We Are The Clash: Reagan, Thatcher, and the Last Stand of a Band That Mattered

"This is an inspiring take on the rock-band bio format, as much a political history of the 1980s as it is a look at an influential band in its final years."
–Publishers Weekly

"When did the Clash quit being 'the only band that matters'? This fascinating book faces a challenge: documenting the final years of the British band that its record label had promoted with that slogan…The band may no longer have mattered, but its legacy mattered to the authors, who make it matter to the readers. More than a footnote to the rise and fall of one of the last great rock bands."
–Kirkus Reviews

"Coverage is specialized, extending considerably beyond mere behind-the-scenes reportage and deeply explores the sociopolitical context in which the band operated; as such, the tone can be intense (read: punk) and professorial. In all, Andersen and Heibutzki's examination of the band's proletarian stance in light its commerical striving is immensely satisfying."
–Library Journal

"Thanks to what must've been exhaustive research into contemporary bootleg recordings of live shows and articles chronicling the audience response to the performances, Andersen and Heibutzki provide intensely detailed evidence that this was a band which was firing on all cylinders–especially in a live setting–almost until the very end…Seriously: if nothing else, track down We Are The Clash and read Chapter Eight, 'Movers and Shakers Come On.' It will reaffirm any fandom you might've once lost for The Clash, and for those who've ever doubted them or considered them 'corporate punk,' it'll give you fresh eyes on the band. It's fucking magical."
–Cinepunx

"The inside story of the last great British punk record."
–Jon Savage, author of England's Dreaming

"We Are The Clash tells an important part of the story of both The Clash and punk rock. The repercussions of what went down politically both in the USA and UK back then are still very much felt today."
–Kosmo Vinyl, former manager of The Clash

"At long last, The Clash's final incarnation has been definitively chronicled. Mark Andersen and Ralph Heibutzki have brilliantly filled in the blanks of the 'Clash Mark II' era, including its eventual implosion. Beautifully constructed and brilliantly written…I was riveted, unable to put it down."
–The Baker, from the foreword

The Clash was a paradox of revolutionary conviction, musical ambition, and commercial drive. We Are The Clash is a gripping tale of the band's struggle to reinvent itself as George Orwell's 1984 loomed. This bold campaign crashed headlong into a wall of internal contradictions, and rising right-wing power.

While the world teetered on the edge of the nuclear abyss, British miners waged a life-or-death strike, and tens of thousands died from US guns in Central America, Clash cofounders Joe Strummer, Paul Simonon, and Bernard Rhodes waged a desperate last stand after ejecting guitarist Mick Jones and drummer Topper Headon. The band shattered just as its controversial final album, Cut the Crap, was emerging.

Andersen and Heibutzki weave together extensive archival research and in-depth original interviews with virtually all of the key players involved to tell a moving story of idealism undone by human frailty amid a climatic turning point for our world.