Austerity Britain, 1945-1951 by David Kynaston

Austerity Britain, 1945-1951 by David Kynaston

Coursing through "Austerity Britain" is an astonishing variety of voices - vivid, unselfconscious, and unaware of what the future holds. A Chingford housewife endures the tribulations of rationing; a retired schoolteacher observes during a royal visit how well-fed the Queen looks; a pernickety civil servant in Bristol is oblivious to anyone's troubles but his own. An array of working-class witnesses describe how life in post-war Britain is, with little regard for liberal niceties or the feelings of their 'betters'. Many of these voices will stay with the reader in future volumes, jostling alongside well-known figures like John Arlott (here making his first radio broadcast, still in police uniform), Glenda Jackson (taking the 11+) and Doris Lessing (newly arrived from Africa, struck by the levelling poverty of postwar Britain. David Kynaston weaves a sophisticated narrative of how the victorious 1945 Labour government shaped the political, economic and social landscape for the next three decades. Deeply researched, often amusing and always intensely entertaining and readable, the first volume of David Kynaston's ambitious history offers an entirely fresh perspective on Britain during those six momentous years.

Praise for Kynaston's City of London series 'The four volumes of his City history of the last 200 years are a splendid achievement invaluable' Howard Davies, The Times 'With this volume, there ends the most interesting and original piece of history writing of our times.' James Buchan, Evening Standard 'Like the earlier volumes, this book is rich in detail and splendidly entertaining Kynaston relates these events with great verve.' Sunday Telegraph

David Kynaston was born in Aldershot in 1951. He has been a professional historian since 1973 and has written fifteen books, including The City of London (1994-2001), a widely acclaimed four-volume history, and W.G.'s Birthday Party, an account of the Gentleman vs. the Players at Lord's in July 1898. He is currently a visiting professor at Kingston University.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780747579854
ISBN 10	0747579857
Title	Austerity Britain, 1945-1951
Author	David Kynaston
Series	Tales Of A New Jerusalem
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Year published	2007-05-07
Number of pages	704
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable