The KLF by John Higgs - ISBN: 9781399610360
Paperback
Million-selling band burns fortune, unlocks musical chaos and accidental mythology.

The KLF

Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds

$25.24

  • Paperback

    336 pages

  • Release Date

    28 October 2025

Check Delivery Options

Summary

‘The best non-fiction book I’ve ever read. It’s magical. Stunning’ Dan Schreiber, No Such Thing As a Fish

‘A pop biography for people who don’t read pop biographies’ Dorian Lynskey, Guardian

‘Brilliant, discursive and wise’ Ben Goldacre

‘Utterly irresistible and totally brilliant’ The Quietus

‘A thing of endlessly fascinating, utterly demented genius’ Alexis Petridis

Th…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9781399610360
ISBN-10:1399610368
Author:John Higgs
Publisher:Orion Publishing Co
Imprint:Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Format:Paperback
Number of Pages:336
Release Date:28 October 2025
Weight:293g
Dimensions:196mm x 128mm x 30mm
What They're Saying

Critics Review

The best non-fiction book I’ve ever read. It’s magical. Stunning * NO SUCH THING AS A FISH *The best non-fiction book I’ve ever read. It’s magical. Stunning – Dan Schreiber * NO SUCH THING AS A FISH *A pop biography for people who don’t read pop biographies. Higgs approaches the short career of the early 90s top 10 provocateurs like Adam Curtis brainstorming with Thomas Pynchon, exploring all manner of magical thinking and conspiracy theories. Touching on Dada, Doctor Who and Discordianism, it’s as playful and sui generis as the KLF themselves, which is saying something * GUARDIAN *A pop biography for people who don’t read pop biographies. Higgs approaches the short career of the early 90s top 10 provocateurs like Adam Curtis brainstorming with Thomas Pynchon, exploring all manner of magical thinking and conspiracy theories. Touching on Dada, Doctor Who and Discordianism, it’s as playful and sui generis as the KLF themselves, which is saying something * GUARDIAN *Might well be the best music book of the 2010s … eccentric, bizarre, confusing, hilarious and more than a little pretentious but utterly irresistible and totally brilliant * THE QUIETUS *Might well be the best music book of the 2010s … eccentric, bizarre, confusing, hilarious and more than a little pretentious but utterly irresistible and totally brilliant – Cay McDermott * THE QUIETUS *The book brilliantly captures the anti-establishment attitude of Drummond and Cauty, and makes you wish the pop charts were full of such madness these days * THE BIG ISSUE *The book brilliantly captures the anti-establishment attitude of Drummond and Cauty, and makes you wish the pop charts were full of such madness these days * THE BIG ISSUE *This wildly entertaining thesis speculates on how the KLF arrived at a crowning act of transgression even they did not understand, drawing together threads including practical magic, strange patterns of coincidence and punk * MOJO *This wildly entertaining thesis speculates on how the KLF arrived at a crowning act of transgression even they did not understand, drawing together threads including practical magic, strange patterns of coincidence and punk * MOJO *Succeeds by ignoring music for much of the story, in favour of the group’s philosophical and psycho-geographical underpinnings in Discordianism, situationism, art and magic. Sometimes, the music is just a means to an end - in their case, a million-quid bonfire that Higgs suggests may be “a magical act that forged the 21st century”. Well, maybe … – Andy Gill * INDEPENDENT *Succeeds by ignoring music for much of the story, in favour of the group’s philosophical and psycho-geographical underpinnings in Discordianism, situationism, art and magic. Sometimes, the music is just a means to an end - in their case, a million-quid bonfire that Higgs suggests may be “a magical act that forged the 21st century”. Well, maybe … * INDEPENDENT *Book of the Century. Most pop biographies are a dull patchwork of clippings - this is something elseBook of the Century. Most pop biographies are a dull patchwork of clippings - this is something elseBy far the best book this year, brilliant, discursive and wiseBy far the best book this year, brilliant, discursive and wiseI am going to bang on about THE KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds rather a lot. Fascinating … Enthralling’I am going to bang on about THE KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds rather a lot. Fascinating … Enthralling’John Higgs’s book about the KLF is - like its subject - a thing of endlessly fascinating, utterly demented geniusJohn Higgs’s book about the KLF is - like its subject - a thing of endlessly fascinating, utterly demented genius

About The Author

John Higgs

John Higgs is the author of I HAVE AMERICA SURROUNDED, THE KLF, STRANGER THAN WE CAN IMAGINE, WATLING STREET, THE FUTURE STARTS HERE, WILLIAM BLAKE NOW, WILLIAM BLAKE VS THE WORLD and LOVE AND LET DIE. He lives in Brighton.

Returns

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.