The Decline & Fall Of The British Aristocracy

At the outset of the 1870s, the British aristocracy could rightly consider themselves the most fortunate people on earth: they held the lion's share of land, wealth and power in the world's greatest empire. By the end of the 1930s they had lost not only a generation of sons in the First World War, but also much of their prosperity, prestige and political significance.

David Cannadine shows how this shift came about - and how it was reinforced in the aftermath of the Second World War. Lucidly written and sparkling with wit, 'The Decline And Fall Of The British Aristocracy' is a landmark study that dramatically changes our understanding of British social history.