U2: Stories for Boys
First published book and the work that established Dave Thomas's career as a music writer.
Author guide
Dave Thomas Books in Order
Dave Thomas is the pen name of English writer David Thompson, born in Bideford, Devon. He began publishing in the 1980s and has written more than one hundred books, including biographies and critical histories of musicians and bands, collecting guides, film and television reference books, sports histories, and fiction. His first book was U2: Stories for Boys, published under the name Dave Thomas. He has also contributed to magazines including Melody Maker, Rolling Stone, Mojo, and Alternative Press.
music biographymusic criticismpopular culturefilm and televisioncollectingsports historyfictionjournalism
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
London's Burning: True Adventures on the Front Line of Punk
Accessible overview of the author's writing on punk and popular music.
To Major Tom: Letters to David Bowie
Best starting point for his fiction.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (152)
- John's Children: Growing Up With
nonfiction · 1982
- U2: Stories for Boys
nonfiction · 1984
- ZZ Top: Elimination
nonfiction · 1985
- Tears for Fears
nonfiction · 1985
- Simple Minds: Glittering Prize
nonfiction · 1985
- Dead or Alive
nonfiction · 1985
- David Lee Roth
nonfiction · 1985
- TV Smith: Life & Times
nonfiction · 1986
- Paul Young
nonfiction · 1986
- Echo and the Bunnymen
nonfiction · 1986
- Depeche Mode
nonfiction · 1986
- Billy Idol
nonfiction · 1986
- The Sixties: Hits & Pics
nonfiction · 1987
- The Duran Duran Scrapbook, Volume 8
nonfiction · 1987
- The Beastie Boys Scrapbook
nonfiction · 1987
- Spandau Ballet: Hits and Pics
nonfiction · 1987
- Mel and Kim: Hits and Pics
nonfiction · 1987
- Half Time: Football and the Cigarette Card
nonfiction · 1987
- Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Hits and Pics
nonfiction · 1987
- Five Star: Hits and Pics
nonfiction · 1987
- Feargal Sharkey
nonfiction · 1987
- David Bowie: Moonage Daydream
nonfiction · 1987
- Chris DeBurgh: From a Spark to a Flame
nonfiction · 1987
- Children of the Revolution
nonfiction · 1987
- Callan: Episode Guide
nonfiction · 1987
- Bananarama: Hits and Pics
nonfiction · 1987
- The Pogues
nonfiction · 1988
- The Dire Straits Collectors Guide
nonfiction · 1988
- The Cure Visual Documentary
nonfiction · 1988
- T'Pau
nonfiction · 1988
- Kiss: Still on Fire
nonfiction · 1988
- Johnny Rotten in His Own Words
nonfiction · 1988
- Babes in Arms: Manchester United and the Munich Air Disaster 1958
nonfiction · 1988
- Beyond the Velvet Underground
nonfiction · 1989
- Newport County: The Team That Died of Neglect
nonfiction · 1989
- Bono: In His Own Words
nonfiction · 1989
- A View of the Medway
nonfiction · 1989
- The Mystery of the Kushans
nonfiction · 1990
- A Century of Struggle: A Numismatic History of the Irish Troubles
nonfiction · 1990
- Monsters in the Mail: A Catalog of Philatelic Dinosaurs
nonfiction · 1990
- Those We Have Loved, Volume Three
nonfiction · 1990
- In God We Rust: The Collectors Guide to Cull Coins
nonfiction · 1991
- The Vaasa Plating Guide: Stamps of the Finnish Civil War, 1918
nonfiction · 1991
- The Standard Catalog of Foreign Coins Used in the United States
nonfiction · 1991
- The 1991 US Soccer Yearbook
nonfiction · 1991
