{"title":"Books by Billy Bragg","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780571328598","title":"A Lover Sings: Selected Lyrics","description":"\u003cp\u003eBilly Bragg is one of Britain's most distinctive and accomplished  songwriters, whose work has articulated the passions, both personal and  political, of Britain during the past five decades. \u003ci\u003eA Lover Sings\u003c\/i\u003e contains over seventy of his best-known lyrics, selected and annotated by the author.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Sexuality',  'A New England', 'Levi Stubbs' Tears' - these are unadorned, poetic  songs that skilfully interweave everyday observation with much broader  concerns: of fairness and outrage, of generosity and love. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Lover Sings \u003c\/i\u003ereveals a unique sensibility: principled and proudly of the Left, funny, forthright and tender. It is a remarkable collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56291439280501,"sku":"9780571328598","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780571328598_92885c29-b276-4f8c-8795-2ec4422283f9.jpg?v=1786014968"},{"product_id":"9780571327751","title":"Roots, Radicals and Rockers","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eRough Trade\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMojo \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eFT \u003c\/i\u003eBook of the Year\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE PENDERYN MUSIC BOOK PRIZE\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEmerging from the jazz clubs of the early 1950s, skiffle – a uniquely British take on American folk and blues – caused a sensation among a generation of kids who had grown up during the dreary post-war years. Teenagers were looking for a music of their own in a culture dominated by crooners and mediated by a stuffy BBC. Against a backdrop of Cold War politics, rock and roll riots and a newly assertive working-class youth, Billy Bragg charts – for the first time in depth – the history, impact and legacy of a movement that sparked a revolution and shaped pop culture as we have come to know it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56291717480821,"sku":"9780571327751","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780571327751_bbc54208-86a5-4953-9937-cc75a6baea7a.jpg?v=1786014937"},{"product_id":"9780552772426","title":"The Progressive Patriot","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhat does it mean to be English? What does it mean to be British? Is the cross of St George a proud symbol of a great tradition, or the badge of a neo-Nazi? In a world where British citizens can lay bombs to kill their countrymen, where religious fundamentalism is on the increase and where the BNP are somehow part of the democratic process, what does patriotism actually mean?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOur identity can change depending on what company we are in. For example, someone could describe themselves British to one person, Scottish to another and, say, a Londoner to another, and be right every time. But problems arise when someone tries to tell you what you are, based on your skin tone, religion, accent, surname, or whatever. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book is Billy Bragg's urgent, eloquent and passionate response to the events of 7 July 2005, when four bombs tore through a busy morning in London, killing 52 innocent people and injuring many more. \u003cbr\u003eA firm believer in toleration and diversity, he felt himself hemmed in by fascists on one side and religious fanatics on the other. The suicide bombers were all British-born and well integrated into our multicultural society. Yet they felt no compunction in murdering and maiming their fellow citizens. Inclusivity is important, but without a sense of belonging to accompany it, what chance social cohesion... \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut where does a sense of belonging come from? Can it be conferred by a legal document? Is it a matter of blood and soil? Can it be taught? Is it nature or nurture? \u003ci\u003eThe Progressive Patriot \u003c\/i\u003eis a book we all need to read. It pulls no punches in its insights and its radical vision offers a positive hope for a country teetering on the brink of catastrophe.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56292177576309,"sku":"9780552772426","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780552772426_d231ec83-0cc5-488c-ba1f-33ad67b2df4c.jpg?v=1786014191"},{"product_id":"9780571353217","title":"The Three Dimensions of Freedom","description":"\u003cp\u003eAt a time when opinion trumps facts and truth is treated as nothing more than another perspective, free speech has become a battleground. While authoritarians and algorithms threaten democracy, we argue over who has the right to speak.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo protect ourselves from encroaching tyranny, we must look beyond this one-dimensional notion of what it means to be free and, by reconnecting liberty to equality and accountability, restore the individual agency engendered by the three dimensions of freedom.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56311809769845,"sku":"9780571353217","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780571353217_c57ae9e2-7632-445d-95ef-7e21532d853e.jpg?v=1786014640"},{"product_id":"billy-bragg-a-peoples-history","title":"Billy Bragg - A People's History","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBilly Bragg - APeople's History\u003c\/i\u003eis an authorised oral history of the British singer-songwriter and political activist in thewords of people who have been moved by his music. Containing over 400 fanmemories of seeing Billy in concert, on a demonstration or on TV, \u003ci\u003eBillyBragg - A People's History\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of the Bard of Barking as it'snever been told before. Whether singing aboutlove in 'A New England', domestic violence in 'Levi Stubbs Tears' or political activismin 'There is Power in a Union', Billy Bragg has been inspiring fans through hismusic and sparking political debate with his opinions for more than 40 years. With memorabilia fromBilly's personal archive and contributions from the man himself, \u003ci\u003eBilly Bragg- A People's History\u003c\/i\u003e will span Billy's career in music, from his days withthe punk-inspired Riff Raff through to the present day. The book will includeanecdotes of seeing Billy in concert or encountering him as an activist, aswell as Billy's reflections on his long career.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57492385038709,"sku":"9781915858368","price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781915858368.jpg?v=1786529224"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-billy-bragg.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}