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The Great British Dream Factory: The Strange History of Our National Imagination
Britain's empire has gone. Our manufacturing base is a shadow of its former self; the Royal Navy has been reduced to a skeleton. In military, diplomatic and economic terms, we no longer matter as we once did. And yet there is still one area in which we can legitimately claim superpower status: our popular culture.
It is extraordinary to think that one British writer, J. K. Rowling, has sold more than 400 million books; that Doctor Who is watched in almost every developed country in the world; that James Bond has been the central character in the longest-running film series in history; that The Lord of the Rings is the second best-selling novel ever written (behind only A Tale of Two Cities); that the Beatles are still the best-selling musical group of all time; and that only Shakespeare and the Bible have sold more books than Agatha Christie. To put it simply, no country on earth, relative to its size, has contributed more to the modern imagination.
This is a book about the success and the meaning of Britain's modern popular culture, from Bond and the Beatles to heavy metal and Coronation Street, from the Angry Young Men to Harry Potter, from Damien Hirst toThe X Factor.
It is extraordinary to think that one British writer, J. K. Rowling, has sold more than 400 million books; that Doctor Who is watched in almost every developed country in the world; that James Bond has been the central character in the longest-running film series in history; that The Lord of the Rings is the second best-selling novel ever written (behind only A Tale of Two Cities); that the Beatles are still the best-selling musical group of all time; and that only Shakespeare and the Bible have sold more books than Agatha Christie. To put it simply, no country on earth, relative to its size, has contributed more to the modern imagination.
This is a book about the success and the meaning of Britain's modern popular culture, from Bond and the Beatles to heavy metal and Coronation Street, from the Angry Young Men to Harry Potter, from Damien Hirst toThe X Factor.
656 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2015
46 people are currently reading
665 people want to read
About the author
Dominic Sandbrook
46 books562 followersAn English historian, commentator and broadcaster and author of two highly acclaimed books on modern Britain: Never Had It So Good and White Heat. Their follow-up is State of Emergency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
December 28, 2016
As a district reporter for the BBC in Lincolnshire, I was once asked to put together an obit for Bernie Taupin, Elton John’s lyricist, who grew up just outside Sleaford. I dutifully flew a Taupin expert in from the US, and spent a week driving round the Wolds and interviewing him in various country pubs like the Aston Arms in Market Rasen, the suspiciously calm birthplace of ‘Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)’. It was strange to realise that when you listen to those early albums you’re hearing about the landscape of rural Lincolnshire; it was Bernie, not Elton, who grew up on a farm and fantasised about ‘going back to my plough’.
The funny thing was that I had never thought of those songs as being very British. In a way they’re not (Taupin was always obsessed with Americana, and tended to write in a bland transatlantic patois), but this was also part of a familiar process by which it was brought home to me that cultural entities I vaguely knew about – Alfred Hitchcock, say, or Charlie Chaplin – were somehow a part of my own background or environment. I found such experiences coming back to me as I bombed through this cheerful primer on modern British culture, which ranges from the origins of heavy metal in the steel mills of the West Midlands, to the unexpected consonance between Billy Elliot and Thatcherism.
Surveys like this are necessarily selective, but the particular joy of Sandbrook’s approach is his relentless attention to populism: this is an account of what British people have actually been interested in, rather than what books like this usually give you, which is what people were supposed to have been interested in. So Elton John is pored over at the expense of contemporaries like David Bowie (dismissed as appealing mainly to ‘university-educated males’); instead of Oscar Wilde, David Lean and Salman Rushdie, we get Catherine Cookson, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Coronation Street.
That’s not to say Sandbrook considers these things to have comparable artistic merit – quite often he doesn’t (and he can be quite scathing about it. The trite moral messages of the Harry Potter books, for instance – it takes courage to stand up to your enemies, Harry, but even greater courage to stand up to your friends etc. – are described as being like ‘the kind of thing Tony Blair might once have told his party conference’). But looking at these things gives him all kinds of new avenues into the national mindset; friends and followers who enjoy seeing ‘low’ culture picked apart with the tools of ‘high’ culture should find a lot to enjoy here.
Not the least of the pleasures on offer is Sandbrook’s delight in deriding all the high-minded critics who have pooh-poohed his case studies; some of these are fairly predictable (the Daily Mail in 1956 on rock ‘n’ roll: ‘It is deplorable. It is tribal. And it is from America’), but others come as a bit of a surprise (Clancy Sigal’s conclusion in The New Statesman that ‘Coronation Street gently rapes you’).
It’s rather debatable whether he actually reaches any meaningful conclusions, beyond some fairly uncontroversial maxims about how youth culture is more conservative than everyone thinks it is, but the route taken is so unexpected that I never felt hard done by. And sometimes, as with Sandbrook’s relation of the almost unbelievably grim and upsetting childhood of Catherine Cookson, I felt I was getting something that no other book of this sort would bother to go within a hundred yards of.
Bernie Taupin, by the way, is still alive and well on his Californian ranch and my film is still languishing in the Look North archives. Though 2016 still has a few days to go yet.
The funny thing was that I had never thought of those songs as being very British. In a way they’re not (Taupin was always obsessed with Americana, and tended to write in a bland transatlantic patois), but this was also part of a familiar process by which it was brought home to me that cultural entities I vaguely knew about – Alfred Hitchcock, say, or Charlie Chaplin – were somehow a part of my own background or environment. I found such experiences coming back to me as I bombed through this cheerful primer on modern British culture, which ranges from the origins of heavy metal in the steel mills of the West Midlands, to the unexpected consonance between Billy Elliot and Thatcherism.
Surveys like this are necessarily selective, but the particular joy of Sandbrook’s approach is his relentless attention to populism: this is an account of what British people have actually been interested in, rather than what books like this usually give you, which is what people were supposed to have been interested in. So Elton John is pored over at the expense of contemporaries like David Bowie (dismissed as appealing mainly to ‘university-educated males’); instead of Oscar Wilde, David Lean and Salman Rushdie, we get Catherine Cookson, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Coronation Street.
That’s not to say Sandbrook considers these things to have comparable artistic merit – quite often he doesn’t (and he can be quite scathing about it. The trite moral messages of the Harry Potter books, for instance – it takes courage to stand up to your enemies, Harry, but even greater courage to stand up to your friends etc. – are described as being like ‘the kind of thing Tony Blair might once have told his party conference’). But looking at these things gives him all kinds of new avenues into the national mindset; friends and followers who enjoy seeing ‘low’ culture picked apart with the tools of ‘high’ culture should find a lot to enjoy here.
Not the least of the pleasures on offer is Sandbrook’s delight in deriding all the high-minded critics who have pooh-poohed his case studies; some of these are fairly predictable (the Daily Mail in 1956 on rock ‘n’ roll: ‘It is deplorable. It is tribal. And it is from America’), but others come as a bit of a surprise (Clancy Sigal’s conclusion in The New Statesman that ‘Coronation Street gently rapes you’).
