The Thirties: An Intimate History

by Juliet Gardiner

Acclaimed author of 'Wartime', Juliet Gardiner, brings to life the long-neglected decade of the twentieth century -- the 1930s. J.B. Priestley famously described the 'three Englands' he saw in the 1930s: Old England, nineteenth-century industrial England and the new, post-war England. Thirties Britain was a land of contrasts, at once a nation rendered hopeless by the global Depression, unemployment and international tensions, yet also a place of complacent suburban home-owners with a Baby Austin in every garage. Now Juliet Gardiner, acclaimed author of the award-winning Wartime, provides a fresh perspective on that restless, uncertain, ambitious decade, bringing the complex experience of thirties Britain alive through newspapers, magazines, memoirs, letters and diaries. Gardiner captures the essence of a people part-mesmerised by 'modernism' in architecture, art and the proliferation of 'dream palaces', by the cult of fitness and fresh air, the obsession with speed, the growth and regimentation of leisure, the democratisation of the countryside, the celebration of elegance, glamour and sensation. Yet, at the same time, this was a nation imbued with a pervasive awareness of loss -- of Britain's influence in the world, of accepted political, social and cultural signposts, and finally of peace itself.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, British Literature

944 pages, Hardcover

First published May 28, 2009

Reviews

[Gareth Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite its subtitle, 'An Intimate History', this book can feel very superficial at times. Juliet Gardener, covers so much ground that there is little depth and substance to some of the work. As a fan of Douglas Kynaston's overviews of the 1940s and 1950s, I was a little disappointed as he seems to generate more depth and insight and is much better at segueing from one topic to another. Nevertheless for a reader who is interested in British social history of the period, this book is fascinating. The short chapters covering, for example the R101 and the depopulation of St Kilda are especially good. Overall, good for the patient reader, but not a task to be undertaken if you are not committed to the topic.

[Geraldine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book in a way that is rare in history books. It was almost as if the writer wrote it with me specifically in mind. I am not a historian by any mans, although I do have an A-Level in history and a degree in Politics, so I suppose that makes me different from the 'average' reader of popular history - me and tens of thousands similarly part-educated! I am not an intellectual but I am a voracious reader of history books. And I'm in love with the InterWar period.

The long opening to this book was a very good narrative with lots of localised details about the impact of the Depression, especially in mining and Victorian Industrial areas. The long ending is about the long build up to war, through the Munich crisis and into the start of The Phoney War.

In between is a smorgasbord of tales and details of events and life in the 1930s. Big Royal Events - died, abdicated, got crowned; events such as the burning of the Crystal Palace. But also a survey of so many aspects of everyday life.

I was impressed that she name-checked two people I met in my early activist days (as their lifetime of activism was drawing to a close) , in the chapters about Kinder Scout and the Spanish Civil War. she also covered subjects such as housing developments, both the growth of 'Metroland' and the Golden Age of council housing. Pubs and cinemas, football and cricket, seaside holidays (serendipitously I read that chapter on the beach in a mini-heatwave).

It's a long book, and I can sympathise, though not necessarily agree with reviewers who call it both too detailed and superficial. But I loved it!

If I were to nit pick I would argue that some of the sentences were overlong, and contained many clauses of background and explanation (a bit like my mother giving the life story of someone she bumped into at the shops whose daughter has remarried, or something), but, to be honest, that really conveyed her contagious enthusiasm.

[Heather O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book I read for research. Will come back to this as needed. As usual, Juliet Gardner gives the sort of detail that is hard to come-by from other sources. Great reference book. Highly recommend.

[Andrew-Mario Hart-Grana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. A long and detailed description of a decade, from Britain's point-of-view. Far from the traditional image of the 1930s as a period of unemployment and poverty-stricken towns and cities, Juliet Gardiner's account of this decade explores other less habitual venues, from construction trends, to enterntainment, without forgetting any political and social details. Would totally recommend it to someone interested in knowing more about this period in history.

[Sifa Poulton]

I am done! Apparently it has taken me three months to finish this book, which isn't my worst record for non-fiction (that "honour" goes to ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND) but it's still not great. The reason this book was so hard to read is basically the same as it was for ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND; it's not narrative non-fiction.

THE THIRTIES is not telling a(n obvious) story, it's not charting someone's life, not following chronologically through the years. This means it lacks obvious progression. I spent pretty much the entire book going "OK, so how is this related at all to the previous chapter?" and often wondering how I got from one topic to another within a chapter. That lack of continuity really broke up the flow and made it hard to follow.

It does have a logic to it - it's following themes (much of which is economics) but that doesn't make for an engaging read. There isn't a story to sink your teeth in and follow, no people who are constantly there or parties, nothing to invest in to find out what happens next.

There are a lot of names. An awful lot constantly barraging you - and then probably never coming back. It makes for a lot to take in and I struggled to recall what was happening even a paragraph later after getting twenty plus names in the (very long) paragraph. It was too much to follow and digest, and mostly didn't really add to the overall "what was happening and what did it mean" narrative.

Well, it's over - so let's hope the next non-fiction book is more enjoyable.

[Classic · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting deep dive into "The Thirties", with various aspects of society explored with the "cinematic sense of detail" (a quote from a Times quote on the back of the book which I believe sums up the book well) being absolutely incredible and a joy to read.
It took me a very long while to read but then again it is one of the longer books I have read.

