English Culture and the Decline of the Industrial Spirit, 1850–1980

by Martin J. Wiener

England was the world's first great industrial nation yet, paradoxically, the English have never been comfortable with industrialism. Drawing on a wide array of sources, Martin Wiener explores the English ambivalence towards modern industrial society. His work reveals a pervasive middle- and upper-class frame of mind hostile to industrialism and economic growth. From the middle of the nineteenth century to the present, this hostility shaped a broad spectrum of cultural expression, including literature, journalism, and architecture, as well as social, historical and economic thought. In this new edition Wiener reflects on the original debate surrounding his work and examines the historiography of the past twenty years.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Economics, Cultural, British Literature

236 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 1981

About the author

Martin Joel Weiner is Mary Gibbs Jones Professor and Research Professor at Rice University.

Reviews

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

English Culture and the Decline of the Industrial Spirit, 1850-1980 examines how the English middle- and upper-class culture affected England's economic development during the period of 1850-1980. Wiener argues that England was "embarrassed" by its industrial success and strove to omit industrialism from its sense of Englishness, preferring instead to focus on notions of "stability, tranquility, closeness to past and nonmaterialism" (5-6). Wiener departs from the traditional literature by viewing the Industrial Revolution in both economic and social terms. He sees the issues as intertwined and inextricable. Furthermore, he argues that the 20th century consequences of the 19th century's "peaceful modification" was a culture of anti-modern sentiments.

[A.E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly wonderful, anti-marxist account of how cultural attitudes shaped the base of English society.

[Nico Macdonald]

Recommended by Peter York.