Maya Angelou I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings 920 ANGE

In this first volume of her six books of autobiography, Maya Angelou beautifully evokes her childhood with her grandmother in the American south of the 1930s.

Hannah Arendt Eichmann in Jerusalem 341.69

An authoritative and stunning report on the trial of German Nazi SS leader Adolf Eichmann.

Rachel Carson Silent Spring 363.738

Silent Spring exposed the destruction of wildlife through the widespread use of pesticides.

Quentin Crisp The Naked Civil Servant 306.766

In 1931, gay liberation was not a movement--it was simply unthinkable. But in that year, Quentin Crisp made the courageous decision to "come out" as a homosexual. This is his autobiography.

Frantz Fanon The Wretched of the Earth 325.6

Written at the height of the Algerian war for independence from French colonial rule and first published in 1961, Frantz Fanon's classic text has provided inspiration for anti-colonial movements ever since, analysing the role of class, race, national culture and violence in the struggle for freedom.

Betty Friedan The Feminine Mystique 305.420

This groundbreaking and life-changing work remains just as powerful, important and true as it was forty-five years ago, and is essential reading both as a historical document and as a study of women living in a man's world.

Cyril Lionel Robert James Beyond A Boundary 796.358 MESR

In this classic summation of half a lifetime spent playing, watching and writing about the sport, C L R James recounts the story of his overriding passion and tells us of the players whom he knew and loved, exploring the game's psychology and aesthetics, and the issues of class, race and politics that surround it.

READINGforPLEASURE

Marshall McLuhan Understanding Media 302.23

Understanding Media was written twenty years before the PC revolution and thirty years before the rise of the Internet. Yet McLuhan's insights into our engagement with a variety of media led to a complete rethinking of our entire society.

Desmond Morris The Naked Ape 599.9

Meet man as he really is: relative to the apes, stripped of his veneer as we see him courting, making love, sleeping, socialising, grooming, playing.

E. P. Thompson The Making of the English Working Class 305.562

This classic and imaginative account of working-class society in its formative years, 1780 to 1832, revolutionized our understanding of English social history.

Lynne Reid Banks The L-Shaped Room FICTION

This first novel examines the stigma of unmarried motherhood in pre-pill, pre-Abortion Act Britain.

Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange FICTION

A dystopian horror, a black comedy, an exploration of choice, A Clockwork Orange is also a work of exuberant invention which created a new language for its characters.

Arthur C. Clarke 2001: A Space Odyssey FICTION

On the moon an enigma is uncovered. So great are the implications that, for the first time, men are sent out deep into the solar system. But, before they can reach their destination, things begin to go wrong, horribly wrong...

James Clavell Tai-Pan FICTION

Set in the turbulent days of the founding of Hong Kong in the 1840s, Tai-Pan is the story of Dirk Struan, the ruler - the Tai-Pan - of the most powerful trading company in the Far East.

Nell Dunn Poor Cow FICTION

This is Joy's story: an exuberant, pink-lipsticked, tale of London life, love and young motherhood in the sixties...

Barry Hines A Kestrel for a Knave FICTION

Life is tough and cheerless for Billy Casper, a troubled teenager growing up in the small Yorkshire mining town of Barnsley. Treated as a failure at school, and unhappy at home, Billy discovers a new passion in life when he finds Kes, a kestrel hawk.

John le Carré Call for the Dead FICTION

Le Carré's debut novel introduced the tenacious and retiring George Smiley in a gripping tale of espionage and deceit.

Alistair Maclean Where Eagles Dare FICTION

The classic World War II thriller from the acclaimed master of action and suspense.

Stanislaw Lem Solaris FICTION

When Kris Kelvin arrives at the planet Solaris to study the ocean that covers its surface he is forced to confront a painful, hitherto unconscious memory embodied in the physical likeness of a long-dead lover.

Ira Levin Rosemary's Baby FICTION

Rosemary Woodhouse and her struggling actor-husband, Guy, move into the Bramford, an old New York City apartment building with an ominous reputation and only elderly residents.

