The Times Best Politics and Current Affairs Books of the Year

An entertaining and revealing history of modern British politics from Steve Richards, broadcaster, journalist, and author of The Prime Ministers We Never Had.

Every few weeks in British politics, a columnist will reach for the word ‘unprecedented’ as a cabinet minister resigns or yet another inquiry is called. We have become so accustomed to turmoil that it is impossible to take a breath and see where we are headed. In this magisterial history, respected broadcaster and journalist Steve Richards puts the recent chaos into context and takes a step back to explore ten critical moments that have shaped modern Britain.

From the Suez Crisis of 1956 to the Covid-19 pandemic, from 1945 to Thatcher, Richards argues that it is only with distance that we can perceive the tectonic plates shifting – and events that may seem earth-shattering in the moment might be a passing tremor with the perspective of history.

With his trademark insight, forged over several decades as one of the UK’s foremost political commentators, Richards blends anecdote and analysis to explore the biggest events in British political history. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand our nation, this landmark work is enlightening and entertaining in equal measure.

'Through wonderful vignettes, Richards offers a masterful, clear-eyed and, above all, entertaining history of British politics' – Will Hutton, Observer columnist

'An engaging canter through postwar Britain . . . shaped by a lifetime of reading' – Prospect