Contemporary
Enter the immersive world of 1970s London
Between the hippies and skinheads and the era of disco and punk, there was a time when attitudes became outrageous, music more fun, fashions glamorous, and pop stars shocking – welcome to the age of glam rock.
Here we meet Mark, trying to be cool but not quite pulling it off. He is still a virgin and feeling left far behind by his more successful best mate. He wants to trip on LSD but is terrified of bummers. He fancies Samantha, the Pre-Raphaelite beauty at college, but lacks the confidence to approach her. In the north-eastern extremities of suburban London, Mark and his friends live for the weekend parties. They make regular journeys up west to the hip boutiques, restaurants and record shops; especially Kensington’s Biba, Mr. Freedom and Kenny Market. They take drugs, have sex and march against the Tory government.
"It's 1971 and Mark is a Jewish teenager living in the London suburbs trying to navigate the choppy waters of love, sex and friendship... Throw in his determined effort to drop acid, the burgeoning glam rock scene and the huge importance of music and fashion in his life and you have the intoxicating ingredients of Martin Silverstone’s lively and humorous rites of passage debut novel, Budgie Wore My Jacket... For anyone with a penchant for those patchouli-soaked, cannabis-fogged days, Budgie Wore My Jacket is a Technicolor nostalgia trip that doesn’t disappoint... And with its rich dialogue, flashes of comedy and huge potential for fantastic costumes and a great soundtrack it feels like a natural fit for a TV treatment."
– Jane Clinton, Camden New Journal
Martin Silverstone worked for several decades at one of the global giants of the corporate world where he sold multimillion-dollar technology, software and services solutions. He has also travelled the world, scuba-dived deeper than the safest limits, trekked high up in the Himalayas, overdosed on adrenalin while white water rafting, and cycled across inhospitable deserts. He lived for four years in the Middle East and also lived in a centuries-old apartment on the Left Bank of Paris for two years, but has now settled in Hampstead, London.
Here's what readers have to say about this book....
Read this wonderful novel last summer & its vibe has stayed with me ever since. The author takes you through a multiple layered journey of youth, music, culture & social awareness at an unstoppable pace. The colourful descriptions of events & thought provoking subjects seen through the eyes & mind of the lead character awaken your own sense of inquisitive thinking. With some enticing theories (or possible truths?) the dialogue drops in some great historical links to that very special era of transformation that had such a powerful impact on our current culture. Brilliant read & would love another follow up novel.
This book immediately immerses you in 1970s London and holds nothing back when introducing the characters. In the limbo between the peaks of the hippie and punk movements, Mark is a kid who wants desperately to be cool and get laid. The environments Martin Silverstone creates are so well built it is impossible not to envision exactly what Mark is seeing. The story opens at a party that is so thoroughly described it felt like I could almost smell it. The readers who were part of this crowd in their teens, will undoubtedly be met with a massive rush of nostalgia. While Mark and his friends will likely be off-putting to some readers, it is almost impossible to find them likeable and relatable as the story progresses. Any person who has wanted to be cool but no matter what felt a bit out of place will feel a sense of connection with the narrator regardless of what their teen years actually looked like. Budgie Wore My Jacket is a whole different kind of historical fiction & I cannot wait to see what worlds Martin Silverstone creates next. Original review: https://www.netgalley.co.uk/book/222510/review/768104
Coming from North London and being a teen in the 70's, I could relate to so much in this fabulous adventure back in time. Made me laugh out loud at the deep and earnest thoughts of a sensitive, self-conscious student trying so hard to be one of the lads, then fitting in with the left-over hippies of the 60's. Boy, the drugs, sex and rock and roll were everything, but best of all it's in the details - describing the music of that era, the clubs, the trends and for me, the fashions, the trips to Kenny Market, Mr Freedom and best of all, my heaven on earth, Biba - what all the cool girls were wearing! Loved it from beginning to end..........
If you don't like sex, drugs or rock n roll then don't buy this book !! A great read, very informative and believable characters - so realistic I felt like I knew Mark ( the main protagonist) . Loads of nostalgia that anyone of a certain age will relate to - evening ins & all the big firsts. And I loved the The Container & The Contents , genuinely funny & evocative .
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Would highly recommend. Totally deserving of the 5 stars I rated it. I look forward to the sequel.
