Woodstock

It defined a generation, exemplified an era: Woodstock was unlike anything that has ever happened before or since—and August 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of this seminal event. Relive the moment and “get back to the garden” with this day-by-day, act-by-act account of everything that went down on Yasgur’s Farm. With interviews and quotes from those who were there—the musicians, the fans, the organizers—and a wealth of photographs and graphic memorabilia, Woodstock is the ultimate celebration of a landmark in modern cultural history.

 

Woodstock is organized in three parts:

 

- Origins sets the stage by describing the counterculture of the time, along with the festival’s organization, fundraising, buzz-building tactics, ticket selling and publicity, and site building.

 

 - The Event—the heart of the project—includes a log with a run-down of each of the 32 acts, in the order they appeared, one spread to each name. Fans and politics are also featured prominently here.

 

- The Aftermath focuses on media coverage, follow-up festivals, Michael Wadleigh and Thelma Schoonmaker’s documentary, and Woodstock’s enduring legacy.

A musician on the ’60’s rock scene, Mike Evans began writing about popular music in the ’70s as a broadcaster on local radio, freelance author, and regular contributor to Melody Maker. Since the late ’80s he has worked in book publishing, commissioning and editing titles on rock ’n’ roll, jazz, and popular culture. His previous books include: The Rock ’N’ Roll Age (Readers Digest, 2007); From Kerouac to Kesey: An Illustrated Journey through the Beat Generation (Running Press, 2007), The Beatles Literary Anthology (Plexus Publishing, 2004), and Elvis: A Celebration (DK Publishing, 2002).

 

Paul Kingsbury is a freelance writer and editor specializing in music journalism, and the former Deputy Director of Special Projects for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. He is the author or coauthor of several books, including The Grand Ole Opry History of Country Music (Villard/Random House, 1995), and Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Covers, 1947–1989 (Chronicle, 2003). He served as a consulting editor to the Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (Billboard Books, 2003). Kingsbury’s articles have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, US Weekly, American Songwriter, Country Music, Guitar World Acoustic, Nashville Life, Nashville Scene, The Journal of Country Music, and numerous other publications.

 

"A terrifically handsome photo book." -- New York Daily News 

 
"...a balanced, moving and chronological pictorial of each of the 31 acts from the three and a half days.... In addition to a foreword by Martin Scorsese are numerous, firsthand accounts from concert-goers, crew members, farm hands and musicians.... The book provides political and social context that led up to the 'three days of peace & music.' Flower child or not, readers will come away with a tangible Woodstock experience." -- Publishers Weekly 

"...provides candid offstage shots of performers accompanied by snippets of their observations, nearly all pithy or haunting.... Interesting tidbits and reminders abound." -- Booklist