John W. Young

Steven Fielding

John Wilson Young

Part of The Labour Governments 1964-70 series, this text concentrates on Britain's international policy during Harold Wilson's Labour governments in the 1960s. The coverage ranges from defence policy and the government machine to European integration, NATO and the Vietnam War. Harold Wilson and his ministers have often been accused of betraying the sense of promise that greeted their victory in 1964. Using recently released archival evidence, Young argues that a more balanced view of the goverment should recognize the real difficulties that surrounded decision-making, not only on Vietnam, but also on Aden, the Nigerian Civil War and Rhodesia. tensions and the need to placate allies all placed limits on what a once-great but clearly declining power could achieve. Fruthermore, the government proved of pivotal importance in the history of Britain's international role, in that it presided over a major shift of focus from positions east of Suez to European concerns, a focus that has remained until the present day. international relations during this exciting period. Together with the other books in the series, on domestic and economic policy, it provides a complete picture of the development of Britain under the premiership of Harold Wilson.

International Policy

A State of Play explores how the British have imagined their politics, from the parliament worship of Anthony Trollope to the cynicism of The Thick of It. In an account that mixes historical with political analysis, Steven Fielding argues that fictional depictions of politics have played an important but insidious part in shaping how the British think about their democracy and have helped ventilate their many frustrations with Westminster. He shows that dramas and fictions have also performed a significant role in the battle of ideas, in a way undreamt of by those who draft party manifestos. The book examines the work of overtly political writers have treated the subject, discussing the novels of H.G. Wells, the comedy series Yes, Minister and the plays of David Hare. However, it also assesses how less obvious sources, such as the films of George Formby, the novels of Agatha Christie, the Just William stories and situation comedies like Steptoe and Son, have reflected on representative democracy. A State of Play is an invaluable, distinctive and engaging guide to a new way of thinking about Britain's political past and present.

British Politics on Screen, Stage and Page, from Anthony Trollope to The Thick of It

A State of Play

Richard Toye

Bill Schwarz

This is not a book about Winston Churchill. It is not principally about his politics, nor his rhetorical imagination, nor even about the man himself. Instead, it addresses the varied afterlives of the man and the persistent, deeply located compulsion to bring him back from the dead, capturing and explaining the significance of the various Churchill myths to Britain's history and current politics. The authors look at Churchill's portrayal in social memory. They demonstrate the ways in which politicians have often used the idea of Churchill as a means of self-validation - using him to show themselves as tough and honest players. They show the man dramatized in film and television - an onscreen persona that is often the product of a gratuitous mixing of fact and fantasy, one deliberately shaped to meet the preferences of the presumed audience. They discuss his legacy in light of the Brexit debate - showing how public figures on both sides of the Leave/Remain debate were able to use elements of Churchill's words and character to argue for their own point-of-view.

The Churchill Myths

John Callaghan

Steve Ludlam

This electronic version has been made available under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) open access license. Interpreting the Labour Party consists of twelve essays on the principal thinkers and schools of thought concerned with the political and historical development of the Labour Party and Labour movement. The essays are written by contributors who have devoted many years to the study of the Labour Party, the trade union movement and the various ideologies associated with them. The book begins with an in-depth analysis of how to study the Labour Party, and goes on to examine key periods in the development of the ideologies to which the party has subscribed. Each chapter situates its subject matter in the context of a broader intellectual legacy, including the works of Sidney and Beatrice Webb, Theodore Rothstein, Stuart Hall and Samuel Beer, among others.

Interpreting the Labour Party

This book looks at how the British Labour Party came to terms with the 1960's 'cultural revolution', specifically changes to: the class structure, place of women, black immigration, the generation gap and calls for direct political participation.

Steven Fielding

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