A History of the British Labour Party

by Andrew Thorpe

Overview

After thirteen years in power, Labour suddenly returned to being the party of opposition in 2010. This new edition of A History of the British Labour Party brings us up-to-date, examining Gordon Brown's period in office and the Labour Party under the leadership of Ed Miliband. Andrew Thorpe's study has been the leading single-volume text on the Labour Party since its first edition in 1997 and has now been thoroughly revised throughout to include new approaches.

This new edition:
• covers the entirety of the party's history, from 1900 to 2014
• examines the reasons for the party's formation, and its aims
• analyses the party's successes and failures, including its rise to second party status and remarkable recovery from its problems in the 1980s
• discusses the main events and personalities of the Labour Party, such as MacDonald, Attlee, Wilson, Blair and Brown

With his approachable style and authoritative manner, Thorpe has created essential reading for students of political history, and anyone wishing to familiarise themselves with the history and development of one of Britain's major political parties.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781137409829
Publisher:	C.J. Pike
Publication date:	05/13/2015
Series:	British Studies Series
Edition description:	4th ed. 2015
Pages:	424
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Andrew Thorpe is Professor of Modern British History at the University of Exeter, UK.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements.- Abbreviations.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Creation and Early Years, 1900-1914.- 3. The Surge to Second-Party Status, 1914-1922.- 4. Progress and Collapse, 1922-1931.- 5. Remaking the Party? 1931-1939.- 6. The Impact of the Second World War, 1939-1945.- 7. The Attlee Governments, 1945-1951.- 8. Searching for a New Direction, 1951-1964.- 9. Wilson in Power, 1964-1970.- 10. Labour in Crisis? 1970-1979.- 11. Down and Out? 1979-1987.- 12. Modernization and New Labour, 1987-1997.- 13. New Labour in Power, 1997-2007.- 14. Moving Beyond Blair 2007-2015.- 15. Conclusion.- Appendices.- Notes.- Bibliography.- Index.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Praise for previous editions: '...for those who want the facts about the Labour party, this book is a handy, even indispensable reference.' - Joe Haines, Tribune 'This remains the leading text of its kind, updated with some important new material' - Robert Crowcroft, The University of Edinburgh

'Thorpe provides an accessible and well-written evaluation of the ups and down of the Labour Party since 1900. Students of both politics and history will find this a rewarding and enjoyable read as will members of the Labour Party.' - Timothy Heppell, University of Leeds

'Thorpe writes in a clear and accessible manner, ensuring that his work will appeal not only to students of political history but also to a much wider audience seeking to understand the changing fortunes of the Labour Party.' - Emma Bell, Université de Savoie Mont-Blanc in Cercles

'Jeremy Corbyn's remarkable victory in last summer's leadership contest has reignited historical interest in the British Labour Movement. There is plenty in Andrew Thorpe's admirably lucid, recently updated History of the British Labour Party to help us better understand the party's present travails.' - Patrick Diamond, Queen Mary University of London, in The Times Literary Supplement

Editorial Reviews

Praise for previous editions: '...for those who want the facts about the Labour party, this book is a handy, even indispensable reference.' - Joe Haines, Tribune

'This remains the leading text of its kind, updated with some important new material' - Robert Crowcroft, The University of Edinburgh

'Thorpe provides an accessible and well-written evaluation of the ups and down of the Labour Party since 1900. Students of both politics and history will find this a rewarding and enjoyable read as will members of the Labour Party.' - Timothy Heppell, University of Leeds

From the Publisher

Intelligent and highly readable...The narrative covers all the major topics with a richness that belies its brevity.

Choice

The first edition appeared in 1997, just before the triumphant of the Labour Party, and Thorpe (history, U. of Exeter) here adds a new chapter describing New Labour, makes some revisions in the introduction and conclusion, and updates the appendices and bibliography. Although histories of the party abound, he says, each reflects a particular point in time, and he wants his own time reflected as well. He begins in 1900 with the formation of the Labour Representation Committee and its election of two candidates to Parliament. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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