"Britain, "although" "not the first Mass Observation title, was
the one that made its name. Britain was published as Penguin
Special and is reported as selling over 100, 000 in ten days. It
was published in January 1939, and seventy years on "Faber Finds"
are reissuing it.
""
""The aim of Mass Observation was to create 'an anthropology of
ourselves', to provide a study of everyday lives of ordinary people
in Britain. In this book, arranged and written by Tom Harrisson and
Charles Madge (two of the founders of Mass Observation) the
notorious year of 1938 is anatomized. It was the year of Munich.
The first half of the book deals with the unfolding crisis,
culminating with Neville Chamberlain waving his scrap of paper, the
agreement with Hitler, from No. 10 Downing Street. A Mass
Observation observer was there. The Press gave wildly misleading
impressions of the turn-out. In fact the crowd was under 5000. As
the commentary tartly observes, 'No second division football club
could survive on a Chamberlain gate.' A bleakly comic moment is
recorded, 'P. M. stretches out his arm for silence. Several in
crowd appear to take this as a Fascist salute and stretch forth
their arms likewise.'
""
""Other chapters deal with the dance craze 'The Lambeth Walk',
all-in wrestling, the cow's-head cult of Westhoughton (the chapter
is aptly entitled "A Slight Case of Totemism") and the Two Minutes'
Silence on Armistice Day.
As the Times said then, ' . . . With these anthropological spies
among us one wonders how statesmen and journalists will ever again
dare to speak and write on behalf of ''the people''. For here are
''the people''.
General
Imprint: |
Faber and Faber
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Series: |
Mass Observation social surveys |
Release date: |
March 2009 |
First published: |
March 2009 |
Authors: |
Mass Observation
|
Dimensions: |
198 x 126 x 18mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
246 |
Edition: |
Main |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-571-25031-8 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
History >
General
Books >
History >
General
|
LSN: |
0-571-25031-9 |
Barcode: |
9780571250318 |
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