Read and Destroy

The story of RAD Britain's seminal skateboarding publication of the 1980s and '90s told through the archives of the skate photographers who formed the core of the original editorial team.

"Read And Destroy the book that is. After years of archiving photos, scanning slides and looking for funding, a hardcover publication about the seminal UK skate magazine from the late '80s to mid- '90s can be in your hands very soon." Free Skateboard Magazine

"... an important piece of British skateboarding history that demands a space on your bookshelf." Slam City Skates London

For British skateboarders in the mid-'80s, RAD (aka Read and Destroy ) was more than just a magazine. Before the X Games, before the internet, a whole generation of this once underground subculture relied on RAD to provide a beacon, bringing them together in spirit and in person.

Under the guidance of editor and chief photographer, Tim Leighton-Boyce, RAD took on an experimental, irreverent approach with a vibrant, chaotic energy. The legacy of the magazine is an action-packed photo archive documenting a unique time, place and attitude, capturing the death and rebirth of skateboarding as it evolved into a mainstay of extreme sports and street culture the world over.

This book reveals that archive in all its glory, offering an inside view of skateboarding and youth culture from the 1970s, '80s and '90s, told primarily through the experiences of the British skate photographers at the core of the magazine's original editorial team.

"The Swansea crew has been a big part of UK skate history represented in RAD over its many issues and there was a strong contingent at this event; Tomsk, Greg, Arwyn and of course Skin who was instrumental in much of RAD's content and history. I recommend getting the Read and Destroy book if you have any interest at all in the UK skate scene, and it's rich and colourful history."

Texte du rabat

For British skateboarders in the mid-'80s, RAD (aka Read and Destroy ) was more than just a magazine. Before the X Games, before the internet, a whole generation of this once underground subculture relied on RAD to provide a beacon, bringing them together in spirit and in person.

Under the guidance of editor and chief photographer, Tim Leighton-Boyce, RAD took on an experimental, irreverent approach with a vibrant, chaotic energy. The legacy of the magazine is an action-packed photo archive documenting a unique time, place and attitude, capturing the death and rebirth of skateboarding as it evolved into a mainstay of extreme sports and street culture the world over.

This book reveals that archive in all its glory, offering an inside view of skateboarding and youth culture from the 1970s, '80s and '90s, told primarily through the experiences of the British skate photographers at the core of the magazine's original editorial team.