Author(s): Horst A. Friedrichs

Coffee Table Books

With their tattoos, leather jackets, slicked-back hair, and beloved British motorbikes-BSAs, Triumphs, Nortons, and Royal Enfields-Rockers are the nemesis and antithesis of the fastidiously groomed Mods. Elvis, James Dean, and Marlon Brando made rocker style synonymous with rebellion, sparking a global cult. Friedrichs follows the British rocker tribe as its members congregate in parking lots, pubs, cafes, dance and pool halls, as well as huge gatherings at Jacks Hill and the Ace Cafe. Alternating between rich, vibrant color and gritty black and white, these photographs capture a spirit of unapologetic defiance in clothing as well as attitude, every bit as strong today as it was sixty years ago. Trenchant and revealing commentary from Friedrichs' subjects sheds light on the impulses, yearnings, and motivations of this enduring international rebel chic subculture.