Don't Look Back In Anger: The rise and fall of Cool Britannia, told by those who were there

by Daniel Rachel Narrated by Full Cast

Overview

Read by Paul McGann, Louise Brealey, Tania Rodrigues, Shvorne Marks, Jot Davies, David John, Dean Williamson and Charles Armstrong. Introduced by Daniel Rachel, and featuring audio-exclusive extracts from Daniel's source interviews.

The nineties was the decade when British culture reclaimed its position at the artistic centre of the world. Not since the 'Swinging Sixties' had art, comedy, fashion, film, football, literature and music interwoven into a blooming of national self-confidence. It was the decade of Lad Culture and Girl Power; of Blur vs Oasis. When fashion runways shone with British talent, Young British Artists became household names, football was 'coming home' and British film went worldwide. From Old Labour's defeat in 1992 through to New Labour's historic landslide in 1997, Don't Look Back In Anger chronicles the Cool Britannia age when the country united through a resurgence of patriotism and a celebration of all things British.

But it was also an era of false promises and misplaced trust, when the weight of substance was based on the airlessness of branding, spin and the first stirrings of celebrity culture. A decade that started with hope then ended with the death of the 'people's princess' and 9/11 - an event that redefined a new world order.

Through sixty-seven voices that epitomise the decade - including Tony Blair, John Major, Noel Gallagher, Damon Albarn, Tracey Emin, Keith Allen, Meera Syal, David Baddiel, Irvine Welsh and Steve Coogan - we re-live the epic highs and crashing lows of one of the most eventful periods in British history. Today, in an age where identity dominates the national agenda, Don't Look Back In Anger is a necessary and compelling historical document.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A rollicking read....a tale of hedonism and opportunism, of great hope and dashed expectations—MAIL ON SUNDAY

A grade, A list oral history...through this shifting, twisting narrative, Rachel creates a potent record—THE SUNDAY TIMES

Entertaining—OBSERVER

Rachel proves himself, again, the Studs Terkel of British pop political movements, delivering a brilliantly polyphonic pop-cultural history of Britain in the 1990s. Provoking a heady stew of memories for those who lived through it, and acting as a primer for the era for those who missed out, Don't Look In Anger conveys something of the hope, energy, optimism and egalitarianism that seemed to abound then. Things we could perhaps do with rather more of right now

Eminently, moreishly readable—THE NEW STATESMAN

We guarantee, this will change the way you think about the era you lived through—DAVID HEPWORTH

The tumult, the triumph and the toilery of the 90s...a who's who of the decade, chocked full of anecdotes from all the runners and riders—BBC 6 MUSIC

I read this book its really good if you are interested in the 1990s—ALAN MCGEE

Book of the Week—GUARDIAN

Such a good speaker - precise and thoughtful and funny - and full of great theories and stories. Daniel's got an enviable knack of being able to explain really complicated analysis very clearly. It's so original to read about the 90s that takes in all those different perspectives - politics, art, sport, media etc. - and doesn't just paint a picture of a heap of cocaine with Noel Gallagher in the middle of it

A fascinating step back to right before the web, smartphones and streaming changed the face of culture—STYLIST

I tore through it, savouring every high and low point of this hazy, hard-to-define epoch—EVENING STANDARD

The story of Cool Britannia: from the ecstasy fuelled euphoria of the summer of love to the moment the serotonin ran out—BBC RADIO 4

I very much enjoyed reminiscing with Daniel about the 90s and the extraordinarily rich and diverse period for British culture. The political landscape was also interesting as I recall! - a great book—TONY BLAIR

An excellent book, superbly put together. I absolutely devoured it—BBC RADIO 5 LIVE

[An] absorbing oral history of the 1990s—METRO, BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2019

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159964588
Publisher:	Octopus Books
Publication date:	09/05/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged

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