Nicholas Timmins: The Five Giants, a biography of the welfare state
A TIMES POLITICAL BOOK OF THE YEAR
A LONGMAN/HISTORY TODAY BOOK OF THE YEAR
The award-winning history of the British Welfare State now fully revised and updated for the 21st Century.
‘A masterpiece’ - Sunday Times
Giant Want. Giant Disease. Giant Ignorance. Giant Squalor. Giant Idleness.
These were the Five Giants that loomed over the post-war reconstruction of Britain. The battle against them was fought by five gargantuan programmes that made up the core of the Welfare State: social security, health, education, housing and a policy of full employment.
This book brilliantly captures the high hopes of the period in which the Welfare State was created and the cranky zeal of its inventor, William Beveridge, telling the story of how his vision inspired an entire country. The pages of this modern classic hum with the energies and passions of activists, dreamers and ordinary Britons, and seethe with personal vendettas, forced compromises, awkward contradictions, and the noisy rows of the succeeding seventy years. The Five Giants is a testament to a concept of government that is intertwined with so many of our personal histories, and a stark reminder of what we might stand to lose.
816 pages
UK Only Shipping
We are currently only able to offer shipping to customers in the UK. Apologies to our international friends - we are hoping to expand our shipping options to include international customers very soon.
Prices
Orders under £40 : £4.50
Orders over £40: Free
Dispatch and delivery time
We aim to dispatch within 4 working days and use a 48 hour delivery services. Please allow at least 6 working days for your item to arrive.
Ordering our organic cotton, sustainable clothing range
In order that we are able to offer a wide range of sizes and variations of our most popular design, we work with a print-on-demand clothing company. These items will be fulfilled separately from other items ordered from the Migration Museum and therefore attract a separate shipping charge of £4.