V. S. Naipaul A House For Mr Biswas FICTION

Heartrending and darkly comic, this novel has been hailed as one of the twentieth century’s finest and this triumph of resilience, persistence and dignity masterfully evokes a man’s quest for autonomy against the backdrop of post-colonial Trinidad.

Patrick O'Brian Master and Commander FICTION

Establishing the friendship between Captain Jack Aubrey RN and Stephen Maturin, who becomes his secretive ship’s surgeon and an intelligence agent and containing all the action and excitement which could possibly be hoped for in a historical novel.

Edna O'Brien The Country Girls FICTION

It is the early 1960s in a country village in Ireland. Caithleen Brady and her attractive friend Baba are on the verge of womanhood and dreaming of spreading their wings in a wider world; of discovering love and luxury and liquor and above all, fun.

Georges Perec Things: A Story of the Sixties with A Man Asleep

FICTION

The story of a young couple who want to enjoy life, but the only way they know how to do so is through ownership of 'things'.

Thomas Pynchon The Crying Of Lot 49 FICTION

In this, Pynchon's shortest novel, Oedipus Maas, recent heiress, enquires into the nature of her inheritance. In trying to understand her own life and the motivation of her dead lover, she is led on an ambiguous trail of clues.

Harold Robbins The Carpetbaggers FICTION

In The Carpetbaggers, Harold sweeps through a passionate world of ambition, struggle and desire, where only the most courageous would ever succeed!

Alexander Solzhenitsyn One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich FICTION

This brutal, shattering glimpse of the fate of millions of Russians under Stalin shook Russia and shocked the world when it first appeared.

Irving Stone The Agony And The Ecstasy FICTION

Michelangelo Buonarotti, creator of David, painter of the Sistine ceiling, architect of the dome of St Peter's, lives once more in the tempestuous, powerful pages of this marvellous book.

Jacqueline Susann Valley Of The Dolls FICTION

The exploits and excesses of three pill-popping showbiz heroines: Anne, the smalltown girl who captivates a millionaire but falls for an English cad; Jennifer, the beautiful Marilyn Monroe clone who possesses everything - except immortality; and Neely, the ruthless Judy Garlandesque understudy-turned-superstar.

Gore Vidal Myra Breckinridge & Myron FICTION

It is a risky (and risqué) business becoming 'Woman Triumphant' - exercising total power over men like Rusty Godowski. Rusty just wants to be a Hollywood star like everyone else at Buck Loner's academy, but now that Buck's niece, Myra Breckinridge, has arrived, the curriculum is taking a wildly strange turn.

MUSIC

Joan Baez Joan Baez FOLK

Her debut album recorded in 1960.

The Band Music from Big Pink POP

One of those rare albums that turned the rock world on its axis.

Beach Boys Pet Sounds POP

Original recording from 1965 that has been remastered. 27 tracks including Wouldn't It Be Nice, Sloop John B and God Only Knows.

Beatles A Hard Day’s Night POP

According to the BBC “no one Beatles album better encapsulated the essence of the band than this one”.

Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band POP

Recorded between autumn 1966 and spring 1967 and hailed as having changed the world.

James Brown Live at the Apollo SOUL

James Brown live in New York in 1962.

The Byrds The Notorious Byrd Brothers POP

The band weaves its signature vocal harmonies and chiming guitars through a lush, impressionistic art-pop tapestry.

Ray Charles Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music BLUES

Recorded in three sessions during February 1962, and whilst the songs were distinctly country, the arrangements were much more contemporary.

Leonard Cohen Songs of Leonard Cohen POP

His stunning 1967 debut featuring Suzanne; Master Song; and Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye.

John Coltrane A Love Supreme JAZZ

Originally recorded in 1965 this classic album has been restored, reissued and newly remastered.

Cream Disraeli Gears POP

One of the UK’s premier psychedelic albums.

