Comments on: Acquisitions http://airminded.org/2006/12/16/acquisitions-40/ Airpower and British society, 1908-1941 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:20:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Chris Williams http://airminded.org/2006/12/16/acquisitions-40/#comment-21334 Chris Williams Sun, 17 Dec 2006 19:36:06 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/12/16/acquisitions-40/#comment-21334 "still constantly being updated and republished" I'm not sure that even Arthur can manage that. Although I wouldn't have put it past him claiming to be able to. "I'll be putting out the fifth edition from beyond the grave, laddie!" By the way, the memorial lecture to Arthur is happening at UCL on Friday Feb 9th - Penny Summerfield will be talking about 'Public Memory and the Second World War'. “still constantly being updated and republished”

I’m not sure that even Arthur can manage that. Although I wouldn’t have put it past him claiming to be able to. “I’ll be putting out the fifth edition from beyond the grave, laddie!”

By the way, the memorial lecture to Arthur is happening at UCL on Friday Feb 9th - Penny Summerfield will be talking about ‘Public Memory and the Second World War’.

]]> By: Jack http://airminded.org/2006/12/16/acquisitions-40/#comment-21067 Jack Sun, 17 Dec 2006 12:20:43 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/12/16/acquisitions-40/#comment-21067 Yes, there are still some of that lot around these parts who rave about the whole experience. And "The Secret State" is a quite extraordinary book. But then, I'm biased: I particularly like him as he recently called me "a silver-tongued bastard". In public. How sweet. That may have to go on the back of my book on the 1970s. :) Yes, there are still some of that lot around these parts who rave about the whole experience. And “The Secret State” is a quite extraordinary book.

But then, I’m biased: I particularly like him as he recently called me “a silver-tongued bastard”. In public. How sweet. That may have to go on the back of my book on the 1970s. :)

]]> By: Alex http://airminded.org/2006/12/16/acquisitions-40/#comment-21065 Alex Sun, 17 Dec 2006 11:59:03 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/12/16/acquisitions-40/#comment-21065 Hennessy is incredibly cool. Check out "The Secret State", which is all about HMG's nuclear-war contingency planning, the V-bomber force and the warning system. One of his courses at QMW is on that topic and involved the seminar re-running a Whitehall Transition-to-War command post exercise from 1962. Now that's the kind of professor I like. Hennessy is incredibly cool. Check out “The Secret State”, which is all about HMG’s nuclear-war contingency planning, the V-bomber force and the warning system.

One of his courses at QMW is on that topic and involved the seminar re-running a Whitehall Transition-to-War command post exercise from 1962. Now that’s the kind of professor I like.

]]> By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2006/12/16/acquisitions-40/#comment-20694 Brett Holman Sun, 17 Dec 2006 04:59:47 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/12/16/acquisitions-40/#comment-20694 Thanks for all of that. It's interesting that the best history of the 1970s was written only half a decade after it ended, and yet 20 years later there still aren't many around. Sounds like a challenge for somebody! Thanks for all of that. It’s interesting that the best history of the 1970s was written only half a decade after it ended, and yet 20 years later there still aren’t many around. Sounds like a challenge for somebody!

]]> By: Alan Allport http://airminded.org/2006/12/16/acquisitions-40/#comment-20642 Alan Allport Sat, 16 Dec 2006 19:21:56 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/12/16/acquisitions-40/#comment-20642 I second the praise for <i>The Writing on the Wall.</i> Histories of the 1970s are few (as yet); this, though 20 years old now, is still the best so far. So far as a general text is concerned, Morgan's <i>The People's Peace</i> covers political developments as well as social. I second the praise for The Writing on the Wall. Histories of the 1970s are few (as yet); this, though 20 years old now, is still the best so far.

So far as a general text is concerned, Morgan’s The People’s Peace covers political developments as well as social.

]]> By: Jack http://airminded.org/2006/12/16/acquisitions-40/#comment-20452 Jack Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:09:05 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/12/16/acquisitions-40/#comment-20452 Peter is outstandingly good on the Attlee government (and he's 'Attlee Professor of Contemporary History’ here at QM), so that's a great choice. Unsolicited advice, and only IMHO, of course, but if you ever get the urge to progress and only have time to read one general book on Britain in each period, I would recommend: 1950s: Peter’s new one ‘Having It So Good: Britain in the Fifties’ (London: Allen Lane, 2006) is getting frankly orgasmic reviews all round. 1960s: Avoid the rather artificially polarized debate inflamed recently by Sandbrook's huge tomes in response to Marwick's huge tome and go instead for Mark Donnelly, ‘Sixties Britain: Culture, Society and Politics’ (Longman, 2005). It says so much more in a fraction of the wordage of anyone else, and offers a plurality of views and voices (quite rightly). 1970s: My candidate for ‘The Best History Book Ever Written’: Philip Whitehead’s ‘The Writing on The Wall: Britain in the 70s’ (London, Michael Joseph, 1985). Quite simply brilliant, and a very entertaining read too. Or the best short whirl through the whole period that I know of is still Arthur Marwick’s ‘British Society Since 1945’ (London, Penguin, still constantly being updated and republished). Happy reading! Peter is outstandingly good on the Attlee government (and he’s ‘Attlee Professor of Contemporary History’ here at QM), so that’s a great choice.

Unsolicited advice, and only IMHO, of course, but if you ever get the urge to progress and only have time to read one general book on Britain in each period, I would recommend:

1950s: Peter’s new one ‘Having It So Good: Britain in the Fifties’ (London: Allen Lane, 2006) is getting frankly orgasmic reviews all round.
1960s: Avoid the rather artificially polarized debate inflamed recently by Sandbrook’s huge tomes in response to Marwick’s huge tome and go instead for Mark Donnelly, ‘Sixties Britain: Culture, Society and Politics’ (Longman, 2005). It says so much more in a fraction of the wordage of anyone else, and offers a plurality of views and voices (quite rightly).
1970s: My candidate for ‘The Best History Book Ever Written’: Philip Whitehead’s ‘The Writing on The Wall: Britain in the 70s’ (London, Michael Joseph, 1985). Quite simply brilliant, and a very entertaining read too.

Or the best short whirl through the whole period that I know of is still Arthur Marwick’s ‘British Society Since 1945’ (London, Penguin, still constantly being updated and republished).

Happy reading!

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