The 1980s: Image of a Decade

Travel back in time with this era-defining book.

Start with the exuberance of graffiti, breakdancing and boom boxes on the subway, the beeps and bloops of new electronic game consoles, and Jane Fonda’s pastel leotards and legwarmers. Skip forward from the first space shuttle to the first episode of The Simpsons, from Jean-Michel Basquiat to Gordon Gekko, from shoulder pads to smiley faces. Witness the establishment of an assertive new gay culture and club scene, the unrivalled global gathering of the Live Aid concerts, and the equally strident fight against apartheid. Listen to the reverberation of cultural decibels rising across the globe and shaking society’s foundations, from Madrid’s La Movida to the Soviet Union’s Perestroika and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Welcome to the 1980s.

Review

Captures the bold, anarchic spirit of the decade. . . Henry Carroll . . . tells it as it was lived, collaging powerful photographs of design, art, fashion, music, sports, global events, and video games.-- "Air Mail" (5/10/2025 12:00:00 AM)

A roller coaster that tunnels through iconic visuals from the decade.-- "The New York Times Book Review" (12/1/2024 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Henry Carroll is an author, editor and screenwriter with an MFA from the Royal College of Art, London. His bestselling ‘Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs’ series has sold over one million copies across 22 languages. He is also the author of Photographers on Photography. Originally from London, Henry now lives in Los Angeles.