A Companion to Contemporary Britain covers the key themes and debates of twentieth-century history from the outbreak of the Second World War to the end of the century. Comprising 30 essays written by leading international scholars, it provides readers with a single-volume reference to the varied perspectives dominating historical writing on this period.

The volume opens with an assessment of the impact of war, before moving on to examine Britain's continuing role in the wider world, particularly the legacy of Empire, Britain's "special relationship" with the United States, and integration with continental Europe. Domestic politics, the economy, society, and popular culture are also covered, including such topics as class consciousness, immigration and race relations, changing gender roles, and the impact of the mass media.

Where essays include discussion of the last years of the century, they often present the first assessment of recent developments from a self-consciously historical perspective.

Paul Addison is Director of the Centre for WWII Studies at the University of Edinburgh. His books include The Road to 1945: British Politics and the Second World War (1975) and Churchill on the Home Front 1900-1955 (1992).

Harriet Jones is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London.

List of Figures x

List of Tables xi

Notes on Contributors xiii

Introduction 1

1 The Impact of the Second World War 3
Paul Addison

2 The Impact of the Cold War 23
Harriet Jones

3 Population and the Family 42
Pat Thane

4 Cities, Suburbs, Countryside 59
Mark Clapson

5 Class 76
Arthur Marwick

6 Immigration and Racism 93
Wendy Webster

7 Sport and Recreation 110
Richard Holt

8 Youth Culture 127
Bill Osgerby

9 Sexuality 145
Lesley A. Hall

10 Economic 'Decline' in Post-War Britain 164
Jim Tomlinson

11 The Transformation of the Economy 180
Hugh Pemberton

12 The Geography of Economic Change 203
P. W. Daniels

13 Living Standards and Consumption 226
Ina Zweiniger-Bargielowska

14 Gender: Change and Continuity 245
Dolly Smith Wilson

15 Welfare, Poverty and Social Inequalities 263
Janet Fink

16 Education 281
Roy Lowe

17 Health 297
John Welshman

18 Rewriting the Unwritten Constitution 315
Andrew Blick

19 The Secret State 333
Richard J. Aldrich

20 Rethinking the 'Rise and Fall' of Two-Party Politics 351
Steven Fielding

21 The Rise and Disintegration of the Working Classes 371
Robert Taylor

22 The Growth of Social Movements 389
Holger Nehring

23 Civil Society 407
Nicholas Deakin

24 The Politics of Devolution 427
Christopher Harvie

25 The Politics of Northern Ireland 444
Thomas Hennessey

26 Britain in the World Economy 463
Catherine R. Schenk

27 The End of Empire 482
Bill Schwarz

28 The Anglo-American 'Special Relationship' 499
Michael F. Hopkins and John W. Young

29 Britain and Europe 517
James Ellison

30 British Defence Policy 539
Simon Ball

Select Bibliography 556

Index 567