The Great British Dream Factory: The Strange History of Our National Imagination, by Dominic Sandbrook
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The Great British Dream Factory: The Strange History of Our National Imagination, by Dominic Sandbrook
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SPECTATOR BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2015
Britain's empire has gone. Our manufacturing base is a shadow of its former self; the Royal Navy has been reduced to a skeleton. In military, diplomatic and economic terms, we no longer matter as we once did. And yet there is still one area in which we can legitimately claim superpower status: our popular culture.
It is extraordinary to think that one British writer, J. K. Rowling, has sold more than 400 million books; that Doctor Who is watched in almost every developed country in the world; that James Bond has been the central character in the longest-running film series in history; that The Lord of the Rings is the second best-selling novel ever written (behind only A Tale of Two Cities); that the Beatles are still the best-selling musical group of all time; and that only Shakespeare and the Bible have sold more books than Agatha Christie. To put it simply, no country on earth, relative to its size, has contributed more to the modern imagination.
This is a book about the success and the meaning of Britain's modern popular culture, from Bond and the Beatles to heavy metal and Coronation Street, from the Angry Young Men to Harry Potter, from Damien Hirst toThe X Factor.
The Great British Dream Factory: The Strange History of Our National Imagination, by Dominic Sandbrook- Amazon Sales Rank: #831385 in eBooks
- Published on: 2015-10-01
- Released on: 2015-10-01
- Format: Kindle eBook
Review Delightfully good ... an exuberant and learned celebration of British culture ... full of love for and fascination with everything from the origins of heavy metal in the metal-bashing industries of the West Midlands to the ruthlessness of John Lennon's and Damien Hirst's lust for money. -- Nick Cohen Observer Not only thoroughly entertaining, but crammed with as many serious insights as a shelf-ful of academic studies. -- Alwyn W Turner The Telegraph Relentlessly entertaining ... unashamed in its concentration on popular culture ... unearthing all kinds of forgotten cultural heroes. -- Daisy Goodwin Sunday Times I read it in less than two days, my attention never flagging ... It's dramatic, perceptive and often extremely funny -- John Preston Spectator I read it in less than two days, my attention never flagging ... Embracing everything from Black Sabbath's guitarist, Tony Iommi, losing his fingers in a sheet metal press to the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, it's dramatic, perceptive and often extremely funny. Books of the Year, Spectator It was hard to find a more convincing read ... a highly entertaining look at everything from The Avengers to Harry Potter that proclaims Britain as the champion of culture, spreading words and songs internationally like no other Books of the Year, Sunday Times Sandbrook's hugely enjoyable analysis of why we continue to punch above our weight in this area ... covers everything from boarding school tales (Tom Brown to Harry Potter) to country house tales (Brideshead and Downton), the works of Tolkien to the 2012 Olympics. Books of the Year, Mail on Sunday Terrific fun ... Sandbrook isn't like other historians ... He heads off down strange, neglected byways, teasing out unexpected connections, with the results often proving far more illuminating - and enjoyable - than conventional narratives ... I defy you not to be swept up in a narrative that's as colourful as it is dramatic. -- John Preston Mail on Sunday Engrossing ... delightful ... a book that relishes an argument and likes to challenge received opinion ... not only thoroughly entertaining, but crammed with as many serious insights as a shelf-ful of academic studies. -- Alwyn Turner Daily Telegraph Witty ... enthusiastic ... a passionate and admirable defence of coach-party musical theatre, large-print historical fiction, wedding reception rock, Orc sagas, To the Manor Born, Arnold Bennett, Billy Bunter and Billy Elliot ... The hot core of his story, though, is made of the most thrillingly unlikely material. -- Matthew Sweet Guardian Splendid ... Sandbrook is always an engaging and perceptive writer and the subject lends itself to his eye for a story and his ability to connect with the reader. This is, after all, a book about the very things that, over the past century, we have most enjoyed, from Hercule Poirot to Sgt Pepper. -- David Aaronovitch The Times Sparkling ... fascinating ... always enlightening ... as usual with Sandbrook, there are some lovely vignettes and incongruous details ... Academic writers could certainly learn something from his lightness of touch and ability to build an argument. -- Joe Moran Literary Review Beautifully written ... wonderfully counter-intuitive ... with an excellent feel for the contemporary pulse and the surprising killer detail ... I, too, have left out loads that Sandbrook has cleverly and incisively included. -- Nick Curtis London Evening Standard A marvellous read ... juicy, irresistible, restoring the past with all its delight, defeats and energy to the ageing spectator ... He delights in the sheer, tumbling crowdedness of British popular culture over the past half century or so, crams in at a terrific pace the innumerable stories of its successes, and lends the status of heroism to his favourite figures. The author catches with infectious excitement the cracking pace and headlong productivity of this teeming crowd. -- Fred Inglis Times Higher Education Supplement Masterly ... lively and stimulating ... He loves to debunk received opinion. -- Robert Low Standpoint A vivid, endlessly fascinating account of the numerous achievements of this country's national imagination. This book is my personal dream factory ... so invigorating and exciting. -- Jessie Thompson Huffington Post Defiantly populist ... Dominic Sandbrook zestfully charts the route that has taken Britain from 'workshop of the world' to 'cultural superpower' ... as Sandbrook rightly insists, 'we still live in the shadow of the Victorians -- Boyd Tonkin Independent Brilliant. -- A N Wilson The Tablet An engaging and very accessible history book about our modern artistic achievements that, provocatively, also debunks some of the very icons it praises. -- Simon Copeland The Sun