- Philately at War: A Catalog of Wartime Stamps and Postal Issues
nonfiction · 1991
- The Red Hot Chili Peppers: True Men Don't Kill Coyotes
nonfiction · 1993
- The Industrial Revolution
nonfiction · 1993
- Rod Stewart: Vagabond Heart
nonfiction · 1993
- Space Daze: The History & Mystery of Electronic Ambient Space Rock
nonfiction · 1994
- Kurt Cobain: Never Fade Away
nonfiction · 1994
- Depeche Mode: Some Great Reward
nonfiction · 1994
- Punk Collectors Guide
nonfiction · 1995
- U2: The Making of The Joshua Tree
nonfiction · 1995
- The Cure: The Making of Disintegration
nonfiction · 1995
- Perry Farrell: The Saga of a Hypester
nonfiction · 1995
- Winona
nonfiction · 1996
- Travolta
nonfiction · 1996
- The Goldmine Price Guide to the British Invasion
nonfiction · 1997
- Better to Burn Out: The Cult of Death in Rock 'n' Roll
nonfiction · 1999
- 20th Century Rock 'n' Roll: Glam Rock
nonfiction · 2000
- Alternative Rock: The Essential Listening Guide
nonfiction · 2000
- 20th Century Rock 'n' Roll: Punk Rock
nonfiction · 2000
- 20th Century Rock 'n' Roll: Pop
nonfiction · 2000
- Funk: The Essential Listening Companion
nonfiction · 2001
- The Dark Reign of Gothic Rock
nonfiction · 2002
- To Major Tom: Letters to David Bowie
novel · 2002
- The Music Lover's Guide to Record Collecting
nonfiction · 2002
- The Essential Listening Guide to Reggae & Caribbean Music
nonfiction · 2002
- Phil Spector: Wall of Pain
nonfiction · 2003
- The Fall: A User's Guide
nonfiction · 2003
- Deep Purple: Smoke on the Water
nonfiction · 2004
- Wheels Out of Gear: 2-Tone, the Specials and a World in Flame
nonfiction · 2004
- The Psychedelic Furs: Beautiful Chaos
nonfiction · 2004
- Cream: World's First Supergroup
nonfiction · 2005
- The Cure: Inbetween Days
nonfiction · 2005
- New Order: Armchair Guide
nonfiction · 2005
- Genesis: Turn It On Again
nonfiction · 2005
- Bob Marley: Critical Review
nonfiction · 2006
- Hallo Spaceboy: The Rebirth of David Bowie
nonfiction · 2006
- The Jeff Beck Group: Truth
nonfiction · 2006
- Marc Bolan: A Critical Review
nonfiction · 2006
- The Rolling Stones: Critical Review
nonfiction · 2006
- Black and White and Blue: Adult Cinema from the Victorian Age to the VCR
nonfiction · 2007
- The Who: Searching for the Young Mod Rebels
nonfiction · 2007
- I Hate New Music: The Classic Rock Primer
nonfiction · 2008
- Doctor Who: Eclectic Gypsy
nonfiction · 2008
- Suede: Armchair Guide
nonfiction · 2009
- Sparks: #1 Songs in Heaven
nonfiction · 2009
- London's Burning: True Adventures on the Front Line of Punk
nonfiction · 2009
- John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett: Beatback
nonfiction · 2009
- Footnotes from the Archives of Oblivion
nonfiction · 2009
- Bayou Underground
nonfiction · 2010
- TV Smith: TV Times 30th Anniversary Edition
nonfiction · 2010
- The Sweet: Blockbuster
nonfiction · 2010
- Ozzy Osbourne: Wit & Wisdom
nonfiction · 2010
- Children of the Revolution: The Glam Rock Story
nonfiction · 2010
- Joan Jett: Bad Reputation
nonfiction · 2011
- Thin Lizzy: Ultimate Listening Guide
nonfiction · 2011
- Patti Smith: Dancing Barefoot
nonfiction · 2011
- Welcome to My Nightmare: The Alice Cooper Story
nonfiction · 2012
- Standard Catalog of American Records
nonfiction · 2012
- Music on Film: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
nonfiction · 2012
- If You Like Led Zeppelin...
