English culture and the decline of the industrial spirit, 1850-1980

About this book

"England was the world's first great industrial nation. Yet the English have never been comfortable with industrialism. Drawing upon a wide array of sources, Martin Wiener explores the English ambivalence to modern industrial society. His work reveals a pervasive middle- and upper-class frame of mind hostile to industrialism and economic growth. From the middle of the nineteenth century to the present, this frame of mind shaped a broad spectrum of cultural expression, including literature, journalism, and architecture, as well as social, historical, and economic thought." "Now in a new edition, Wiener reflects on the original debate surrounding the work and examines the historiography of the last twenty years. With reference to a broad range of people and ideas, this book will be of interest to all readers who wish to understand the development - and predicament - of modern England."--BOOK JACKET.