Product Description

Harold Wilson's famous reference to 'white heat' captured the optimistic spirit of a society in the midst of breathtaking change. From the gaudy pleasures of Swinging London to the tragic bloodshed in Northern Ireland, from the intrigues of Westminster to the drama of the World Cup, British life seemed to have taken on a dramatic new momentum. The memories, images and colourful personalities of those heady times still resonate today: mop-tops and mini-skirts, strikes and demonstrations, Carnaby Street and Kings Road, Harold Wilson and Edward Heath, Mary Quant and Jean Shrimpton, Enoch Powell and Mary Whitehouse, Marianne Faithfull and Mick Jagger. In this wonderfully rich and readable historical narrative, Dominic Sandbrook looks behind the myths of the Swinging Sixties to unearth the contradictions of a society caught between optimism and decline.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18309 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-11
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 976 pages

Amazon.co.uk
Dominic Sandbrook’s White Heat (subtitled A History of Britain in the Swinging Sixties) is a mesmerising piece of reportage -- detailed, authoritative and written with the kind of vividness that brings the period to vibrant life, both for those who lived through it, and for those to whom it is as remote as ancient history. And weighing in at nearly a thousand pages, it is as comprehensive as one could wish, dealing with revolutions in the arts (the Beatles, of course, are central -- and iconic -- figures here), as well as the relentless bloodletting in Northern Ireland, and political scandals in Westminster (the John Profumo/Christine Keeler affair being the most significant). The book quotes on it jackets Harold Wilson's much-repeated comment ‘Britain that is going to be forged in the white heat of this revolution’ -- and Sandbrook, taking his title from this quote, makes the strongest possible case for this being a revolutionary period -- even if several of the revolutions involved (such as the hippie-inspired ‘Summer of Love’) actually came to nothing. The changes in society during this period were seismic: cultural and political (as mentioned above), but also technological. In the sports arena, Britain featured a resounding World Cup triumph in 1966).

In many ways, as the author demonstrates, Britain became a significant player again in this era and featured once again on the world stage in a fashion it had not achieved in the 1950s. But the outward accoutrements of these revolutions in society nurtured some clandestine (and less palatable) undercurrents, and Sandbrook anatomises these with quite as much skill as he devotes to the more celebratory sections of the book. The range of references involved is quite stunning, and the period concentrated on (1964 to 1970) is not likely to receive such a comprehensive airing again. --Barry Forshaw

Review
** 'A substantial contribution to our understanding of the social and political history of modern Britain' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH ** 'This second volume lives up to the promise of the first ... Sandbrook is an inveterate demolisher of myths' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY ** 'Could hardly be more impressive in its scope. [Sandbrook] writes with authority and an eye for telling detail' THE TIMES ** 'A triumph ... The way in which Sandbrook counterpoints his themes is masterly' DAILY TELEGRAPH

Jane Stevenson, Sunday Herald Books of the Year
'Hugely enjoyable, funny, contentious and shows a sharp eye for
telling detail'

Customer Reviews

Amazing in scope, and references
How long ago were the Sixties? From reading this you would think that they were about the time of the dinosaurs: the espresso had just been invented, rationing and national service had just ended, and families in large parts of the UK did not have access to running water and electricity. Some of the facts contained in this excellent work are things which those of us born in the 70s are just not aware. I mean there is so much information in this book it is just about impossible to take it all in. This doesn't stop it being compulsive though; OK, in some parts it slows-up (I mean twenty plus pages just on James Bond could be considered overkill) but you cannot put this down, and that's saying something for a book nearly 750 pages long. There are nuggets in here which no-one born past 1950 would be aware of today; there are sections on Larkin and Amis (that's Kingsley for you younger readers)but also on now forgotten writer Colin Wilson, and it is shocking how racism and homophobia were much more prevelant than today. You can complain about the state of Britain under Thatcher/Major/Blair (delete as applicable) but Britain seems a much better place today than some of the scenarios laid out here. I'm looking forward to reading the next volume.

