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Life & Times
Bevan: Creator of the NHS
An accessible, concise biography about Aneurin “Nye” Bevan, the man and politician behind the creation of the UK National Health Service.
The creation of the National Health Service was the most significant of the many reforms of the post-war Labour government in the UK. The man responsible was Aneurin “Nye” Bevan. The son of a Welsh miner, he became a local trade union leader at only nineteen. In 1929, he was elected as a Labour MP. Bevan believed the war was Britain’s opportunity to create a new society, a position he maintained throughout the conflict. When the war ended in 1945, the landslide Labour victory gave him the chance to make this vision a reality. Known for his impassioned oratory, Bevan’s fundamental belief that the new NHS should be freely available to all was ultimately at odds with a government struggling to balance the books. He resigned in 1951 over the introduction of charges for prescriptions and glasses. With the NHS requiring an ever-increasing share of national income, this updated edition considers Bevan’s legacy as the future of the health service he created is fought over as never before.
The creation of the National Health Service was the most significant of the many reforms of the post-war Labour government in the UK. The man responsible was Aneurin “Nye” Bevan. The son of a Welsh miner, he became a local trade union leader at only nineteen. In 1929, he was elected as a Labour MP. Bevan believed the war was Britain’s opportunity to create a new society, a position he maintained throughout the conflict. When the war ended in 1945, the landslide Labour victory gave him the chance to make this vision a reality. Known for his impassioned oratory, Bevan’s fundamental belief that the new NHS should be freely available to all was ultimately at odds with a government struggling to balance the books. He resigned in 1951 over the introduction of charges for prescriptions and glasses. With the NHS requiring an ever-increasing share of national income, this updated edition considers Bevan’s legacy as the future of the health service he created is fought over as never before.
202 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 18, 2015
Five stars for the life and three for the biographer.
June 22, 2024
Written in 2004 with a second edition in 2024. It will be appreciated by many who watched “Nye” at the National Theatre or associated cinema screenings. Bevan has always been one of my heroes, for his creation of the NHS and post WWII council housing.
I do wonder though whether these words were written for the 2004 or 2024 edition.
“Today it is difficult to imagine a Britain in which it is impossible to have hospital treatment…The illnesses caused by squalor, malnutrition and dirt are no longer common. It is assumed that most people…will have a roof over their head and adequate health care.”
I do wonder though whether these words were written for the 2004 or 2024 edition.
“Today it is difficult to imagine a Britain in which it is impossible to have hospital treatment…The illnesses caused by squalor, malnutrition and dirt are no longer common. It is assumed that most people…will have a roof over their head and adequate health care.”
May 9, 2024
what a man!
April 8, 2018
Well-written and balanced, avoids falling into the 'hero worship' trap that many biographies can.
April 28, 2025
Quality of the writing isn’t great and leans heavily on a few other accounts which are probably more worth reading.
Doesn’t take away from the man himself, who changed this country for the better massively
Doesn’t take away from the man himself, who changed this country for the better massively
June 17, 2015
A brief, comprehensive and fair-minded overview of possibly Britain's greatest socialist, with a good selection of photographs throughout to illustrate.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews