English History 1914–1945

by AJP Taylor
English History 1914–1945 cover
Good Books rating 4.12
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  • ID: 2544
  • Added: 2025-10-15
  • Updated: 2025-10-15
  • Reviews: 4
Reviews
waivio.com · Unknown · 2025-10-20
excellent 4.50

The book provides a concise and engaging overview of English history from 1914 to 1945, focusing on key events and their impact. It is praised for its clarity and insightful analysis, making it a valuable read for history enthusiasts.

This book offers a comprehensive yet accessible look at a pivotal period in English history. The author's ability to distill complex events into understandable narratives is particularly noteworthy. Readers appreciate the depth of analysis and the way the book connects historical events to broader themes. It's a great choice for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of this era. The book's engaging style makes it suitable for both casual readers and those with a deeper interest in history. The insights provided are thought-provoking and often challenge conventional views, adding to its appeal.

Quick quotes

    A.J.P. Taylor's work is a masterclass in historical narrative

    The book's clarity and depth make it a standout in the genre

    It's a must-read for anyone interested in 20th-century history

librarything.com · Unknown · 2025-10-20
informative 4.00

The book provides a detailed chronicle of England's tumultuous period from 1914 to 1945, marked by wars and economic challenges. It highlights significant political and social changes, including the formation of a national government and campaigns for women's suffrage and Irish independence.

This book offers a comprehensive look at a pivotal era in English history, covering the years from 1914 to 1945. The narrative is rich with details about the political and social transformations that took place during this time, such as the establishment of a national government and the struggles for trades union recognition and women's suffrage. The author's provocative style makes the historical events come alive, providing a vivid account of the period. The book also touches on international developments, including England's withdrawal from the Gold Standard and its involvement in collective security. Overall, it is a compelling read that sheds light on the complexities of this era.

Quick quotes

    This book chronicles three decades largely overshadowed by war and mass unemployment.

    It was a period that saw in England the formation of a national government, the only genuine incidence of three-party politics, the fruition of campaigns for trades union recognition, women's suffrage, and Irish independence, and abroad withdrawal from the Gold Standard and involvement in collective security.

    Written in Taylor's customary provocative style, this is historical writing at its best.

kirkcenter.org · Unknown · 2021-12-05
brilliant 4.50

A. J. P. Taylor's 'English History 1914–1945' is a gripping and tragic account of England's transformation during the two world wars, highlighting the rise of democracy and the impact of key political figures. The book is praised for its engaging narrative and insightful analysis, though its treatment of World War II is less comprehensive due to the lack of available information at the time of writing.

A. J. P. Taylor's 'English History 1914–1945' is celebrated as a masterful single-volume history of one of the most pivotal periods in modern British history. The book begins with the outbreak of World War I and covers the significant changes that occurred in England, including the rise of democracy, the decline of the Liberal Party, and the emergence of the Labour Party. Taylor's narrative is engaging and tragic, highlighting the immense loss of life and the profound impact of the wars on the nation. He admires figures like Lloyd George for their improvisational leadership and criticizes others like Asquith for their lack of vision. The book also delves into the economic challenges and political maneuvering of the interwar period, offering a nuanced perspective on key events and figures. However, Taylor's treatment of World War II is less thorough, partly due to the lack of available information at the time of writing. Despite this, the book remains a valuable and insightful read, providing a comprehensive overview of England's transformation during these tumultuous years.

Quick quotes

    Taylor believed history speaks for itself and he celebrated that, despite all that befell England during these years, she “had risen all the same.

    Taylor laments few of these changes, believing that for the first time the war gave the nation “the most democratic push in England’s history,” including first-time voting rights for women, albeit at age thirty.

    Taylor has a low opinion of the two men who dominated English politics between the wars: Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain.

muse.jhu.edu · Unknown · 1966-01-01
mixed 3.50

The book blends an Oxford tutorial style with a lively approach, arguing that despite incompetent leadership, the resilience of ordinary people improved their lives. However, the reviewer finds the optimism excessive and the examples of popular cheerfulness unconvincing.

The book under review, English History, 1914–1945 by A. J. P. Taylor, presents a unique blend of an Oxford tutorial style and a lively, engaging approach reminiscent of the Daily Mirror. The central thesis of the book is that despite being led by stupid politicians and incompetent generals and financial advisers, the natural resilience of the ordinary man carried him forward and made him better off over the years. The reviewer appreciates the book's lively style and the search for minor inaccuracies, although they find the insistence on paradox and unique occurrences tiresome at times. The reviewer also notes that the book's central theme has some validity, but Taylor's optimism is excessive, making the period seem like an idyll. The examples of popular cheerfulness are not convincing enough to outweigh the stress and tension experienced by many during these years. The reviewer also criticizes Taylor's lack of attention to scientific advances and literature, except to note that artists who gained professional respect were not understood by the people. Overall, the reviewer finds the book enjoyable and thought-provoking but believes Taylor is better suited to provoking thought than laying down authoritative statements.

Quick quotes

    The underlying thesis is taken from the masthead slogan 'Forward with the People

    Taylor argues that for almost the whole of the period under discussion the English people were led by stupid politicians (assisted by incompetent generals in wartime and by incompetent financial advisers in peacetime), but that the natural resilience of the ordinary man carried him forward and made him better and better off as the years went by.

    Optimism for the sake of paradox has crept in rather too far.

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