What do you think?
Rate this book
Democracy: The Long Revolution
Britain is the traditional land of dissent, of dissent not only in its religious connotation but of dissent itself." John Strachey This accessible yet authoritative collection of essays chronicles the history of dissent in the British Isles, from Magna Carta to the present day. The contributors - all specialists in their field - cover such milestones as the age of revolution, industrialisation and the foundation of the Labour Party. Tony Benn contributes a powerful, final extended chapter arguing that "we are light years away from being a true democracy.
Hardcover
First published August 6, 2007
2 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 9, 2016
This was a surprisingly interesting book on the development of democracy in the UK, picked up by chance in a bookshop of remainders. It has relevance for western democracy in general, notwithstanding it being published in 2007..
The Long Revolution is a reference to the work of the distinguished sociologist Raymond Williams. He and R.H. Tawney get a mention in several chapters, which are organised in chronological order, with a different contributor to each chapter. British history is a personal interest and I learned something new about the purpose of the Domesday Book, Magna Carta, various popular revolts and that the Putney Debates of 1647, significant in 17th century studies were really not known about until the turn of the last century, which means that they were of minor influence, perhaps none at all, except for those who were there.
Space is given to the development of the British Labour Party, which has origins and structure that varies from the Australian Labor Party ( an older institution) much more than I thought, reflecting different cultures and location. The post WWII nationalisation of various industries is depicted as run by rigid people with little imagination and the European Community features extensively towards the end. A chapter deals with the suffragette movement and feminism as well as issues of the franchise in general. There's a theme of the elites (who change over the centuries from lords to corporations etc) defending themselves against the people.
The final chapters deal with the future of democracy in a neo-liberal world, in which the Blair-Brown governments are heavily criticised for both changing how the Labour Party itself operated in and out of government to policies and practices, national and international.
In so doing, it brings forth contemporary issues that have arisen because of the recent Brexit vote, the Chilcot report on Tony Blair's decision to go to war in Iraq and its aftermath, against strident opposition from the people, the demonising of those out of work, immigrants and so forth and the decline in engagement with the electoral system as a response to the experience of decisions being made elsewhere.
So this is an excellent book to reflect on the current situation: the recent election in Australia, what might happen in and with the UK, political decisionmaking as a whole, the US elections, marginalisation of minority groups etc. The authors are people of standing and it was particularly good to encounter William Lamont on the 17th Century several decades after I first read him. This book takes a particular perspective, but is well-written, not a polemic, and food for thought.
The Long Revolution is a reference to the work of the distinguished sociologist Raymond Williams. He and R.H. Tawney get a mention in several chapters, which are organised in chronological order, with a different contributor to each chapter. British history is a personal interest and I learned something new about the purpose of the Domesday Book, Magna Carta, various popular revolts and that the Putney Debates of 1647, significant in 17th century studies were really not known about until the turn of the last century, which means that they were of minor influence, perhaps none at all, except for those who were there.
Space is given to the development of the British Labour Party, which has origins and structure that varies from the Australian Labor Party ( an older institution) much more than I thought, reflecting different cultures and location. The post WWII nationalisation of various industries is depicted as run by rigid people with little imagination and the European Community features extensively towards the end. A chapter deals with the suffragette movement and feminism as well as issues of the franchise in general. There's a theme of the elites (who change over the centuries from lords to corporations etc) defending themselves against the people.
The final chapters deal with the future of democracy in a neo-liberal world, in which the Blair-Brown governments are heavily criticised for both changing how the Labour Party itself operated in and out of government to policies and practices, national and international.
In so doing, it brings forth contemporary issues that have arisen because of the recent Brexit vote, the Chilcot report on Tony Blair's decision to go to war in Iraq and its aftermath, against strident opposition from the people, the demonising of those out of work, immigrants and so forth and the decline in engagement with the electoral system as a response to the experience of decisions being made elsewhere.
So this is an excellent book to reflect on the current situation: the recent election in Australia, what might happen in and with the UK, political decisionmaking as a whole, the US elections, marginalisation of minority groups etc. The authors are people of standing and it was particularly good to encounter William Lamont on the 17th Century several decades after I first read him. This book takes a particular perspective, but is well-written, not a polemic, and food for thought.
Displaying 1 of 1 review