Ross McKibbin's remarkable study of the way the cultures of class shaped English society has, at a stroke, changed the historiographical landscape. One learns more about almost any aspect of English society by reading this book than one would by reading, for example, A.J.P. Taylor's English History 1914-45 - which makes it indispensable for anyone studying the politics, sociology or history of English society. Only once, while discussing the impact of The Goon Show, does McKibbin's guard slip enough to reveal that, despite his sure touch for the niceties of English society, he is Australian.

LRB 21 May 1998 | PDF Download