20th Century Britain: Economic, Cultural and Social Change

20th Century Britain provides an authoritative and accessible survey of contemporary research on economic activity, society, political development and culture. Written by leading academics, it examines recent advances in scholarship and gives a grounding in established approaches and topics. The first part comprises thematic essays covering the whole of the twentieth century, including chapters on the economy, economic management, big business, parliamentary politics, leisure, work, health, international economic relations and empire. It uncovers key areas of equality and diversity in chapters on women, living standards, social mobility, ethnicity and multiculturalism, and gender and sexuality. The most recent subfields of historical studies are also explored, including disability history and environmental economic history. The second part focuses on seismic events and topics covering shorter timeframes, including the World Wars, interwar Depression, Britain and European integration, sexual behaviours, civil society, the 1960s cultural revolution and resisting racism. This collection provides an essential guide to current academic thinking on the most important elements of twentieth-century British history and is a useful tool for all students and scholars interested in modern Britain.

Table of Contents:
1. Introduction: Twentieth-Century Britain Part I: Britain since 1900 2. The British Political System 3. The British Economy 4. Inequality, Living Standards, and Welfare Provision 5. Britain's Changing Position in the International Economy 6. Managing the Economy, Managing the People 7. Work, the Labour Market and Trade Unions 8. Leisure, Consumption and Consumerism 9. The Environment and Environmental Policy 10. Big Business and Management in Britain 11. Empire and Decolonisation 12. Ethnicity, Identity and Multiculturalism 13 Women and Inequalities 14. Disability and Disabled People 15. Social Mobility 16. Gender and Sexuality 17. Healthcare, Health and Wellbeing Part II: Britain in Focus 18. Britain at War 1914-1918 and 1939-45 19. The Impact of the Interwar Depression on the Working Class 20. Civil Society, Voluntary Action and Citizenship, c. 1918 -1960s 21. Heterosexual Sexuality in Britain, 1918-1972 22. Britain and Europe since 1945 23. The 1960s and the Cultural Revolution 24. Resisting Racism in 1970s and 1980s Britain: the Experience of Young South Asians

About the Author :
Nicole Robertson is Associate Professor in Modern British History at Sheffield Hallam University. She has published widely on women and the clerical sector, the co-operative movement, consumerism, and the Labour Party. Her current research project explores gender, activism and identity among white-collar workers. John Singleton is Emeritus Professor of Economic and Business History at Sheffield Hallam University. He has published widely on British business history, economic policy in New Zealand, the development of central banking and the history of disasters and industrial safety. Avram Taylor is Senior Lecturer in History at Northumbria University. His research reflects his interest in the relationship between class, gender and ethnicity. His thesis was published as Working Class Credit and Community since 1918 (2002.) He has subsequently published a number of articles on Jews in Britain.

Review :
‘An excellent volume covering a huge amount of material. The editors introduce the wide range of topics and variety of perspectives considered and, in every case, encouraged me to want to read further into the book on all the aspects highlighted.’ Sara Horrell, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK