The Age of Decadence: A History of Britain

The Age of Decadence is a richly detailed history of Britain at its imperial zenith, revealing the simmering tensions and explosive rivalries beneath the opulent surface of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras.

Despite the nation's massive power, a mismanaged war against the Boers in South Africa created profound doubts about her imperial destiny, while attempts to secure vital social reforms prompted the twentieth century's gravest constitutional crisis - and coincided with the worst industrial unrest in British history.

This book exposes the contradictions of late-Victorian and Edwardian Britain, describing how a ruling class fell prey to degeneracy and scandal, while the national psyche embraced the motor-car, the sensationalist press, and the science fiction of H.

G.

Wells, but also the nostalgia of A.

E.

Housman.

With vivid prose, Heffer uncovers the hidden truths behind Britain's confident façade, making this a compelling and thought-provoking read for anyone interested in British history.