Product Description

Nicholas Whittaker's Toys Were Us is an analysis of the world of toys. Unashamedly nostalgic in parts, Whittaker rolls back the years and lovingly examines the detail of many lost, forgotten, or just plain old toys. Provisionally broken down into subjects and themes -- from 'having wheels' (pedal cars, roller skates) to 'war' (toy soldiers, airfix kits), etc -- the book is a chronology but also tackles many contemporary issues such as media-fuelled crazes, controversial violations of safety regulations, how Britain has lost its hold on the toy market and the ever-increasing commercialisation of toys. This is a hitherto unwritten cultural history, full of Whittaker's characteristic wit, irreverence and eye for hidden, obscure detail.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #391691 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

About the Author
Nicholas Whittaker is the author of Platform Souls: The Trainspotter as Twentieth-century Hero, Blue Period: Nots from a Life in the Titillation Trade, Sweet Talk. As well as single-handedly writing the 1984 Pontin's brochure, he has contributed to a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, including Company, Arena, Punch, the Guardian, the Sunday Times, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Express. Nicholas Whittaker lives in north London.