I loved this book, as someone who spent the early 2000s in many VFW halls, working big festivals like Warped Tour & Bamboozle, and in tour vans photographing bands across the country, it really resonated with me.

I don’t typically lean towards non fiction but this book was very interesting. The history and everyone that was involved in this was very entertaining. If you like punk music, you’ll love reading this.

I love a book where I learn a lot of new information and this is definitely that kind of book. My exposure to Punk has been really narrow in terms of the more "name-brand" bands from the 1970's and 1980's -- The Sex Pistols, The Dead Kennedy's, the Clash, etc.). This is an oral history so there are definitely quotes and interviews about or from members of these bands. But what I really loved is that the book is organized into themes that cover many facets of what punk music is and its impact on culture and social movements. From Pussy Riot to East Berlin to Indigenous people,, Latin punk, LGBTQ+, anti-war, anarchy, feminism, etc. The book asks questions about how revolutionary has punk rock been - did they influence momentum of events such as the taking down of the Berlin Wall, etc. Some of the fascinating tidbits include some of the views of people like Morrissey and Johnny Rotten today which can maybe be best described as reactionary and conservative. What really stunned me is that in the "No Child Left Behind" act in education, there was a little known provision dictating that public schools share student personal information to the military for recruiting purposes. I also had not known that Stewart Copeland's father was part of the founding of the CIA and part of overthrow of "anti-American" governments - of course, I don't consider the band the Police to be "punk" but his brother was a big music producer. This is a fascinating and meticulously researched oral history of punk and I recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Rowman & Littlefield for an ARC and I left this review voluntarily.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Rowman & Littlefield for an advance copy of this history on the intersection where political and activism meets punk music and helping others.

Before I started working at the music store I didn't know much punk music. My hometown could have been the town in Footloose only set in New England. There was some metal, but is was corporate metal. There might have been punks, but they kept it hidden. When I started in music I have to admit I wondered who bought all this weird stuff. Covers that would have failed my graphic class in school, lots of abbreviations in names, lots of weird stuff. But I loved the customers, well with a few exceptions. Most of the people who bought punk, even the ones who started cause it was trendy at the time were really great people. Loved to talk shows, music, cats for quite a few of them. I found most punks would be the first to offer snacks, a couch, cash if they had it, or lend an ear it it would help. And most of them were involved in something. They'd come in with concert posters, funding for skate parks, dog and cat charities, women's rights, and other things. And that is punk music. People might call it nasty, rude, loud and stupid, but what punk does it reflects the times and the people in control, and with no control. That's why so many people not only hate it but fear it. Punk Revolution!: An Oral History of Punk Rock Politics and Activism by John Malkin is a look at punk and its ties to the community, and the actions that many take for change, and for the betterment of everyone.

The book is set up not chronologically but more by themes which is than most oral histories, but really fits the message. This has been a work in progress for almost twenty years, and it is interesting to see the many who say that they don't vote, because all the parties are the same, to starting to realize that yes there is a difference. Some of the analysis of the way government is trending and how rights are eroding is interesting to see, especially since some of these interviews are again over twenty years old. Much more prescient than most of the major newspapers Op-Eds have ever been. There a lot of interviews, over 200 people, stretching from punk legends to modern performers, and others like William Gibson the science fiction writer.

What comes off the pages most is that these people are serious about not only music, but about change and helping people. One can really see growth in a lot of musicians being interviewed as things become darker and darker, from not caring about the future, to suddenly finding themselves in a future that is darker than they ever sang about. Some still come off as jerks, but that is par for the course. John Malkin is a very good interviewer and a good writer, filling in a lot of spots and explaining more about what certain organizations do, or in some cases did. This is one of the more interesting music books that I have read in a long time, because the music is just a background for the what these punk activist and advocates are trying to do. Without the music, they never would have started on this path, many might not even be here to be interviewed or discussed.

The power of music comes off these pages. One wants to both listen to music, and start doing something. And there is a lot to do. A really interesting and powerful book. Something for music historians and punk fans. Great for people who have just discovered punk music, and are starting to realize that the world isn't as great as they been lied to about. I can't wait for more books from John Malkin.

Punk Revolution!: An Oral History of Punk Rock Politics and Activism will be published on June 15, 2023. Rowman and Littlefield provided an early galley for review.

Cards on the table: I was never very rebellious, and, thus, punk was only something I knew from a distance - a safe distance. Thanks to my older brother, I got to know and love the music of the Ramones, the Sex Pistols and the Clash (among others). Even as I got older, I made sure to sample many more bands in the genre. Some I like a lot; some I could not get into at all. And that's okay. What drew me to this book is wanting to know and understand punk even more.

Malkin's book was twenty years in the making. With over 250 interviews, he not only had material for this book but also two more coming down the road in the future. That tells me that a lot of research and care went into this narrative. As a librarian, I always applaud those that do their homework properly.

With so much material, Malkin weaves talking points together on common themes and ideas. That can have an interesting effect. Sometimes he'll have quotes from one person at one time followed by another at another time. He does make sure to put in notes of time so the context of the quotes can be made. That can make for a bit of a chaotic reading experience though. Somehow, it actually worked for me when I read it. Mileage might vary.

Overall, I got a lot out of this book. It showed the many facets of punk - so many more than I had even considered before. It also gave many examples of performers using their art and their platforms as activists. It was a good mix between performers I knew and performers I was just discovering thanks to this book.

I really enjoy it. I always like reading about punk and it’s different aspects. I really would’ve liked if they would’ve had more women in the gender/feminism chapter. Also including trans women in that conversation would’ve been nice. I was hoping that Laura Jane Grace would’ve been interviewed. But overall it was a good read