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An Uneasy Inheritance
My Family and Other Radicals
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An Uneasy Inheritance
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
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See moreOne of the most respected, prolific and razor-sharp voices in social commentary uses the prism of her extraordinary family to examine the true state of class in Britain.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
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Description
Chosen as a 2023 non-fiction highlight in the Guardian, Financial Times, New Statesman, The Tablet and Irish Times
While for generations Polly Toynbee's ancestors have been committed left-wing rabble-rousers railing against injustice, they could never claim to be working class, settling instead for the prosperous life of academia or journalism enjoyed by their own forebears. So where does that leave their ideals of class equality?
Through a colourful, entertaining examination of her own family—which, in addition to her writer father Philip and her historian grandfather Arnold, contains everyone from the Glenconners to Jessica Mitford to Bertrand Russell, and features ancestral home Castle Howard as a backdrop—Toynbee explores the myth of mobility, the guilt of privilege, and asks for a truly honest conversation about class in Britain.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
An Uneasy Inheritance is praised as an entertaining and surprisingly enjoyable memoir that blends compelling personal stories with social analysis. Reviewers note its vivid, often hilarious anecdotes, combined with themes of love, forgiveness, and understanding. The book is appreciated for highlighting the necessity for social change, marked by its compassion, humour, and an elegiac tone, while being described as enthralling, honest, and funny. It is seen as an irresistible British class comedy, echoing Evelyn Waugh’s style, offering both delight and education to Toynbee's audience.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781838958350
Publisher: Atlantic Books
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 01 June 2023
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Atlantic Books
Edition: Main
Illustration: Integrated B&W images throughout
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 31.0mm
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 676g
Pages: 448
About the Author
Polly Toynbee is a journalist, author and broadcaster. A Guardian columnist and broadcaster, she was formerly the BBC's social affairs editor. She has written for the Observer, the Independent and Radio Times and been an editor at the Washington Monthly. She has won numerous awards including a National Press Award and the Orwell Prize for Journalism.
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