This is a book that matters. Authors Mark Andersen and Ralph Heibutzki take the history of the turbulent political struggles of the 1980s and combine with the legendary fall of The Clash. In this historical context, We Are The Clash examines the Cold War world on the brink of nuclear holocaust, the British Miner strike with the emergence of Margret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan’s neo-liberalism (the British, free-market-oriented definition of the term) and it’s subsequent effects on lives of the members of The Clash.

Such a tale is a bold one, since We Are The Clash takes on a broad outlook on how political upheaval intervenes in the fluttering nature of pop-culture. While steeped in political history, the book draws on the intentions of the “only band that mattered” while providing several interesting analyses of why the band ultimately folded. Throughout We Are The Clash, the narrative mainly focuses on the chaotic rebuilding of The Clash without founding member Mick Jones, but with Joe Strummer (and Bernie Rhodes) firmly in the driver’s seat.

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