'The Story of The Coronation and What It Meant for Britain' is the sub-title of a fine book with chapters including The King Is Dead, Long Live the Queen, A Monarch In the Making, The Moulding of Tradition, A Year to Prepare, A Country At Odds With Itself, Orb and Sceptre, World Stage and more. 1952 Britain was changing. The Second World War was over, the country still scarred, and in the grip of food rationing. The British Empire was crumbling as countries fought for their independence both literally and physically, and George VI, the King who refused to abandon London, is dead. Featuring memories and reflections of those who were part of the Coronation, Barry Turner tells the story of a country on the precipice, divided between those who held firm to old values and traditions, and those who were fighting for modernity and progression. The chapter on The History of Coronations from 955AD Onwards is a gem, and the vast academic research which has gone into this readable history cannot be understated. Utterly absorbing modern social history. 224pp with eight pages of black and white reproductions.
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