The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy

At the outset of the 1870s, the British aristocracy could rightly consider themselves the most fortunate people on earth: they held the lion's share of land, wealth, and power in the world's greatest empire. By the end of the 1930s they had lost not only a generation of sons in the First World War, but also much of their prosperity, prestige, and political significance.

Deftly orchestrating an enormous array of documents and letters, facts, and statistics, David Cannadine shows how this shift came about—and how it was reinforced in the aftermath of the Second World War. Astonishingly learned, lucidly written, and sparkling with wit, The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy is a landmark study that dramatically changes our understanding of British social history.

Praise for Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy:

“Cannadine has produced a great book, one that is comprehensive in its scope, and of critical importance in understanding how Britain has changed from the era of Gladstone and Lord Salisbury to that of Mrs. Thatcher.” —Laurence Stone, London Review of Books

“Mr. Cannadine honors his subject witht he seriousness of his scholarship and the elegance of his prose; his tone throughout is of valediction, not lamentation.” —The New Yorker

“Formidable, enjoyable and rather brutal . . . Professor Cannadine’s book is splendid reading.” —Michael Bentley, The Spectator

“An impressive volume that will be cited by writers on the subject for years to come for its immense learning and the care with which the author has organized a mass of material.” —The Wall Street Journal