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The Abolition of Britain
- From Winston Churchill to Princess Diana
- Narrated by: Peter Hitchens
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
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Summary
Prominent English social critic Peter Hitchens writes of the period between the death of Winston Churchill and the funeral of Princess Diana, a time he believes has seen disastrous changes in English life. The Abolition of Britain is bitingly witty and fiercely argued, yet also filled with somber appreciation for what the idea of England has always meant to the West and to the world.
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- David Jones
- 21-02-15
Though much is taken, much abides;
This is Peter Hitchens' first book, in which he sets out the framework of his Burkean, Anglican & Conservative view of Britain. It takes the form of a lamentation for the peculiarly English civilisation that spanned the 18th & 19th centuries, and documents the extent to which it was demolished in the 20th. The funerals of Winston Churchill & Diana Spencer are used to bracket the period in which the destruction was most rapid.
There is not a cheerful book, it is clearly not meant to be a balanced account of the postwar period. However, cynicism is tempered with dry wit and it made me laugh in a number of places.
The book seems at least as relevant now as it was when first published. The last chapter deals with the serious possibility of Britain being dissolved into a federation of European states.
Few good writers are also accomplished speakers, let alone feel as passionately about their subject as Peter clearly does. This audio book benefits greatly from being narrated by the author.
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26 people found this helpful
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- Michael
- 16-08-18
Could barely get half way through
Always been a fan of Peter Hitchens and very much agreed with nearly every column he has wrote in a newspaper and every opinion he has every voiced on television but didn't really enjoy this. Was basically hours upon hours of him ranting complaining about how literally everything imaginable has changed for the worse without even touching upon how we have seen various diseases all but eradicated and running water and broadband extended to every corner of this nation.
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18 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 03-07-20
Words completely vindicated.
How fascinating. Almost all of what Hitchens warned of happened. Oh how they laughed at the time. I was shocked at how good this was.
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14 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 22-06-20
Hitchens at his prophetic best
An excellent analysis of the moral decline of British society and culture, definitely Hitchens best book.
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14 people found this helpful
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- sarah
- 11-01-15
what can i say ?
i am sympathetic to a lot of Peter Hitchens views, i share his faith am uneasy about the path my country has followed in my life time and i think he makes many valid points.
i would warn anybody not to just dismiss him out of hand..
that said however it sometimes felt like one long grumble by a grumpy bloke...
well it is a grumble !
i would recommend also trying to listen to somebody with an apposing view. maybe trawl the internet to catch Peter in debate?
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13 people found this helpful
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- Not important
- 19-12-18
Very Depressing
Wow, this is depressing. However, It seems to be correct.
I don't like how Peter doesn't have a solution, however. I suppose it makes sense as it's a real Gordian knot of a problem.
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12 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 19-02-19
Disappounring right wing diatribe.
I was hoping for a balanced historical, evidence based view. Unfortunately its a horrendous far right diatribe. Great if you are a Tommy Robinson follower. Not great if you are interested in balanced analysis anf inference.
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11 people found this helpful
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- Mr. P. S. Brown
- 12-07-16
Seductive but flawed
Hearing such a compelling writer make such a relentless case for conservatism is a seductive thing - Hitchens is one of the great crafters of sentences. However, it is important to remember where the holes in his arguments are. He often fails to acknowledge that social change doesn't come from nihilism or a perceived unfairness but from a very real inequality and the natural human desire to redress that.
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10 people found this helpful
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- Ms
- 02-08-21
Hilarious!
I'm only on chapter 3, but it is astonishing so far. A most backward looking history. It is good to read opinions that differ from ones own and it has given me lots of chuckles. Like a really bad '60s sit com. It's such a pity however that men with views like this get into power.
Patronising and self important comes to mind.
I've given 5 stars for performance though, as he reads his work well.
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7 people found this helpful
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- The Lost Clansman
- 20-12-17
A must read (listen)!
Patriot or otherwise, you may not agree with all of the content. However, it is important to understand that every action has it's consequences, good and bad. Prior to implementing changes in social fabric, institutions and/or values, the outcomes need to be assessed over the longer term and should never be guided by the fashion of the time. This is difficult, if at all possible and change can happen subconsciously for many. And as with any large collective process, once a course has been set, it's difficult or near impossible to change it. Is it too late to revert some of the changes? Probably.
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6 people found this helpful