Customer Reviews: Read 22 more reviews...
 I learnt all I should have at school August 26, 2008
Peter Eustance
If I hadn't been taught some trendy (in the 1970's) History O Level course I may have learned some modern history and have subsequently been on catch up since!
This is the most readable book I have read covering the post war period and having seen the TV programme the writers voice is audible. It's a must read for a holiday (preferably with understanding people who don't want to talk very much as being interrupted reading won't go down too well)
 A Superficial History of Modern Britain. August 12, 2008
P. W. Charnley (United Kingdom.)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
Andrew Marr's book is, if not a totally one-way glass facade, then certainly a pretty smeared window upon society that is clearly influenced by the naive, PC stupidity of those many refer to as the 'chattering classes'. Shallow and childlike. The professional intelligentsia, and their private armchair and public media imitators, will surely love it.
Excellent, compellint August 3, 2008
VJC (Esher, UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Andrew Marr's 'History of Modern Britain' is a real tour de force - readable, entertaining and informative. The scholarship is obvious, but never detracts from the narrative. Marr covers all aspects of British history - economic, foreign relations, social - but always makes you feel you're following the narrative thread from 'then' to 'now': where we are now 'belongs'. Yet he also lets you think about how differently things might have turned out if some other set of circumstances had prevailed.
Excellent book, 'marred' (forgive the pun) only by sloppy editing, with frequent spelling mistakes and incorrect commas.
Pacy and very, very readable July 28, 2008
chris widgery (London)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book's great advantage is that Marr was trained a journalist, not a historian. So his pace is rapid, his prose snappy and it doesn't get boring. Even in the boring bits.
This does focus a lot on the politics, but, unlike some other reviewers, I rather liked the divergences into fashion or food or theatre. I find that always brings history to life rather more than politicians in suits talking about things.
There are mistakes in the book that I spotted, which suggests there are likely to be rather more that I didn't. Sloppy, but not terminal. And let that not spoil too much what is an excellent run through the history of the last sixty years. If you are looking for an entertaining, single volume history that is readable throughout, this is the one.
 Totally absorbing July 20, 2008
M. Parker
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Brilliant. Extremely well written with sentences that you want to re-read to relish the taste of them in your mouth. Well reserached and with interesting anecdotes as well as facts. Puts the late 20th century (and the first years of the 21st) into its historical context. I found it un-put-downable.
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