Stuart Maconie "Hope And Glory : A People's History of Modern Britain" (Ebury Press)
I quite like Maconie's writings - no Orwell he, but he's a genial and amusing companion around interesting places. But, lord, lord, the mistakes! Do yourself a favour, Stuart, and hire a competent research assistant, who could put you straight as to what direction Gateshead is from Newcastle, which bank of the Tyne Jarrow is on, how many countries from outside Europe played in the World Cup finals before North Korea did (even if you meant first country from East Asia, South Korea played in 1954), the dominant religion in Ethiopia ... I could go on.
In this paperback he comes up with a particular date, supposedly significant, in each decade of the twentieth century, then wanders around the country, stopping at cafes and loving everybody. Having read a few of Maconie's other books, I found the formula too familiar, and if, like me, you're a stickler for facts, you'll be appalled by some of the clunkers in here; from the date of the start of the twentieth century to the shape of Enoch Powell's moustache, the author rides roughshod in search of a good story or a humorous poin.
What bedevils this book is the amount of erroneous facts .. a shame, because, his writing style is good. In the end i cannot recommend it.
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