What is a ‘good death’?

How about this: After years of terrible health, you gather friends and admirers for one last, glorious party. A couple of weeks later, you slip away, surrounded by your loving family. Then, the world comes to mourn. That is how Birmingham’s favourite son, Ozzy Osbourne, died.

By his death in June 2025 – at an age few believed he’d reach – Ozzy was much-loved, far beyond the metal world. Once a feared, demonic figure to some (and a joke to others), his Back to the Beginning farewell concert at Villa Park raised millions for charity.

In concise, arresting chapters moving from Death to Life via Art, Politics, Sex, Bodies, Voice, Family, Myth and more, Kahn-Harris explores how Ozzy – of all people! – attracted such generosity of spirit. The answer, he finds, is deeply embedded within the story and culture of metal – and has lessons for us all.

A NEW YORK TIMES MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2026

'Epic' THE TIMES
‘Colourful and authoritative … both forensic and poetic' NEW YORK TIMES
‘Magisterial… For anyone who loves or even likes the Stones, it’s indispensable’ LOS ANGELES TIMES
‘You won’t look at the Stones the same way again' WALL STREET JOURNAL
‘A treasure trove for Stones fans’ KIRKUS (starred review)
‘Terrific . . . A work of music history to savor’ BOOKLIST

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN … THE ROLLING STONES

What left is there to say about the Stones?

A hell of a lot, it turns out . . .

You think you know the story? Think again. Shorn of dulling layers of myth and received wisdom, an irresistible, clear-eyed portrait emerges of a band who, after sixty years, continue to break new ground and command our attention.

And at the heart of it all is the remarkable, unique, fractious, codependent, alchemical bond between Mick and Keith, the Glimmer Twins. There’s been debauchery, decadence and death along the way. Not everyone survived the journey, but the band was always greater than the sum of its parts, laying down a trail of classic albums and landmark live performances in its wake.

Drawing on decades of music industry experience and five years of dedicated research, critically acclaimed biographer Bob Spitz brings a fresh eye to the epic story of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world.

In 2026 they remain in a league of their own. The Rolling Stones shows why.

‘Colourful and authoritative … fond, voluble and diligent to a fault … Spitz is both forensic and poetic … celebratory and bittersweet’
NEW YORK TIMES

‘A magisterial work … he excels at presenting the Stones in glorious technicolour. . . Hundreds of books have been written about the Rolling Stones, but few sparkle quite like Spitz’s. For anyone who loves or even likes the Stones, it’s indispensable’
LOS ANGELES TIMES

‘You won’t look at the Stones the same way again”
WALL STREET JOURNAL

‘A terrific biography . . . A must for every fan of the Stones and rock and roll, a work of music history to savor’
BOOKLIST

PRAISE FOR BOB SPITZ

‘A treasure trove for Stones fans’ Kirkus

‘Riveting … startlingly well-reported and consistently engaging’ Boston Globe

‘Irresistible … a captivating picture that hasn't been seen before’ New York Times

‘Spitz researches like a historian and writes like a novelist’ Christian Science Monitor

‘No other book captures it so well, understands so well…’ Greil Marcus

‘Spitz delivers inside details and analysis with his well-known gift for storytelling’ People

‘No biographer has dug as deeply or with such verve. . . Energetic and engaging’ Washington Post

‘A genuinely great writer, with a winning turn of phrase and dry wit’ Guardian
‘Superlative…Crammed with eyebrow-raising statistics…A delight’ Wall Street Journal
___________

When Paul McCartney closed Live Aid in July 1985 at the grand old age of forty-three, we thought he was on the road to retirement. But as it turns out, he – and many others of his generation – were just getting started.

In the last four decades, the big names of the 60s and 70s have been exploiting the age of spectacle that Live Aid created to enjoy the longest lap of honour in the history of humanity, carrying on long after everyone else had given up.

In this brave new world, Elton John plays a royal funeral, Mick Jagger gets a knighthood, Bob Dylan picks up the Nobel Prize, the Beatles become, if anything, bigger than the Beatles and it's beginning to look as though, thanks to technology, they will all be playing Las Vegas forever.
___________

Praise for David Hepworth

'Such a clever writer' Spectator
'Hepworth's writing is sublime' Daily Mail
'A refreshingly independent thinker' Daily Telegraph
'Reads like a series of rich, fast-paced and immensely funny short stories' The Oldie
'Hepworth's knowledge and understanding of rock history is prodigious' Sunday Times
'The book is destined to become the go-to text on a subject we never thought we'd have to survey' Literary Review

As rock exploded around the world, so young bands would sling their gear into their trusty Ford Transits and bomb up and down the new motorway system to university and polytechnic campuses all over the UK, honing their sound and hoping to get noticed.

A list of acts who put in the hard yards on this circuit reads like a Who’s Who of rock music: Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, the Who, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, Queen, the Kinks, Dire Straits, AC / DC, Genesis, Nick Drake, Joan Armatrading and Elton John all paid their dues in sweaty and badly ventilated dressing rooms in places like Leeds University and Regent Street Poly. Even Paul McCartney, after the Beatles fell apart, took his new band Wings out on the circuit to get them road tested.

