Document and Eyewitness

An Intimate History of Rough Trade

By: Neil Taylor

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Paperback | 19 February 2026 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Format
Paperback

Dimensions(cm)
21.6 x 14.1 x 4.1

Paperback

RRP $45.00

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UPDATED WITH NEW MATERIAL FOR 2026

'An essential purchase . . . Taylor's book is a joy' INDEPENDENT

'The type of reader that buys rock biographies will crave the detailed information that spans the late 1970s to 1991 - and they will not be disappointed' RECORD COLLECTOR

Rough Trade is practically a byword for the history of independent music over the last fifty years. Document And Eyewitness: An Intimate History of Rough Trade tells the story from the inside of a phenomenally influential record label, through the voices of Geoff Travis, Jarvis Cocker, Robert Wyatt, Green Gartside and many more.

From the early records of Cabaret Voltaire, Kleenex and the Swell Maps, through to groundbreaking releases by The Fall, The Smiths and Scritti Pollitti, on through the collapse of the independent collective and the rebirth of Rough Trade at the turn of the century, this is the definitive, essential account for any serious music fan. This 2026 edition features brand new material by the author.

Industry Reviews

An essential purchase for anyone who was involved in or influenced by the punk maelstrom of 1976 . . . Taylor's book is a joy - Independent

Document and Eyewitness' treatment of its main players is affectionate-going-hagiographical, but the implication of that end-point is inescapable. The journey from the mid-1970s to now denotes the arrival of an altogether duller world: music that tends to be reverential rather than iconoclastic - Guardian

Long overdue . . . The type of reader that buys rock biographies will crave the detailed information that spans the late 1970s to 1991 - and they will not be disappointed - Record Collector

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