Mods, Minis, and Madmen
A True Tale of Swinging London Culture in the 1960s
by
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The dinner seemed unremarkable but it was certainly sumptuous. Then the chatter turned to jokes, cheap sexual innuendos and the undoing of much of the posturing and pretence I'd witnessed earlier on the cruise. Sort of like a boozy class reunion. Masks were whipped from faces and everyone joined the crowd of alley drunks. It was like Madam Tussaud's statues melted before my eyes. An actress I admired said the F word, the C word then the other C--t word repeatedly for effect of course. By the time the last wine passed my lips the partiers were ready to dance, and this was well before the awards were announced. By my reconing, a short thirty minute dance would be followed by the presentation of awards to the star-studded audience. About this time, I became obsessed with the notion that I might be able to dance with Princess Grace. She was in the heart of the throng, wrapped in diamonds, pearls and other jewels that blinded most. I would act sober I thought. She looked tired, but was composed and beautiful with wonderful looking skin. Prince Rainier, on the other hand, looked ruffled and ill at ease in the company of smooth celebrities. "My dad would look more appropriate in the role of kingmaker that this bum," I thought to myself. I rose to my feet and headed in her direction.
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About the Book
A nostalgic romp through the sixties that changed everyone’s lives forever, Mods, Minis, and Madmen© presents a story of remarkable achievement during the twentieth century’s most significant cultural reboot. It celebrates a wondrous age drugged by the can-do attitude of youth.
Revolutionary London was the birthplace of the boutique, and Mary Quant introduced the mini-skirt—named after a car. John Stephen introduced heart-racing male boutiques on Kings Road that soon carved out a global niche. Lesley Hornby— also known as Twiggy, the Cockney dolly bird—strutted her popsicle legs while touting mini-fashions. East Londoner Vidal Sassoon gave new life to tousled hair with a look that is still with us today.
And of course, British sounds, led by the Beatles, hammered the charts in every country able to tune in. The lyrics spoke to us and seemed to sympathize with our turmoil, revealing an honest understanding of life as it would be, up to the age of sixty-four. It was a booster shot that pumped up everyone living in the sixties, and their tales would be told decades later.
Mods, Minis, and Madmen© is the tale of a writer and his disciples from the New World arriving in the old, just as the explosion was about to take place.
About the Author
D. Richard Truman is an ad guy, plain and simple. Without London and the 1960s, he would never have made it. He led a pack of the most daring writers, art directors, producers, and planners in the business. Richard currently lives in Oakville, Canada, with his wife of many years. This is his eighth book.