It’s rather debatable whether he actually reaches any meaningful conclusions, beyond some fairly uncontroversial maxims about how youth culture is more conservative than everyone thinks it is, but the route taken is so unexpected that I never felt hard done by. And sometimes, as with Sandbrook’s relation of the almost unbelievably grim and upsetting childhood of Catherine Cookson, I felt I was getting something that no other book of this sort would bother to go within a hundred yards of.
Bernie Taupin, by the way, is still alive and well on his Californian ranch and my film is still languishing in the Look North archives. Though 2016 still has a few days to go yet.
October 11, 2015
I have always enjoyed Dominick Sandbrook’s books and was looking forward to reading this, his latest. Subtitled, “The Strange History of our National Imagination,” it is an examination of British culture. Or, as the author puts it, the shared culture of the English speaking world. Put simply, it describes the way that, after the Industrial Revolution, the country gradually stopped being a success in exporting manufactured goods, but gradually became successful in cultural exports – television, music, the arts and literature. I suspect though, that some of us in England would question whether much of what we make is produced for the American market, rather than our own, especially in terms of television drama. Obviously, though, it has always been the case that British artists have longed to be a success in the States, which is so financially lucrative – the Beatles, “I want to hold your hand,” was written with the American market in mind and drama’s such as, “Downton Abbey,” while popular in the UK were obviously set in a past that appeals to US audiences and confirms their tourist board picture of the country.
The book begins with the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics. I recall, along with the author, how media expectations were low and many were taken by surprise at the success of a ceremony which showed the country’s rural and industrial heritage, as well as nods to comedy and homages to music and literature. What is interesting is how well known so many of those featured would be recognised around the world and it is the ‘popular’ that the author centres on. So, he tends to ignore the highbrow (no Bloomsbury Set), but Catherine Cookson, James Bond and Elton John all feature highly.
As always, Sandbrook’s style is very readable. He looks at the country from ‘Workshop of the World’ to ‘Cultural Superpower’ by examining the birth of Heavy Metal –seamlessly linking Black Sabbath to the Industrial Revolution and comparing Hollywood movie moguls to the British equivalent , J. Arthur Rank; committed Methodist and the father of British cinema. Along the way, he considers why the States in particular was so attracted to certain films or television shows, so looks in depth at Rank’s assault on Hollywood with “Henry V” for example, or why “The Avengers” eventually proved so popular.
Although this book obviously cannot cover everything, this book ranges from fashion, with Mary Quant, through advertising, the strange success of British designed computer games, country houses, school stories, Charles Dickens, Dr Who, soap operas, Ealing comedies, Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, Agatha Christie, Tolkien, H.G. Wells and more… It is, though, in his examination of music that Sandbrook has caused most controversy. From punk rock to glam rock, through heavy metal and the giants of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, Sandbrook looks at the huge success of British popular music.
Of course, you cannot discuss British popular music without the Beatles and here, I will immediately say, they are my favourite group of all time and I have read literally hundreds of books about them. The Beatles kick-started the British Invasion, which led to other groups assaulting the American charts with such success and, rightly, the author gives a lot of time to both them and the Stones as the most important bands in the Sixties. Much of his time on the Stones is spent on the drugs bust at Redlands and his musings on the various country houses of each band member. However, with the Beatles there is quite a lot of Lennon bashing. Usually, it is Paul who seems to be targeted in such books, but this is a bit of a role reversal and much of what is written seems both a little churlish and fails to understand Lennon’s character.
The Beatles never said they were anything other than ambitious and all the members were open – even in early interviews – about their wish to make money. Paul happily says that he and John sat down to write a “swimming pool,” and makes no secret of their desire to be successful. Both Paul and John were ferociously ambitious and John always took the band seriously, even in the very early days – demanding commitment and ousting even good friends if he felt they were not adding anything to the band (indeed, when Paul’s father forced him into a job, a worried Lennon threatened to throw him out too, unless he gave it up and attended lunchtime sessions at the Cavern – hanging around the gates where Paul attempted to earn a wage and doing all he could to draw his chosen partner back on side). If you are a Beatles fan then you might wish to skip the section on Lennon – if not, then you have been warned that much of it is unfair and unnecessary and most of the criticisms of Lennon he would openly accept in his own lifetime.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, although much of it read as a rather indulgent exercise on self congratulation. I did not always get the sense of why so much of British popular culture has been so successful around the world, just that it was. As such, this was a rather mixed bag of tricks, but it was very readable and I learnt much – especially about the early days of British cinema – that I did not know before.
The book begins with the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics. I recall, along with the author, how media expectations were low and many were taken by surprise at the success of a ceremony which showed the country’s rural and industrial heritage, as well as nods to comedy and homages to music and literature. What is interesting is how well known so many of those featured would be recognised around the world and it is the ‘popular’ that the author centres on. So, he tends to ignore the highbrow (no Bloomsbury Set), but Catherine Cookson, James Bond and Elton John all feature highly.
As always, Sandbrook’s style is very readable. He looks at the country from ‘Workshop of the World’ to ‘Cultural Superpower’ by examining the birth of Heavy Metal –seamlessly linking Black Sabbath to the Industrial Revolution and comparing Hollywood movie moguls to the British equivalent , J. Arthur Rank; committed Methodist and the father of British cinema. Along the way, he considers why the States in particular was so attracted to certain films or television shows, so looks in depth at Rank’s assault on Hollywood with “Henry V” for example, or why “The Avengers” eventually proved so popular.
Although this book obviously cannot cover everything, this book ranges from fashion, with Mary Quant, through advertising, the strange success of British designed computer games, country houses, school stories, Charles Dickens, Dr Who, soap operas, Ealing comedies, Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, Agatha Christie, Tolkien, H.G. Wells and more… It is, though, in his examination of music that Sandbrook has caused most controversy. From punk rock to glam rock, through heavy metal and the giants of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, Sandbrook looks at the huge success of British popular music.
Of course, you cannot discuss British popular music without the Beatles and here, I will immediately say, they are my favourite group of all time and I have read literally hundreds of books about them. The Beatles kick-started the British Invasion, which led to other groups assaulting the American charts with such success and, rightly, the author gives a lot of time to both them and the Stones as the most important bands in the Sixties. Much of his time on the Stones is spent on the drugs bust at Redlands and his musings on the various country houses of each band member. However, with the Beatles there is quite a lot of Lennon bashing. Usually, it is Paul who seems to be targeted in such books, but this is a bit of a role reversal and much of what is written seems both a little churlish and fails to understand Lennon’s character.
The Beatles never said they were anything other than ambitious and all the members were open – even in early interviews – about their wish to make money. Paul happily says that he and John sat down to write a “swimming pool,” and makes no secret of their desire to be successful. Both Paul and John were ferociously ambitious and John always took the band seriously, even in the very early days – demanding commitment and ousting even good friends if he felt they were not adding anything to the band (indeed, when Paul’s father forced him into a job, a worried Lennon threatened to throw him out too, unless he gave it up and attended lunchtime sessions at the Cavern – hanging around the gates where Paul attempted to earn a wage and doing all he could to draw his chosen partner back on side). If you are a Beatles fan then you might wish to skip the section on Lennon – if not, then you have been warned that much of it is unfair and unnecessary and most of the criticisms of Lennon he would openly accept in his own lifetime.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, although much of it read as a rather indulgent exercise on self congratulation. I did not always get the sense of why so much of British popular culture has been so successful around the world, just that it was. As such, this was a rather mixed bag of tricks, but it was very readable and I learnt much – especially about the early days of British cinema – that I did not know before.
March 12, 2017
I’m not at my best right now thanks to a respiratory virus, so found this book intermittently heavy going. It’s a history of Britain’s cultural impact on the world, told through a series of case studies, including the Beatles, Catherine Cookson, and Doctor Who. Inevitably, the appeal of each is coloured both by the writer and reader’s respective opinion of them. Thus I was most interested in the chapters on Agatha Christie (having devoured most of her books when I was 12), novels about country houses (although there were no especially memorable insights there), and science fiction (well, H G Wells and John Wyndham). I had less interest in detailed analysis of Coronation Street (never watched), Tom Brown’s Schooldays (never read), and Grand Theft Auto (never played). This is not to say that I don’t care about aspects of pop culture unless they already interest me; it's interesting to examine what has significant popular impact. However, I found the analysis here rather superficial, so it wasn’t much fun to read unless something I actually cared about was under discussion. For instance, James Bond is obviously examined in some detail, without any new insights. Yes, he harks back to an Imperial Britain that no longer existed once he became popular. He's a male power fantasy on an individual and national level, that's not a groundbreaking concept.
The main thesis of the book is that Britain is mired in nostalgia, which is being commoditised by the cultural and arts sector of the economy. Our popular culture is pervaded with fear of the present and future, leading to an idealisation of the past. This theme is covered in a much more incisive and acerbic fashion by Owen Hatherley in The Ministry of Nostalgia. There is a lot of fascinating class stuff involved, which ‘The Great British Dream Factory’ only touches on anecdotally. That’s why I didn’t enjoy the book more, I think. It’s too anecdotal and all those factoids didn’t seem to add up to a huge amount for a 650 page book.
The main thesis of the book is that Britain is mired in nostalgia, which is being commoditised by the cultural and arts sector of the economy. Our popular culture is pervaded with fear of the present and future, leading to an idealisation of the past. This theme is covered in a much more incisive and acerbic fashion by Owen Hatherley in The Ministry of Nostalgia. There is a lot of fascinating class stuff involved, which ‘The Great British Dream Factory’ only touches on anecdotally. That’s why I didn’t enjoy the book more, I think. It’s too anecdotal and all those factoids didn’t seem to add up to a huge amount for a 650 page book.
November 24, 2024
Pretty amazing and thought provoking but also a bit of a curate's egg and when I read the list of Britain's popular culture triumphs:
'It is extraordinary to think that one British writer, J. K. Rowling, has sold more than 400 million books; that Doctor Who is watched in almost every developed country in the world; that James Bond has been the central character in the longest-running film series in history; that The Lord of the Rings is the second best-selling novel ever written (behind only A Tale of Two Cities); that the Beatles are still the best-selling musical group of all time; and that only Shakespeare and the Bible have sold more books than Agatha Christie.'
I can't help feeling that the concluding sentence of this paragraph:
'To put it simply, no country on earth, relative to its size, has contributed more to the modern imagination.'
rather then revealing a truth is desperate attempt, like the 'Special Relationship' to fool ourselves into thinking that Britain still has clout and while the empire is gone we are boxing above are weight and still have massive influence on the world stage.
For me it is all special pleading to avoid admitting that the UK is an irrelevant little island in the north sea with head of state whose only purpose is to bring tourists and whose culture is so moribund that without the injection of the lifeblood of its former 'commonwealth' (a polite way of obscuring that you are referring to ex-colonies once ruthlessly exploited) it wouldn't have a current literature or music scene.
This book reminded me of a scene in the splendid film 'If' by Lindsay Anderson when the headmaster is making a grandiloquent speech trying to convince his listeners that Britain and her privileged boarding schools still have a purpose and meaning. Of course they didn't and things like the franchised success of brands like Harry Potter demonstrate not the vitality of the UK's popular culture but the power of multinational corporations to reduce anything down to a lowest common denominator commodity stripped of anything unique least it not sell everywhere. James Bond whether in his current form or as represented in the past by Sean Connery and Roger Moore is so far from Ian Fleming's original that it almost amounts to false advertising.
The fact that countries like the UK, and increasingly the USA, have to keep banging on about their 'greatness' only reveals their growing weakness. Strong countries or cultures just get on with it.
'It is extraordinary to think that one British writer, J. K. Rowling, has sold more than 400 million books; that Doctor Who is watched in almost every developed country in the world; that James Bond has been the central character in the longest-running film series in history; that The Lord of the Rings is the second best-selling novel ever written (behind only A Tale of Two Cities); that the Beatles are still the best-selling musical group of all time; and that only Shakespeare and the Bible have sold more books than Agatha Christie.'
I can't help feeling that the concluding sentence of this paragraph:
'To put it simply, no country on earth, relative to its size, has contributed more to the modern imagination.'
rather then revealing a truth is desperate attempt, like the 'Special Relationship' to fool ourselves into thinking that Britain still has clout and while the empire is gone we are boxing above are weight and still have massive influence on the world stage.
For me it is all special pleading to avoid admitting that the UK is an irrelevant little island in the north sea with head of state whose only purpose is to bring tourists and whose culture is so moribund that without the injection of the lifeblood of its former 'commonwealth' (a polite way of obscuring that you are referring to ex-colonies once ruthlessly exploited) it wouldn't have a current literature or music scene.
This book reminded me of a scene in the splendid film 'If' by Lindsay Anderson when the headmaster is making a grandiloquent speech trying to convince his listeners that Britain and her privileged boarding schools still have a purpose and meaning. Of course they didn't and things like the franchised success of brands like Harry Potter demonstrate not the vitality of the UK's popular culture but the power of multinational corporations to reduce anything down to a lowest common denominator commodity stripped of anything unique least it not sell everywhere. James Bond whether in his current form or as represented in the past by Sean Connery and Roger Moore is so far from Ian Fleming's original that it almost amounts to false advertising.
The fact that countries like the UK, and increasingly the USA, have to keep banging on about their 'greatness' only reveals their growing weakness. Strong countries or cultures just get on with it.
January 14, 2024
Really enjoyed this tome. It’s a bit long, but that wasn’t a problem as it’s just so readable, like discovering a show you like has 80 episodes, rather than just 12. Sandbrook is really insightful, writes engagingly and isn’t at all snobby about popular culture, without teetering over into anti-intellectualism. Great stuff. Looking forwa4c to read more of his books.
October 4, 2016
Reading the first few pages was akind to sinking into a warm bath on a freezing night. Even if most of the time I felt Sandbrook was stating the bleeding obvivious, that it is often more most conservative popculture that is the most successful in terms of range and profit, therefore we are all more conservative then we like to think, pop culture is the ultimate testiment to the cult of personlaity and John Lennon was a bit of a dick. But I loved the writing and disagreed and wanted to debate with enough of it that I was happy to stay in the tub.
