Never Had It So Good
A History of Britain from Suez to the Beatles
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Never Had It So Good
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Narrated by:
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Dominic Sandbrook
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Roger Davis
About this listen
'A spectacular history of the sixties' NICK COHEN, Observer
'Sandbrook's book is a pleasure to read ... he is a master of the human touch' RICHARD DAVENPORT-HINES, TLS
'Rivetingly readable' GODFREY SMITH, Sunday Times
From the bloodshed of the Suez Crisis to the giddy heyday of Beatlemania, from the first night of Look Back in Anger to the sensational revelations of the Profumo scandal, British life during the late 1950s and early 1960s seemed more colourful, exciting and controversial than ever. Using a vast array of sources, Dominic Sandbrook tells the story of a society caught between cultural nostalgia and economic optimism. He brings to life the post-war experience for a new generation of readers, in a critically acclaimed debut that will change for ever how we think about the sixties.©2015 Dominic Sandbrook (P)2024 Hachette Audio UK
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Critic reviews
'Unforgettable vignettes and revelations in this prodigious and ground-breaking study of British life' (SUNDAY TIMES)
'A clever and engaging study of Britain as it prepared to swing into the sixties. Never Had It So Good is very good indeed' (Amanda Foreman)
What listeners say about Never Had It So Good
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- cathy smith
- 09-10-24
Another excellent book ruined by awful narration
I really enjoy Dominic Sandbrook’s work. It is thorough, well researched, humerous and always offers fascinating insights into modern British history. This book is no different. It covers Britain from the late 1950’s through to 1963, and it provides a lot of fascinating information in an approachable and engaging style.
However, while State of Emergency and Seasons in the Sun were brilliantly narrated by David Thorpe, both White Heat and Never Had it so Good have been narrated by someone who seems to struggle.
The accents are genuinely appalling and there is little warmth or engagement. It’s so disappointing. I actually couldn’t listen to the chapter on Ireland as the accents were insultingly bad.
This is a real shame but I would suggest that, if you enjoy Dominic’s work, buy the book not the audio version.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 20-11-24
Outstanding contemporary history
Remarkably detailed coverage of a relatively short period from the mid 1950s in Britain to 1963. Sandbrook is an outstanding contemporary historian. Nearly 40 hours and in parts slightly repetitive but always interesting, particularly the Suez Crisis and the Profumo scandal. I didn’t find the narrator a problem at all & don’t understand the criticism.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nick
- 28-07-24
Narrator a disgrace
Looked forward to this as have read all the books. Very very disappointed with Roger Davis. He should read children's fairy tales not a well researched historical work such as this!!!!! I am returning the book to audible as only needed to get to chapter 2!! A disgrace.....David Thorpe and Sandbrook himself did a wonderful job....not this idiot.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mr Greg Cox
- 26-07-24
Nasal performance
I love Sandbrook’s other works, State of Emergency, Seasons in the Sun and Who Dares wins and was looking forward to this but sadly the narrator in this one is awful.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rod Thrusty
- 13-12-24
"Never Had it So Good: A History Of the Beatles"
An interesting and somewhat varied peek in to Britain in the past with a bit too much focus on pop music at the expense of economics.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- M. S. Williams
- 30-08-24
Disappointing narrator
I was looking forward to this book but the narrator is so grim that I can't bear to listen to any more. I can't see how to return it
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 14-08-24
Another great book ruined by awful narrator
Sandbrook's explorations of British life post-Suez are rightly lauded for their ambitious scope and compulsive readabity, their collosal length a virtue rather than hindrance. 'life', as is experienced by the inhabitants of these isles is the key here. By combining astute political analysis with pointed social commentary and pop cultural insight, he provides an entirely original and immersive account of what it was actually like to live during these times. Previous titles were narrated by the peerless David Thorpe, whose bright but authoritative tones captured the brisk style of the author, complete with sly asides. Sandbrook's own narration (pre-podcasting) was a slight step down in terms of energy. However, the performance of Roger Davis is only just this side of unbearable. Erratic leaps in volume and emphasis prevent any kind of immersion in the text. One is always jolted out of the story by his nervy delivery. Come on Audible, don't you have any quality control when it comes to narrators? Do you even audition them? To follow David Thorpe with this guy is like following The Beatles with Atomic Kitten.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- monty niblet
- 24-11-24
Not one of his best
Always been a fan of this author and his normally level interpretation of historical events. This book does have the feel of chuck all the researchers primary source quotes in and see how it goes. Lot of social history and a disappointing left wing sneering thread running through the book......this has not been apparent in other Sandbrook histories. An 18 hour book squeezed into 38 hours.
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