Understanding the UK’s snap election and Theresa May’s major miscalculation

Most British party leaders would be happy to win 42.4 percent of the votes cast, a million clear of the next party on 40 percent, and 160,000 votes more than Tony Blair won in 1997. They would be happy to have about eight percent more seats than the next party. They would be delighted to see the apparently inexorable tide of separatism in Scotland, after England the most populous part of the United Kingdom, hit hard by far heavier than anticipated losses by the Scottish National Party.

Well no. This is a defeat for expectations…….

Read the full article by Jeremy on the FPRI website.

 

A History of Britain: 1945 to Brexit

history-britainIn 2016, Britain stunned itself and the world by voting to pull out of the European Union, leaving financial markets reeling and global politicians and citizens in shock. But was Brexit really a surprise, or are there clues in Britain’s history that pointed to this
moment? In A History of Britain: 1945 to the Brexit, award-winning historian Jeremy Black reexamines modern British history, considering the social changes, economic strains, and cultural and political upheavals that brought Britain to Brexit. This
sweeping and engaging book traces Britain’s path through the destruction left behind by World War II, Thatcherism, the threats of the IRA, the Scottish referendum, and on to the impact of waves of immigration from the European Union. Black overturns many conventional interpretations of significant historical events, provides context for current developments, and encourages the reader to question why we think the way we do about Britain’s past.

“Jeremy Black is a superlative guide to modern British history. He combines a wonderful narrative style with unimpeachable intellectual authority. if anyone wants to understand how our country has developed over the last seventy years there is no better volume than this.”
Michael Gove, MP

“Throughout this volume, Professor Black demonstrates an enviable ability to communicate the most complex events incisively and economically—whether analyzing the Northern Irish ‘Troubles’ in a few pages, or the Miners’ Strike in a few paragraphs. With masterly command of detail, he builds a picture of change and continuity
which makes the outcome of Britain’s Brexit referendum much easier to comprehend.”
Julian Lewis, MP and Chairman, House of Commons Defense Committee

A History of Britain is published by Indiana University Press in August 2017.
30% discount when you order using code CSF17AHOB

Order online at www.combinedacademic.co.uk

Review of the World of James Bond

“Black, a British military historian, considers James Bond’s various print and screen incarnations and the villains he has fought over the years from a historical perspective.

…His survey, which includes a brief piece on how Trump’s America might influence the franchise, serves as a thoughtful and uniquely positioned consideration of shifting cultural currents over the last seven decades.

Read the full review in Publishers Weekly.

Radio interview on “The World of James Bond”

Originally posted by ABC Radio, Australia:

“Dust off your tux, get out the martini glasses and gas up your Aston Martin.

We’re diving into the universe filled with espionage and intrigue, created by Ian Fleming in the mid-twentieth century.

The world’s foremost 007 expert, Professor Jeremy Black, joins ABC Overnights to explain the history of the character and how he’s shaped by the world around him.”

Listen here >>

Duration: 45min 50sec

Broadcast: Sat 20 May 2017, 2:00am
Published: Sat 20 May 2017, 5:56am