I am still not exactly sure how all four segments sit together, but I did not care. It's a bloody good book of popular culture of the last 60 years. I am not going to argue that class has all but disapeared, but, Western Society, now defines itself more on it's pop culture rather than occupiation and class. I know I define myself by the books I read and the movies that I watch more than anything else. Though Sandbrook laments the growth of the Self-Help and we are all snow flake culture (as do I) art cannot exsist without it, and I love my Hammer Horror Vincent Price collections and perfectedly themed bookcases to wish it any other way. This I think is the main theme Sandbrook keeps coming back to, the lose of community and the rise of the individual with the Beatles, Dr Who, Dickens, H.G Wells, James Bond - things now we cannot live without. There always has been Specials in a society, that used to be lucky few born into the aristocracy, now its those lucky enough get a big break. I know it is not as simple as that - the people who Sandbrook discusses were and are enormiously talented. Even Lloyd Webber and even Catherine Cookson. Like Nora Roberts I have never understood Cookson. I got a book of her's for a birthday, the main character married her rapiest!!! Wait what? Though I still don't understand the 50 shades of grey thing. At least with Webber I was obssesed with Cats, infact I think I could still sing memories 5 notes off key.
But that is the best thing about this book. Sandbrook is a fan just like everything else. He is a Paul man not a John man, loves Doctory who, puts up with Harry Potter. Which is the greatest problem with writing the history of pop culture, it will always end up personal. Even if I agreed with a lot of critisms leveled at Rowling - it made me want to read Potter again. I first read Harry Potter in my first year of University, I was living in a university dorm away from home and having a tough year. Potter was meant to be what my university experience was meant to be and I latched on like a leech. The Beatles songs on my phone tend to be more John, Help, Hide Your Love Away, Norwegin Wood. Elenor Rigby, even though I love the song, was taken off to make room for the music from Goblin. Even though I know John was self obssesed, and well a bit of a dick I am still more drawn to his music.
All this to explain, as a child of the Empire, I have always been attracted to all things British. I swear the coronation street theme was the sound track to my childhood. It was constantly on growing up. In fact last time I visited home, 7.30 sharp there it was. In fact my mother always said - I was born an hour late and she had to miss Coro. I grew up in New Zealand, yet there is a generation who related to a Northern working class neighbourhood. After all New Zealand was constructed in the old country's image. That is why I loved the book, even if I might have added in different elements, it was fun to debate with Sanbrook for awhile. In fact I look forward to doing it again.
I am still not exactly sure how all four segments sit together, but I did not care. It's a bloody good book of popular culture of the last 60 years. I am not going to argue that class has all but disapeared, but, Western Society, now defines itself more on it's pop culture rather than occupiation and class. I know I define myself by the books I read and the movies that I watch more than anything else. Though Sandbrook laments the growth of the Self-Help and we are all snow flake culture (as do I) art cannot exsist without it, and I love my Hammer Horror Vincent Price collections and perfectedly themed bookcases to wish it any other way. This I think is the main theme Sandbrook keeps coming back to, the lose of community and the rise of the individual with the Beatles, Dr Who, Dickens, H.G Wells, James Bond - things now we cannot live without. There always has been Specials in a society, that used to be lucky few born into the aristocracy, now its those lucky enough get a big break. I know it is not as simple as that - the people who Sandbrook discusses were and are enormiously talented. Even Lloyd Webber and even Catherine Cookson. Like Nora Roberts I have never understood Cookson. I got a book of her's for a birthday, the main character married her rapiest!!! Wait what? Though I still don't understand the 50 shades of grey thing. At least with Webber I was obssesed with Cats, infact I think I could still sing memories 5 notes off key.
But that is the best thing about this book. Sandbrook is a fan just like everything else. He is a Paul man not a John man, loves Doctory who, puts up with Harry Potter. Which is the greatest problem with writing the history of pop culture, it will always end up personal. Even if I agreed with a lot of critisms leveled at Rowling - it made me want to read Potter again. I first read Harry Potter in my first year of University, I was living in a university dorm away from home and having a tough year. Potter was meant to be what my university experience was meant to be and I latched on like a leech. The Beatles songs on my phone tend to be more John, Help, Hide Your Love Away, Norwegin Wood. Elenor Rigby, even though I love the song, was taken off to make room for the music from Goblin. Even though I know John was self obssesed, and well a bit of a dick I am still more drawn to his music.
All this to explain, as a child of the Empire, I have always been attracted to all things British. I swear the coronation street theme was the sound track to my childhood. It was constantly on growing up. In fact last time I visited home, 7.30 sharp there it was. In fact my mother always said - I was born an hour late and she had to miss Coro. I grew up in New Zealand, yet there is a generation who related to a Northern working class neighbourhood. After all New Zealand was constructed in the old country's image. That is why I loved the book, even if I might have added in different elements, it was fun to debate with Sanbrook for awhile. In fact I look forward to doing it again.
December 14, 2025
This is a super deceptive book.
You think to yourself, oh, a cultural history of the UK from the 1950s? Cool, I’ll read the bit about James Bond and Doctor Who then call it a day. Then, before you know it, you’re eyeballs deep in the chapter on British soap operas, trying to work out why Coronation Street didn’t stick with the original name of Florizel Street. It is a fascinating book and written in a wonderfully intoxicating jovial tone.
The only complaint I have is that you can never repeat another word of it without sounding like a boring dad. During a silence at a dinner party, I tried to recount how the birth of Heavy Metal can be attributed to Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi chopping off his fingers in an industrial accident. The GenZee’ers I was trying to entertain just stared down at their overcooked cabbage with utter indifference.
What I’m trying to say is, there isn’t much point in reading this incredible book because everyone is too busy watching slow motion videos of Sabrina Carpenter on TikTok. Hard work man.
You think to yourself, oh, a cultural history of the UK from the 1950s? Cool, I’ll read the bit about James Bond and Doctor Who then call it a day. Then, before you know it, you’re eyeballs deep in the chapter on British soap operas, trying to work out why Coronation Street didn’t stick with the original name of Florizel Street. It is a fascinating book and written in a wonderfully intoxicating jovial tone.
The only complaint I have is that you can never repeat another word of it without sounding like a boring dad. During a silence at a dinner party, I tried to recount how the birth of Heavy Metal can be attributed to Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi chopping off his fingers in an industrial accident. The GenZee’ers I was trying to entertain just stared down at their overcooked cabbage with utter indifference.
What I’m trying to say is, there isn’t much point in reading this incredible book because everyone is too busy watching slow motion videos of Sabrina Carpenter on TikTok. Hard work man.
March 27, 2018
If war is akin to revolution and if a new post-war identity was curated from the ashes, then we have some serious issues to tackle, for GB before WW2 was Great because it was a real superpower in the world, controlling the destiny of 1/3rd of the world resources, and so we have to consider what post-war Britain has managed to attain with the new identity. Becuase its only natural that a post-war Britain still has illusions of grandeur.
