Enoch Powell remains the single most controversial politician in modern British history. Yet more than half a century after his most incendiary speech, his influence is arguably greater than ever. In this splendidly learned, astute and provocative study, Paul Corthorn invites us to look more closely at what Powell said and believed. With scrupulous care and attention to detail, he examines the roots and legacy of Powell's ideas, both placing him in his historical context and exploring his afterlives in British politics. Mercifully free from academic jargon and armchair moralising, this is a gripping and colourful read and a model of historical scholarship.
Paul Corthorn is Senior Lecturer in Modern British History at Queen's University Belfast. He has published widely on twentieth century British political history, including In the Shadow of the Dictators: The British Left in the 1930s (2006) and The British Labour Party and the Wider World: Domestic Politics, Internationalism and Foreign Policy (2008), co-edited with Jonathan Davis. He lives in Belfast with his family.