Research Catalog

Title

A state of play : British politics on screen, stage and page, from Anthony Trollope to The thick of it / Steven Fielding.

Author

Fielding, Steven, 1961-

Publication

London ; New York : Bloomsbury Academic, 2014.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

304 pages; 24 cm

Summary

"A State of Play explores how the British have imagined their politics, from the parliament worship of Anthony Trollope to the cynicism of The Thick of It. In an account that mixes historical with political analysis, Steven Fielding argues that fictional depictions of politics have played an important but insidious part in shaping how the British think about their democracy and have helped ventilate their many frustrations with Westminster. He shows that dramas and fictions have also performed a significant role in the battle of ideas, in a way undreamt of by those who draft party manifestos. The book examines the work of overtly political writers have treated the subject, discussing the novels of H.G. Wells, the comedy series Yes, Minister and the plays of David Hare. However, it also assesses how less obvious sources, such as the films of George Formby, the novels of Agatha Christie, the Just William stories and situation comedies like Steptoe and Son, have reflected on representative democracy. A State of Play is an invaluable, distinctive and engaging guide to a new way of thinking about Britain's political past and present."--Publisher description.

Subject

• English literature > 20th century > History and criticism
• English literature > 21st century > History and criticism
• Motion pictures > Political aspects > Great Britain
• Politicians in literature
• Politicians in motion pictures
• Politics in literature
• Politics in motion pictures
• Politics on television
• Television and politics
• Television programs > Political aspects > Great Britain

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-286) and index.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

Introduction: depicting democracy -- Parliament worship -- Disappointing democracy -- The people's war and after -- Imagining the post-war consensus -- The established order undermined -- The televised crisis -- Yes, conspirator -- Still no job for a lady -- A thick ending -- Epilogue: what would plato say?.

ISBN

• 9781849669788 (hardback)
• 1849669783 (hardback)
• 9781780933160 (pbk.)
• 1780933169 (pbk.)
• 9781849669801 (epub) (canceled/invalid)
• 9781849669818 (epdf) (canceled/invalid)

LCCN

^^2014002506

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library