London Calling New York New York (Two Songs, Two Cities)

Starting with the surprising fact that the Clash recorded the punk anthem “London Calling” the same summer Frank Sinatra cut the iconic “New York, New York,” this erudite and eye-opening book takes a wide-angle look at the songs and artists, their cities and the author’s personal experiences of them.

The simultaneous expression of dystopic modernity and optimistic striving led British music journalist Peter Silverton to weave history with memoir in a far-ranging tale of two cities and two songs that came to exemplify them.

"Pete Silverton's tale of two cities is a masterpiece that you will read right through to the end without putting down. This multi-faceted, compulsively readable work, complex in both structure and erudite (but never pedantic) thought, ranges across the entire 20th century and before and beyond. I always knew Pete was a great writer. But I didn't know he was this good. London Calling New York New York is a masterpiece." —Chris Salewicz, author of Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer