A Companion to Contemporary Britain covers the key themes and debates of 20th-century history from the outbreak of the Second World War to the end of the century.

• Assesses the impact of the Second World War
  
• Looks at Britain's role in the wider world, including the legacy of Empire, Britain's 'special relationship' with the United States, and integration with continental Europe
  
• Explores cultural issues, such as class consciousness, immigration and race relations, changing gender roles, and the impact of the mass media
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Is it right for historians to serve as 'expert witnesses' to past events? Since the end of the Cold War, a series of heated and politicised debates across Europe have questioned the 'truth' about painful episodes in the twentieth century. From the Holocaust to Srebrenica, inquiries and fact-finding commissions have become a common device employed by governments to deal with the pressure of public opinion. State-sponsored programmes of education and research attempt to encourage a common moral understanding of the lessons we learn from these painful memories. Contemporary historians have...

This groundbreaking collection of essays challenges the notion that early postwar Britain was characterised by a consensus between the major political parties arising out of the experiences of the wartime coalition government. The volume collects for the first time the views of the revisionist historians who argue that fundamental differences between and within the parties continued to characterise British politics after 1945. Covering topics as diverse as industrial relations and decolonisation, the volume provides a welcome contrast to orthodox interpretations of contemporary Britain.