Dominic explains the emergence of a British identity based on its traditions and its history, the death of its working-class filled with a dream of making it big in London, its most popular books based on the same traditional formula, its sports club slowly losing its quality players & managers with the death of the working-class.
Dreams are good, critical for progress, but they are dreams in the end. With Brexit around the corner, the prospects for fulfilling the dream look very bleak to me.
Dominic explains the emergence of a British identity based on its traditions and its history, the death of its working-class filled with a dream of making it big in London, its most popular books based on the same traditional formula, its sports club slowly losing its quality players & managers with the death of the working-class.
Dreams are good, critical for progress, but they are dreams in the end. With Brexit around the corner, the prospects for fulfilling the dream look very bleak to me.
August 1, 2020
To put it simply, no country on earth, relative to its size, has contributed more to the modern imagination. There is, however, one area in which we can claim superpower status: our popular culture.
Britain has been in gradual decline since 1945. With the Empire gone along with our manufacturing base, we have compensated by engaging the energy and ingenuity that made the Victorians great to the creative arts. This is a book about the considerable success and the possible meaning of Britain's modern popular culture. From Bond and the Beatles to heavy metal and Coronation Street. From the Angry Young Men to Harry Potter, from Damien Hirst to The X Factor. We've exported them lucratively around the world.
Sandbrook has a knack of restating hardly original ideas in a way that strikes you as if you’d never heard them before. Heartily recommended.
Britain has been in gradual decline since 1945. With the Empire gone along with our manufacturing base, we have compensated by engaging the energy and ingenuity that made the Victorians great to the creative arts. This is a book about the considerable success and the possible meaning of Britain's modern popular culture. From Bond and the Beatles to heavy metal and Coronation Street. From the Angry Young Men to Harry Potter, from Damien Hirst to The X Factor. We've exported them lucratively around the world.
Sandbrook has a knack of restating hardly original ideas in a way that strikes you as if you’d never heard them before. Heartily recommended.
June 8, 2024
You can’t help but feel this is selective as your favourite stuff feels glossed over or not mentioned. Monty Python gets one mention and Douglas Adams gets no mention at all. Still, lots of information and the audible version is very well read. And John Lennon really sounds awful.
August 30, 2019
Fantastically entertaining and pithy. Highly recommended for anyone interested in British pop culture or cultural history without the jargon.
November 17, 2019
Looking forward to be reading this volume. I sure hope it is not just another idiot rambling how blue eyed writers write on average more pages than brown eyed writers and hence he is about to discover the Writer Gene with just an English major.
July 3, 2024
Very interesting history of British popular culture from the mid-19th century to the London Olympics of 2012 by social historian Dominic Sandbrook. Wide-ranging and somewhat meandering, his coverage includes Charles Dickens, HG Wells, Billy Bunter, Downton Abbey, the Rank films, Catherine Cookson, Agatha Christie, JRR Tolkien, James Bond, Coronation Street, Dr Who, The Prisoner, The Beatles, Black Sabbath, Elton John and Billy Elliott. He intersperses these in-depth analyses with briefer looks at other comparative work, also weaving in social history as context. Sandbrook attempts to show continuity between these, through their shared values or their similar origins. He argues that British popular culture was/is uniquely influential.
This is firmly about popular culture instead of high culture, and Sandbrook is a great defender of the validity of culture favoured by "the masses", arguing against critics dismissive of such popular culture.
Sometimes it comes close to wallowing in nostalgia, leaving you with a warm feeling about the popular culture with which you or your parents might have grown up. Often it seems to meander, with no tight argument, which can lead you wondering what exactly his point was. This is most telling by the lack of a clear conclusion; his final chapter covers Elton John, Billy Elliott, and the wider 1980s and 1990s, and then it just ends.
At its best though, it was really interesting to find out who was behind things and how things gestated, whether that's the creation of Dr Who by committee, or a look at the early life of Tolkien. The decisions behind Coronation Street were also fascinating, even for someone who doesn't watch the series; for instance, I was interested to read why it took so long for ethnic minorities to appear in the series. The story of Catherine Cookson, with her rise from the underclass (humble origins is a common theme, as are troubled childhoods), to become one of the most popular authors in Britain, and then to the reasons for her decline in popularity, was also interesting - again, I've never read her work.
I was also really surprised at how ghastly John Lennon seems to have been. The man behind the artist appears to have been distinctly unlikeable, according to Sandbrook: selfish, self-obsessed, materialistic, a schoolboy bully, beater of girlfriends, and apparently anti-Semitic and homophobic. And the only airport in the UK to be named after a person is named after him!
The book has left me wanting to read HG Wells, and wanting to watch The Prisoner and even Coronation Street. I was close to giving it 4 stars, but went with my categorisation of a solid read rather than notably good, mainly because of its meandering nature - it would really benefit from a conclusion!
This is firmly about popular culture instead of high culture, and Sandbrook is a great defender of the validity of culture favoured by "the masses", arguing against critics dismissive of such popular culture.
Sometimes it comes close to wallowing in nostalgia, leaving you with a warm feeling about the popular culture with which you or your parents might have grown up. Often it seems to meander, with no tight argument, which can lead you wondering what exactly his point was. This is most telling by the lack of a clear conclusion; his final chapter covers Elton John, Billy Elliott, and the wider 1980s and 1990s, and then it just ends.
At its best though, it was really interesting to find out who was behind things and how things gestated, whether that's the creation of Dr Who by committee, or a look at the early life of Tolkien. The decisions behind Coronation Street were also fascinating, even for someone who doesn't watch the series; for instance, I was interested to read why it took so long for ethnic minorities to appear in the series. The story of Catherine Cookson, with her rise from the underclass (humble origins is a common theme, as are troubled childhoods), to become one of the most popular authors in Britain, and then to the reasons for her decline in popularity, was also interesting - again, I've never read her work.
I was also really surprised at how ghastly John Lennon seems to have been. The man behind the artist appears to have been distinctly unlikeable, according to Sandbrook: selfish, self-obsessed, materialistic, a schoolboy bully, beater of girlfriends, and apparently anti-Semitic and homophobic. And the only airport in the UK to be named after a person is named after him!
The book has left me wanting to read HG Wells, and wanting to watch The Prisoner and even Coronation Street. I was close to giving it 4 stars, but went with my categorisation of a solid read rather than notably good, mainly because of its meandering nature - it would really benefit from a conclusion!
November 14, 2023
His ass-kissing tory leanings seep through a bit too much
September 5, 2017
A survey of British popular culture in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, focusing on the careers of selected cultural entrepreneurs, and the production and consumption of cultural products: television programmes, music, novels, etc. Though some of these would only be familiar to UK inhabitants (Coronation Street), Sandbrook is more interested in cultural products that the UK has managed to sell to the rest of the world as somehow emblematic of Britishness (though he's not particularly interested in the international consumers who serve to measure this success). His case studies include The Beatles (focusing on Lennon, who gets a kicking as a self-involved narcissist), Doctor Who, The Avengers, Elton John, James Bond, Andrew Lloyd-Webber, the English country house as a story setting, etc. He's better as a historian than as a critic: indeed, he seems to pride himself on having nothing much intelligent to say about these texts as texts (rather than as indices for broader social developments and ideas).
