Britain since 1789 - A Concise History (Broché)

In Britain since 1789: A Concise History Martin Pugh offers a stimulating introduction to the fundamental social, political and economic changes that took place in Great Britain from the late eighteenth century to the present day. In his study of this complex and fascinating period, he explores the major factors governing and determining events and asks several important questions: how and why did Britain reach her peak as a great industrial power by 1850? What has been the nature and extent of economic decline since the late-Victorian period? How, as violent, revolutionary change swept across Europe, did the aristocratic British political system give way to mass democracy with scarcely a protest? How did Britain manage to acquire a huge empire in the nineteenth century white investing so little in her armed forces? Using the latest historical research, Martin Pugh presents an accessible, concise and yet wide-ranging analysis of the factors that shape Britain.
He examines the emergence of an organised Labour Movement, the post-1914 decline of the Liberals and the establishment of the Welfare State. He considers the survival of the Conservatives as the major governing party of the twentieth century and sheds light on British policy abroad - from the importance of the French Revolution to the trend towards decolonisation since the Second World War. His study culminates in an evaluation of the dilemmas facing Britain at the end of this century following the collapse of consensus politics, the rejection of Thatcherism, the emergence of New labour and the reappraisal of Britain's relationship with Europe.
Enhanced with a wealth of detail, Britain since 1789: A Concise History is a crucial insight into the Britain of today and essential reading for anyone with an interest in the British nation and its future.