About the Author Dominic Sandbrook's most recent book for Penguin was Seasons in the Sun: The Battle for Britain, 1974-79. He is the presenter of a number of highly successful BBC television series, on subjects as diverse as the joys of the Volkswagen and the history of science fiction. He writes reviews and articles principally for the Daily Mail and Sunday Times.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Fiesty and well researched By Bevan Lewis Dominic Sandbrook has certainly proved his credentials as a sound compiler of contemporary history. This book is an enjoyable departure from his narratives of recent British history. The book started out as a 'book of the TV series' to accompany yet another BBC documentary from Mr Sandbrook, however he has really gone the extra mile in producing a 688 page thumper of a volume.Sandbrook either saw this book as a more informal volume (hopefully) or his Daily Mail column writing is making him a bit overconfident in presenting his own opinions. The personal voice is certainly strong, however it makes for a good read in what is a bit of a less serious history. Those who criticise the book should read the preface where Sandbrook promises that conehead cultural historians will "search in vain for the opaque theoretical discussions, invented abstract nouns and interminable references to obscure Continental theorists". The book also has no intention of being encyclopedic. The focus is set very much on the popular and middle of the road. This is an interesting decision as a pure celebration of cultural output and the "national imagination" isn't automatically going to focus on 'low brow' output. Sandbrook in his preface narrows his interest to 'popular culture' although isn't interested in endlessly complex definitions of this term. He quotes United States Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart's definition of pornography: "you know it when you see it". In Sandbrook's case you'll find the Beatles, Agatha Christie and Doctor Who but no Harrison Birtwistle (a modernist classical composer that I admit I had to look up).The focus on the popular would be justified by the hint in the title that part of his argument is that the 'cultural industry' has indeed been seen as a replacement for the mass production of British industry up until the mid-twentieth century. Sandbrook makes surprisingly little of the argument that Britain's "punching above its weight" culturally has been a compensation for the loss of empire and industrial supremacy.He is more interested in the considerable amount of continuity between the Victorian era and today.This well written book is an enjoyable meander through very popular culture. The structure is pretty loose - or a jigsaw puzzle in the author’s words. Part One generally explores the transition from making things to telling stories. Part Two contends that popular culture generally supports the established order, examples ranging from sections on 1960s stars like the Rolling Stones buying country homes (I was never quite sure how this section really fit in although it was interesting) to Harry Potter as a derivation from the traditional nineteenth century school story. Part Three continues in a similar theme in a sense, exploring cultural artefacts ranging from Doctor Who to Lord of the Flies, and how they derive from Dickens and Welles. The fourth part looks at the cult of the individual which Sandbrook traces back to Self Help by Samuel Smiles.The book is deliberately provocative in places. Sandbrook rehabilitates Catherine Cookson for example, commending her raw and real portrayal of the struggles of working class life despite her lack of popularity with intellectual critics, who were outraged at her portrayal. The section which seems to have garnered the most furious responses online however is that dealing with John Lennon. Sandbrook pulls no punches: “Whatever you think of Lennon’s talent, his sheer narcissism is hard to overstate”. His coverage has attracted cries of being “hateful trash”. Yet while I would say that as elsewhere Sandbrook is writing with verve and attitude to entertain to some extent, everything he says is verifiable. He does point out that “far more than any other rock star of his generation, and more even than his fellow Beatles, John Lennon is a figure of colossal symbolic importance”. Also despite Lennon’s motivations often being driven by a desire to be rich and notorious, he does acknowledge that there is a reason for his success - his undeniable talent. I strongly disagree with his assessment of Imagine - it might be hypocritical but as Sandbrook states elsewhere, the public have voted repeatedly in the charts and polls. Its a great song!That said Sandbrook deserves plenty of credit for this book. Much more than a book of the TV series, this is a well researched and informative wander through the pleasures of British popular culture.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful. The Great British Dream Factory By S Riaz I have always enjoyed Dominick Sandbrook’s books and was looking forward to reading this, his latest. Subtitled, “The Strange History of our National Imagination,” it is an examination of British culture. Or, as the author puts it, the shared culture of the English speaking world. Put simply, it describes the way that, after the Industrial Revolution, the country gradually stopped being a success in exporting manufactured goods, but gradually became successful in cultural exports – television, music, the arts and literature. I suspect though, that some of us in England would question whether much of what we make is produced for the American market, rather than our own, especially in terms of television drama. Obviously, though, it has always been the case that British artists have longed to be a success in the States, which is so financially lucrative – the Beatles, “I want to hold your hand,” was written with the