August 15, 2022
A very interesting and entertaining book full of lovely facts and lots of trivia.
It appears to be written specifically for Britton’s.
Dominic Sandbrook writes that the twenty-first-century Brittons’ greatest pleasure is contemplating their past and this book adds to that pleasure for specifically that target group.
What is missing is that famous British self deprecating attitude.
The self congratulating air around the (in part correct but exaggerated) statement that British entertainment was exported to and appreciated in every corner of the world felt uncomfortable (to a non-Britton). The fact that the incredible expansion of US entertainment and (for want of a better word) culture and the development of the English-speaking consumer was a major cause, appears somewhat overlooked.
Moreover, all the foreign influences are suspiciously barely mentioned. Mr Bean was for the most part “modelled after” (commercialy exploited) monsieur Hulot, a French creation by Jaques Tati and the overblown chauvinism of Chariots of Fire hails back to ‘Triumph de Willens’ and ‘Olympia’ by Leni Riefenstahl.
In the very interesting part on James Bond I noticed that not much attention was given to minor details such as that it is for all intents and purposes an American enterprise, that the James Bond novels took off after endorsement by a US president and that the US box offices were (and are) of paramount importance to the franchise. That last overlooked detail decided the choice for the starring roles for the most part.
The very British enthusiasm for Dr Who, to the dismay of Britons, is not shared by the rest of the world. You get the feeling the entire planet loved it! It is perhaps strange in that respect that Blake’s 7 and the reasonably successfully exported Space 1999 go unmentioned.
Strangely absent were various incredibly good and internationally appreciated bits of British entertainment such as Fawlty Towers, coupling, the Office, House of Cards, The Young Ones etc. etc.
The book is full of incredible detail and illustrates various historical, political background to various memorable elements of (exported) British culture. It is as informative as it is amusing.
It appears to be written specifically for Britton’s.
Dominic Sandbrook writes that the twenty-first-century Brittons’ greatest pleasure is contemplating their past and this book adds to that pleasure for specifically that target group.
What is missing is that famous British self deprecating attitude.
The self congratulating air around the (in part correct but exaggerated) statement that British entertainment was exported to and appreciated in every corner of the world felt uncomfortable (to a non-Britton). The fact that the incredible expansion of US entertainment and (for want of a better word) culture and the development of the English-speaking consumer was a major cause, appears somewhat overlooked.
Moreover, all the foreign influences are suspiciously barely mentioned. Mr Bean was for the most part “modelled after” (commercialy exploited) monsieur Hulot, a French creation by Jaques Tati and the overblown chauvinism of Chariots of Fire hails back to ‘Triumph de Willens’ and ‘Olympia’ by Leni Riefenstahl.
In the very interesting part on James Bond I noticed that not much attention was given to minor details such as that it is for all intents and purposes an American enterprise, that the James Bond novels took off after endorsement by a US president and that the US box offices were (and are) of paramount importance to the franchise. That last overlooked detail decided the choice for the starring roles for the most part.
The very British enthusiasm for Dr Who, to the dismay of Britons, is not shared by the rest of the world. You get the feeling the entire planet loved it! It is perhaps strange in that respect that Blake’s 7 and the reasonably successfully exported Space 1999 go unmentioned.
Strangely absent were various incredibly good and internationally appreciated bits of British entertainment such as Fawlty Towers, coupling, the Office, House of Cards, The Young Ones etc. etc.
The book is full of incredible detail and illustrates various historical, political background to various memorable elements of (exported) British culture. It is as informative as it is amusing.
December 10, 2025
On one of his podcast episodes Sandbrook mentioned how his editor for his British history books had said he was having his cake and eating it, pointing out that cultural touchstones are not representative of the population's general interest, but covering them anyway. That felt particularly pertinent to this book, and the proverbial scoffing got in the way a touch too much for me, which was a shame as this was otherwise readable and interesting.
This was a thematic look at British pop culture, from novels to film and even fine art at one point, primarily driven by popularity rather than taste, with the notable exception of The Prisoner. In his modern history books the admiration of Thatcher and distaste of Tony Benn are apparent, in this one his tastes are made more explicitly clear, with particular ire reserved for John Lennon and Virginia Woolf. It felt a bit too editorialised, for a book whose length suggests this was meant to be a fairly authoratitive guide.
That said, the book flows well and includes the right amount of the creator's own words with those of the critics. The thoughts behind each work, the way they were received, and their popularity is generally made clear to give a portrait of many cultural trends, but that puts the need for the author's own judgement into question. Does it matter what Sandbrook thinks of Doctor Who or the content of Catherine Cookson books, when more respected critics are quoted? It felt unnecessary, and the scope of the book was so broad that it was meant to be a history, not his history.
Another interesting aspect was the cultural context of the works, in particular the school novel and its misleading impression of what boarding school was like to the state educated. Tolkein's reaction to urbanisation is well-documented but the same treatment was given to the other works, alongside analysis of class in relation to the quick success of 60s rock groups. Tony Iommi's description of Aston should also be a cautionary tale for those who idealise the manufacturing base and full employment of the same decade.
Some of the content has been repurposed into his podcasts but as with his other books this felt like leisure rather than homework to read, while giving useful insights across a range of sources. If Sandbrook had kept to those sources rather than inserting his own opinions a bit too hamfistedly it would have been even better.
This was a thematic look at British pop culture, from novels to film and even fine art at one point, primarily driven by popularity rather than taste, with the notable exception of The Prisoner. In his modern history books the admiration of Thatcher and distaste of Tony Benn are apparent, in this one his tastes are made more explicitly clear, with particular ire reserved for John Lennon and Virginia Woolf. It felt a bit too editorialised, for a book whose length suggests this was meant to be a fairly authoratitive guide.
That said, the book flows well and includes the right amount of the creator's own words with those of the critics. The thoughts behind each work, the way they were received, and their popularity is generally made clear to give a portrait of many cultural trends, but that puts the need for the author's own judgement into question. Does it matter what Sandbrook thinks of Doctor Who or the content of Catherine Cookson books, when more respected critics are quoted? It felt unnecessary, and the scope of the book was so broad that it was meant to be a history, not his history.
Another interesting aspect was the cultural context of the works, in particular the school novel and its misleading impression of what boarding school was like to the state educated. Tolkein's reaction to urbanisation is well-documented but the same treatment was given to the other works, alongside analysis of class in relation to the quick success of 60s rock groups. Tony Iommi's description of Aston should also be a cautionary tale for those who idealise the manufacturing base and full employment of the same decade.
Some of the content has been repurposed into his podcasts but as with his other books this felt like leisure rather than homework to read, while giving useful insights across a range of sources. If Sandbrook had kept to those sources rather than inserting his own opinions a bit too hamfistedly it would have been even better.
