ABSTRACT

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.

chapter 1|11 pages

Introduction

Twentieth-century Britain

part A|246 pages

Britain since 1900

chapter 2|14 pages

The British political system

chapter 3|17 pages

The British economy

chapter 8|17 pages

Leisure, consumption and consumerism

chapter 10|15 pages

business and management in Britain

chapter 11|16 pages

Empire and decolonisation

chapter 13|14 pages

Women and inequalities

chapter 14|14 pages

Disability and disabled people

chapter 15|14 pages

Social mobility

chapter 16|13 pages

Gender and sexuality

chapter 17|16 pages

Healthcare, health and wellbeing

part B|108 pages

Britain in focus