Description
Book SynopsisThis book is the first study of how the BBC, through radio, tried to represent what it meant to be British. The book combines an examination of the BBC's desire to construct a strong, unitary sense of Britishness (through empire and the monarchy) with a thorough consideration of the broadcasting in the non-English parts of the United Kingdom. -- .
Trade ReviewThis is an important book that makes a valuable contribution to our knowledge of modern British history and the evolution of British identity in the twentieth century.
Robert Savage, Boston College, H-Albion, 01/02/2012
Resting on a solid foundation of BBC written archives, personnel writings and speeches, and an impressive array of recent investigations, the volume’s seven chapters reveal how Corporation and government decisions, from scheduling to content, impacted the marketing of Britishness.
Eugenia M. Palmegiano, JHistory, 01/02/2012
one of the most original and incisive contributions to the history of British broadcasting since the publication of Asa Briggs’ mammoth five-volume history between 1961 and 1995....It is a book that deserves to be afforded significant intellectual currency not only in the history of broadcasting but also in the academic discourse around national identity that emerged around the millennium and has received stimulus with the formation of Britain’s’ first coalition government in seventy years.
James Chapman, University of Leicester, Visual Culture in Britain (13), 31/01/2012
The book is a welcome addition to the literature, particularly for those interested in either the BBC or imperial culture
Laura Beers, Journal of Modern History
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Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Introduction
1. “Jolly proud you are a Britisher:” empire and identity, 1923–39
2. From the war to Westminster Abbey: the BBC and the empire, 1939–53
3. The BBC and the making of a multi-national monarchy
4. Rethinking regional broadcasting in Britain, 1922–53
5. Broadcasting a nation: The BBC and national identity in Scotland
6. BBC broadcasting in Wales, 1922–53
7. This is Northern Ireland: regional broadcasting and identity in “Ulster”
Conclusion
Select Bibliography
Index