American market in mind and drama’s such as, “Downton Abbey,” while popular in the UK were obviously set in a past that appeals to US audiences and confirms their tourist board picture of the country.The book begins with the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics. I recall, along with the author, how media expectations were low and many were taken by surprise at the success of a ceremony which showed the country’s rural and industrial heritage, as well as nods to comedy and homages to music and literature. What is interesting is how well known so many of those featured would be recognised around the world and it is the ‘popular’ that the author centres on. So, he tends to ignore the highbrow (no Bloomsbury Set), but Catherine Cookson, James Bond and Elton John all feature highly.As always, Sandbrook’s style is very readable. He looks at the country from ‘Workshop of the World’ to ‘Cultural Superpower’ by examining the birth of Heavy Metal –seamlessly linking Black Sabbath to the Industrial Revolution and comparing Hollywood movie moguls to the British equivalent , J. Arthur Rank; committed Methodist and the father of British cinema. Along the way, he considers why the States in particular was so attracted to certain films or television shows, so looks in depth at Rank’s assault on Hollywood with “Henry V” for example, or why “The Avengers” eventually proved so popular.Although this book obviously cannot cover everything, this book ranges from fashion, with Mary Quant, through advertising, the strange success of British designed computer games, country houses, school stories, Charles Dickens, Dr Who, soap operas, Ealing comedies, Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, Agatha Christie, Tolkien, H.G. Wells and more… It is, though, in his examination of music that Sandbrook has caused most controversy. From punk rock to glam rock, through heavy metal and the giants of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, Sandbrook looks at the huge success of British popular music.Of course, you cannot discuss British popular music without the Beatles and here, I will immediately say, they are my favourite group of all time and I have read literally hundreds of books about them. The Beatles kick-started the British Invasion, which led to other groups assaulting the American charts with such success and, rightly, the author gives a lot of time to both them and the Stones as the most important bands in the Sixties. Much of his time on the Stones is spent on the drugs bust at Redlands and his musings on the various country houses of each band member. However, with the Beatles there is quite a lot of Lennon bashing. Usually, it is Paul who seems to be targeted in such books, but this is a bit of a role reversal and much of what is written seems both a little churlish and fails to understand Lennon’s character.The Beatles never said they were anything other than ambitious and all the members were open – even in early interviews – about their wish to make money. Paul happily says that he and John sat down to write a “swimming pool,” and makes no secret of their desire to be successful. Both Paul and John were ferociously ambitious and John always took the band seriously, even in the very early days – demanding commitment and ousting even good friends if he felt they were not adding anything to the band (indeed, when Paul’s father forced him into a job, a worried Lennon threatened to throw him out too, unless he gave it up and attended lunchtime sessions at the Cavern – hanging around the gates where Paul attempted to earn a wage and doing all he could to draw his chosen partner back on side). If you are a Beatles fan then you might wish to skip the section on Lennon – if not, then you have been warned that much of it is unfair and unnecessary and most of the criticisms of Lennon he would openly accept in his own lifetime.Overall, I did enjoy this book, although much of it read as a rather indulgent exercise on self congratulation. I did not always get the sense of why so much of British popular culture has been so successful around the world, just that it was. As such, this was a rather mixed bag of tricks, but it was very readable and I learnt much – especially about the early days of British cinema – that I did not know before.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The British Popular Culture Empire By takingadayoff Historian Dominic Sandbrook argues in his new book, The Great British Dream Factory, that once the British Empire began to crumble, Britain found another way to spread its word. This time it was a less forceful method -- popular culture.Starting with Charles Dickens, Britain became a major exporter of literature, music, art, and a little later, movies. And all along, it has been uniquely British culture -- despite the fears of Americanization of British culture, there is no doubt that popular culture such as Dickens' novels, Dr. Who, The Beatles, James Bond, and many more, are British through and through.Sandbrook strays from being strictly a historian in this book more than in his previous works. He indulges in criticism and he makes no secret of his favorites. He makes a vigorous case for the literary worth of Agatha Christie, although he recognizes that his fondness for Dr. Who is probably due to his childhood memories. He defends Andrew Lloyd Webber from his many detractors and seems less than impressed with Patrick McGoohan and The Prisoner. He positively loathes John Lennon.This is a book for a British audience and assumes you are well versed in British popular culture. There is a four part BBC series that he hosts covering much of the same ground -- he says that he wrote the book after the TV series and pretty much started again from scratch. The TV series and book complement each other -- there's much more detail in the book and a lot of material that doesn't appear at all in the series, but not all of the material in the series is on the book. The book is one that you have to read with a computer or tablet at hand to look up musical videos and film clips.It's a highly entertaining and opinionated look at a century and a half of British arts.
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