An Utterly Exasperated History of Modern Britain: or Sixty Years of Making the Same Stupid Mistakes as Always - Hardcover

O'Farrell, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385616228 ISBN 13: 9780385616225

Publisher: Doubleday, 2009

Synopsis

Following his hugely popular account of the previous 2000 years, John O'Farrell now comes bang up to date with a hilarious modern history asking 'How the hell did we end up here?'

An Utterly Exasperated History of Modern Britain informs, elucidates and laughs at all the bizarre events, ridiculous characters and stupid decisions that have shaped Britain's story since 1945; leaving the Twenty-First Century reader feeling fantastically smug for having the benefit of hindsight.

About this title

About the Author

John O'Farrell studied history at Desborough Comprehensive, where he got a B in his O level. He later continued his research by watching lots of programmes about the Nazis on the UK History Channel. Apart from that he has published three novels, a memoir and three collections of his popular Guardian column. A former comedy scriptwriter for such shows as Spitting Image and Smith and Jones, he is the founder of the satirical website NewsBiscuit and can occasionally be spotted on such TV programmes as Grumpy Old Men, Newsnight Review and Have I Got News For You.

From the Back Cover

Six inspiring decades that shaped the Britain of today:

1950: Post-war Britain racked by rationing and clothing coupons; nobody has blue-sky idea of not bothering with all those hats.

1963: John Profumo has affair with call girl, ruining his ministerial career, bringing down government and ushering in era of distrust and cynicism. But fails to let on whether the sex was worth it.

1970s: Strikes leave vermin-infested rubbish piled up in Leicester Square. Rats forced to watch second-rate mime artists and jugglers.

1981: IRA hunger-striker Bobby Sands elected as Member of Parliament, but neglects to write back to constituent about unjust parking ticket.

1992: Britain signs up to European Superstate. Voting in Eurovision Song Contest proves all petty rivalries now a thing of the past.

2008: Capitalism finally implodes; British socialists at last celebrate nationalization of the banks, only to find there's no money in them.

From the Inside Flap

Following his hugely popular account of the previous 2,000 years (which won Best Comedy History Book at the 1815 Congress of Vienna), John O'Farrell now comes bang up to date with a hilarious modern history asking 'How the hell did we end up here?'

All the major post-war landmarks are faithfully recorded. The sombre day in 1967 when Harold Wilson went on the television to announce that Britain was converting to flared trousers. The tragic split of Seventies rock superstars The Wombles after Great Uncle Bulgaria overdosed on amphetamines and bourbon. And the mild scandal of the 1981 Royal Wedding when Lady Diana's marriage vows omitted the word 'obey', declaring instead that she would 'love, honour and then utterly humiliate the Royal Family with a string of embarrassing revelations after shagging James Hewitt'.

An Utterly Exasperated History of Modern Britain (or 60 Years of Making the Same Stupid Mistakes as Always) informs, elucidates and laughs at all the bizarre events, ridiculous characters and stupid decisions that have shaped Britain's story since 1945, leaving the twenty-first-century reader feeling fantastically smug for having the benefit of hindsight.

Edition details

• Publisher: Doubleday
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0385616228
• ISBN 13: 9780385616225
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384