Sing As We Go: Britain Between the Wars

Highly detailed and very engaging.

If this truly is the last book in Simon Heffer's social history of Britain that covers the years 1840-1939, then he finished on an absolute winner.For me this was my favourite of the four books written, not that the other three weren't enjoyable, they were, it's just that I raced through this volume in less than 2 days, devouring the book in two mammoth sittings.He really brings to life how it was during that 20 tear period between the two World Wars. It's scholarly, but not too highbrow as to put off the casual reader. But for someone like me who devours social history/political history books covering the period between 1800s-1980s, it describes in intimate detail how life changed in so many ways for the people of this island.One more book covering the period 1939-45 Simon, and you'd make this social history obsessive very happy indeed.

I subscribe to the complimentary nature of the other reviews so don't wish to repeat what others have said. I particularly appreciated the detailed and engaging characterisation of the key players that are central to this period,A particular criticism for me was the way the time line of an account can be lost in the determination to jam pack every page/paragraph/sentence with facts, to the detriment of the narrative and it's time line. It seems to be an occupational hazard for some historians, who are historians first and foremost and writers second. For the sake of completeness, not one precious scrap of the research can de discarded often at the expense of readability, brevity and clarity.As much as I enjoyed this book, I found it hard going. Unduly long sentences, bloated with the last titbits of info., often had me reading sections more than once to be sure that I'd got the thread: frequently I had to backtrack to find out where I was in relation to time or place.I read a lot of history and authors vary greatly in these respects. Orlando Figes on the Russian Revolution and Peter Francopan on the Silk Road know how to write a 'page turner'. Other writers on the same same subjects have produced 'seed catalogues' where any story is hard to find despite a scattering of conjunctions and prepositions in an effort to join the information together. Normally, Simon Heffer is not in this category. Perhaps the editing could have been much sharper.Nonetheless, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any history lover who seeks such valuable insights to this crucial part of our history.

Choose any 20 year period in British history and you would consider yourself very unlucky not to come across at least one event of great significance. By choosing the two decades between the end of the first war and the outbreak of the second, Simon Heffer has unearthed a veritable treasure trove. Opening with Peace Day in 1919 and closing with Chamberlain's radio broadcast announcing the declaration of war in 1939, Heffer takes us through the years in brilliant fashion. In 860 highly readable pages we encounter, inter alia, the fallout from the Treaty of Versailles, Irish Home Rule, the first Labour Government, the General Strike, the Wall Street Crash, the Slump and the Great Depression that followed, the Abdication Crisis and the lead up to the declaration of war. Running alongside we have the advent of radio broadcasting and the BBC, the Talkies, the Roaring Twenties, the ubiquity of the motor car and the building of the suburbs and what became Metroland. All these events and much more are brought vividly to life. I found the history of this period as captivating as any fiction; my only complaint was that the book ended before reaching into 1940. Packed with anecdotes and major characters of the time from Gracie Fields whose film gives the book it's title to Winston Churchill, already a towering presence, it's an absolute treat.

Great read very interesting

An excellent history of the years between the two world wars.covers social as well as political life. Full of information such as the use of the lash as a punishment was only dropped after 1945

Do Penguin/Random House not employ Editors these days? By the time I untangled the following sentence opening Chapter 2 I had almost lost the will to live: "Lloyd George had won the election of December 1918 - known as 'the coupon election' after H H Asquith, the former prime minister, a casualty of it, described those candidates endorsed by the ruling Coalition as having received 'the coupon' (a letter of commendation from the Coalition whips' office) - with an overwhelming majority."

This is a magnificent finale to a wonderful quartet of books that look at British history over the crucial century 1838-1939. I especially enjoyed Heffer's wonderful treatment of the Munich crisis of 1938, looking at it objectively in a way that demolishes many a revisionist account. It is the balance he demonstrates that is especially valuable. And it is also easy to read for non-specialists. What a shame that the four books are now completed, with no more volumes to which to look forward. History as it should be written.

Very fast delivery / would order again

The dry language with facts as if copied and pasted from many places makes this book redundant. Do not bother!