The first of those born in the baby boom following the Second World War started came of age in the radical sixties. Not since 1918 had the young talked serious revolutionary politics as they did in the sixties. But in 1918, the men who came back from the war knew that the world was amiss, and what they had to do about it. When at last the generation that fought the Great War came to power, they changed the world. By contrast, the generation that came after decayed fast. For the first time since the second world war, there was money, there was safe sex, there was freedom, and no one bothered to stop and remember the price earlier generations paid for this. Most of them hardly realised the privations of their parents, and the struggle that had taken place to ensure that they were not equally deprived. What began as the most radical-sounding generation for half a century turned into a random collection of youthful style gurus, sharp-toothed entrepreneurs and management consultants who believed revolution meant new ways of selling things; and Thatcherites, who thought freedom meant free markets, not free people. At last it found its most complete expression in New Labour, which had no idea what either revolution or freedom meant, but rather liked the sound of the words. While the philosophy of the sixties seemed progressive at the time, the baby boomers we remember are not the political reformers, but the millionaires. In What did the Baby Boomers ever do for us? Francis Beckett argues that the children of the 60s betrayed the gernations that came before and after, and that the true legacy of the swinging decade is ashes.
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"What Did the Baby Boomers Ever Do for Us? returns Sixties mythology to history. The mirror Beckett holds up to the recent past is smeared with the suffering of young people today." -- Laurie Penny, New Statesman --Laurie Penny, New Statesman
"Another boomer has belatedly woken up to the problems they have left us -- Francis Beckett in his brilliant new book, What Did the Baby Boomers Ever Do for Us?" -- Rosemary Urwin, Evening Standard --Rosemary Urwin, Evening Standard
"Grey-haired hippies will read this book and shudder; the rest of us, though, will read it for the splendid stories and shafts of insight." -- Dominic Sandbrook, BBC History Magazine --Dominic Sandbrook, BBC History Magazine
"Another boomer has belatedly woken up to the problems they have left us -- Francis Beckett in his brilliant new book, What Did the Baby Boomers Ever Do for Us?" -- Rosemary Urwin, Evening Standard --Rosemary Urwin, Evening Standard
"Grey-haired hippies will read this book and shudder; the rest of us, though, will read it for the splendid stories and shafts of insight." -- Dominic Sandbrook, BBC History Magazine --Dominic Sandbrook, BBC History Magazine
"Another boomer has belatedly woken up to the problems they have left us -- Francis Beckett in his brilliant new book, What Did the Baby Boomers Ever Do for Us?" -- Rosemary Urwin, Evening Standard --Rosemary Urwin, Evening Standard
"Grey-haired hippies will read this book and shudder; the rest of us, though, will read it for the splendid stories and shafts of insight." -- Dominic Sandbrook, BBC History Magazine --Dominic Sandbrook, BBC History Magazine
"Another boomer has belatedly woken up to the problems they have left us -- Francis Beckett in his brilliant new book, What Did the Baby Boomers Ever Do for Us?" -- Rosemary Urwin, Evening Standard --Rosemary Urwin, Evening Standard
"Grey-haired hippies will read this book and shudder; the rest of us, though, will read it for the splendid stories and shafts of insight." -- Dominic Sandbrook, BBC History Magazine --Dominic Sandbrook, BBC History Magazine
About the Author
FRANCIS BECKETT is an author, journalist, broadcaster and contemporary historian. His books include Gordon Brown, The Great City Academy Fraud and Clem Atlee.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By Mr. N. Foale
Format:Paperback
A generation fought and prevailed in World War Two. Not content with that, and even as a broke country, they bequeathed their children the NHS, free university education, and the welfare state. They wanted the best for their children and so stood up to evil landlord Uncle Sam and did the right thing. And how were this stalwart generation repaid?
Basically with rebellion, with sex, drugs, and rock n roll - with American anti-socialism imported by starry-eyed flower children. The generation that fought the war, their values and their sacrifices, were rejected by their children. And for what?
This book spells out for what in shocking detail. For celebrity culture, for individualism perverted into individual greed, for modish vacuity and irresponsibility and petulant denial of what was handed to them. The baby boomers did not just drop the baton but bartered it for a second home and a comfortable retirement, then contemptuously pulled up the ladder on their own children in turn.
All the hot air on marches and demos was just that. The placard wavers turned out to be reactionaries such as Charles Clark, Jack Straw, Peter Hitchens. Inevitably we got our baby boomer PMs - Blair and Brown. They turned out to be martial immorals (Blair's Iraq / Brown's 'national service' scheme) who widened the poverty gap that Attlee had closed. They denied the next generation the liberties they themselves enjoyed, such as the free further education that put them into their supposed positions of responsibility. They denied their duty to act responsibly. They looked forward but not back.
And so we find ourselves marooned in Cameron's Britain, under our first post-boomer PM. Not only socialists need to reassert the values that Beveridge and Attlee stood for. Even pre-boomer Conservative polticians such as Macmillan appreciated the value of what Attlee achieved. From Thatcher since that consensus has been trashed.
