A Strange Eventful History: Democratic Socialism in Britain - Hardcover

Dell, Edmund

3.76

17 ratings by Goodreads

9780002559379: A Strange Eventful History: Democratic Socialism in Britain

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0002559374 ISBN 13: 9780002559379

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2000

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

harper hb/dj,2000

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

Reviews for The Chancellors:

‘The best book this year’
Alan Clark

‘Fascinating’
Gordon Brown

‘Magisterial’
Norman Lamont

‘Illuminating’
TLS

‘Splendid’
Financial Times

‘Merciless’
Peter Hennessy

From the Back Cover:

'A Strange Eventful History' is one of the dramatic rise and fall of one of the dominant ideologies in British twentieth century history. For the last one hundred years the pursuit of socialism by democratic means has been a source of both inspiration and vexation to some of Britain's most remarkable politicians. In 1900 British socialist groups combined to form the Labour Representation Committee, in order to establish 'a distinct Labour Group in Parliament', the first waymark on the parliamentary road to socialism. On the hundredth anniversary of the Labour party, Edmund Dell reviews the century and follows Labour's reluctant transition from socialism, advocated as a new form of society, to its acceptance of the market economy. He traces the fortunes of both the people and the politics. The cast of characters includes not only the leading figures in the Labour party, from Ramsay MacDonald to Tony Blair, but also others such as Mrs Thatcher, Edward Heath and Harold MacMillan who, he argues, have been prime contributors to socialism's death. From the visions of the new Jerusalemers and the rescue plans of Keynesianism, toi Clause IV socialism and the view of a modernised social democracy in the Third Way, Dell elucidates successive attempts to adapt socialism. But, he concludes, each has only created a new set of unresolvable problems: socialism has tried to come to terms with reality but died in the attempt.

This is a timely, authoritative and panoramic study, informed by the author's own knowledge of many of the key protagonists over a period of fifty years.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.