Book 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.
‘Superb, colourful, outspoken, fresh and richly entertaining. Don’t
miss’ The Times
‘Lively, full of rich anecdotes and sparkling pen portraits. He has the
rare gift of being able to explain complex issues in a few crisp
sentences’ Sunday Telegraph
‘Superb, colourful, outspoken, fresh and richly entertaining. Don’t
miss’ The Times
‘Lively, full of rich anecdotes and sparkling pen portraits. He has the
rare gift of being able to explain complex issues in a few crisp
sentences’ Sunday Telegraph
