The Challenge of Democracy: Britain 1832-1918

by Hugh Cunningham

This authoritative and thought-provoking history takes a fresh view of what was a period of unprecedented and rapid change. Assuming no prior knowledge of the subject, Hugh Cunningham provides a clear narrative of political events, and an analysis of change and continuity in ideas and in economic and social structure. Britain is set firmly in the context of world power and the possession of empire. An overarching theme is the challenge presented by democracy in a period framed by the First and Fourth Reform Acts. ‘Democracy’ had no stable meaning, and its opponents were just as vocal as its advocates. The book explores its implications for the role of the state, for the governance of empire, and for the relationship between the different nations within the United Kingdom.

Genres: History

Paperback

First published October 3, 2001

Reviews

[Simon Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A BIRDS EYE VIEW OF BRITISH DEMOCRACY (1832-1918)

Hugh Cunninghams "The Challenge of Democracy" doesnt quite live up to the billing of its title. I thought it would purely concentrate on the handfull of Parliamentary Acts between 1832 and 1918 and the forces from above and below that turned Britain into a Democracy (well at any rate for all males over 21 and females over 30). Instead the reader will find a crisply written general history of Britain covering the period from the Great Reform Act of 1832 to the end of World War 1 which has a particular emphasis on Democractic developments but also covers a wide range of other matters from Empire to Industrialisation, Economic policies, the divide between Town and Country, Ireland, issues of Gender and Class which help to put the development of Democracy into context.

If you are not familiar with the period and are interested in Democratic developments then this book is as good a place to start as any I can think of. Otherwise you will probably not learn a hell of a lot more, the analysis is neither deep or profound but at least puts the issues on the table and provides a good further reading section for those who are interested in a detailed look into anything covered within. In short - if you dont know the era then this is a 5-star book, if you do then you might find you are already familiar with much of the material though I did still find it an interesting refresher on the period covered.

[Mary Mahoney]

This book is all statistics and dates, with little attention to the personality of the major players of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. It does a good job of showing how the landed aristocracy in the House of Lords in particular thought that democracy would mean theft of property from the rich by extension of the franchise. It traces various social variables carefully from 1832 to 1918. It is factual and orderly in tracing the expansion of the franchise and the idea of Great Britain over time.