Britain in the 1930s A Deceptive Decade [Paperback]

Were the 1930s in Britain a decade of growing prosperity, unprecedented levels of ownership and sane, competent government? Or was it a time of grinding poverty, long-term unemployment and political timidity? In this new book Andrew Thorpe cuts through the welter of dispute and mythology to provide fresh analysis of politics, economics and society in this most controversial of decades.Acknowledgements.

Part I: Introduction:.

Part II: Politics:.

1. The Conservatives and the National Governments.

2. The Labour Party and Socialism.

3. The Liberals.

4. The Communists.

5. The Fascists.

6. Conclusion.

Part III: Economy:.

1. Cyclical Trends.

2. Structural Change.

3. Government Economic Policy: Causes and Effects.

4. Conclusion.

Part IV: Society:.

1. A Class-Ridden Society?.

2. Domestication and Privatization? Housing and Leisure.

3. Health, Welfare, and Social Policy.

4. Conclusion.

Part V: Conclusion:.

Appendix 1: General Election Results, 1924-45.

Appendix 2: Unemployment, 1929-40.

References and Guide to Further Reading.

Likely to be an introductory text widely used by students in schools and universities: it is short, the format is accessible, the paperback edition is cheap and it is a new addition to the successful series of Historical Association Studies published by Blackwell. Labour History ReviewAndrew Thorpe took degrees at the universities of Birmingham and Sheffield. He is the author of The British General Eleclc