Hope of Glory: From Night to Day

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The days That Made Britain". The implied 'great', hanging just off the tip of the tongue and edge of the page, begs the question it asks, and sets the tone for the whole book. May 28, Penny rated it it was amazing. I loved this book! It has made me want to go to so many places, and had reminded me of events I have lived through and many I haven't looked at from a different perspective. Stuart Maconie is an engaging writer and the musical references littered through the book make the reading more appealing. A recommended read for anyone interested in a lighter look at British history and as a first step into researching deeper.

May 12, Vicki Turner rated it really liked it. For my money, Stuart Maconie is one of the finest broadcasters of his generation. He is also an insightful and entertaining writer. His discussions on the rise of New Labour and Liveaid are spot on. I am not a football fan but did as I was bid and read the chapter of the World Cup. It was my favourite of the whole book. As with Maconie's other titles, his voice, in all its Lancastrian glory, rings clear and true. Apr 13, Mark Underwood rated it it was amazing. Stuart Maconie is, for me, our best travel writer. And this is, in my humble opinion, his finest work.

Every place was vividly coloured with some great and not always well known history. It made me want to get into my car and go to all of the places to soak up the atmosphere Jun 10, Tony rated it really liked it. Everything a book should be, it makes you think, question yourself and others, look around you and think about the past, and the future. A tiny bit preachy at times, but Maconie has such a light touch as a writer that I'll forgive him even that. Apr 08, Mark Allen rated it it was amazing. I was never sure about Stuart Maconie before I read this book.

On the odd occasion I have caught his radio shows usually with Mark Radcliffe I have found them entertaining. On the other hand I always find his talking head appearances on nostalgia shows slightly arrogant and sarcastic. Journalists from the golden age of pop journalism really care about music and I'm with them when they talk about the manipulation of pop by dinosaurs and the how they tried to suppress anything that might have se I was never sure about Stuart Maconie before I read this book.

Journalists from the golden age of pop journalism really care about music and I'm with them when they talk about the manipulation of pop by dinosaurs and the how they tried to suppress anything that might have sent the poor youth wayward and disturbed the establishment. On the other hand, those same journalists were giving us their view of alternative music - there aren't many journalists who write a piece from a purely objective viewpoint.

This book is no different and it has put me firmly on Maconie's side. I'm a definite liker of the chap now. Let's get it out of the way - I'm a bit of a leftie and reading a social history of Britain from someone who leans the same way was never going to see me disagree much. One chapter alone made me think "hmmm, not sure about that" but otherwise I was with Stuart all the way.

Maconie looks at the 20th century in Britain by focussing on one event in each decade. Like most of these books it says it's about Britain but it's mostly about England. However, this is about the people - the majority. Many not all of the issues discussed will affect people from anywhere geographically as this mostly focuses on social positions and that awful word class.

When considering the impact of the first large wave of immigration it is obvious that London and other English cities would have a larger focus but there are interesting diversions to Thetford, Kings Lynn and elsewhere. The s focuses on the Coronation and the ascent of Everest that officially, but not actually happened on the same day but contains fascinating visits to Snowdon, my neighbourhood of Kinder Scout and the Lake District.

The Lake District also features heavily in the early chapter about the first world war where Maconie visits one of the very few and I do mean very few, we are talking double figures parishes in the whole of Britain that suffered no casualties in the Great War. And this is the absolute joy of the book. The historical core is fascinating, as it should be, but Maconie also describes with intimate detail his journeys and stays in many British towns. Small towns, towns that you will have heard of but have never visited - Maconie doesn't just visit them, he lives them.

If you went to Holmfirth, you wouldn't learn half as much as Maconie who just notices stuff. Small stuff, menial stuff, but he notices and learns so much about a place. Of course, throughout the book there are pop culture references. As you would expect from an ex-punk I wonder if he would dispute the 'ex'? Maconie is a nostalgist as well as a modern thinker - and in a good way.

Most people who wallow in nostalgia seem to take the view that everything was better in the olden days, but Maconie is happy to say "remember when It's the focus of Live Aid in as the day when celebrity was born. Don't get me wrong, I know it was pivotal and a huge moment but I'm not convinced it was the birth of celebrity status.

Maybe it hurried things up but I don't think it was as definite as that. But that's the only moment in the book that I'm not sure about - that doesn't happen very often. The quotes on the back of my copy are quotes I fully agree with. Anyone who says it is dangerously left wing is wrong, it counteracts the version of history you might have read and this book is the truth you probably already knew, whatever position in society you sit. It doesn't just make me want to read it over and over again, it makes me want to get on a train and just live.

Dec 12, Vermillion rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: I'm a big fan of Stuart Maconie's radio presenting style and his wit translates perfectly to the printed page.

His honest, genuine warmth, wit and experience is present in every page. There's a little light political opinion in there but it's subtle, and not too brow beating. There's just enough history, little known facts, humour and travel writing to satisfy the reader. I would definitely read any of his other books and shall do so at the earliest possible opportunity.

Mar 04, Sarah Keig rated it it was amazing. I enjoyed reading this, but not quite as much as Pies and Prejudice or Cider with Roadies. I think the broader subject matter makes it feel a little more patchy and less cohesive, although it was well-written and full of interesting bits and bobs throughout. Jun 25, Ian rated it really liked it.

Glory in the Darkest Place

Maconie goes in depth on a few of the highlights of recent english cultural history! Maconie is a great writer and i have enjoyed all his books so far! Mar 05, SarahK rated it really liked it Shelves: Really enjoyable and interesting take on telling the history of the UK - a bit meandering in places but I really liked it and learnt a lot from it. Sep 10, Nigel rated it really liked it. I do like Stuart Maconie's writing. The premise of this book is that he picks a major event in each of the decades of the 20th century. He then explores the events themselves, the background to them and also expands on them to describe how they have influenced what Britain is today.

All of Maconie's writing is entertaining. He brings to life and makes very interesting places all over the UK that the average person would not give a second thought to. He loves museums and always makes them sound in I do like Stuart Maconie's writing. He loves museums and always makes them sound interesting. The book is littered with all sorts of little known to me at least facts eg who the Empire Windrush was initially built for, who Penny Lane in Liverpool was named after.

The book is also quite political, more so I think than any of his previous books. Maconie is definitely left leaning, so most of the events he describes are presented through that prism which on the whole is fine. It does though in some instances present a very one sided view of some subjects.

For example there is a chapter about immigration entitled "Rivers of Blood" and it is centred on Enoch Powell's infamous speech in Birmingham. It makes no mention though of the organised opposition to and discrimination against immigrants in the s by the Trades Unions and their cohorts. He also regularly makes fun of people of other persuasions to himself eg regularly creating caricatures, who eat fancy foreign or nouvelle cuisine dishes and then he visits a pub himself where he orders, enjoys and praises the same type of food himself.

Hope & Glory: The Days That Made Britain

The other thing I cannot help noticing, and Maconie is not the only author to do this, is that things are often analysed by "class". This is something the left is obsessed by and it does, for me at least, become very tedious. However as the book, and therefore the century, progresses, I did notice a reduction in these references. Perhaps an indication that the author acknowledges that we are more of a classless society now. In the last chapter he provides an excellent summary of our politicians from the last fifteen years previous government and present and what is wrong with them, especially when compared with those of the previos 30 years that preceded them.

He also gives an excellent analysis, for those who are interested, of Premier League Football in England, what is great about it, what is bad about it, why it is so popular. Although I've mainly focused above on the things that irritated me slightly about this book, I really did enjoy it. Maconie writes enjoyable, interesting books and deserves a much wider audience. Jan 22, Joe O'Donnell rated it liked it Shelves: Part-historical narrative, part-travelogue, 1CHope and Glory 1D is an endeavour by broadcaster and writer Stuart Maconie to map the most significant political and cultural events that shaped Britain throughout the 20th Century.

The author creates an overview of British history by taking ten pivotal occasions from each decade of the last century, from the death of Queen Victoria and World War I, to the conquest of Everest, through the rise of punk rock to the defeat of the miners 19 strike and on Part-historical narrative, part-travelogue, 1CHope and Glory 1D is an endeavour by broadcaster and writer Stuart Maconie to map the most significant political and cultural events that shaped Britain throughout the 20th Century.

The author creates an overview of British history by taking ten pivotal occasions from each decade of the last century, from the death of Queen Victoria and World War I, to the conquest of Everest, through the rise of punk rock to the defeat of the miners 19 strike and on to Live Aid.

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Throughout 1CHope and Glory 1D, Maconie draws fascinating parallels and makes quirky connections; for example, using the Sex Pistols as the starting point for a meditation on the British monarchy, and taking Live Aid as the starting point to discuss the changing nature of celebrity. As any fan of Maconie 19s previous publications would expect, 1CHope and Glory 1D is brimming with wry wit and penetrating insights on popular culture. Maconie is at his best when he drops any pretence of impartiality, particularly in his forceful, sorrowful account of the miners 19 strike, but also in his description of how the Tony Blair-led New Labour landslide ushered in an era of spin and micro-management that hollowed out British politics.

The author is also excellent at capturing the dysfunction and fevered paranoia of s Britain, and at depicting the true horror and waste of human life at the Battle of the Somme. The book is not, unfortunately, without some flaws. I found the chapter which goes over the well-trodden ground of the World cup to be much less illuminating than the rest of the book. The tome might also have benefitted from a more in-depth look at the how Britain 19s relationship with Ireland evolved throughout the 20th century.

Scotland and Wales also get scant mentions, so perhaps the book could be accused of being a tad England-centric. But these criticisms should not detract from an intelligent, passionate, elegantly-written work. But there is much in this book for devotees of both British political history and travel writing to savour.

Sep 21, Laura rated it did not like it. Intended as an irreverent take on British history, Hope and Glory is unfunny, unfocused and largely uninteresting. The author attempts to put a fresh spin on well-known historical events by visiting the places they took place many decades later.

Land of Hope and Glory

This approach should provide a quirky contrast and perhaps even provide a bit of insight into how the passage of time renders even the most monumental events forgettable. Instead, this approach leads mostly to failed attempts at humour, dated pop culture Intended as an irreverent take on British history, Hope and Glory is unfunny, unfocused and largely uninteresting. Instead, this approach leads mostly to failed attempts at humour, dated pop culture references and random derisive comments about passers-by.

Indeed, far from being a history book with a few jokes thrown in to liven up some potentially dry subjects, this book is primarily nonsensical fluff with the occasional historical fact thrown in. The endless pop culture references are particularly alienating because they are so specific to British culture. This book is most definitely not something just anyone can pick up and enjoy- if you aren't well versed in British culture, it's bewilderingly inaccessible.

I very much suggest you read a sample before committing to this book. If they are to your taste, good luck to you. If they aren't, then avoid this book because it becomes very tedious very quickly. Oct 17, Rosario http: The premise of Hope and Glory is Maconie setting up to explore the places and people related to events that made Britain into what it is today, one for each decade of the 20th century.

He visits the spot where each of those significant events took place, and tells us about it all, with a generous helping of his own views and opinions in the commentary. It was an entertaining, enjoyable book to read. I liked the premise, but I wasn't so wedded to it that I minded the frequent detours, especially The premise of Hope and Glory is Maconie setting up to explore the places and people related to events that made Britain into what it is today, one for each decade of the 20th century.

I liked the premise, but I wasn't so wedded to it that I minded the frequent detours, especially since they were interesting in themselves. I really enjoy Maconie's writing and humour, and since we're kind of on the same side politically, his inclusion of so many of his own opinions didn't annoy me in the least. An added bonus was that quite a few of the subjects he covers I didn't know all that much about -for instance, this was the first place I ever heard of Enoch Powell's "Rivers of Blood" speech well, it's not the first thing people tell you about when you've just emmigrated to this country!

Reading about them here sparked off a bit of further research, which I enjoyed as well.

View all 6 comments. Jun 05, Ian rated it liked it Shelves: Part history, part travelogue, Hope and Glory takes a major event in British life from each decade of the 20th century and visits some of the locations associated with it. Over the years I've used the movie to bring to life the very points that Anna Freud makes in her diaries of the "War Nurseries" she ran in Hampstead.

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While the movie is always entertaining, it nevertheless shows the effects on kids and families of life at home during a war: The film is wonderfully English, with customary attention to period detail, and a great collection of eccentric and memorable secondary characters. You've just got to see the geography lesson, featuring a middle-aged martinet school-marm who whacks away at a world map, using her pointer to punctuate her lesson on the vastness of England's pre-war empire.

I have seen this movie on video, and can say that it translates well to the small screen. In fact it was created for British TV. And don't tell anyone--You'll learn something, too. Start your free trial. Find showtimes, watch trailers, browse photos, track your Watchlist and rate your favorite movies and TV shows on your phone or tablet! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Full Cast and Crew. For a young boy, this time in history was Best UK Post War to 's.

Share this Rating Title: Hope and Glory 7. Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 5 Oscars. Edit Cast Cast overview, first billed only: Grandfather George Annie Leon

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