The Middle Class: A History

by Lawrence James

So often we hear that an obsession with class is what defines the British. But when we talk of the middle class, what do we really mean?

When was it first possible to define such a thing and is the term still relevant today? Would members of the middle class recognise themselves in their historical antecedents?

The Middle A History tells the rich and compelling story of this disparate and constantly evolving group whose materialism and hunger for social advancement is an index of Britain’s evolution. The death of feudalism, the furthering of democracy, the spread of literacy, the industrial and sexual revolutions, the development of mass media – the middle class is never far away, drawing up petitions, lobbying for changes in attitude and legislation, engaging in philanthropy, while always mindful to protect its own interests.

In this scholarly yet entertaining – and often highly amusing – account, historian Lawrence James has searched high and low to find the heartbeat of his subject. Balancing acuity with anecdote, he draws on an extraordinary range of sources, from medieval legal records to twentieth-century advertising slogans.

The Middle Class is a truly engrossing portrait of a sprawling and complex social group, so familiar to many of us yet so often misunderstood and unappreciated. It is a masterpiece of popular history.

Praise for The Middle A History :
‘A wonderfully enjoyable history of the changing fortunes of the middle orders over the past 500 years. A magisterial survey of the entire British class system, filled with richly detailed observation of the social differences on which it has thrived’ - Sunday Times
‘An enchanting compendium of the games the English play, and the anxieties, frictions and resentments engendered in the pursuit of status’ - Times Literary Supplement

Lawrence James was born in Bath in 1943 and brought up in Weston-super-Mare. He secured a first in History and English at York University and subsequently undertook an M.Litt. at Merton College, Oxford, where he studied medieval history. After a career as a schoolmaster at Merchant Taylors’ and Sedbergh schools, he became a full-time writer in 1985. He has written several books, including the acclaimed The Golden The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia , The Rise and Fall of the British Empire and The Making of British India .

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Economics, British Literature

677 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Edwin James Lawrence, most commonly known as Lawrence James, is an English historian and writer.

James graduated with a BA in English & History from the University of York in 1966, and subsequently undertook a research degree at Merton College, Oxford. Following a career as a teacher, James became a full-time writer in 1985.

James has written several works of popular history about the British Empire, and has contributed pieces for Daily Mail, The Times and the Literary Review.

Reviews

[Lauren Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it a bit dull--perhaps just not that much new for me. One small thing I did find interesting was that Tories were the alcohol party (so to speak) since non-conformists were mostly for prohibition and also, not Tories! So they found themselves backing pubs, alcohol manufacturers, etc.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This comprehensive, intelligent, detailed and meticulously researched study of the middle class makes for some pretty intense reading – which sometimes becomes some pretty dull reading. Not exactly a page-turner. But it’s an important work of sociology and history and is thus to be commended.

[Khalid · Rating 4 out of 5]

James writes on the whole journey of the middle class, from their origin as a tiny middle-band of burghers and merchants to their dominance of taste and aspiration. James, a congenial and smooth writer, weaves analysis and anecdote together to show the manner in which, from the 14th century on, the band of merchants hitherto too small to constitute a grouping of any weight very rapidly acquired a degree of self-consciousness and identity which allowed them to play a determinate role in English culture. The making of towns and grammar schools, of shops and businesses, dissenting churches and domestic routines are a source of great vividness, and somewhat convincing historical analysis as far as it goes. Unfortunately it takes us only into the period of their 19th-century "triumph", at which point the author analysis is overpowered by his prejudices, and an animus towards the historical focus on the working class, "whose plight takes up an inordinate amount of space in the school curriculum". By the 20th century, it's virtually incoherent, class groupings having largely shifted from production to consumption. The result is that he finds the middle classes everywhere and nowhere, and the book becomes a characterless social history.

[Ann T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Thistle Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC.

I wanted to read this book to learn more about British Middle Class and life in general. It was informative, enjoyable to read and really interesting.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fancied this book as an insight into the history of the middle classes, I’ve been interested in social history for some time now. It’s a long read and I’m afraid I did not last the course. The first chapters were intermittently of interest, anecdotes jumping out at you. But the anecdotes are the only interesting bits, there’s no overall direction or point of the book. The author’s style is not my cup of tea and I’m none the wiser on the middle classes four chapters in. Not sure whether the author had really researched his stuff, or he wanted to portray a certain image of the middle classes. Either way it didn’t work for me.

[Asha - A Cat, A Book, And A Cup Of Tea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was fascinated to learn about the history of the middle class, and this book certainly is comprehensive. The writing style is a little dry in places, and I found it hard to stay interested for more than a chapter or so at a time, but as a whole it has everything you need to know about the emergence of the middle class. I was expecting that once the book had caught up to the present day, it might have more of a 'Watching the English' sociology sort of flavour, but sadly not. Still, I'd recommend to those with an interest in the subject.

[sam cerw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting analysis and some great stories of the middle-class down the ages. However, I felt the author run out of steam in his post-war account since the lines between the classes have blurred so much in the intervening years. I felt the narrative of the recent period didn't have much to offer apart from the usual run-of-the-mill historical account of Butskellism, fragmentation of society, christian beliefs etc. Enjoyable though.

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A massive 593 pages covering 500 years of history bringing matters up to date in 2005. This book is an education in the culture of Britain. The eternal fluxes in society. Enthralling.

[Brian Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very few books provide a comprehensive study of the middle class as this book does. In studying the working class it's essential to understand the middle class.

[LimeCream · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting subject that has been well researched here. I enjoyed this very much.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly good - should be required reading

[Viv · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very funny. I don't think that was the author'sintent however.

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's painstaking research and attention to detail is obvious in the writing of this book. There were many facts that I only discovered after reading this!