Crosby, Stills and Nash Crosby, Stills and Nash POP

Originally released in May 1969 when it was a major hit, spawning two Top 40 hit singles and receiving significant airplay.

Miles Davis Sketches of Spain JAZZ

Recorded between November 1959 and March 1960 -- after Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley had left the band -- Davis teamed with Canadian arranger Gil Evans for the third time.

Doors Strange Days POP

Nine months after the release of The Doors self-titled debut, the band upped their game for its follow up. Strange Days is a more twisted and mature offering.

Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde POP

14 tracks with classics such as Rainy Day Women #12 & 35, Just Like a Woman and Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again.

Fairport Convention Liege and Lief FOLK

Fairport's seminal album was voted the 'Most Influential Folk Album Of All Time' in 2006.

Aretha Franklin I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You SOUL

One of the greatest female vocalists in soul music history known by many as the 'Queen of Soul'.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced? POP

Seminal 1967 debut album.

Kinks The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society POP

The sixth studio album by the English rock group, released in November 1968. It was the last album by the original lineup.

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II POP

With elements of blues and folk music, Led Zeppelin II also exhibits the band's evolving musical style of blues-derived material and their guitar and riff-based sound. It has been described as the band's heaviest album.

Love Forever Changes POP

18 largely acoustic tracks including You Set The Scene and Wonder People

Van Morrison Astral Weeks POP

Recorded at Century Sound Studios in New York City during three sessions in September and October 1968, the songs blend folk, blues, jazz, and classical music.

Pink Floyd Piper at the Gates of Dawn POP

Lauded as one of the great debut albums of all time.

Otis Redding Otis Blue SOUL

11 tracks recorded in 1965, now remastered from the mono Atlantic masters!

Terry Riley In C CLASSICAL

A classic of minimalism.

Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet POP

Their 1968 album including the classic hits Sympathy For The Devil and Street Fighting Man.

Dusty Springfield Dusty in Memphis SOUL

First released in 1969, the album has since been acclaimed by critics as one of the greatest records of all-time and Springfield's best work.

Various Artists 60s - The Collection POP

60 tracks featuring many of the big names of the day including The Hollies, Jethro Tull and Cilla Black.

Various Artists Motown Classics Gold SOUL

A great collection of 40 Motown classics including Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, to name but a few.

Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground & Nico POP

One of modern music's most influential albums. Originally released in 1967.

FILMS

2001: A Space Odyssey The biggest box-office hit of 1968, this remains the greatest science fiction film yet made.

The Apartment Billy Wilder embraces both sentiment and cynicism in this superb comedy-drama, set in New York City, that chronicles the trials of a young ambitious insurance clerk.

The Battle of Algiers A true story depicting the life-and-death struggle between the French colonial government of Algeria and the Algerian Liberation Front, who wanted the French out and were willing to set off bombs to do it.

Belle de Jour A bored doctor's wife (Catherine Deneuve) hears of a brothel operating near her home. Struck by a sudden desire, she goes to the brothel and offers her services in the afternoons. A surreal tale directed by Luis Bunuel.

Blow-up Michelangelo Antonioni's arty musing on the nature of film, set against a Swinging London backdrop.

Bonnie and Clyde Arthur Penn's lauded crime drama based on the true story of outlaws Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) and Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty).

Dr. Strangelove Stanley Kubrick’s black comedy about a group of paranoia-inspired, war-happy generals who manage to initiate an “accidental” nuclear apocalypse.

Easy Rider Experience the real '60s counterculture in this compelling mixture of drugs, sex and armchair politics.

From Russia with Love Bond is sent to Istanbul to steal a Russian coding machine, but comes up against two fearsome opponents also interested in the device. Starring Sean Connery.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly During the American Civil War, the paths of three loners - Joe (Eastwood), Tuco (Eli Wallach) and Setenza (Lee Van Cleef) - cross as they search for the grave of Bill Carson, home to a hidden fortune. As the war intensifies, the treasure seekers become drawn into a battle that dwarfs their own mercenary pursuits.