Read
May 8, 2024To give you some sense of the bulk, breadth, and variety of subjects in this book; it starts with Black Sabbath, Charles Dickens, J Arthur Rank, and Catherine Cookson, and the Victorian industrial giant that was Birmingham … and 500 pages later arrives at; Andrew Lloyd Webber, Margaret Thatcher, Elton John, Billy Elliot, Easington Colliery and the 1980’s miner’s strike. The somewhat tenuous set of links provide a fascinating personal almanac - if admittedly not a ‘definitive narrative history’ - of modern British culture. I’m trying to avoid lists of authors, artists, entrepreneurs and their works and influences, but it’s hard. To his credit Sandbrook has created a very readable book, but more as an almanac of stories rather than a single coherent thread. He cleverly provides signposts from post-colonial and post-industrial Britain, but also the impact of the world wars, and larger (socio-)political movements in which the ‘creatives’ operated.
Some of the obvious candidates are here; Harry Potter, the Beatles, James Bond, Dr. Who, and Coronation Street (oops a list!) but also mini essays on ours, and the world’s, obsessions with Edwardian Country Houses and Public Schools, and the early evolution of Science Fiction, Self-Help and teen-agers. There are many many more little gems and big ideas that I would hope to retain, but fear that there is just too much detail to fully absorb and summarise. You will have to take my word for it, fascinating stuff!
Some of the obvious candidates are here; Harry Potter, the Beatles, James Bond, Dr. Who, and Coronation Street (oops a list!) but also mini essays on ours, and the world’s, obsessions with Edwardian Country Houses and Public Schools, and the early evolution of Science Fiction, Self-Help and teen-agers. There are many many more little gems and big ideas that I would hope to retain, but fear that there is just too much detail to fully absorb and summarise. You will have to take my word for it, fascinating stuff!
November 29, 2019
This is a stand-alone book and not one of his sequence of history books covering Britain from Suez to Thatcher.
I like Sandbrook, he’s a historian that writes with wit, insight and verve. Interested in popular culture as much as politics (albeit from a centre-right perspective).
This book is a cultural history of post war Britain (although dipping as far back as the Victorians) and covers not only the usual suspects (eg The Beatles) but a host of more surprising subjects (none more so than Black Sabbath) - it’s not just music, we take in TV (Doctor Who, The Avengers, The Prisoner) Books (Catherine Cookson & the Angry Young Men boom of the 50s) Films (James Bond & the Ealing Comedies) but he touches on dozens more topics to try and get to the essence of what our culture tells us about Britishness.
Sometimes it feels as if he’s crowbarring all his knowledge into the pages at the expense of a coherent theme (there isn’t one really) and the book peters out. He also gives John Lennon an only partially deserved kicking. After all is said and done he’s the most entertaining historian of the period I’m most interested in.
I like Sandbrook, he’s a historian that writes with wit, insight and verve. Interested in popular culture as much as politics (albeit from a centre-right perspective).
This book is a cultural history of post war Britain (although dipping as far back as the Victorians) and covers not only the usual suspects (eg The Beatles) but a host of more surprising subjects (none more so than Black Sabbath) - it’s not just music, we take in TV (Doctor Who, The Avengers, The Prisoner) Books (Catherine Cookson & the Angry Young Men boom of the 50s) Films (James Bond & the Ealing Comedies) but he touches on dozens more topics to try and get to the essence of what our culture tells us about Britishness.
Sometimes it feels as if he’s crowbarring all his knowledge into the pages at the expense of a coherent theme (there isn’t one really) and the book peters out. He also gives John Lennon an only partially deserved kicking. After all is said and done he’s the most entertaining historian of the period I’m most interested in.
November 28, 2023
This is a massive subject to cover in one book, even one of Dominic Sandbrook's usual length, so it's not surprising that it can't cover everything. Instead it concentrates on an overview of each topic (eg chart music, film, theatre, literature) and places them in the context of the time, choosing to concentrate on just a few major names to illustrate points. It means you wont learn absolutely everything about the topic but you will certainly learn something. I really enjoyed this - it helps that a lot of the names and subjects were familiar and of interest to me anyway - as I always find Sandbrook's style to be hugely readable. It's very conversational and the amount of research that must go into it sometimes gets forgotten by that fact. I've read his books on the 70s and 80s in Britain (next up, the 60s) and they tend to lean mostly towards politics and society, which has always left me wanting more about the culture of the time so this fills that gap nicely. Another hugely enjoyable read.
March 20, 2017
I have been reading this book on and off since Christmas. I cannot pretend I read every word as I concentrated on those sections that were of particular interest to me. And there were plenty. I knew nothing about Tony Iommi and how he created heavy metal with Black Sabbath. The piece on J Arthur Rank (amazingly from Hull) was good, and the fact that 1946 was the only year the UK did better box office at the cinema than the USA.
Then there was Chris Blackwell, forming Island Records at 21, and sections on Tom Brown's Schooldays, Billy Bunter, Jennings and Biggles, all from my childhood. Also Harry Potter, James Bond, Coronation Street and a great pieces on Catherine Cookson and Agatha Christie. The bits on science fiction were interesting, I always loved the start of "The Day of the Triffids" when a man walks alone from his hospital bed, and H G Wells "War of the Worlds". I always regret not being allowed to watch "Quatermass" on TV when I was eight years old.
And lastly I loved the sections on "The Prisoner", Elton John, Andrew Lloyd Webber and finally Billy Elliott. The writer of the film Lee Hall never expected to write the musical alongside his idol Elton John.
Then there was Chris Blackwell, forming Island Records at 21, and sections on Tom Brown's Schooldays, Billy Bunter, Jennings and Biggles, all from my childhood. Also Harry Potter, James Bond, Coronation Street and a great pieces on Catherine Cookson and Agatha Christie. The bits on science fiction were interesting, I always loved the start of "The Day of the Triffids" when a man walks alone from his hospital bed, and H G Wells "War of the Worlds". I always regret not being allowed to watch "Quatermass" on TV when I was eight years old.
And lastly I loved the sections on "The Prisoner", Elton John, Andrew Lloyd Webber and finally Billy Elliott. The writer of the film Lee Hall never expected to write the musical alongside his idol Elton John.
May 19, 2018
Toilet reading at best.
