Books published by Robin Bell

The later years of the 1960s saw the rise in more avant-gardemusic as artists and musicians began to experiment withmind altering substances.Beginning with the hippie movement in America andrapidly spreading across the Atlantic to Britain, this periodin music saw bands such as The Beatles - free from theirtouring commitments - together with The Rolling Stones,Pink Floyd and many others make use of sensory alteringconcoctions to reach new heights of artistic creativity.This is the story of those years.

There is no doubt that Rock 'n' Roll had its beginnings in America. Artists such as Bill Haley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent, Elvis Presley and Eddie Cochran were the idols of the early British rock 'n' rollers, as homegrown acts such as Tommy Steele, Lonnie Donegan, Billy Fury and Cliff Richard produced their own versions of this new music.But by the end of 1962, rock 'n' roll was in danger of becoming extinct. The music charts on both sides of the Atlantic were overwhelmed by softer songs lacking the dynamism and raw power of the originators. Emerging from this panache of smoothness, the British acts of the Beat Boom rejuvenated and revitalised the music industry with their freshness and excitement. This is the story of those climactic years when Britannia ruled the airwaves across the world.

From the all-too-sweet sounds of the contemporary British artists of the mid-1950's through to the breakthrough of the more biting and vibrant sounds of Tommy Steele, Marty Wilde, Cliff Richard and all the Elvis clones that emerged during the late 1950's, this book chronicles the development of British rock 'n' roll into a fully blown home industry that paved the way for the British takeover that was to come in 1962 when the Beatles conquered the world.However, before that earth-shattering event, British pop music suffered an anti-climactic decline into the mediocrity of what is often called 'bubblegum' music.This is the story of that rise and fall.

You're off on a pirate adventure, matey! Travel out to an unknown island in search of the infamous Black Jack's treasure. But be warned - mystery, magic and danger await all those brave enough to start the journey.Can you withstand the deadly encounters, turbulent storms and daring escapes of a true adventure with pirates?

A message in a bottle sparks a treasure trail across Australia. Follow the clues to a mysterious cave, to Cook's Lookout and face the hostility of the Australian desert to find a mountain of gold. What an Adventure!

This time you're off to Scotland in search of the legendary Loch Ness Monster. Travel around the lake in search of clues, but be careful - the loch can be very dangerous and no one really knows Nessie's true nature. Can you solve the mysteries surrounding this very famous creature? It'll be one amazing adventure!