A History of Modern Britain (Hardcover)

Anthony Butcher · 09-07-2007, 12:06 AM

		A History of Modern Britain (Hardcover)
by Andrew Marr

"A History of Modern Britain" confronts head-on the victory of shopping over politics. It tells the story of how the great political visions of New Jerusalem or a second Elizabethan Age, rival idealisms, came to be defeated by a culture of consumerism, celebrity and self-gratification. In each decade, political leaders thought they knew what they were doing, but find themselves confounded. Every time, the British people turn out to be stroppier and harder to herd than predicted. Throughout, Britain is a country on the edge first of invasion, then of bankruptcy, then on the vulnerable front line of the Cold War and later in the forefront of the great opening up of capital and migration now reshaping the world. This history follows all the political and economic stories, but deals too with comedy, cars, the war against homosexuals, Sixties anarchists, oil-men and punks, Margaret Thatcher's wonderful good luck, political lies and the true heroes of British theatre. It accompanies a major five-part documentary series for BBC television.
	Check prices at: Blackwell's Search for second hand copies on: AbeBooks.co.uk

Tony Bennett · 15-08-2007, 07:55 PM

Anthony Butcher wrote, quoting a summary of Andrew Marr's book:

"...the war against homosexuals..."

REPLY: Que? When did that start? Has it finished. If so, who won?

http://www.lse.co.uk/ShowStory.asp?s...ry_school_kids

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Smidgey · 05-10-2007, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Bennett

Anthony Butcher wrote, quoting a summary of Andrew Marr's book:

"...the war against homosexuals..."

REPLY: Que? When did that start? Has it finished. If so, who won?

Gay friendly stories for primary school kids - UK News Headlines

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The war against homosexuals ended when they (quite rightly) stopped imprisoning people such as Wilde and Turing.

Now we are just stuck in a strange PC society where beliefs trump property (and not just on this issue, but on many issues).

Roland · 22-10-2007, 04:10 PM

You know the biggest problem with these gay friendly children's books is that it is yet another example of how social idealist have not thought things through. For one young children who do not understand attraction may well not be able to distinguish friendship with a member of their own sex for something more another point it may lead to children admitting to being gay at a young age and spending the whole of their school life being bullied.
Children do not buy political correctness they know what is normal and what is not to a child it's this simple if most people are one way then thats fine if some people are another way then they are weird and trying to force feed them this rubbish will not change that.

blank_frackis · 12-11-2007, 05:56 PM

Aside from any debates about homosexuality, I thought the book was a good overview of postwar Britain. The only thing I'd say about it is that some people might be anticipating a largely political history and a great deal of it is concerned with more general aspects of British life - theatre, architecture, the construction of Britan's transport network amongst other things. If you just want to read about Suez, In Place of Strife, the Winter of Discontent and so on, you'd probably find it a little slow paced and meandering.

Smidgey · 12-11-2007, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roland

You know the biggest problem with these gay friendly children's books is that it is yet another example of how social idealist have not thought things through. For one young children who do not understand attraction may well not be able to distinguish friendship with a member of their own sex for something more another point it may lead to children admitting to being gay at a young age and spending the whole of their school life being bullied.
Children do not buy political correctness they know what is normal and what is not to a child it's this simple if most people are one way then thats fine if some people are another way then they are weird and trying to force feed them this rubbish will not change that.

If children are so enlightened I'm sure you would be happy to hold them completely responsible for all acts that they do? Should a child who takes a sweet be imprisoned or given a police caution?

david H · 14-11-2007, 01:46 PM

The book I would unhesitatingly recommend is "The Collapse of British Power" by Correlli Barnett. One cannot understand our decline into sentimentality and weakness without study of this masterpiece. He finds the origins in Methodism of the early 18c and follows it through to appeasement.
Some important pointsa are how Thomas rnold turned the public school system into a place where rulers were imersed in unreality instead of a practical understanding of how the world really goes on.
The war writers and their effiminate pining about the conditions in the trenches when two thirds of the Working Classes lived their everyday lives in such conditions and how "The Lost Generation" applied only to a small ruling class and that Germany lost many more. The weakness is that he does not consider the invidious effect of the French Revolution. This infected people who needed accurate judgement of others and a practical wisdom with abstract ideas. In fact the anti-British attitude of the whole political, cultura, intellectrual and corporate elites had its origins in the pro and anti-Britisah attitudes of Charles James Fox and his circle and radicals like Whitbread.