This is one to dip in to. There is no coherent structure that holds these "essays" together. You will find yourself skimming huge chunks of banal commentary on the subjective opinions of Sandbrook's muddled mind. His complete all out mission to discredit John Lennon is pitiful and anecdotal at best. Footnotes here are nothing more than scribbles on Sandbrook's actual feet. Why he has such a huge chip on his shoulder regarding John Lennon makes no sense. In fact there isn't just a chip on his shoulder, there's a whole fish and chip dinner residing there. He is being contrarian for the sake of attention, this is at best a gimmick and a poor one. In the light of this I must reassess his previous books that I've read. The man has lost his mojo. Bottom line, keep it in the bathroom- also handy if you run out of toilet paper
This is one to dip in to. There is no coherent structure that holds these "essays" together. You will find yourself skimming huge chunks of banal commentary on the subjective opinions of Sandbrook's muddled mind. His complete all out mission to discredit John Lennon is pitiful and anecdotal at best. Footnotes here are nothing more than scribbles on Sandbrook's actual feet. Why he has such a huge chip on his shoulder regarding John Lennon makes no sense. In fact there isn't just a chip on his shoulder, there's a whole fish and chip dinner residing there. He is being contrarian for the sake of attention, this is at best a gimmick and a poor one. In the light of this I must reassess his previous books that I've read. The man has lost his mojo. Bottom line, keep it in the bathroom- also handy if you run out of toilet paper
January 2, 2024
(4.3) Really quite enjoyed this exploration of British cultural achievement since the decline of Empire and manufacturing.
Sandbrook deals with well known (at least to me) cultural figures and works such as The Beatles, Elton John, Agatha Christie, Dickens, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Doctor Who and James Bond among many others and shows how they are a product of their cultural moment and also argues why they have been so incredibly popular.
There were many other figures and works that I didn’t know much about like Coronation Street, Billy Elliot, Catherine Cookson and Day of the Triffids which were fascinating to learn about. Altogether it’s a humorous and interesting read and insight into our country’s history. As someone who grew up in the 90s and 00s, I found it very clarifying on what was culturally distinctive about the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
Sandbrook deals with well known (at least to me) cultural figures and works such as The Beatles, Elton John, Agatha Christie, Dickens, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Doctor Who and James Bond among many others and shows how they are a product of their cultural moment and also argues why they have been so incredibly popular.
There were many other figures and works that I didn’t know much about like Coronation Street, Billy Elliot, Catherine Cookson and Day of the Triffids which were fascinating to learn about. Altogether it’s a humorous and interesting read and insight into our country’s history. As someone who grew up in the 90s and 00s, I found it very clarifying on what was culturally distinctive about the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
May 23, 2021
This book, which takes a look at the cultural impact and legacy of several British creations, from Dr. Who to the Beatles, is occasionally very good.
Unfortunately it's more frequently infuriating. It took me almost two years to finish as I put it down about half way through.
Sandbrook talks frequently of sneering criticism but frequently lets his own bias shine through, distracting from otherwise interesting analysis of his subjects.
As a result this book often reads like an extended article in the telegraph or daily mail (for whom the author also writes, I discovered in the post-text). Well researched but biased and inflammatory.
Furthermore, in a post Brexit world the idea of British exceptionalism, even in culture, seems less worthy of analysis.
A shame.
Unfortunately it's more frequently infuriating. It took me almost two years to finish as I put it down about half way through.
Sandbrook talks frequently of sneering criticism but frequently lets his own bias shine through, distracting from otherwise interesting analysis of his subjects.
As a result this book often reads like an extended article in the telegraph or daily mail (for whom the author also writes, I discovered in the post-text). Well researched but biased and inflammatory.
Furthermore, in a post Brexit world the idea of British exceptionalism, even in culture, seems less worthy of analysis.
A shame.
November 10, 2022
It is impossible to capture everything in a survey like this, and the groupings of the various subjects are well-chosen, though there is, say, more on boarding school literature than there is punk. It is a certain kind of history, focusing on the 'popular' big hits rather than some of the more confrontational elements of popular culture (again, punk - though I would go to other texts for a thesis on punk itself). I would have loved a final conclusion to tie the strands together. There are some contentious opinions - which are, of course, inherent to anything you'd care to write on popular culture - but I enjoyed this survey (even if I disagree with some assessments of the cultural artefacts themselves!). It took a long time to read, but was worth the journey.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2023
A very good book, but very long, too long, to the point where even though I did on the whole enjoy it, I began to tune out closer to the end.
A cracking journey through the history of Britain’s national imagination. Interesting that so many of the more repulsive (and narcissistic, even) figures like John Lennon remain well known, while more decent, self-sacrificing and moral ones are virtually unknown.
I enjoyed reading of a time when books like Tom Brown’s School Days, even though they are now quite cringe, were designed, without shame, to inculcate decent values. It is amusing that Harry Potter is a modern day version of this: defeat the bullies, protect the nerds, conduct yourself with honour. Just with magic.
Good read. But too long.
A cracking journey through the history of Britain’s national imagination. Interesting that so many of the more repulsive (and narcissistic, even) figures like John Lennon remain well known, while more decent, self-sacrificing and moral ones are virtually unknown.
I enjoyed reading of a time when books like Tom Brown’s School Days, even though they are now quite cringe, were designed, without shame, to inculcate decent values. It is amusing that Harry Potter is a modern day version of this: defeat the bullies, protect the nerds, conduct yourself with honour. Just with magic.
Good read. But too long.
January 2, 2023
In a way, this reminds me of some of Bill Bryson's later books, overly crammed with information because the author can't bear to leave a single fascinating titbit out. As a result, despite being constantly interesting, the whole thing started to become a bit of a chore to read - I felt like I was full of facts and stuffed with statistics, to the detriment of the overall theme of the book. Britain has produced a wide variety of popular culture that has had a huge impact worldwide, and perhaps only a book this dense could do it justice. Nevertheless, well worth reading and I am pleased I persevered.
April 10, 2025
I am torn here. I did enjoy this book - in some parts very much indeed. And I am broadly convinced of the argument that the U.K. punches above its weight in cultural terms. But it feels a bit like the author chooses to illustrate this argument through the bits of popular culture that he is familiar (and in some cases is a fan of) with rather than what might actually be relevant. I wouldn’t argue with Jk Rowling and the Beatles/Elton John….but would say that Dr Who and Catherine Cookson have less long lived global impact. Having said all that, I do absolutely love his writing style and the funny way he can deal with detailed subject. Not as good as some of his others, but still fun.
December 12, 2017
For me it was en eye opener of a book - Mr. Sandbrook's explanations and sometimes revelations put many things, ideas and persons in perspective. I can't say that I know the secret of the huge success of British culture in general but after I put down the book I had a much better understanding. Despite its length this is a very entertaining and very clever book that doesn't shout on every page 'I'm right' instead makes its case slowly and convincingly. Highly recommended work for scholars and casual readers alike.
February 28, 2019
Interesting but I didn't ever really get going with it, so another speculative book purchase bites the dust.
Though obviously worthy of a read, I've been brutal in a book clear out and decluttered it. It didn't speak to me like other books and certainly didn't 'spark joy's as Ms. Kondo would say.
So, off to the local Oxfam Bookshop for recycling with a few others! Other books are talking to me and I've been listening, casting a tin ear in this direction for the moment. There you have it, dear readers!
Though obviously worthy of a read, I've been brutal in a book clear out and decluttered it. It didn't speak to me like other books and certainly didn't 'spark joy's as Ms. Kondo would say.
So, off to the local Oxfam Bookshop for recycling with a few others! Other books are talking to me and I've been listening, casting a tin ear in this direction for the moment. There you have it, dear readers!
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