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The last word on the movement that shook the world.
“A gloriously vociferous encyclopaedia for the Blank Generation. It's all here in staggering chapter and verse: how Punk came and changed the world forever.” Jake Arnott, author of The Long Firm and He Kills Coppers
Punk: The Last Word is a powerful reimagining of punk—not just as a sound or style, but as a radical, DIY philosophy rooted in defiance, truth, and individuality. Cultural insider and Wag Club founder Chris Sullivan and Byline Times editor Stephen Colegrave bring together over 150 original interviews with punk’s most iconic figures—Iggy Pop, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Siouxsie Sioux, Vivienne Westwood, and many others. From musicians and designers to promoters and provocateurs, they paint a vivid portrait of the movement’s chaotic rise and lasting impact on both sides of the Atlantic.
Tracing punk’s rebellious spirit from 19th-century bohemia to the explosion of Kings Road and Coventry in the late '70s, this is, without a doubt, the most in-depth, insider account of punk’s evolution and legacy.
As the movement approaches its 50th anniversary, its core values—authenticity, resistance, and creative freedom—feel more urgent than ever. Punk isn’t just music. It’s a way of life.
— Glen Matlock
“The greatest strength of this massive book is its density: chapters are packed with vivid anecdotes and a chorus of firsthand voices…Expansive, opinionated, and richly detailed, this is an essential capstone for readers serious about punk’s past and its enduring provocation.”
— Freda Love Smith, Booklist, Starred Review
"A thoroughly enjoyable compendium of appalling behaviour."
— Nick Logan, Editor NME (1973-1978), founder of The Face
"Punk: The Last Word is a beast of a book... perfect for the completist in your life. If you have any holes in your knowledge of early punk rock, this book is essentially a catch-all.”
—Dying Scene
"This book you hold in your hand may well be the definitive one on PUNK - from Baudelaire to the Beats, from Warhol’s Factory to Madam Louise’s in Soho. Read it and be inspired."
— Bobby Gillespie
“It's the definitive account of the punk ethic and aesthetic in all its glory from Diogenes to Keith Richards and on to the revolutionary world of the mid 70s. Every home should have one.”
— Peter York, broadcaster and author of Harpers & Queen's The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook
“[L]ots of interesting stuff about artists who often find themselves shut out of books of this sort. We get nods to punk in attitude if not in sound specimens like The B-52s, Sonic Youth, The Selecter, Bowie, and Devo. We get reggae and hip-hop placed in a punk context…We learn about how thoroughly awesome Vivienne Westwood was… [A] rare oral history that gives the reader a sense of the author's personality.”
— Mike Segretto, Psychobabble
“A gloriously vociferous encyclopedia for the Blank Generation. It's all here in staggering chapter and verse: how Punk came and changed the world forever.”
— Jake Arnott, author of The Long Firm and He Kills Coppers
"A solid punk history title, compiled through interviews with scene heavyweights"
—Library Journal