A Companion to Contemporary Britain 1939 - 2000

by Addison, Paul; Jones, Harriet

• ISBN13: 9780631220404
• ISBN10: 0631220402
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-06-06
• 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	x
List of Tables	xi
Notes on Contributors	xiii
Introduction	1	(2)
The Impact of the Second World War	3	(20)
Paul Addison
The Impact of the Cold War	23	(19)
Harriet Jones
Population and the Family	42	(17)
Pat Thane
Cities, Suburbs, Countryside	59	(17)
Mark Clapson
Class	76	(17)
Arthur Marwick
Immigration and Racism	93	(17)
Wendy Webster
Sport and Recreation	110	(17)
Richard Holt
Youth Culture	127	(18)
Bill Osgerby
Sexuality	145	(19)
Lesley A. Hall
Economic `Decline' in Post-War Britain	164	(16)
Jim Tomlinson
The Transformation of the Economy	180	(23)
Hugh Pemberton
The Geography of Economic Change	203	(23)
P. W. Daniels
Living Standards and Consumption	226	(19)
Ina Zweiniger-Bargielowska
Gender: Change and Continuity	245	(18)
Dolly Smith Wilson
Welfare, Poverty and Social Inequalities	263	(18)
Janet Fink
Education	281	(16)
Roy Lowe
Health	297	(18)
John Welshman
Rewriting the Unwritten Constitution	315	(18)
Andrew Blick
The Secret State	333	(18)
Richard J. Aldrich
Rethinking the `Rise and Fall' of Two-Party Politics	351	(20)
Steven Fielding
The Rise and Disintegration of the Working Classes	371	(18)
Robert Taylor
The Growth of Social Movements	389	(18)
Holger Nehring
Civil Society	407	(20)
Nicholas Deakin
The Politics of Devolution	427	(17)
Christopher Harvie
The Politics of Northern Ireland	444	(19)
Thomas Hennessey
Britain in the World Economy	463	(19)
Catherine R. Schenk
The End of Empire	482	(17)
Bill Schwarz
The Anglo-American `Special Relationship'	499	(18)
Michael F. Hopkins
John W. Young
Britain and Europe	517	(22)
James Ellison
British Defence Policy	539	(17)
Simon Ball
Select Bibliography	556	(11)
Index	567