Fascinating studies of Britain in a period of huge change...
For some reason reviews of Dominic Sandbrook's histories of Britain in the 50's & 60's - "Never Had It So Good" & "White Heat" - are duplicated under both titles. A little confusing, but actually sensible as the two books are in fact the first and second parts of a single work. Which is? A brilliant, highly entertaining and extremely well written social & political history of a country in a period of huge change.

"Never Had it so Good" starts in 1956 but also encompasses a much wider overview of the whole of the 50's while, quite wisely, ending pretty sharply in 1963 when "the 60's" - in terms of what the phrase has come to mean - really started. And, the period it explores in assiduously researched detail is quite fascinating: an under-estimated and often forgotten decade of massive change, the individual & combined impact of which on UK society make for thoroughly absorbing reading.

"White Heat" covers the years from 1963 to 1970, picking up seamlessly from where "Never Had it so Good" left off and applying the same diligent research to a period that has already received saturation coverage. A mixed blessing, for the enormous amount of source material causes Sandbrook some difficulties in marshalling it into a cohesive whole. On the plus side, the numerous diaries of key politicians aid him in producing what must be one of the most authoritative political & economic studies of the period, but, on the negative side, the sheer amount of available material on social & artistic events causes him problems in ensuring that things are given their correct level of importance. However, what he does do, quite superbly, is to capture the "feel" of the period: from the accelerating euphoria of 1963 to 1967 to the rapid unravelling of it all into a mood of "gloom & lost hope" between 1968 and 1970.

By the end - all 1,300 pages in total across the two books - you're left in little doubt that Dominic Sandbrook has achieved his goal of producing a definitive work. While "White Heat" occasionally loses its focus, this is a minor criticism of a hugely impressive feat of research & writing that will change your view of the 50's, add to your understanding of the 60's, and entertain and engross you on the way... which are just about the best accolades that can be given to any history books.

The Past Is a Foreign Country
There are many good things to say about this book. It is well written - indeed it bowls along like a fine novel - informative, entertaining and intellegent. But perhaps above all what most impressed me is the beautiful balance Sandbrook achieves between the political, the economic and the cultural. All of these very different elements are given their due respect and place in his narrative and consequently they combine together to give a vivid impression of what life was really like in the Britain of the late 50s and early 60s.

All of the heavyweight political figures are given sufficient space to make them live as individuals: Eden, for example, a man of high principle touched with arrogance for whom, perhaps, the post of prime minister came at a stage in his life when he was a little past his peak; and Macmillan, the Edwardian gentleman who was a whole lot sharper than he ever let on. Similarly the economics of post war Britain is explained in a serious and meaningful, but never dry, fashion. Cabinet rumbles over inflationary and deflationary budget options contain, in Sandbrook's hands, moments of surprising high drama with resignations and often rather childish temper-tantrums being far from uncommon. Similarly the scandals of the time, and in particular the Profumo affair, are given excellent coverage. It wasn't until I had read this book that I fully understood just why the affair between a fairly low-level minister and the (frankly gorgeous) party girl Christine Keeler rocked the Macmillan government to its very core.

But for me what makes this book a real joy - and what puts it above many other volumes of a similar nature - is the attention given to the cultural figures of the time. There is an excellent chapter on the literary scene with colourful portrayals of Kingsley Amis, Philip Larkin, John Osborne and Colin Wilson. The ground-breaking genius of the Beyond the Fringe gang is given an excellent account. The emergence of the Beatles as a genuinely revolutionary force both socially and musically is well covered; and the appeal of the Bond films - with their exotic glamour and charismatic, suave lead Sean Connery - to a population often mired in near-poverty and sadly colourless lives is beautifully and articulately explained. If you want to know what really mattered, culturally, economically and socially, to the people of Britain during the years between '56 and '63 whether they were upper, middle or working class then this is the book to get. If you were interested enough in the volume to read this review then I would have no hesitation in recommending you pick yourself up a copy straight away. It's both intelligent and a good read, and you really can't ask for more than that from any book.