Richard Vinen Books

A significant contribution to our understanding of how politics affects real people, and a brilliant blend of sweeping narrative and detailed analysis: this is a major and potentially prize-winning work

For over a century, Birmingham has been the second largest town in England. In his richly enjoyable new book Richard Vinen captures the drama of a small village that grew to become the quintessential city of the twentieth century- a place of mass production and full employment that began in the 1930s, but which came to a cataclysmic halt in the 1980s. Birmingham has also been a magnet for migration, drawing in people from Wales, Ireland, India, Pakistan and the Caribbean. Indeed, much of British history can be explained, in large measure, with reference to Birmingham. Vinen roots his sweeping story in the experience of individuals. This is a book about figures everyone has heard of, from J. R. R. Tolkien to Duran Duran, and also about those that everyone ought to have heard of. It captures the ways in which hundreds of thousands of people - from the Welsh miners who poured into the car factories to the young women who danced to reggae in the basement of Rebecca's nightclub - were caught up in the convulsions of social change. Birmingham is not a pretty place, and its history does not always make for comfortable reading. But modern Britain does not make sense without it.

In the summer of 1940, the French army was one of the largest and best in the world, confident of victory. In the space of a few nightmarish weeks all that changed as the French and their British allies were crushed and eight million people fled their homes. This book describes the consequences of that defeat.

The year 1968 was marked by significant protests and social movements that shaped the future of Western society. A massive strike by French workers nearly led to state collapse, while other movements, though less explosive, laid the groundwork for lasting changes in politics and culture. The emergence of terrorist groups, feminist collectives, and gay rights activism during this time influenced leaders like Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, highlighting the profound impact of that pivotal year on contemporary society.

Afascinating, colourful account of the Thatcher decade from the acclaimed modern historian, Richard Vinen.

'Fresh, compelling ... an important book, revealing that 50 years on, 1968 is still unfinished business' Andrew Hussey, Financial Times 'A thoughtful, readable account of a moment in history that deserves to be dwelt on' Andrew Marr, The Times 1968 saw an extraordinary range of protests across much of the western world. Some of these were genuinely revolutionary - around ten million French workers went on strike and the whole state teetered on the brink of collapse. Others were more easily contained, but had profound longer-term implications; terrorist groups, feminist collectives, gay rights activists could all trace important roots to 1968. Bill Clinton and even Tony Blair are, in many ways, the product of that year. The Long '68 is a striking and original attempt half a century on to show how these events - from anti-war marches in the United States to revolts against Soviet oppression in eastern Europe - which in some ways still seem so current, stemmed from histories and societies that are in practice now extraordinarily remote from our own time. The book pursues the story into the 1970s to show both the ever more violent forms of radicalization that stemmed from 1968, and the brutal reactions from those in power that brought the era to an end.

This book explores the complex dynamics between French industry and the political landscape during the era of the Popular Front government and its Vichy successor. It delves into how industrial leaders navigated the shifting political tides, examining their strategies, collaborations, and conflicts during a tumultuous period in French history. Through this analysis, the author sheds light on the broader implications for industry and governance in France, providing a nuanced understanding of the interplay between economic interests and political power.

Focusing on the Fourth Republic, this comprehensive study reveals conservatism as a dynamic force in French politics, shaped by historical events like Vichy and the occupation. It argues that conservative ideas were championed not only by political parties but also by various institutions, such as business associations and civil services. The book posits that conservatives emerged from the tumult of the previous five years with a new political synthesis, making them more adaptable to change compared to their progressive counterparts.

Winner of the Templer Medal and the Wolfson History Prize Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller Richard Vinen's National Service is a serious - if often very entertaining - attempt to get to grips with the reality of that extraordinary institution, which now seems as remote as the British Empire itself. With great sympathy and curiosity, Vinen unpicks the myths of the two 'gap years', which all British men who came of age between 1945 and the early 1960s had to fill with National Service. This book is fascinating to those who endured or even enjoyed their time in uniform, but also to anyone wishing to understand the unique nature of post-war Britain.