"An Animated Newsreel of the Global Youthquake"
NEVILLE, Richard. Play Power. London: Jonathan Cape. 1970.
8vo. Original yellow cloth with black title lettering to spine; top edge black; illustrated wraparound dust jacket by joint founder of Oz magazine, Martin Sharp; scarce Barney Bubbles Headopoly game inserted into envelope on rear pastedown; pp. [12], 360, [2]; Minor dark spotting to top corner of front board; minimal offsetting to ffep; otherwise near fine.
Ownership stamp of Julien Beck and actor Judith Manila in blind on front fly leaf- the founders of The Living Theatre; a radical theatrical company founded by the couple in New York in 1947. Includes the inserted Headpoly Game that was usually seized by Australian Customs and removed. Not included in the American edition.
"An Animated Newsreel of the Global Youthquake"- 'Power Play'
Richard Neville was a prominent social commentator of the Underground, best known for founding the infamous 'Oz' magazine in Australia and the UK in the 60s and 70s. The satirical Oz Magazine was under the editorial guidance of the Australian writer and artistically supervised by another Australian expatriate, the pioneering graphic artist Martin Sharp (responsible for the books cover deisgn). The magazine initially aimed to rival Private Eye as a satirical publication within the London market. However, Oz swiftly evolved into a psychedelic magazine while maintaining the satirical tone throughout its tenure, particularly in its commentary on the excesses of hippie philosophy.
In 1966, Neville and Sharp were early pilgrims on what came to be known as "the hippie trail"; a thrilling route to Europe from Australia. The appendix to Play Power serves as the first 'manual' guidebook for how to effectively complete this radical trail, in advance of any travel guidebooks of a conventional kind.
Play Power consists of a series of enlightening essays, regarding what Neville considers the essential, "Politics of Play", which, as the blurb urges, are observations of the counterculture and "important for those who consider themselves part of the movement, essential to those who consider themselves outside it".
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