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No Such Thing as Society
A History of Britain in the 1980s
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Narrated by:
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David Holt
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By:
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Andy McSmith
About this listen
The 1980s was the revolutionary decade of the 20th century. From the Falklands war and the miners' strike to Bobby Sands and the Guildford Four, from Diana and the New Romantics to Live Aid and the 'big bang', from the Rubik's cube to the ZX Spectrum, McSmith's brilliant narrative account uncovers the truth behind the decade that changed Britain forever - politically, economically and culturally.
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What listeners say about No Such Thing as Society
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Kate Rendham
- 08-10-15
Fascinating review ofBritain in the 80's
The book covers many topics about
The life of the British people from race riots, politics , cost of living , poor vs the rich, music, pop stars etc. well written With an excellent narrator
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- Krystle. Humphrey
- 02-15-23
As an American born in the 80s…
I’ve always been fascinated by British culture during this time. I love the music, The Specials, The Clash and the politics behind it. I’m fascinated by the trade union movement, and by how different our world could be if Thatcher (and Reagan) has never been…. Good book
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Performance
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- Lord Emsworth
- 02-01-16
Unsympathetic to Mrs Thatcher.
Would you listen to No Such Thing as Society again? Why?
Perhaps. There was a lot in there.
What was one of the most memorable moments of No Such Thing as Society?
When Sir Geoffrey Howe, a man memorably compared to a sheep, sat through a public tongue lashing and humiliation from Thatcher, and then walked out in a remarkably memorable manner, setting up Thatcher for the coup de grace.
Which character – as performed by David Holt – was your favorite?
They were interesting, but one dimensional. This is a history, not a novel. If pressed to choose, I'd say Michael Heseltine or Nigel Lawson held tremendous potential, but theirrole was limited to the narrative.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The destruction of ancient mining and industrial communities. A development that we are only beginning to come to appreciate the full implications of.
Any additional comments?
Despite the impression the above comments might give, as a child of the 1980s, I enjoyed this book - a touch of Adrian Mole, with just a sprinkling of William Shirer or Gibbons. I had it in my wishlist for 3 years and am glad I finally listened to it.
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1 person found this helpful