In this enthralling history of punk and grunge, Clinton Heylin describes how the word punk was coined by revered rock journalist Lester Bangs, and charts the rise and fall of the movement, from the explosion of the Sex Pistols to the death of Kurt Cobain. Tracing punks origins on three continents – from the pubs of England to the clubs of New York and Cleveland, Sydney and Brisbane – as well as looking at individual bands, Heylin explores the groups who were the scenemakers, along with the underground networks established to assault the mainstream. Eloquent, enthralling, endlessly informative, Babylons Burning will find a home in every music fans library.