An interesting list. So many books, so little time. A personal favourite, and one which influenced my thinking, was Larry Siedentop's Democracy in Europe. Praised by commentators ranging from Dennis Macshane and Andrew Marr to Jeremy Paxman and Nigel Lawson, it was published in 2000. Written by an American-born (but British knighted) Oxford professor of intellectual history, specialising in France, it put forward the case for a reformed federal Europe. But it covers so much more, including the roots of liberal democratic thought, the dilemmas faced by the European Union, and a host of potential threats including the risk of over-rapid integration versus democratic sentiments, the unstable relationship between states / supranational government and free markets, and a host of external threats. Alas. Siedentop's Inventing the Individual still glares at me balefully and unread from my bookshelves. But I have time - hopefully.
A most enjoyable and informative list - I've just purchased most of those I didn't already have (they're available pretty cheaply on ebay second-hand). The commentary around the various book recommendations was most interesting, with its informative comments on key moments/periods in British politics.
I do agree about the Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister books - I think they are even better than the TV series (which is saying something). As Sam rightly says, they contain a lot of extra asides, information, and jokes beyond what was in the TV episodes. As well as being vastly entertaining and wonderfully written, they also contain many real-life case studies of British politics, often only thinly disguised. E.g. one story relates to an efficiency expert brought in by Downing Street called 'Sir Mark Spencer' - not difficult to decode this one, if you know that the real life efficiency expert the story was based upon was Sir Derek Rayner, who was Chief Executive of Marks and Spencer...
I'm looking forward to reading Sam's contribution to the genre with his upcoming book.
I agree about William Waldegrave's superb and thoughtful book. Two others: Jack Straw's memoirs are very frank about his imposter syndrome and his upbringing, and Douglas Hurd's book is surprisingly personal (surprising because he was pretty buttoned up). He of course writes very well, but he also lifts the veil - notably with a moving description of his brother's suicide.
I ventured to praise the Roy Jenkins biography in the company of Martin Gilbert. He said: "Bits of it were good - the bits he copied from me."
Really wish there were more hooks about policy. I guess often the best place to go for that content is usually think-tank reports and publications. I wonder if you'd consider a post covering the role and influence of think-tanks - do you have any particular favourites you value the work of? Resolution Foundation are always on top of their game.
Love the shout-out for the Yes Minister / Hacker Diaries which I loved as a teenager. The format just opens up lots of extra opportunities for jokes and character bits that you can't quite fit into a sitcom.
Great list. The waldegrave book is wonderful as you say and Im glad someone else appreciates Damian Mcbrides which is really good on how new labour thought. I would add David Edgertons rise and fall of the british nation and helen thompsons hard times both of which place uk politics in a different context. Also colin kidds union and unionisms which talks about the key anglo scottish relationship.
A wonderful list with several favourites and several new to me. Might I suggest a different John Campbell’s biography of RB Haldane, a giant of law and politics in the Edwardian period who achieved a remarkable amount of reform in the machinery of government: unusually a politician who cared about good administration. And for entertainment value, the late Conservative MP Julian Critchley’s memoir, A Bag of Boiled Sweets.
Christopher Clark’s Hope & Glory was the set text for 20th century British history when I was at uni, and compresses a lot of what’s in Hennessy and Kynaston. Probably still a good introduction and remains one of my favourites.
Chris Mullins diaries offer useful insight into the New Labour years, particularly the period 94-97 when lots of people couldn't conceive of what was coming
An interesting list. So many books, so little time. A personal favourite, and one which influenced my thinking, was Larry Siedentop's Democracy in Europe. Praised by commentators ranging from Dennis Macshane and Andrew Marr to Jeremy Paxman and Nigel Lawson, it was published in 2000. Written by an American-born (but British knighted) Oxford professor of intellectual history, specialising in France, it put forward the case for a reformed federal Europe. But it covers so much more, including the roots of liberal democratic thought, the dilemmas faced by the European Union, and a host of potential threats including the risk of over-rapid integration versus democratic sentiments, the unstable relationship between states / supranational government and free markets, and a host of external threats. Alas. Siedentop's Inventing the Individual still glares at me balefully and unread from my bookshelves. But I have time - hopefully.
A most enjoyable and informative list - I've just purchased most of those I didn't already have (they're available pretty cheaply on ebay second-hand). The commentary around the various book recommendations was most interesting, with its informative comments on key moments/periods in British politics.
I do agree about the Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister books - I think they are even better than the TV series (which is saying something). As Sam rightly says, they contain a lot of extra asides, information, and jokes beyond what was in the TV episodes. As well as being vastly entertaining and wonderfully written, they also contain many real-life case studies of British politics, often only thinly disguised. E.g. one story relates to an efficiency expert brought in by Downing Street called 'Sir Mark Spencer' - not difficult to decode this one, if you know that the real life efficiency expert the story was based upon was Sir Derek Rayner, who was Chief Executive of Marks and Spencer...
I'm looking forward to reading Sam's contribution to the genre with his upcoming book.
I agree about William Waldegrave's superb and thoughtful book. Two others: Jack Straw's memoirs are very frank about his imposter syndrome and his upbringing, and Douglas Hurd's book is surprisingly personal (surprising because he was pretty buttoned up). He of course writes very well, but he also lifts the veil - notably with a moving description of his brother's suicide.
I ventured to praise the Roy Jenkins biography in the company of Martin Gilbert. He said: "Bits of it were good - the bits he copied from me."
Really wish there were more hooks about policy. I guess often the best place to go for that content is usually think-tank reports and publications. I wonder if you'd consider a post covering the role and influence of think-tanks - do you have any particular favourites you value the work of? Resolution Foundation are always on top of their game.
Love the shout-out for the Yes Minister / Hacker Diaries which I loved as a teenager. The format just opens up lots of extra opportunities for jokes and character bits that you can't quite fit into a sitcom.
Abby Innes Late Soviet Britain is an excellent read
Great list. The waldegrave book is wonderful as you say and Im glad someone else appreciates Damian Mcbrides which is really good on how new labour thought. I would add David Edgertons rise and fall of the british nation and helen thompsons hard times both of which place uk politics in a different context. Also colin kidds union and unionisms which talks about the key anglo scottish relationship.
A wonderful list with several favourites and several new to me. Might I suggest a different John Campbell’s biography of RB Haldane, a giant of law and politics in the Edwardian period who achieved a remarkable amount of reform in the machinery of government: unusually a politician who cared about good administration. And for entertainment value, the late Conservative MP Julian Critchley’s memoir, A Bag of Boiled Sweets.
As for fiction, I'd recommend Richard T. Kelly's 2016 novel, The Knives.
Great list. I will enjoy this.
Not British, but for the curious interested in efforts toward the development of Internationalism during the 1920s and 1930s, I loved reading:
The Dominion and the Rising Sun
Canada Encounters Japan, 1929-1941
By John D. Meehan
https://www.ubcpress.ca/dominion-and-the-rising-sun
A good review of this book is:
https://networks.h-net.org/node/3449/reviews/27272/carroll-meehan-dominion-and-rising-sun-canada-encounters-japan-1929-41
Another good book on this topic from a British perspective:
The Lights that Failed: European International History 1919-1933
European International History 1919-1933
Zara Steiner
https://academic.oup.com/book/26275
GREAT!
Christopher Clark’s Hope & Glory was the set text for 20th century British history when I was at uni, and compresses a lot of what’s in Hennessy and Kynaston. Probably still a good introduction and remains one of my favourites.
Chris Mullins diaries offer useful insight into the New Labour years, particularly the period 94-97 when lots of people couldn't conceive of what was coming