The Story of Oi! A View From the Dead-End of the Street 1981 First ed Garry Johnson Punk Skinhead

Garry Johnson, ed. — The Story of Oi! A View From the Dead-End of the Street

Babylon Books, Manchester, UK. 1981. True First Edition. Softcover.

OVERVIEW

In 1981, Oi! was not yet history — it was news. The movement that had emerged from the wreckage of first-wave punk, rooted in working-class estates, football terraces, and the pub circuit, was at its most volatile and most vital. The Story of Oi!, edited by Garry Johnson and published by Babylon Books in Manchester, is the document of that moment: made inside the scene, in the year the scene was happening.

Babylon Books occupied a specific position in British subcultural publishing in the late 1970s and early 1980s — operating outside mainstream channels, producing titles for audiences that mainstream publishers ignored. Their Oi! volume, at 48 pages of B&W photography and text, is compact but dense: a primary source from the street-level of British working-class youth culture at one of its most contested moments.

The back cover carries a period advertisement for the companion volume Carry On Oi!! (Oi 3), presented by Garry Bushell — itself a document of the scene's momentum in 1981, and a detail that places this copy precisely within the publishing history of the movement.

WHY THIS VOLUME IS A PRIZED COLLECTOR'S ITEM

1. 1981 First Edition — Published at the peak of the Oi! movement. A contemporary document, not a retrospective.

2. Babylon Books Imprint — One of the key subcultural publishers of the British punk/post-punk era.

3. Primary Source — Edited by Garry Johnson from inside the scene.

4. Period Back Cover Advertisement — Original ad for Carry On Oi!! (Oi 3 / Garry Bushell) intact, adding historical context.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

• Editor: Garry Johnson
• Title: The Story of Oi! A View From the Dead-End of the Street
• Publisher: Babylon Books, Manchester, UK
• Year Published: 1981 — True First Edition
• Format: Softcover, 26.6×20.3cm, 48pp
• Photography: All B&W throughout

CONDITION

Good / Very Good

• Back Cover: Rubbing, light scratching, and minor age-toning/foxing consistent with 44 years. Corner crease at lower right. Original price sticker (£1.95) present on back cover.
• Front Cover: Good overall. Natural age-toning consistent with period paper stock.
• Binding: Tight and secure throughout.
• Interior & Pages: Very Good. Clean interior, no writing or tears. All 48 pages complete and intact.

*Please carefully review all high-resolution listing photos.

SHIPPING & HANDLING

Securely wrapped in bubble wrap and shipped in a rigid protective box. Expedited international shipping with full tracking and insurance included.