In Beeswing, songwriter and guitarist Richard Thompson gives his account of the amazing period of cultural change in 1960s London and beyond. This period in music has been written about extensively, but Thompson brings something unique to the task, with his considerable storytelling abilities and his insider knowledge of the music industry.

This is a very funny book with loads of stories from the road. Thompson recounts travelling with the fledgling folk rockers Fairport Convention as they traversed England and Europe in a van. There is tragedy here too, with the bus crash that killed the band’s drummer Martin Lamble and Thompson’s girlfriend and fashion designer Jeannie Franklin.

The book is also a fascinating look at one of the most iconic eras in music history. In 1967, you could find yourself in legendary London clubs, The UFO or Middle Earth, watching up-and-coming bands such as Pink Floyd with the likes of John Lennon strolling around. The cast of characters we read about – Sandy Denny, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and The Who – is vast. During all this, the always humble Thompson was evolving into a phenomenal guitar player with a very distinctive, non-blues-based technique, becoming a sought-out session player on records by Denny, Nick Drake, and John Martyn. Later on, Thompson converts to Sufism, leaves Fairport Convention and pursues his own voice, culminating in at least two classic and almost ignored 1970s albums (I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight and Pour Down like Silver). The break-up with wife Linda and the ‘Shoot Out the Lights’ tour of the USA is also acknowledged. Thompson wisely sticks to the most important and fascinating parts of his career, and there are plenty of previously undisclosed facts here, even for longstanding fans. (And yes, he was asked to play guitar for the Eagles!).

A cut above your usual music biography, Beeswing is an essential rock read for anyone wishing to get a deeper understanding of this seminal era of musical history.

Paul Barr is a music specialist at Readings.