Roland · 20-11-2007, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smidgey

If children are so enlightened I'm sure you would be happy to hold them completely responsible for all acts that they do? Should a child who takes a sweet be imprisoned or given a police caution?

Think you might have got me a little wrong the point i was trying to make is that
having had a fair few mates that were batting for the wrong team all of them have said they could never had admitted they were gay at school as they would have thrown them selves to the wolves.
The idea that if you read kids stories that promote homosexuality as normal in the hope that they will not be bios against people of that sexual persuasion is foolish kids will not by it.
As for the child who steels a sweet i think a caution would do the job but not sure if the zero tolerance police state will agree.

Mikeuk · 24-11-2007, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Bennett

Anthony Butcher wrote, quoting a summary of Andrew Marr's book:

"...the war against homosexuals..."

REPLY: Que? When did that start? Has it finished. If so, who won?

The shirtlifters walked it.

15-08-2007, 07:55 PM	#2 (permalink)
Tony Bennett Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 578	The war? What war? Anthony Butcher wrote, quoting a summary of Andrew Marr's book: "...the war against homosexuals..." REPLY: Que? When did that start? Has it finished. If so, who won? http://www.lse.co.uk/ShowStory.asp?s...ry_school_kids --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Last edited by Tony Bennett; 15-08-2007 at 07:57 PM. Reason: Add URL for story about reading pro-gay stories to primary school children

12-11-2007, 05:56 PM	#5 (permalink)
blank_frackis Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 306 $blank_frackis is just starting out$	Aside from any debates about homosexuality, I thought the book was a good overview of postwar Britain. The only thing I'd say about it is that some people might be anticipating a largely political history and a great deal of it is concerned with more general aspects of British life - theatre, architecture, the construction of Britan's transport network amongst other things. If you just want to read about Suez, In Place of Strife, the Winter of Discontent and so on, you'd probably find it a little slow paced and meandering.
$blank_frackis is offline$

14-11-2007, 01:46 PM	#7 (permalink)
david H Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 634	The book I would unhesitatingly recommend is "The Collapse of British Power" by Correlli Barnett. One cannot understand our decline into sentimentality and weakness without study of this masterpiece. He finds the origins in Methodism of the early 18c and follows it through to appeasement. Some important pointsa are how Thomas rnold turned the public school system into a place where rulers were imersed in unreality instead of a practical understanding of how the world really goes on. The war writers and their effiminate pining about the conditions in the trenches when two thirds of the Working Classes lived their everyday lives in such conditions and how "The Lost Generation" applied only to a small ruling class and that Germany lost many more. The weakness is that he does not consider the invidious effect of the French Revolution. This infected people who needed accurate judgement of others and a practical wisdom with abstract ideas. In fact the anti-British attitude of the whole political, cultura, intellectrual and corporate elites had its origins in the pro and anti-Britisah attitudes of Charles James Fox and his circle and radicals like Whitbread. Last edited by david H; 14-11-2007 at 01:57 PM.

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British Democracy Forum (& UKIP)	Post #4	Refback	25-10-2007 12:37 PM

22-10-2007, 04:10 PM	#4 (permalink)
Roland Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 704	You know the biggest problem with these gay friendly children's books is that it is yet another example of how social idealist have not thought things through. For one young children who do not understand attraction may well not be able to distinguish friendship with a member of their own sex for something more another point it may lead to children admitting to being gay at a young age and spending the whole of their school life being bullied. Children do not buy political correctness they know what is normal and what is not to a child it's this simple if most people are one way then thats fine if some people are another way then they are weird and trying to force feed them this rubbish will not change that.