Reviews for Englishness and Empire 1939-1965

The average rating for Englishness and Empire 1939-1965 based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-01-17 00:00:00 Christopher Labb This was a very difficult book to give a rating to. Webster undertook a vast amount of research for this book, watching copious amounts of film, newsreel and television material, and it shows. This is mixed in with newspaper reports and archival material to make some very strong arguments, especially given the prevalence of film and television in everyday discourse. However, it is not the most readable of books - at time, it was a struggle. Her style of writing may be described as quite 'academic', although it isn't quite as dry as that might suggest. However, the ideas she puts across throughout are all interesting and well supported, and this makes it a book worth persisting with. My only other gripe is a slight lack of the broader context in which the events and visual material she describes were taking place. How often were cinema-goers watching films about empire compared to other types of films, for example?

Review # 2 was written on 2013-03-12 00:00:00 Patrick S. Crotty A fascinating look at the way war can twist people around. Elizabeth from an upper class English background falls in love with Eric from a hardscrabble Canadian family. The story is told by their daughter who is trying to reconcile the two currents of her background, both pulling on her. Masterfully done.