Now, for the first time, seasoned music journalist Paul Sexton sets out to document this extraordinary moment in British music history. Tapping into his huge network of contacts in the music industry, Rock Goes to College is a fascinating, raucous ride of a book, crammed full of incredible, never-before-heard stories of the beginnings of some of the most famous acts on the planet.

'It took me ten years to go from shy young girl to punk rocker, if I'd had this book I'd have got there much quicker’ Viv Albertine

For millennia, women’s raised voices have been heard as unruly, uncivilized, dangerous. Women singing were cast as sirens: mythical creatures who lured sailors to their death.

In Vocal Break, Lauren Elkin seamlessly blends memoir, feminist manifesto and cultural history to explore a plurality of female singing voices – and how women have used them to defy convention, genre, capitalism, racism and sexism. Drawing on her own experiences training as a young soprano in the 1990s, Elkin reflects on the way power and identity shape our voices, focusing on the women who most excited her when she was learning to sing.

A vocal break refers to the place where the voice shifts from lower to higher registers and this is a book about what kind of meanings, and sounds, can be made there. Immersing readers in an eclectic soundscape, from musicals and pop music to art punk, what follows is a full-throated tour of women’s voices, including Édith Piaf, Maria Callas, Cyndi Lauper, Kathleen Hanna, Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, Beyoncé, FKA Twigs and Billie Eilish.

Reflecting on what makes women’s singing so powerful – to the point where others feel the need to control or manipulate it – Vocal Break is a joyous call to arms, a siren call:

Girls to the front: NOW.

For anyone who loves music this is a backstage pass to a life lived fully as one of rock's greatest heroes.

In The Other Side of the Dream, Clem Burke reflects on his extraordinary journey from the gritty streets of New York City to global superstardom. With candour and wit, he recounts the explosive punk scene that gave rise to Blondie, the creative partnerships that defined their music and the challenges of navigating fame in a constantly evolving industry.

Clem began writing his memoir more than 20 years ago, often setting it aside amid relentless touring and recording schedules. When cancer treatment and illness forced his retirement, completing the book became a priority, which he did shortly before he died.

This is Clem's story, in his own words.

'His talent, energy, and passion for music were unmatched, and his contributions to our sound and success are immeasurable. Beyond his musicianship, Clem was a source of inspiration both on and off the stage. His vibrant spirit, infectious enthusiasm and rock solid work ethic touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.' – Debbie Harry and Chris Stein.

Music is what makes us alive, mindful and connected to each other. Music is what makes us human. This is the power of music.

Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason knows and feels the transformative power of music as much as any musician alive. From winning the prestigious BBC Young Musician Award to performing at Harry and Meghan’s wedding; from Bach’s solo suites to Bob Marley’s reggae; his ferocious passion shines through in every single performance, whether in a packed-out concert hall or on record.

But how was it that someone like him – a person of colour, from a state school in Nottingham – rose to the upper echelons of the classical music world? What were the obstacles that he had to overcome, what did he learn along the way, and how could a young person follow in his footsteps today?

In The Power of Music, Sheku explores the experiences and values that led him here, from a childhood of football practice and family music sessions, to his work today in the world’s finest concert halls and in the less privileged communities that surround them. As his star continues to rise, he shows us the darker side of an industry ruled by exclusivity and stubborn adherence to tradition.

With its power to transform our mental and physical health, to effect social change, and to make a house a home, Sheku shows us that classical music is for everyone, not just an elite few. The Power of Music is a celebration of music of all sorts and those who make it, and a rallying call to change.

‘A heartfelt plea for the importance of excellence in music performance and education, from one of the leading role models of our time' Sir Nicholas Kenyon, former director of the BBC Proms and Barbican Centre

'Powerful and inspiring' Sir Stephen Hough

Persuasive, captivating and bursting with insight, this dual biography by acclaimed journalist Jim Windolf dives into the surprisingly supportive, occasionally rivalrous, always fertile relationship between Bob Dylan and the Beatles.

Few artists have shaped pop culture as profoundly as the Beatles and Bob Dylan. In Where the Music Had to Go, Jim Windolf offers a new, persuasive interpretation of how two of the twentieth century's greatest recording artists influenced one another – and reveals how their apprenticeships, accomplishments and legacies are uncannily intertwined.

From Dylan's early dismissal of the Beatles as being for 'teenyboppers' to his rapid acknowledgment of their talent, the book captures the pivotal moments that pushed Dylan to 'go electric' and inspired the Beatles to deepen their lyrics. Packed with vivid anecdotes (the Beatles rehearsing Dylan songs; Dylan spending hours at Lennon's childhood home), the book paints a picture of a relationship full of camaraderie, rivalry and mutual evolution.

Windolf's meticulous research uncovers hidden gems, peeling back layers of history to reveal the stories fans didn't even know they were missing. From Lennon's and McCartney's lyrical transformations to George Harrison's growth as a songwriter, the book showcases the ripple effects of the Beatles-Dylan connection. More than a music biography, this is a front-row seat to the forces that shaped the sound of a generation.