Richard Vinen

A DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022'A spirited attempt at uncovering the mystery of how Birmingham has managed for so long to stand at the centre of Britain's history without anyone noticing ... This absorbing book shows us how we did it' Observer'Vinen has written a history of Birmingham, but it is also a theory of Birmingham. And also, perhaps, a theory of England.I buy it' Daily TelegraphFor over a century, Birmingham has been the second largest town in England, and central to modern history. 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, full employment and prosperity that began in the 1930s, but which came to a cataclysmic halt in the 1980s. For most of that time, Birmingham has also been a magnet for migration, drawing in people from Wales, Ireland, India, Pakistan and the Caribbean.

Hace poco más de una década el siglo XX parecía más simple. Se basaba en oposiciones tajantes: Oriente y Occidente, capitalismo y comunismo o izquierda y derecha; y sus fronteras eran cronológicas además de geográficas: 1945 era una divisoria entre la violencia y los grandes traumas (el tereno del historiador), por una parte, y, por otra, la estabilidad y la prosperidad ( el del politólogo).

Deeply researched yet highly readable with fresh and often provocative insights DAVID REYNOLDS A vivid and shrewd reckoning setting its assessment in the perspective of today s troubled world PETER CLARKE A compelling dual biography of Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle that shines new light on two of the greatest figures of the twentieth century Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle were thrown together by war They incarnated the resistance of Britain and France to the existential threat from Nazi Germany and their ultimate victory over Hitler has ensured their achievements will never be forgotten But as The Last Titans Churchill and de Gaulle shows that is only a part of a complex story Both men influenced their countries and the world around them long after the war was won There was a paradox in the parallel and intertwined lives of these extraordinary men De Gaulle tall gauche and incorruptible exhibited qualities often associated with the English Churchill short charming witty and a bon vivant resembled the quintessential politician of the French Third Republic Their working relationship was rarely smooth but they appreciated each other s stature de Gaulle said Churchill was the great artist of a great history while

Richard Vinen, profesor del King’s College de Londres, trata de recuperar los acontecimientos de 1968 para la historia, situándolos en un contexto más amplio y analizando lo que quedó de positivo par