This volume presents biographies, written by academics and journalists, of the leading figures in the history of the Labour Party since World War II. The biographies assess the personalities and political careers of key figures who reached the senior ranks in Labour politics but never became party leaders. There are studies of: charismatic left-wingers such as Nye Bevan and Tony Benn; pillars of the movement such as Ernie Bevin; senior and highly successful ministers like Denis Healey and Roy Jenkins; leading intellectuals and writers like Anthony Crosland and Michael Foot; and, arguably, the most important woman in Labour history - Barbara Castle. The biographies are set against a background of turbulent Labour history from the landslide victory of 1945 and the years of Labour achievement under Atlee, through the Wilson years - now beginning to enjoy some rehabilitation - via the "unelectability" and near-eclipse of the later 1970s and 1980s, to the triumph of new Labour in 1997. The book focuses on the impact of each individual on Labour's fortunes, their successes and failures, their legacy and place in the history of the Labour movement and of modern Britain.

In 1945 the Labour Government set about a major transformation of British society, Dr Jefferys's analyses the main changes and relates them to debates within the Labour party, on the nature of its aims and how best to achieve them.

Fred Perry, three-time Wimbledon champion in the 1930s, was one of Britain's greatest sportsmen of the 20th century. His success on the hallowed Wimbledon turf went unmatched by a British man for a remarkable 77 years, until Andy Murray's triumph in 2013. Perry was the first player to hold all four Grand Slam titles, and he also played a pivotal role in Great Britain's domination of the Davis Cup in the mid-1930s. Despite his status as a global sports celebrity, Perry was criticised for his ruthless desire to win and was frequently at odds with the amateur tennis authorities of the day. In this revealing biography, award-winning historian Kevin Jefferys examines afresh the life and career of Britain's most successful tennis star. The author shows how good fortune as well as tremendous talent aided Perry's meteoric rise to the top; traces his frosty relationship with the British tennis establishment, which continued after he turned professional in 1936; and considers Perry's place among the true legends of the sport.

Wimbledon has long stood at the pinnacle of British and world tennis. But, as Kevin Jefferys shows in this ground-breaking new study, Britain has a rich history of international standard play beyond SW19, in top-level tournaments and Davis Cup competitions at iconic venues such as Queen's Club, Eastbourne and Edgbaston. The book traces the fluctuating fortunes of a dozen or so tournaments that have brought the world's finest players to English shores during the 140-year history of lawn tennis. Taking a tour around different regions of the country, the author sheds fresh light on the best-known events and on largely forgotten but once high-profile tournaments held in Bristol, Torquay and Scarborough. Both a record and a celebration of England's tennis heritage, the book is packed with stories about memorable players and matches, full results for singles finals and anecdotes about quirky or controversial incidents, ranging from the courtside fire that halted a tournament final to the anti-apartheid protests that disrupted a Davis Cup tie.

The Labour governments of 1945-1951 were amongst the most formative in modern British history. Under the leadership of Clement Attlee, the Labour administration which came to power at the end of World War II presided over major changes both at home and abroad.

Sport has a huge social and cultural significance in contemporary Britain. This insightful study provides the first exploration of the causes and consequences of the increased interaction between sport and the state since 1945. Kevin Jefferys sets policy towards sport within the evolving socio-political context of post-war Britain and balances an appreciation of continuity and change from the 'austerity Games' of 1948 through to the multi-billion pound extravaganza of the London 2012 Olympics. Ideal for students, historians, social scientists and sport enthusiasts alike, Sport and Politics in Modern Britain provides the fullest assessment yet of this important topic, bringing sport sharply into focus as a contested domain in public and political debate.

Britain's tennis players are often regarded as gallant losers and also-rans. There was a painful 76-year gap between the grand slam triumphs of Fred Perry and Andy Murray, and most Brits perennially fail to progress beyond the early rounds at Wimbledon. But in this first detailed account of Britain's place in world tennis from the Victorian period to the present day, historian Kevin Jefferys shows that British players have a surprisingly strong record. He traces the fluctuations in the nation's tennis fortunes - with barren spells counterbalanced by periods of ascendancy - and looks beyond the domestic obsession with Wimbledon to highlight British successes at other grand slam tournaments, in the Davis Cup and in Olympic tennis. The author also focuses on key individuals, providing fresh profiles of his selection of the best British players of all time: the men and women who have delivered most on the international stage, from the time of the Renshaw brothers in the 1880s to Andy and Jamie Murray today.