nonfiction · 2012
- Hearts of Darkness: The Birth of the Singer-Songwriter
nonfiction · 2012
- 10cc: The Cost of Living in Dreams
nonfiction · 2012
- Doctor Who FAQ
nonfiction · 2013
- The Mothers of Invention: The Ultimate Listening Guide
nonfiction · 2013
- The Clash: The Ultimate Listening Guide
nonfiction · 2013
- Roger Waters: The Man Behind the Wall
nonfiction · 2013
- Robyn Hitchcock: The Ultimate Listening Guide
nonfiction · 2013
- Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac: The Ultimate Listening Guide
nonfiction · 2013
- Mike Oldfield: The Ultimate Listening Guide
nonfiction · 2013
- The Ladies of Storyville
nonfiction · 2013
- John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers: The Ultimate Listening Guide
nonfiction · 2013
- Joe Meek: The Ultimate Listening Guide
nonfiction · 2013
- If You Like True Blood
nonfiction · 2013
- If You Like Bob Marley
nonfiction · 2013
- Goldmine Record Album Price Guide
nonfiction · 2013
- George Harrison: The Ultimate Listening Guide
nonfiction · 2013
- Fire and Wine: An Armchair Guide to Steve Ashley
nonfiction · 2013
- Essentially Elvis: The Ultimate Listening Guide
nonfiction · 2013
- Eric Clapton: Give Me Strength: The Ultimate Listening Guide
nonfiction · 2013
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer: The Ultimate Listening Guide
nonfiction · 2013
- If You Dig Cliff Richard... Here's 100+ Albums You've Gotta Hear
nonfiction · 2014
- South Park FAQ
nonfiction · 2014
- Sherlock Holmes FAQ
nonfiction · 2014
- Robert Plant: The Voice That Sailed the Zeppelin
nonfiction · 2014
- Peter Frampton: The Ultimate Listening Guide
nonfiction · 2014
- Time & Some Words: The Anthology of Prog Rock Quotations 1969–1976
nonfiction · 2015
- The Twilight Zone FAQ
nonfiction · 2015
- The Spirit of Hawkwind 1969–1976
nonfiction · 2015
- Haunted America FAQ
nonfiction · 2015
- Football FAQ
nonfiction · 2015
- Soccer FAQ
nonfiction · 2015
- Death Toll
novel · 2015
- What Do I Do Now?: Listening to Britpop—Twenty Years Back
nonfiction · 2016
- The Rocky Horror FAQ
nonfiction · 2016
- Standard Catalog of American Records 1950–1990
nonfiction · 2016
- Goldmine Jazz Album Price Guide
nonfiction · 2016
- Britcoms FAQ
nonfiction · 2016
- Jack the Ripper FAQ
nonfiction · 2017
- Goldmine's Essential Guide to Record Collecting
nonfiction · 2017
- Robin Hood FAQ
nonfiction · 2017
Nonfiction (1)
- An Accidental Musician: The Autobiography of Judy Dyble
memoir · 2016
Frequently asked questions about Dave Thomas
Who is Dave Thomas, and is he the same person as David Thompson?
Yes. Dave Thomas is the pen name of English music journalist and author David Gareth Thompson.
Sources: deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de (opens in a new tab)davethompsonbooks.wordpress.com (opens in a new tab)
Where was Dave Thomas born, and where did he grow up?
He was born in Bideford, Devon, and his author biography says he was raised in Hoo St Werburgh, Kent, and schooled in Bournemouth, Dorset.
Source: davethompsonbooks.wordpress.com (opens in a new tab)
What has Dave Thomas done during his career?
He has built a long career as a music journalist and author, contributing to Goldmine, Mojo, Record Collector, Rolling Stone, Shindig, Melody Maker, and Alternative Press while writing more than 100 music-related books.
What subjects does Dave Thomas write about besides rock and pop music?
His work also covers film and television, sports, collecting, numismatics, philately, and fiction, including reference writing on Doctor Who, The Twilight Zone, Robin Hood, and Jack the Ripper.
Source: davethompsonbooks.wordpress.com (opens in a new tab)
What is Dave Thomas best known for, and what is his lasting contribution?
He is best known as a prolific popular-music writer whose books, journalism, and liner notes document rock and pop artists and their wider cultural context. Publisher and music-reference profiles credit him with more than 100 books and extensive liner-note work.
Sources: penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)allmusic.com (opens in a new tab)