A compelling and entertaining history of the British middle class
‘Wonderful’ Financial Times
‘A magisterial, sweeping history’ Herald
‘An enchanting compendium’ TLS
‘Full of fascinating quotations and figures’ Literary Review
‘A rollicking, affectionate romp’ The Times
‘Gripping and illuminating’ Spectator
This is the story of the great powerhouse of British history – the middle class. The death of feudalism, the advancement of democracy, the spread of literacy, the coming of the industrial and sexual revolutions, the development of mass media – the middle class is never far away, pushing for change, engaging in philanthropy, while always mindful to protect its own interests.
In this account, renowned historian Lawrence James reveals a group so familiar to many of us yet so often
misunderstood – disparate and constantly changing, with a materialism and hunger for advancement that are a chronicle of Britain’s evolution.
‘Wonderful’ Financial Times
‘A magisterial, sweeping history’ Herald
‘An enchanting compendium’ TLS
‘Full of fascinating quotations and figures’ Literary Review
‘A rollicking, affectionate romp’ The Times
‘Gripping and illuminating’ Spectator
This is the story of the great powerhouse of British history – the middle class. The death of feudalism, the advancement of democracy, the spread of literacy, the coming of the industrial and sexual revolutions, the development of mass media – the middle class is never far away, pushing for change, engaging in philanthropy, while always mindful to protect its own interests.
In this account, renowned historian Lawrence James reveals a group so familiar to many of us yet so often
misunderstood – disparate and constantly changing, with a materialism and hunger for advancement that are a chronicle of Britain’s evolution.
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Reviews
Gripping and illuminating... a celebration which is hugely overdue
Our editor's favourite book of the season. Unputdownable
Scholarly yet entertaining
Wonderful... one of those volumes which should be buried in a time-capsule for the benefit of future civilisations
James is a well-informed guide to that past, conducting us on a tour from Chaucer to Thatcher... He has a sharp eye for detail
Those who buy this book will find something to intrigue them on almost every page
James is a well-informed guide to the past, conducting us on a tour from Chaucer to Thatcher. He has a sharp eye for detail
An enchanting compendium of the games the English play, and the anxieties, frictions and resentments engendered in the pursuit of status
Readable and full of fascinating quotations and figures
A rollicking, affectionate romp through seven centuries that provokes much thought... well written and an enjoyable read
A magisterial, sweeping new history... Its strength lies not so much in its generalisations and conclusions as in its welter of colourful detail and insidious anecdote, mostly apposite
Full of fascinating quotations and figures
Those who buy this book will find something to intrigue them on almost every page
[A] magisterial, sweeping new history of the middle class in Britain . . . Amirable