Book excerpt: This brilliantly illustrated book is a visual compendium on Mod style. For some Mod means a way of life: London clubs and Lambrettas, cigarettes and speed. For others it's clothes: trim suits, sunglasses and loafers. Combining style savvy with cultural anthropology, this guide to the many aspects of Mods takes an alphabetical approach to the most enduring of youth cults. Beginning with À bout de souffle and ending with Zoot Money, authors and Mod experts Paolo Hewitt and Mark Baxter touch on every facet of the fad. Entries such as Eel Pie Island, Otis Redding, Mary Quant, and Ready Steady Go give intriguing background information, history and facts, while colorful illustrations bring Mod style to life. Style hounds, pop music fans, and Anglophiles of all ages will be entertained and inspired by this book that proves that, while "mod"-ernism has gone through several phases, it's never gone out of style. AUTHORS: Paolo Hewitt began his writing career at Melody Maker and New Musical Express. His articles have appeared in newspapers and magazines as well as a series of books on sports, fashion, and music. He served as the official biographer for the groups Oasis and The Jam, runs his own Mod-style knitwear label in Italy, and is the author of Fab Gear: The Beatles and Fashion (Prestel). Mark Baxter has been fascinated with fashion his entire life and has been the owner of a vintage clothing boutique. He is the author, with Paolo Hewitt, of The Fashion of Football and The Mumper. Martin Freeman is a British actor best known for his work on television shows The Office and Sherlock and in feature films such as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Love Actually. ILLUSTRATIONS: 300 colour