Books About the 80s

Here you will discover a large range of nostalgia books about the 80s, to help you rediscover (or discover) what it was like to grow up in the great decade - including memoirs, "Best of", art and factual publications.

All of these titles are available to buy from Amazon.co.uk via the picture links or Amazon.com (US) via the text links (where available). Disclosure: As an Amazon associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support.

Featuring genuine replies from the artists themselves (which are often hilarious!), Dear Mr. Kershaw is a critically-acclaimed book that includes over 65 of the best and funniest letters and responses from well-known names in the pop and rock industry, including Nik Kershaw, Noddy Holder, Howard Jones, Toyah, Kim Wilde and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, to name but a few.

In this brilliantly written memoir, the author takes us on a nostalgic trip back to the tree-lined roads of 1980s suburbia - South Birmingham to be precise. 80s Kid tells the story of a very different time, when a family meal at a Berni Inn, Wimpy birthday parties and 'proper winters' were the norm, and when kids were exploring the great outdoors on their bikes, rather than perusing the internet on their smartphones.

Melanie's beautifully descriptive and often amusing memories have an amazing clarity, and they will take you right back to your own childhood. This is a thoroughly entertaining read, and most definitely recommended.

Seven years after the launch of the original book, the 300 page second edition of Beautiful Colors is a luxurious treat for Duranies, featuring expanded content, new packaging and previously unseen posters. The book has received rave reviews by fans, critics and the band themselves, and includes a foreward by band member Nick Rhodes. A lush and colourful history of the band, this is a superb collector's item that no true fan should be without!

In this very unique cookbook, you'll travel back in time to all of the periods featured in the Back to the Future trilogy, including 1885, 1955, 1985, alternate 1985 and 2015. Impress your friends and family by cooking up an array of awesome gastronomic delights for each year. Featuring full-colour photography, these delightful recipes include hoverboard cookies, McFly family table tuna casserole, The Starlighters baked alaska, and dozens more besides.

The Ghostbusters Artbook is a deluxe, hardcover book featuring hundreds of brand new, unique and beautiful art pieces created by amazingly talented artists from animation, comics, fine art, and beyond. This is an ectoplasmic showcase of art inspired by the classic 1984 movie, featuring all of the best-loved characters including the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Slimer, Gozer, and, of course, the Ghostbusters team; Venkman, Stantz and Spengler. The perfect gift for fans of the original film and comics.

In 80s Redux, photographer Mike Hippie uses portraiture and interviews to great effect, enabling the reader to get a real insight into the influential musicians who helped to create the unforgettable sound of the 80s. Who are these musicians and what are they up to now? 40 U.S. artists are featured in this fascinating book, including Lol Tolhurst from the Cure and Cindy Wilson from the B-52s.

* Bestseller on Simplyeighties.com * The curator of DoYouRemember.co.uk has done a sterling job with this fascinating paperback, A 1980s Childhood, which is packed with childhood memories and written in a very amusing style. The 240 pages explore fashion, music, toys and games, famous people, TV and movies, technology, street life, world events and more. Don't expect lots of pictures, but if you want an enjoyable read then this is a must-have!

Revisit the golden age of computer gaming from Atari to the ZX Spectrum. This very popular and highly rated book is essential reading for anyone who is into retro computers and consoles, and the many video games we played on them. Penned by a guy who is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about old technology.

A well-researched and comprehensive A-Z of pop acts and hits from 1988, from AC/DC to Yello. This was a year when musical diversity was king, from the goth rock of Sisters of Mercy, to the quirky house music by Two Men, A Drum Machine and a Trumpet. Penned by the longest-serving online music columnist, James Masterton, who runs the website Chart Watch UK, the book has been beautifully written with great enthusiasm, making for an engaging and essential read.

A fascinating A-Z of pop artists (from A-ha to Womack and Womack) and their hits from the last year of a truly great decade for music. The author has thoroughly researched each and every artist, and the book includes essential facts on a wide variety of Top 40 hits, including many forgotten gems. Very well-written and the perfect 30th birthday gift.