I also enjoyed the epigraphs as it was a nice introduction to the chapters and introduced me to some interesting writers. For instance, I found "Night Mail" by WH Auden in one of the epigraphs and it is starting to become one of my more favourite poems of all time.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 1930s is a fascinating, at times scary, and very important time in world history.

The good and the bad of this book: if you want to take an in-depth look at the decade in Britain, definitely read this book. But be ready for a slog. At times I felt as if I were living the decade minute-by-minute. Page upon page on every popular movie, every popular actor/actress and several pages on gas-mask fitting just before the beginning of World War II.

The book definitely needs a dramatic and brutal editor to cut out the detail. For it is very well-researched and at times fascinating. But at over 700 pages, wow.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's taken a while, but this absolute beast of a book was well worth the time. Picked up on a whim from a used book shop, I thought, ooo the thirties is when Disney was first becoming huge! And while there are a couple of lines about Disney, Gardiner weaves it into an epic history that encompasses so much, including cinema, cars, sport, fashion, architecture, flight, TV, politics, the abdication crisis, unemployment, holidays, race relations, queer history, and the road to war... It all adds up to a stunningly readable, accessible and wide ranging picture of 1930s Britain.

[Les Dangerfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mostly a social history of Britain in the 1930s. Some fascinating chapters on housing and interior decor, evolving holidaying habits, cinema and theatre - against a gloomy background of economic recession, royal abdicaation and the gathering storm of war.

[Andy Papworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very rich in detail so ideal for skimming and deep diving into areas of specific interest.

Lots to learn , particularly about how everyday people in Britain were prepared for the onset of the 2nd World War in the months leading up to 3rd September 1939.

[Phoebe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enormous amounts of material poured onto the page but with no analysis. Really needed an edit.

[Peter Timson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent, if long book. It's divided in convenient sections however and one can dip in and out.

It describes the period when my parents were young and thus has an added interest perhaps.

[Ipswichblade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very hefty tome but also very good

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic survey of a controversial decade in British history. A longtime historian and writer, Juliet Gardiner provides a readable and informative overview of the 1930s, using specific events to open up a broader examination that takes in the politics, society, and culture of the times. In doing so, she presents the traditional interpretation of a working-class population suffering through the Depression, while at the same time illustrating the gains being made by a growing middle-class consumer society. Combining both provides for a remarkably holistic view of the times, one that both entertains with anecdotes while informing with an impressive amount of detail. For anyone seeking to learn more about the 1930s in British history, this is an excellent place to begin.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this detailed look at the pivotal decade, the 1930s, in Britain. Close enough to be within the living memory of some, but far enough away to be another age, the events of the 1930s shaped the modern world. I thought that the author did especially well in showing the poverty and the hopelessness in the early parts of the decade. There were a lot of events in the book which I was unaware of, like how the new housing estates developed, and the details of the means tests. A good read for anyone interested in 20th century social history.

[Kay Kenyon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is more of a research document than an accessible history. I like it for its exhaustive detail, providing a close up view that most sources can't match. But it did not seem able to winnow out the trivial detail and endless examples from the few that might enlighten without wearying. It's like a reference manual that begs for a search mechanism. Even so, this scholarly book will be a keeper on my bookshelf.

[LOL_BOOKS]

IF YOU LOVE THE INTERWAR YEARS, I RECOMMEND CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD'S CHRISTOPHER AND HIS KIND, RICHARD OVERY'S THE MORBID AGE, JULIET GARDINER'S THE THIRTIES, ROBERT GRAVES'S THE LONG WEEKEND, THE SISTERS BY MARY S. LOVELL, AFTER THE VICTORIANS BY A. N. WILSON, AND VIRGINIA NICHOLSON'S AMONG THE BOHEMIANS. IT'S ACTUALLY MY PERIOD OF RESEARCH IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR MORE SPECIFIC OR ACADEMIC RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE INTERWAR PERIOD.

[Chantelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

The editing on this book has been so poor that I have struggled to pick it up again. I don't know if I will ever finish it. The information it provides is interesting, and there are many fascinating vignettes illustrating what life was like in this decade, but the lack of organization and flow in the book makes it very nearly unreadable.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely intimate ie very detailed, I found it hard going the first time 9 years ago, but easier the second. It's such a complex decade with an impending sense of doom. The last chapter just leaves you immensely sad about inexorable journey to war.

[Michael Sterckx · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic study of a very important decade and filled with first hand accounts from people who lived through it. Her clever way of painting in the cultural background means you can almost smell a long dead version of Britain.

[Phil Butcher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed by this book. Some chapters were excellent and gripping, others pedestrian and over-detailed. I don't feel like I've come away with a grasp of what was happening in the political events of the decade.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

a VERY thorough work (do NOT look at the date when i started it). it's absolutely fantastic, but maybe only worth getting into if you're already interested in this decade (...but why wouldn't you be?)

[Patrick Samphire]

Rather strangely, goodreads has completely the wrong title for this book. It's actually called The Thirties: An Intimate History. But, whatever.

[Anshee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, very detailed portrait of Britain during "scening ride to catastrophe".

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most interesting read, covering all aspects of life in Britain in the 30s.