Austerity Britain, 1945-1951

The six years after World War II saw Britain undertake a dramatic transformation in the relationship between government, the economy, and society. Under the direction of a Labour government, Britain embarked upon a program of economic nationalization and the creation of a new welfare state. David Kynaston's book, the first in a series chronicling postwar Britain, provides a history of the nation during this period of transformation. Drawing upon an enormous range of published and unpublished accounts, he assembles them into a brilliant mosaic chronicling life during those years, as Britain struggled to fulfill the expectations for a better nation while coping with the costs of a debilitating war. His book is a dramatic achievement that illuminates the past by highlighting the very different world in which Britons lived while identifying the forces that would transform it into the nation that exists today. The result is a marvelous achievement, one that should be read by anyone interested in British history or even just a good nonfiction read.