A History of Modern Britain
-
- $9.99
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
A History of Modern Britain confronts head-on the victory of shopping over politics. It tells the story of how the great political visions of New Jerusalem or a second Elizabethan Age, rival idealisms, came to be defeated by a culture of consumerism, celebrity and self-gratification. In each decade, political leaders think they know what they are doing, but find themselves confounded. Every time, the British people turn out to be stroppier and harder to herd than predicted.
Throughout, Britain is a country on the edge – first of invasion, then of bankruptcy, then on the vulnerable front line of the Cold War and later in the forefront of the great opening up of capital and migration now reshaping the world. This history follows all the political and economic stories, but deals too with comedy, cars, the war against homosexuals, Sixties anarchists, oil-men and punks, Margaret Thatcher's wonderful good luck, political lies and the true heroes of British theatre.
Customer Reviews
History as a novel
This has to be one of my favourite books of all time. Andrew Marr is a British political journalist who stands shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Walter Cronkite. The history runs from the death of Queen Victoria to the end of the second world war. If you're American read it and learn about what makes us Brits so grouchy. If you' re British, you need to read it to get over the empire and move on.
Andrew great job.
Seymour Stubbs