Christmas and the British: A Modern History
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published:6th Oct '16
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
An exploration of the social, cultural and economic functions of Christmas in British society since 1914.
The modern Christmas was made by the Victorians and rooted in their belief in commerce, family and religion. Their rituals and traditions persist to the present day but the festival has also been changed by growing affluence, shifting family structures, greater expectations of happiness and material comfort, technological developments and falling religious belief. Christmas became a battleground for arguments over consumerism, holiday entitlements, social obligations, communal behaviour and the influence of church, state and media. Even in private, it encouraged reflection on social change and the march of time. Amongst those unhappy at the state of the world or their own lives, Christmas could induce much cynicism and even loathing but for a quieter majority it was a happy time, a moment of a joy in a sometimes difficult world that made the festival more than just an integral feature of the calendar: Christmas was one of British culture’s emotional high points. Moreover, it was also a testimony to the enduring importance of family, shared values and a common culture in the UK. Martin Johnes shows how Christmas and its traditions have been lived, adapted and thought about in Britain since 1914. Christmas and the British is about the festival's social, cultural and economic functions, and its often forgotten status as both the most unusual and important day of the year
[A] wide-ranging survey of our festive past ... There are many intriguing little examples of how Christmas was different in the past. * Book of the Day, The Guardian *
Full of intriguing fragments ... [and] perceptive on the inherent nostalgia of the celebrations … [Johnes’s] sources are various and doubtless impeccable. * Times Literary Supplement *
This enjoyable academic study of how the British observe Christmas in the modern era (specifically, 1914–2014) begins with the famous truce on the Western Front on Christmas, 1914. That heartwarming episode sets the tone for a generally positive account of the observance of Christmas in Britain. Johnes (history, Swansea Univ., UK) uses an impressive range of primary and secondary sources to illustrate his story. * CHOICE *
Critique: A seminal work of original scholarship, "Christmas and the British: A Modern History" is impressively informed and informative. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Christmas and the British" is enhanced with the inclusion of fifty-six pages of Notes, a fourteen-page Annotated Bibliography of Academic Writing about Christmas, and a nine page Index. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library collections, it should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Christmas and the British" is also available in a paperback edition (9781474255370, $29.95) and in a Kindle format ($13.19). * Midwest Book Review *
A superb piece of social history, full of fascinating detail, that casts new light not just on Christmas, but on the country itself. * Alwyn Turner, author of A Classless Society: Britain in the 1990s *
It proves very hard to resist Martin Johnes’ energy and enthusiasm. Both virtues shine out of a book which most ably introduces the subject and can be read with profit by students and scholars—and by a broader public. * Twentieth Century British History *
Martin Johnes’s Christmas and the British is a fascinating, vivid and beautifully researched history. Drawing on an enormous range of material, from Mass Observation to Jackie annuals, it tells a story of social and cultural change through our changing relationship with this festival. While never losing its scholarly bearings, it also manages to be full of warmth and human interest. * Joe Moran, Liverpool John Moores University, UK *
ISBN: 9781474255370
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 445g
320 pages