The Graduate Mike Nichols directs this 1960s comedy drama starring Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft and Katharine Ross. Featuring a score written by Paul Simon and performed by Simon and Garfunkel, the film was nominated for six Oscars and won for Best Director.

The Great Escape A stirring example of courage and the indomitable human spirit, for many John Sturges' The Great Escape is both the definitive World War II drama and the nonpareil prison escape movie.

A Hard Day’s Night In 1964 the biggest band on the planet made their big screen debut with, a ground-breaking film that presented a typical day in the life of The Fab Four.

The Hustler Low-life pool player Fast Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) begins a downhill slide after losing to Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). However, gambler Bert Gordon (George C. Scott) sees the potential in the boy, takes him in and teaches him the art of the hustle.

If… Three British boarding school students decide to revolt and turn their repressive school upside down.

Kes Acclaimed drama from director Ken Loach following a young boy from a working-class Northern town who begins training a falcon to find relief from his problems.

La Dolce Vita A spectacular and relevant morality play in which Marcello Mastroianni plays a journalist disillusioned by the paparazzi life-style and jaded by a relationship grown stifling.

Lawrence of Arabia Starring Peter O’Toole in his career-making performance as T.E. Lawrence, the audacious World War I British army officer who heroically united rival Arab desert tribes and led them to war against the mighty Turkish Empire.

Le Mepris Jean-Luc Godard writes and directs this French drama starring Brigitte Bardot, Fritz Lang and Jack Palance about a married couple tearing the last strips off a failing marriage.

Mary Poppins Stuffy parents in Victorian London are looking for a nanny, but the children write their own ad which is torn up and thrown into the fire. Miraculously, the paper reassembles and floats up the chimney flue, and along comes Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) on her umbrella/parachute.

Once Upon a Time in the West A mysterious woman in the Old West is in danger from a band of ruthless gunmen. Starring Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson and Gabriele Ferzetti.

Peeping Tom A clean-cut focus puller (Carl Boehm) at the local film studio supplements his wages by taking girly photographs in a seedy studio above a newsagent. By night he is a sadistic killer, stalking his victims with his camera forever in his hand trying to capture the look of genuine, unadulterated fear.

Performance A young gangster (James Fox) seeks refuge from the mob in a basement belonging to a fading rock star (Mick Jagger). After taking a trip, he begins to cross dress and experiment with his sexuality.

Planet of the Apes When Colonel George Taylor (the fabulous Charlton Heston) crash lands his spacecraft on what seems to be an unfamiliar planet, he is captured and held prisoner by a dominant race of rational, articulate apes.

Psycho Marion Crane goes on the run after stealing $40,000 from one of her employer's clients. Taking a wrong turn in a storm, she arrives at the isolated Bates Motel, run by the twitchy Norman (Perkins), who is constantly at the beck and call of his unseen mother. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

Repulsion Carol (Catherine Deneuve), a young French girl living in Sixties' London, is repelled, yet fascinated by men.

Rosemary’s Baby Exciting horror film with Mia Farrow as an innocent pregnant wife betrayed by her ambitious husband to a cult of devil-worshippers.

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

In the industrial streets and factories of Nottingham, the hard-living Arthur Seaton spends his days at the factory bench, his evenings in the local pubs and his nights in the arms of Brenda the wife of a fellow factory worker. But when he meets Doreen he is forced to reconsider his devil-may-care attitude.

The Sound of Music Classic 1960s musical starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. Former nun Maria becomes the governess for a family of seven children who live in the shadow of their domineering and repressed widower father Captain Von Trapp.

To Kill a Mockingbird Gregory Peck won an Oscar for his brilliant performance as the Southern lawyer who defends a black man accused of rape.

West Side Story A neighbourhood in Manhattan, New York, provides the setting for a love affair between Tony (Richard Beymer) and Maria (Natalie Wood), a young man and woman caught on opposite sides of a gang war.

Woodstock A documentary chronicling the once-in-a-lifetime rock concert to which hippies and beautiful people flocked from all over the world in August 1969.