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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating overview of centuries of communal life, 23 Feb 2004
This book provides a wealth of information about communities (communes, co-operatives, call them what you will) of all types and scales that existed in the UK from the 14th century until World War II. The information has obviously been painstakingly researched, and is presented in a very readable and interesting way, which brings the various characters to life, assisted by plenty of photographs and other illustrations. The "gazetteer" appendix on pages 238-302 contains brief descriptions of all the UK communities known, and each chapter has a detailed bibliography.The author evidently has an in-depth understanding of how communities work, and what drives the people who found, join, or leave them, as well as the particular 'ethos' behind each one, be it religious, political, or artistic. Yet the book is not entirely evangelical - many inspiring success stories are balanced by an equal number of sad failures. Nevertheless, it is encouraging reading for those who might despair of the 'lack of idealism' in the current age, and some of the failed attempts at communal living are very entertaining. If only there weren't so many typos though... The spelling, punctuation and grammar are absolutely atrocious, and I had to struggle through quite a few pages before I understood that the author was in fact highly articulate, intelligent and literate. More effort should have been devoted to post-editing or proof-reading. Personally I also find the cover hideous; if you do too, don't let it put you off the book. My only other complaint is that the period covered ends at 1945. It would have been so interesting to read about more modern communities too, but presumably this would have broadened the scope too far. Similarly, it would be interesting to see more international comparisons, but that may have to wait for a longer, future study. Thankfully, it does appear that the author is planning on writing a sequel to cover the years 1945-2000. If it is as good as this book, I will certainly be one of the first to buy it.
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