The Eclipse of a Great Power

An updated second edition of a book first published in 1983. Originally stopping in 1975, the book now goes through to 1992, and includes the entire span of the Thatcher years, and the emergence of Europe as a central factor on the national agenda. The additional section brings together both an up-to-date assessment of the recent past and continues the enduring themes explored in the century covered in the first edition.

The Eclipse of a Great Power deals with politics, society, economy and culture, with regular "frameworks of events" to provide a clear chronological underpinning for the thematic chapters. It is written in a vigorous and sometimes provocative style, challenging students to think and stimulating them to keep reading.

The new section tackles the input of "Thatcherism" and attempts a balanced assessment of the achievements and failures of the Conservative government. It gives emphasis to the experiments and new directions attempted during this period, but argues that the problems identified in the sections of the first edition are still unresolved.

Readership: Undergraduate students of 19th/20th Century British History and Politics, and useful for any course where a background of Modern British History is required.