Book Review: Alasdair Blair, Britain and the World Since 1945
| Date | 01 February 2017 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1478929916676944 |
| Author | Alireza Salehi-Nejad |
| Published date | 01 February 2017 |
| Subject Matter | Book ReviewsBritain and Ireland |
Political Studies Review 15 (1)
makes a series of important and perceptive
War during Clement Atlee and Winston
contributions to the debate on Britain’s evolv-
Churchill’s administrations from 1945 to 1955.
ing (terminal) relationship with the EU and its
Events from 1955 to 1970 including the Suez
place within the wider global political econ-
Crisis and Britain’s first and second applica-
omy more generally.
tions to the European Economic Community
are discussed in the third chapter. With an
introduction to the onset of Britain’s flagging
Scott Lavery
economy in the 1960s, the fourth chapter high-
(University of Sheffield)
lights challenges from 1970 to 1979 of the
© The Author(s) 2016
devolution referendums and policies towards
Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav
the European powers. The year 1979 was
DOI: 10.1177/1478929916666764
journals.sagepub.com/home/psrev
the commencement of Margaret Thatcher’s
administration, who was the first female prime
minister and the longest serving prime minister
Britain and the World Since 1945 by Alasdair
in the twentieth century.
Blair. Abingdon: Routledge, 2015. 208pp., £24.99
This revolutionary period until Thatcher’s
(p/b), ISBN 978-1408248294
resignation in 1990, economic retraction and
European diplomacy are discussed in chapter 5.
Britain has sought to wield influence on a
The sixth chapter covers John Major’s adminis-
global scale for half a millennium, and at its
tration (1990–1997) and events such as the
height in the late nineteenth and early twentieth
post-Cold War world order, the Gulf War and
centuries, its Empire included 25% of the
the European treaties. All the recent develop-
world. Alasdair Blair in Britain and the World
ments from Tony Blair’s triumph to Cameron’s
Since 1945 explicitly narrates and scrutinises
administration, including involvement in the
Britain’s post-war foreign policy that demanded
Middle East as part of the War on...
To continue reading
Request your trial