Helen O'Hara is a film journalist and editor-at-large for the world's best-known movie magazine Empire. She has spent over ten years interviewing Hollywood's A-list movie stars. In this comprehensive guide, Helen takes a nostalgic trip back to the 1980s, which, of course, was one of the best cinematic decades ever! From Aliens to When Harry Met Sally, you'll discover which films have stood the test of time, and which ones most definitely haven't! The book is also packed with stunning photography and film stills, with sections on the brat pack, the muscle men of the 80’s, the Oscar winners and disappointments, and a whole lot more besides!

Paul Simper is a well-known columnist and TV writer who has written for a huge variety of newspapers and magazines over the years, including The Sun, Melody Maker and Cosmopolitan, as well as for TV shows on Channel 4, ITV and BBC2. This memoir is an account of a wet-behind-the-ears lad from Wiltshire who ventured into the big city (London) when the club scene was exploding. The pop writer had access to the biggest pop stars of the 1980s, and once helped Frankie Goes To Hollywood throw furniture through the windows of a TV studio in Rome! This is a hugely entertaining read from a man who saw it all!

For those of you not familiar with haiku, it's a pleasing and very accessible form of Japanese poetry which uses only 17 syllables, and just about anyone can gain enjoyment from it. This is certainly the only book I have seen that covers the 1980s using haiku, and it would make a unique gift for anyone who grew-up in the great decade. Each poem will ignite a memory, transport you back in time, and have you dancing footloose faster than you can say, "where's the beef?"

If you believe that all self-help books are pretty much the same, then think again. Here is a self-help book that will challenge your view! This is a light-hearted guide to living a better life, using advice found in the many films from the 1980s - and why not?

For instance, would you like to avoid the dangers of time travel? Maybe you need to deal with life after college or a romance, perhaps? Using this book, you can tackle just about any challenge that life throws at you. Now there's no need to watch every 80s movie available on Netflix to get advice, just read this book instead!

An ideal gift for film fans.

The overly-long full title of this nostalgic paperback is pretty self-explanatory and a very accurate description of what the book is about. This is a highly-rated read by The Guardian newspaper's columnist and staff writer and is essential reading for anyone who has a deep appreciation for 80s films.

An in-depth look at 80 movies from the decade that brought the cinema into our homes via video tape. This is a very highly-rated, comprehensive and well-researched book with 456 pages of essential info. One of the best titles available on the subject of eighties films.

Were you one of the many teenagers who learned to program their ZX Spectrum or Commodore 64 back in the day? Or maybe you preferred to type in BASIC code from listings in magazines, or simply played shop bought games which came on cassette.Maybe you owned a BBC Micro or Acorn Electron? This fascinating book covers every aspect of the 1980s computer scene in great depth, and discusses the people who made it happen.

The second book in the trilogy (the third is yet to be published) is, once again, an enthralling read, and features observations and memories from an author who is a self-confessed eighties obsessive, including short stories and celebrity interviews. An essential read for anyone who grew up in the UK during the 1980s, and very highly rated by its readers.

Featuring a generous collection of photos, this book examines the contrast in life between the 80s and now, and the author talks to a number of families who lived through the decade. Features lots of interesting and often humorous quotations from the people who were there (which we can all relate to) such as "the computer games we played were very, very basic" - indeed they were!

When, aged 18, Kent Austin quits his dead-end job selling porn magazines to become a chef at an up-market restaurant. In this is very amusing, laugh-out-loud memoir, Kent pokes fun at pretentious chefs and discusses the pleasantries of grappling with the anal cavities of decomposing pheasants, amongst other things!

This is a heartwarming and honest read from an author that lived and breathed the 80s. There is no sourcing of endless facts from Google or Wikipedia, instead Steve has written everything from his own personal recollections of the great decade. Packed with childhood memories you will relate to, and highly rated by its readers, this is essential reading for anyone who grew up in the eighties.

In the 70s, the computer was seen mainly in sci-fi movies, expensive offices and science labs. During the 80s, however, companies such as Sinclair and Commodore brought home computing to the masses. This well-written and enjoyable paperback will transport you right back to the golden days of computing.

It was the decade that saw the rise of Thatcherism and the fall of industry. This huge, 560 page book covers not just the main political issues, but also many other defining aspects such as alternative comedy. This is a fascinating, well-written and in-depth analysis of the whole decade that will take you right back so vividly you'll think you're still there!

