A new edition of Isle of Wight Festival founder Ray Foulk’s book has hit the shelves, telling untold tales of the landmark event in 1970.
The Last Great Event, written by Ray and his daughter Caroline, marks 55 years since a crowd of 600,000 came to the Island to attend the historic event, and witness Jimi Hendrix’s final UK performance.
The book’s new edition, published by Medina Publishing, features a new chapter from John Giddings on the festival’s revival.
The 1970 event, however, was not without its challenges.
The Foulk brothers, who organised the festival, faced significant political resistance from local groups and counterculture militants demanding a free festival.
Read more:
They were confronted with sabotage attempts, death threats, and ideological confrontations.
The book, released in a new paperback edition, offers a full account of these events, drawing on key texts from all sides of the divide.
The festival remains one of the most controversial and mythologised in music history.
The book also features a collection of photography from the Isle of Wight Festival.
The Last Great Event is available from Medina Bookshop on High Street, Cowes for £17.95.