In this, the 70th Anniversary year of the Battle Britain, we need to re-appreciate the massive achievements of that war and post-war era, before the attention seekers of the 60s came into technocolour view. Now should be just the time to see through the boomer's Glam-Racket. It is the least our progressive ancestors and proper traditions deserve.
Basically with rebellion, with sex, drugs, and rock n roll - with American anti-socialism imported by starry-eyed flower children. The generation that fought the war, their values and their sacrifices, were rejected by their children. And for what?
This book spells out for what in shocking detail. For celebrity culture, for individualism perverted into individual greed, for modish vacuity and irresponsibility and petulant denial of what was handed to them. The baby boomers did not just drop the baton but bartered it for a second home and a comfortable retirement, then contemptuously pulled up the ladder on their own children in turn.
All the hot air on marches and demos was just that. The placard wavers turned out to be reactionaries such as Charles Clark, Jack Straw, Peter Hitchens. Inevitably we got our baby boomer PMs - Blair and Brown. They turned out to be martial immorals (Blair's Iraq / Brown's 'national service' scheme) who widened the poverty gap that Attlee had closed. They denied the next generation the liberties they themselves enjoyed, such as the free further education that put them into their supposed positions of responsibility. They denied their duty to act responsibly. They looked forward but not back.
And so we find ourselves marooned in Cameron's Britain, under our first post-boomer PM. Not only socialists need to reassert the values that Beveridge and Attlee stood for. Even pre-boomer Conservative polticians such as Macmillan appreciated the value of what Attlee achieved. From Thatcher since that consensus has been trashed.
In this, the 70th Anniversary year of the Battle Britain, we need to re-appreciate the massive achievements of that war and post-war era, before the attention seekers of the 60s came into technocolour view. Now should be just the time to see through the boomer's Glam-Racket. It is the least our progressive ancestors and proper traditions deserve.
9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By horseface
Format:Paperback
I was in the year below Francis Beckett at Keele in the late Sixties. He was far left which wasn't my politics but he always had reasoned opinions and wasn't obnoxious like quite a few of his contemporaries. Strangely I totally agree with his views on the Baby Boomers. Many of those saying they were far left have taken advantage of capitalism and live in gated communities, retired to France etc. If you are a Socialist and have made money you should be sharing it out and not be laughing at those who have less than you. A shameful performance by my generation who will want to be looked after as they lose their marbles.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Francis Beckett does a masterful job of summarizing and analyzing 60-odd years of British cultural, social, and political history.
Beckett cheerfully admits that he has cherrypicked bits and pieces of that history to make his case. Still it will be hard for anyone, regardless of their political leanings, to dismiss his central thesis: That we baby boomers are bequeathing to our posterity a world far meaner and less hopeful than the one we were handed by our immediate forebears. More open to debate is where the blame lies. Beckett assembles the suspects and assigns guilt with Poirot-like aplomb.
It's a downbeat assessment that's delivered with a great deal of charm and understated wit. Beckett's account of a floor fight over abortion rights at a National Union of Journalists annual convention, to cite just one small example, is laugh out loud funny. Whether you wind up agreeing with Beckett or not, I can't imagine you won't enjoy the ride.
As an American reader, I found the parallels with what is happening in my own country both eerie and appalling. For any of my fellow countrymen who want to know how Britain got to where she is today, this book will prove a reliable baedeker.
Beckett cheerfully admits that he has cherrypicked bits and pieces of that history to make his case. Still it will be hard for anyone, regardless of their political leanings, to dismiss his central thesis: That we baby boomers are bequeathing to our posterity a world far meaner and less hopeful than the one we were handed by our immediate forebears. More open to debate is where the blame lies. Beckett assembles the suspects and assigns guilt with Poirot-like aplomb.
It's a downbeat assessment that's delivered with a great deal of charm and understated wit. Beckett's account of a floor fight over abortion rights at a National Union of Journalists annual convention, to cite just one small example, is laugh out loud funny. Whether you wind up agreeing with Beckett or not, I can't imagine you won't enjoy the ride.
As an American reader, I found the parallels with what is happening in my own country both eerie and appalling. For any of my fellow countrymen who want to know how Britain got to where she is today, this book will prove a reliable baedeker.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
This is an autobiography in a historical context, not about baby...
"This is an autobiography in a historical context, not about baby boomers!"
The author makes it clear from the start that the baby boom he is discussing is not what... Read more
The author makes it clear from the start that the baby boom he is discussing is not what... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Barry C. Pearson
5.0 out of 5 stars
A sharp and thought-provoking polemic
Highly readable political polemic and effective indictment of a generation that has reversed and corrupted the courageous achievements of the British people who resisted Nazi... Read more
Published 8 months ago by T. Crook
1.0 out of 5 stars
On a superficial, supercilious bandwaggon.
As one of the 'baby boomers' (born '47 in the ruins of Germany, which my father helped liberate), I don't accept any accusations of robbing or otherwise cheating later generations. Read more
Published 16 months ago by M.I.
3.0 out of 5 stars
What about the previous generation?
Firstly I should say that I've only just started this so it's not a review as such. But as I'm reading I can't help but disagree; it's not the Baby Boomers, but their elder cousins... Read more
Published on 20 Mar 2011 by JamJar
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