Music, Memories & Magic
Not Just Rock 'n' Roll by Ajay Mankotia — Coming soon on Readomania!
What if your life’s soundtrack was composed by the gods of rock? What if your personal playlist intersected with music legends—from Jethro Tull to the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd to Neil Young?
Welcome to Not Just Rock 'n' Roll—a deeply personal, passionate memoir by Ajay Mankotia is a heartfelt ode to the bands that became lifelines, the songs that became anthems, and the concerts that became memories. And if you’ve ever felt that goosebump moment when the first chord strikes, this book was written for you.
From discovering Bob Azzam's ‘Ya Mustapha’ as a child to soaking in Jethro Tull under European skies, Mankotia’s life is a love letter to music—rock, blues, prog, and everything in between. This isn’t just about albums and setlists. It’s about the emotion of music—the way it seeps into memory, family, travel, and time.
What’s inside?
- Intimate meetings with Ian Anderson, Brian May, John Mayall, Rick Wakeman, and other legends
- Stories and anecdotes from legendary concerts around the world
- In-depth information on rock bands and their secrets
- Contributions to fan anthologies on Jethro Tull, The Who, Pink Floyd, and Neil Young
- A look into how a family—kids included—bonded over riffs, harmonies, and rock anthems
As Mankotia puts it, these songs “seeped into the consciousness and stayed as permanent guests.” Not Just Rock 'n' Roll is for everyone who’s ever played a record until it frayed, memorized every riff, or felt spiritually aligned with a perfectly placed drum fill.
This isn’t just a book. It’s a time machine. A tribute. A backstage pass. A celebration of sound.
If you’ve ever felt that goosebump moment when the first chord strikes, this book was written for you. If you’ve ever air-guitared in your room, lined up for a concert, or bonded with someone over a shared love for Floyd or Genesis—this is your story too.
Not Just Rock 'n' Roll — Coming soon to bookstores and online.
About the Author
Ajay Mankotia pursued BA in Economics (Honours) from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University followed by a Master’s Degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University. He also has a Diplôme D’études Superiéures Spécialisées in International Economic Relations from the University of Paris-XI, Paris, and Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LLB) from Law Centre, Delhi University.
Ajay, who joined the Indian Revenue Service in 1982, has worked at a wide variety of posts in the Indian Government and, during the course of his career, he was also deputed as Chief Vigilance Officer of some public sector fertiliser companies. When he was Commissioner of Income Tax, he decided to opt for Voluntary Retirement in 2008 after having spent twenty-six years as a taxman and joined a media company as President (Corporate Planning and Operations). He presently runs his own Tax and Legal Advisory.
He released a book titled There’s Seven For You, Three For Me in 2019, offering a glimpse into the working of the officers of the Income Tax Department. He writes regularly on music, amongst other matters, in various publications and, along with his wife, runs a music theatre company—producing, directing, scripting, anchoring and singing in plays on music directors, actors and film-makers.
His next book, Bollywood Odyssey: The Singing Taxman’s Journey into Film Music was released by Readomania in 2023. In this extremely well-researched book on Bollywood film music, Ajay uses his passion for music, personal interactions with musical legends and family’s musical background to write about several unknown facets of Hindi film songs.
In his leisure time, Ajay likes to swim, play golf and snooker, and tries to solve the daily cryptic crossword.
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