Table of Contents
Part I: A period of most wonderful transition (1851-1880) - The Great Exhibition (1851)
Britain in 1851
The Golden Years (1851-70)
Political flux (1851-66)
Reform (1866-75)
Auguries (1873-80)
Part II: A great parting of the waters (1881-1910) - Home to roost (1882-87)
Gladstone at bay (1880-85)
The revolt of the Whigs (1886)
Capital versus labour (1886-95)
Imperialism (1890-1902)
Progress and reaction (1900-10)
Part III: Very great danger (1911-40) - Pre-war crisis (1911-14)
The Great War (1914-1918)
Post-war crisis (1919-21)
Avoiding extremes (1922-31)
Security and empire (1922-35)
Appeasement (1935-40)
Part IV: Brave new world (1940-70) - World War II (1940-1945)
The people's peace (1945)
Labour's revolution (1945-51)
Churchill again (1951-55)
The last paternalists (1955-64)
The Wilson years (1964-70)
Part V: The grain of human nature (1970-90) - The Heath government (1970-74)
The collapse of consensus (1974-79)
Thatcherism (1979)
Counter-attack (1979-90)
Full circle? (1990).