Thursday Book

We Danced All Night: A Social History of Britain Between the Wars - Martin Pugh

As a novice on the subject, I can't claim to hold any opinion on the success of what Pugh believes is an attempt to redress established modern misconceptions about this period. I will say that I was drawn to this particular book because, as the title implies, it takes a positive view of twenties and thirties Britain.

And it's also easy to be impressed by the effort Pugh takes to be as broad as possible - which means both covering often specialist subjects such as aviation and motoring, and ensuring that each topic is related to every relevant sector of society (and region of the country). There is, for example, a dedicated chapter on the changing role of women - but Pugh also touches on this subject in relation to every other, from sport to the decline of the aristocracy.

It does make things a little repetitive at times, but it also means that each chapter feels like a comprehensive overview of each facet of the inter-war period.