Title: Glastonbury
Author: Crispin Aubrey & John Shearlaw
Type: Non-Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 288
Rating: 6/10
Crispin Aubrey & John Shearlaw – Glastonbury
Okay, I admit it – I’m a big festival fan. I’ve been to a few in my time, the major ones being Hop Farm, Reading and Download, but Glastonbury has been my spiritual home since I first went back in 2011. I bought this book for some light reading ahead of one of the festivals, just to get me on the mood.
If that’s why you’re reading it, you’re in a good place – if not, you’ll just wish you were there. Aubrey and Shearlaw investigate the full story of Glastonbury Festival, from its humble beginnings as a party on Michael Eavis‘ farm to its modern-day status as one of the greatest festivals on the planet.
Glastonbury Festival
The book includes first-hand accounts and a collection of photographs of the festival throughout the years which will make you feel like you were really there. It’s just a shame that the Daily Mail agrees with me – they say, ‘If you’ve never been to Glastonbury, Crispin Aubrey and John Shearlaw have provided a fascinating oral history to tell you what you’ve missed.’
I wouldn’t go that far, though – sure, it’s an interesting read, but it lacks inspiration and fails to capture the quintessential Glasto spirit which festival-goers have grown to know and love over the last forty years. It’s like reading a biography of a magician – not only does it lack magic, but also it dispels some of the illusions that kept you under his spell in the first place.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t read it – it just does what it says on the tin, nothing more and nothing less. Judge for yourself!
The Pyramid Stage at Night
