Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk, 20th Anniversary Edition
By Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain
Grove Press
Original Release: 1996
20th Anniversary Edition: August, 2016
It’s hard to believe that there is a 20th anniversary edition of Please Kill Me, not because it doesn’t deserve it, but because, holy fuck, it’s been 20 years since this book first came out in hard cover, and nothing has surpassed it in the genre. I’m not going to repeat the original review, but you can read it here. If you already own an earlier edition, there’s not much reason to buy the 20th anniversary edition for a handful of new (old) photos and the short addition of “The Narrative Oral History Defined.” However, if you haven’t read it yet, and have any sort of affinity for Rock and Roll, Punk Rock, the history of New York, or the human condition, then by all means stop wasting your time on the internet reading second rate reviews and get yourself a copy. Then, and only then, go back to the internet and read the continuing oral history of punk rock on pleasekillme.com.