Reviews

England Belongs to Me by Steve Goodman

rosseroo's review

3.0

This is possibly the best fictional account (not that there's a ton of competition) of the London punk and skinhead scene of the late '70s. Low Life is best known for its omnibus editions of Richard Allen's classic skinhead pulp fiction, and has taken to publishing poorly written and plotted modern homages to the same (such as Casual and Saturday's Heroes). Goodman is a far better writer--which is to say, still mediocre--than Low Life's other authors and tackles a much more complicated subject. After introducing D el, a young skinhead, and a plucky young punk girl named Suzie, he has them fall in love with eachother and through their relationship, attempts to show the skinhead and punk subcultures, and how they interacted at the time. There's a whole subplot involving a mercenary who returns to England, becomes leader of an impressionable gang of skinheads, and falls in with a neo-Nazi party. A lot of time and effort is spent explaining that most skinheads are not racist and soforth, none of which is likely to be news to those who pick up this book. The book is best at giving a feel for the specific time and place, and Goodman ends it all with a lighter and more honest touch than might be expected.