A History of the British Labour Party

British Studies Series

by Andrew Thorpe

After 13 years in power, Labour suddenly returned to being the party of opposition in 2010. This new edition of A History of the British Labour Party brings us up-to-date, examining Gordon Brown's period in office and the Labour Party under the leadership of Ed Miliband. Andrew Thorpe's study has been the leading single-volume text on the Labour Party since its first edition in 1997 and has now been thoroughly revised throughout to include new approaches.

This new
- Covers the entirety of the party's history, from 1900 to 2014.
- Examines the reasons for the party's formation, and its aims.
- Analyses the party's successes and failures, including its rise to second party status and remarkable recovery from its problems in the 1980s.
- Discusses the main events and personalities of the Labour Party, such as MacDonald, Attlee, Wilson, Blair and Brown.

With his approachable style and authoritative manner, Thorpe has created essential reading for students of political history, and anyone wishing to familiarise themselves with the history and development of one of Britain's major political parties.

Genres: History, Politics, British Literature, Nonfiction

424 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1997

About the author

Andrew Thorpe, FRHistS, is Professor of Modern History and Pro Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of the College of Humanities at the University of Exeter.

Reviews

[charlotte, · Rating 1 out of 5]

just so incredibly dry that i can't even say it was okay. maybe if i'd been able to stay awake even the slightest bit this would have been 2 stars but. alas. anyway, interesting to note the drift rightwards of labour is not a new phenomenon.

[Jason Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of my pre election project to read the histories of the main three parties ; two down one to go. Again illuminating and changed some of my perceptions about which eras were and weren't a success .

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic overview of Labour history, perfect for beginners or seasoned historians, as it's extremely readable but very well researched and sourced (and quite fair on every leader thus far). I would love to read a future edition covering 2015-2019, too.

[Lord Bathcanoe of Snark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of a time when the Labour Party was actually relevant, with figures of real political stature.
So different to the present day confederation of pious political dunces like Calamity Lammy and Starmer the farmer harmer.
Dennis Healey would turn over in his grave.