A history of Punk. The information is excellent, filling in the large gaps in my punk history knowledge (gaps which were bigger than I imagined). The writing style is the opposite of flowing. The author sometimes assumes a vast knowledge of obscure names and bands. Eventually, he gives up the info and you say "oh, so this Rat Scabies guy was in the Damned" or "oh, the 101ers had that Joe Strummer guy" (who later formed The Clash). Anyway, I'll try to hold back critism on his prose, lest I be accused of worse.
Last week's reading dealt with England's punk scene in the beginning of 1976. The punk scene was pretty much the Sex Pistols. Who I always thought was just Malcolm McClaren's boy band, his chance to make money after the demise of the New York Dolls. But it seems they had a bit more legitimacy than I'd given them credit for. Especially, since it was their early life shows that influenced Joe Strummer to leave the 101ers and form the Clash, and Rat Scabies to form the Damned.
When The Ramones came over to England later that year, every English punk band took the cue, and sped up the tempo of their songs.
Joe Stummer's stint in the 101ers and other "pub rock" bands goes far in finally explaining to me how a band went from recording the historically important but musically unmoving first Clash record in 1977 to recording one of the best albums of all time in any genre, London Calling, only two years later. The answer...Joe Strummer and the crew were NOT young-little-garage-band-bought-my-first-guitar-six-months-ago-and-only-know-three-chord punks, they were experienced song writers and musicians, and after feeding off the new energy of punk and getting public awareness from the first album, they were then at liberty to do what they wanted, even if it didn't sound "punk", which is pretty punk in the end, anyway. (OK, I know there is an album between The Clash and London Calling, but everyone's always panned it, I've only given it a cursory listen once...sorry, but I'm not a real rock critic, get over it! 
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