Entitled: A Critical History of the British Aristocracy

Description

Exploring the extraordinary social and political dominance enjoyed by the British aristocracy over the centuries, Entitled seeks to explain how a tiny number of noble families rose to such a position in the first place. "A proudly partisan history of the British aristocracy - which scores some shrewd hits against the upper class themselves, and the nostalgia of the rest of us for their less endearing eccentricities. A great antidote to Downton Abbey." (Mary Beard) Exploring the extraordinary social and political dominance enjoyed by the British aristocracy over the centuries, Entitled seeks to explain how a tiny number of noble families rose to such a position in the first place. It reveals the often nefarious means they have employed to maintain their wealth, power and prestige and examines the greed, ambition, jealousy and rivalry which drove aristocratic families to guard their interests with such determination. In telling their history, Entitled introduces a cast of extraordinary characters- fierce warriors, rakish dandies, political dilettantes, charming eccentrics, arrogant snobs and criminals who quite literally got away with murder.

CHRIS BRYANT is a British Labour Party Politician who has been Member of Parliament since 2001. He was Minister for Europe in the last Labour Government and Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons in the Shadow Cabinet. Before entering parliament Chris was a priest in the Church of England. His previous books include biographies of Sir Stafford Cripps and Glenda Jackson as well as, most recently, his two-volume Parliament- a Biography.

You can't deal with today's injustices without knowing how we got here in the first place. If this parade of arrogant, snobbish and greedy toffs doesn't get you to demand change, nothing will. This is fascinating, authoritative and radical history at its best. It lays bare the politics of jealousy and the sense of entitlement that has meant so few have owned so much and lorded it over so many for so long. The duke of Westminster won't want you to read it, which is why you should. -- Owen Jones A proudly partisan history of the British aristocracy - which scores some shrewd hits against the upper class themselves, and the nostalgia of the rest of us for their less endearing eccentricities. A great antidote to Downton Abbey. -- Mary Beard A riveting, insightful, gripping and horrifying account of how the UK aristocracy gained and maintained power right up to today. -- Charlie Falconer Forget celebrity infidelity and drug abuse. Here is one of our greatest scandals - our class-ridden society. That's what should be exercising the Daily Mail. -- Helena Kennedy Entitled is an energetic and engaging response to Whig historians in the tradition of Marxist historians. It is annoying and readable in equal measure. -- Jacob Rees-Mogg