This fabulous book will take you back to a time when Jackie was essential reading for teenage girls across Britain. Including lots of photos from the magazine which was published from the 1960s until the 1990s. There are 144 pages of nostalgic fun, which includes special articles written by many of the original editors who worked on Jackie. Foreward by Jacqueline Wilson.

This delightful short book is a brief glimpse into memories from 1979 to 1983 from a teenagers point of view. Another highly-rated read by its readers.

A comprehensive and stylish book about one of the best-loved home computers from the 1980s. Articles explore the hardware, classic games and the software houses behind them.

The follow-up to the 1970s paperback by the trucking expert is every bit as good as its predecessor. It features 120 fantastic images and a wealth of comprehensive information about the British trucking industry in the 80s. There is a perfect balance between text and photos.

52 grown up projects that look back to the future. This 144 page paperback features fun and quirky arts and crafts projects including Wham! glove puppets, paper dolls of 80s stars, how to make a pac-man cake, pong duvet cover and much more. An ideal gift idea.

A colourful, witty and irreverent encyclopedia of all the sweets and crisps of your youth. From Mojos to Rainbow Drops, Space Raiders to Trios, Corona to Kia Ora and everything in between. Highly rated by readers on Amazon.

Written in a humourous style, this 124 page paperback by veteran games journalist Dan Whitehead looks back at fifty fantastic video games that helped to define the ZX Spectrum.

There is no doubt that the 1980s was the the perfect time to be a teenager, and this 416 page paperback covers the 80s music scene. It's spot on and explains exactly what it was like to grow-up reading Smash Hits, listening to the chart rundown and watching Top of The Pops etc.

This coming of age memoir by Tom Harvey is amusing, poignant and accurate. In fact, amusing is an understatement, it's damn hilarious! If you want an 80s encyclopedia then look elsewhere, but if you need a very entertaining read that relates to your childhood or teen years, then this is it!

With a foreword by Kevin Keegan. Take a fond look back through the Match archives at a decade of big football stories, and even bigger mullets! Would you believe that after all these years, Match remains the biggest-selling football magazine in the UK.

Relive the thrill of running down the stairs and heading straight for the Christmas tree to unwrap your presents. The Hardcover version features 300 colour photos of toys you either received or wish you had received. Includes toys from the 60s through to the 90s.

PA Collection of the Very Best of Everyone's Favourite Photo-Story Magazine. Photo-story magazines were very popular with young girls back in the 70s and 80s, and My Guy used to fly off the shelves! This book features the best photostories featuring many stars before they were famous - including Hugh Grant, Tracey Ullman, Lesley Ash, Alex Kingston and Tony Hadley.

Nostalgia Book Categories

70s Nostalgia

80s Fashion Books

Fiction set in the 1980s

Ladybird Classics

Old Cars

Quiz Books - Nostalgic Trivia

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Dear Mr. Kershaw: A Pensioner Writes

80s Kid

Beautiful Colors: The Posters of Duran Duran

Back to the Future: The Official Hill Valley Cookbook

Ghostbusters: Artbook

80s Redux: Your Favorite Musicians Today

A 1980s Childhood

The Nostalgia Nerd's Retro Tech

Chart Watch UK - Hits of 1988

Chart Watch UK - Hits of 1989

The Best Movies of the 80s

Pop Stars In My Pantry

100 Haiku For The 80s Generation

Your '80s Movie Guide To Better Living: Volume One

Life Moves Pretty Fast

80 From The 80s

Electronic Dreams

Your Eighties

The 1980s (My Family Remembers)

The Mousse And The Man From The Michelin

My 1980'S

Diary Of An 80s Computer Geek

Bang! A History Of Britain In The 1980s

50 Years Of Jackie Magazine

We Rocked The 80'S

The ZX Spectrum Book

British And European Trucks Of The 1980s

1980s Bumper Activity Book

The Great British Tuck Shop

Speccy Nation

Wired For Sound

The Eighties: A Bitchin' Time To Be A Teenager

Match: Best Of The 80s

TV Cream - Toys: Presents You Pestered Your Parents For

The Best Of My Guy Magazine