Book review

I read John Peel:Margrave Of The Marshes during my holiday (actually a Christmas 2005 present that I got from two different people) .

Reading it I was reminded of how significant Peel was and also how grounded he remained (or so it seems at least from the book).
I have some slight Peel connections I was at School with someone (still racking my brains to recall his name) whose father was a builder who worked on John Peels house in Suffolk in the 1970s.
My Cousin Tom Fawcett is writing a book about music of the Rough Trade type DIY and visited Peel to help him in this project – Tom was in a band called ‘And the Native Hipsters’ who had minor rumblings with Oh Look there goes Concord again which was played by Peely.
I saw John ambling along Charlotte Street London a few years back.
A bit more tenuous is that I worked with Ray Hendriksen at Euronews (TV Channel) in France, Ray worked with Marc ‘T Rex’ Bolan championed in his early career by one Mr Peel.

I suppose there are many Students over the years who have listened to his broadcasts, I certainly recall the Damned’s New Rose and other punk tracks that blew away the cobwebs he was though also responsible for early plays of O Superman and Uptown Top Ranking by Althea and Donna and goodness knows how many other great tracks.
Certainly a trawl on the Internet reflect Peels musical significance. Even without all of the above the book’s a really nice warm read- 5tar from me.

Also read Ad worlds by Greg Myers

Not only is Ad worlds a useful academic book but it is also engaging in the way the author relates the subject to the every day (which it undoubtedly is), I had a purpose in reading this book but I think the area covered is of interest to the general reader in aiding a critical understanding of the practices and effects of advertising another 5tar from me.