A Companion to Contemporary Britain 1939 - 2000

by Addison, Paul; Jones, Harriet

• ISBN13: 9781405167307
• ISBN10: 1405167300
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-04-30
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

A Companion to Contemporary Britain covers the key themes and debates of twentieth-century history from the outbreak of the Second World War to the end of the century. Comprising 30 essays written by leading international scholars, it provides readers with a single-volume reference to the varied perspectives dominating historical writing on this period. The volume opens with an assessment of the impact of war, before moving on to examine Britain's continuing role in the wider world, particularly the legacy of Empire, Britain's 'special relationship' with the United States, and integration with continental Europe. Domestic politics, the economy, society, and popular culture are also covered, including such topics as class consciousness, immigration and race relations, changing gender roles, and the impact of the mass media. Where essays include discussion of the last years of the century, they often present the first assessment of recent developments from a self-consciously historical perspective.

Author Biography

Paul Addison is Director of the Centre for Second World War Studies at the University of Edinburgh. His books include The Road to 1945: British Politics and the Second World War (1975) and Churchill on the Home Front 1900-1955 (1992).

Harriet Jones is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. x
List of Tables	p. xi
Notes on Contributors	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
The Impact of the Second World War	p. 3
The Impact of the Cold War	p. 23
Population and the Family	p. 42
Cities, Suburbs, Countryside	p. 59
Class	p. 76
Immigration and Racism	p. 93
Sport and Recreation	p. 110
Youth Culture	p. 127
Sexuality	p. 145
Economic 'Decline' in Post-War Britain	p. 164
The Transformation of the Economy	p. 180
The Geography of Economic Change	p. 203
Living Standards and Consumption	p. 226
Gender: Change and Continuity	p. 245
Welfare, Poverty and Social Inequalities	p. 263
Education	p. 281
Health	p. 297
Rewriting the Unwritten Constitution	p. 315
The Secret State	p. 333
Rethinking the 'Rise and Fall' of Two-Party Politics	p. 351
The Rise and Disintegration of the Working Classes	p. 371
The Growth of Social Movements	p. 389
Civil Society	p. 407
The Politics of Devolution	p. 427
The Politics of Northern Ireland	p. 444
Britain in the World Economy	p. 463
The End of Empire	p. 482
The Anglo-American 'Special Relationship'	p. 499
Britain and Europe	p. 517
British Defence Policy	p. 539
Select Bibliography	p. 556
Index	p. 567
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