State of Emergency
The Way We Were: Britain, 1970-1974
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State of Emergency
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Narrated by:
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David Thorpe
About this listen
In the early 1970s, Britain seemed to be tottering on the brink of the abyss. Under Edward Heath, the optimism of the Sixties had become a distant memory. Now the headlines were dominated by strikes and blackouts, unemployment and inflation. As the world looked on in horrified fascination, Britain seemed to be tearing itself apart. And yet, amid the gloom, glittered a creativity and cultural dynamism that would influence our lives long after the nightmarish Seventies had been forgotten. Dominic Sandbrook has recreated the gaudy, schizophrenic atmosphere of the early Seventies: the world of Enoch Powell and Tony Benn, David Bowie and Brian Clough, Germaine Greer and Mary Whitehouse.
An age when the unions were on the march and the socialist revolution seemed at hand, but also when feminism, permissiveness, pornography and environmentalism were transforming the lives of millions. It was an age of miners’ strikes, tower blocks and IRA atrocities, but it also gave us celebrity footballers and high-street curry houses, organic foods and package holidays, gay rights and glam rock. For those who remember the days when you could buy a new colour television but power cuts stopped you from watching it, this book could hardly be more vivid. It is the perfect guide to a luridly colourful Seventies landscape that shaped our present from the financial boardroom to the suburban bedroom.
Dominic Sandbrook was born in Shropshire in 1974, an indirect result of the Heath government's three-day week giving couples more leisure time. He is now a prolific reviewer and commentator, writing regularly for the Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail and Sunday Times. He is the author of two hugely acclaimed books on Britain in the Fifties and Sixties, Never Had It So Good and White Heat.
©2012 Dominic Sandbrook (P)2012 Audible LtdListeners also enjoyed...
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- magicmanSD
- 31-10-16
Lengthy but worth it!
Great in-depth history of the period, wonderful detail and well told. It really puts things into perspective about Heath, Wilson, the miners, Women's Lib, the 3 day week, Don Revie, Mary Whitehouse etc etc.
My only gripe is that I would prefer to have heard Dominic read the book himself but the narrator does a great job, accents as well!
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- mat brown
- 13-07-21
Just brilliant
A hugely detailed history of the early 70’s and a crystal clear insight into Heaths government
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Diogo M. Liberal
- 05-09-22
Very entretaining
A superbook and greatly read. I'm full of praise of this book and its narration. Its paced, lively and well written. Its a demanding book for non english natives and it dwells in some specific cultural references of England during this time but its well spent time and a most interesting and detailed insight to these times.
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- worldofquark
- 18-03-23
Excellent
Terrifically well-researched and beautifully told story of the 70s. Highly recommended - pacy, wry and thorough
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- J NEILL
- 13-04-13
A marvellous listen it was enthralling.
Dominic Sandbrook is a great talent. He does to political and social history what the Beevors, Holmes's and Hastings have done for military history. I walked away with a different understanding of my recent history and could see with clarity how much of what I perceived from the 70's was flawed due to my close proximity. There is no political addenda, no egg head leftist argument or right wing 're-assessment' Just excellently researched history. And with the recent death of Mrs Thatcher I'm the only one around the bar now who knows what he is talking about. I have a good political, social and economic understanding of what happened to get us to 1977.
I have just purchased Dominic Sandbrook's second volume and its just as good. If you like Question Time, read a good daily paper, know that very little is as simple as it looks and what to know the truth rather than an opinion get this. Its great.
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4 people found this helpful
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- J. Chettleburgh
- 21-03-21
Great listen
If you are in your fifties, these are the things you were vaguely aware of, the things that grown ups talked about and filled the twilight zone between Magic Roundabout and mum calling you through for tea.
Brilliant, interesting and heartbreaking. Essential listening if you want to know why the UK is as it is today.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Frank Cummins
- 01-05-18
Brilliant
I have read a few of Dominic Sandbrook’s books and every one is brilliant and this is no exception. I was a small child in the 70’s and wanted to get some insight into what my parents witnessed and went through and this book, along with Seasons in the Sun, gave me great insight and even more respect for my parents and their generation. I must say as well that the narration was fantastic, the best I have heard from any audible book. Even if you have read the book, the narration in the audiobook really brings the book to life and it helps to understand more what life was like during Heaths spell as Prime Minister. An absolute winner.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Andy Cochrane
- 06-03-15
Top marks.
This is an excellent history of the early 70s. Cranbrook delves deeply into all the areas of life during this period. The performance by the narrator David Thorpe is first rate too. Brings the characters of the day to life. I was particularly impressed with his impression of Edward Heath.
Well worth a listen.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Martin
- 06-01-15
An essential listen
Any additional comments?
This book gives a brief but great insight in British politics, economics and the society of the first half of the 70s and is an essential listen to understand the more recent history of Britain better. Dominic Sandbrook did a great job extracting the essentials of that period into only 32 hours of audiobook and David Thorpe's narration adds much value to the experience.
I can hardly wait to start listening to 'Seasons in the Sun', the next volume in the history of Britain of the 70s :)
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- TIM ROACH
- 23-02-21
The story of the 70s – with all the voices!
Sandbrook’s first volume of his history of Britain in the 1970s is epic, and made all the more addictive by David Thorpe’s chameleon-like cast of performances.
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