Rejoice! Rejoice!: Britain in the 1980s

Description

'A masterly mix of shrewd analysis, historical detail and telling quotes... Indispensable' Mail on Sunday 'Among a host of recent books on the 1980s, Turner's stands out as comfortably the most entertaining' Sunday Times When Margaret Thatcher became prime minister in 1979 she promised to bring harmony where once there had been discord. But Britain entered the 1980s bitterly divided over its future. At stake were the souls of the great population boom of the 1960s. Would they buy into the free-market, patriotic agenda of Thatcherism? Or the anti-racist, anti-sexist liberalism of the new left? From the miners' strike, the Falklands War and the spectre of AIDS, to Yes Minister, championship snooker and Boy George, Rejoice! Rejoice! steps back in time to relive the decade when the Iron Lady sought to remake Britain. What it discovers is a thoroughly foreign country.

ALWYN W. TURNER is the author of Crisis? What Crisis? Britain in the 1970s, A Classless Society: Britain in the 1990s and the ebook Things Can Only Get Bitter: The Lost Generation of 1992, all published by Aurum. An acclaimed writer on post-war British culture, his other books include The Biba Experience, Halfway to Paradise, My Generation and Terry Nation: The Man Who Invented the Daleks.

'Terrifically entertaining' 'Turner does an excellent job in synthesising the culture and art of the day into the wider political discourse. The result is resolutely entertaining' 'Excellent ... this trilogy is about the most authoritative account of the late 20th century as you are likely to get' 'Put[s] into cold perspective what at the time we were too befuddled with emotion to understand... Turner has produced a masterly mix of shrewd analysis, historical detail and telling quotes... Indispensable' 'Dazzling... Turner's account of the 1980s is as wide-ranging as that fractured, multi-faceted decade demands ... deft at picking out devilish details and damning quotes from history that is less recent than you think' 'Among a host of recent books on the 1980s, Turner's stands out as comfortably the most entertaining' - Books of the Year 'One of the pleasures of Alwyn Turner's breathless romp through the 1980s is that it overflows with unusual juxtapositions and surprising insights... The tone is that of a wildly enthusiastic guide leading us on a breakneck tour through politics, sport and culture' 'This kaleidoscopic history ... provides a vivid and enjoyable guide to these turbulent years. Ranging broadly across popular culture as well as high politics ... Turner brings the period alive and offers insights into both sides of a polarised nation' 'Turner does an excellent job in synthesising the culture and art of the day into the wider political discourse. The result is resolutely entertaining' 'Terrifically entertaining' 'Excellent ... this trilogy is about the most authoritative account of the late 20th century as you are likely to get'