Our History of the 20th Century: As Told in Diaries, Journals and Letters

by Travis Elborough

What better way to understand Britain during the twentieth century than through the eyes of those who experienced it at first hand? Travis Elborough's compilation offers brilliantly candid and intimate insights not only into the headline-grabbing events but also the domestic and personal moments of those who lived through it. The book draws on over one hundred diarists. They include the great and the good - from Beatrice Webb to Tony Benn, from A. C. Benson to Alan Bennett, from Virginia Ironside to Hanif Kureishi - as well as many less-well-known individuals such as Gladys Langford and Kathleen Tipper, whose writings for the Mass Observation Project offer brilliant glimpses into what the man or woman on the street really made of the stuff of history at the time. From the Easter Rising to the arrival of email, from the Boer War to New Labour, here are responses to the death of Princess Diana, the resignation of Margaret Thatcher, the Moon landing, the Beatles and much more. Guardian Best Books of 2017, selected by David Kynaston

Praise for Travis 'One of Britain's finest pop culture historians.'
Guardian 'Elborough is an English nostalgist in the mode of John Betjeman . as a cultural commentator he is a terrific companion.'
Sunday Times 'Travis Elborough is becoming a latter-day Alan Bennett.'
Spectator 'Elborough has the passion of a true enthusiast.'
Mail on Sunday 'Elborough is a charming, funny and frequently fascinating guide.'
Telegraph

Genres: Nonfiction

562 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 28, 2017

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really pleasant way to learn some British and European history, of which I know nearly none. Borrowed from Four Seasons Sensei’s library. Honeymoon Book #6

[Ronnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book is so exciting - a front row seat for the 20th century, the real, day by day unfolding and confusion of events we now see through a fog of myth and nostalgia. But it didn't really deliver, perhaps because Elborough chose to include entires that mentioned incidents and facts, so as to fit in as many historical happenings as he could, rather than focussing on fewer events, but giving us a wider cross-section of reactions to them, with a little more exploration of the emotional and psychological impact they had on people from different walks of life. It's a big ask to deliver something like that, but wouldn't it be more worthwhile? A chronology does for getting a picture of the occurrences of the century; a collection of diaries and letters might be better used going deeper into each episode.

Another thing which would have been helpful is a little more detail about each diarist, e.g where they're from, their occupation and age. In that way, their views would have been succinctly contextualised, assisting us in understanding their reactions.

It is an interesting read, with one or two surprising, funny and illuminating moments, but the view of events it provides is, overall, superficial.

[John M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, I admit that I didn't read the whole book but bear with me. I have an excuse; it wasn't worth the effort as the diaries (etc) selected by Elborough were from a fairly narrow choice and therefore became somewhat repetitive of tone and point of view. This is not a wide-ranging view of events of the century and, to my mind anyway, is too Euro-and America-centric. This skews what could have been a good opportunity for readers to get insights into events other than the usual WW1 and WW2, and so on, that we are more than used to. That said, there are some good bits - events affecting women get a bit more of an airing than the average historian would give them. But not enough voices of the young, the poor or the workers - in other words, status quo and a missed opportunity.

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really interesting for about two-thirds of the book but tapered off for the last part. Some interesting excerpts (which if nothing else show us that history is cyclical; English people in the 1920s complaining about immigrants and being racist.) It would've been nice to have a brief explanation at the end as to who some of the diarists were as I can't be the only one unfamiliar with many of those that weren't notably famous.

3.5 stars.

[Andrew Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent selection from across the century. Understandably the wealthy get disproportionate entries at first, but over time the representation becomes more diverse. It's fascinating to read the intersection between some everyday experiences and momentous social and political events, and to do so through the eyes of witnesses who are sometimes serious, sometimes funny, but often perceptive.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite its size, this worked well as a 'toilet book'; an entry or three at a time and was an entertaining mix of known and unknown viewpoints on a variety of topics which amused and provoked thought or memories. Some entries proved remarkably prophetic, others a dispiriting indication nothing changes.