English Culture and the Decline of the Industrial Spirit, 1850–1980

Drawing upon a wide array of sources, Martin Wiener explores the English ambivalence to modern industrial society.

Martin J. Wiener (Author)

9780521604796, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 13 September 2004

236 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.4 cm, 0.35 kg

'Now Weiner has returned to the fray with a revised edition. To read it is to be reminded of the stimulating power of ideas - and the ever-present influence of the past on the present … Macintyre gives a perceptive account of the culture of sacrifice, made for the mother country in two world wars, the making of the modern, multicultural society, ad, of course, looks at the unifying role of cricket.' BBC History

England was the world's first great industrial nation. Yet the English have never been comfortable with industrialism. Drawing upon a wide array of sources, Martin Wiener explores the English ambivalence to modern industrial society. His work reveals a pervasive middle- and upper-class frame of mind hostile to industrialism and economic growth. From the middle of the nineteenth century to the present, this frame of mind shaped a broad spectrum of cultural expression, including literature, journalism, and architecture, as well as social, historical, and economic thought. In this edition, Wiener reflects on the original debate surrounding the work and examines the historiography of the last few decades. Written in a graceful and accessible style, with reference to a broad range of people and ideas, this book will be of interest to all readers who wish to understand the development - and predicament - of modern England.

Preface to the first edition
Introduction to the new edition
Part I. The Setting: 1. The Janus face of modern English culture
2. Victorial society: accommodation and absorption
Part II. A World View: 3. A counterrevolution of values
4. The 'English way of life'?
5. The wrong path?
Part III. Toward Behavior: Introduction
6. Images and politics
7. The gentrification of the industrialist
Part IV. Industrialism and English Values: 8. An overview and an assessment
Appendix: British retardation - the limits of economic explanation
Notes
Index.

Subject Areas: History of ideas [JFCX], 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], British & Irish history [HBJD1]