Frostquake: The frozen winter of 1962 and how Britain emerged a different country
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- Author：Juliet Nicolson
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Summary
‘The freezing winter of 1962–63 finally thawed in early March and as if on cue British society and politics became molton and mobile。 Those who lived through it will never forget it。 Those who didn’t need to know about it。 This book is a must: the author Juliet Nicolson and her subject are perfectly matched’ Peter Hennessey
On Boxing Day 1962 the snow began to fall。 It did not stop for ten weeks。 It was one of the coldest and harshest winters for 300 years。 The drifts in East Sussex reached twenty-three feet。 In London， milkmen made deliveries on skis。 On Dartmoor 2，000 ponies were buried in the snow， and foxes attempted to eat sheep alive。
It wasn’t just the weather that was bad。 The threat of nuclear war had reached its height with the recent Cuban Missile Crisis。 Unemployment was on the rise， de Gaulle was blocking Britain from joining the European Economic Community， Winston Churchill， still the symbol of Great Britishness， was fading。 These were the shadows that hung over a country paralysed by frozen heating oil， burst pipes and power cuts。
And yet underneath the frozen surface， new life was beginning to stir， with JF Kennedy， the pill， Bob Dylan， Mary Quant and the Beatles symbols of an exuberant youthquake。 Scandals such as the Profumo Affair and revelations from MP Jeremy Thorpe’s gay lover were exposed by satirists like Private Eye and That Was the Week That Was and threatened to blow the lid off the complacent decadence of the British establishment。 When the thaw came， it was as if the Big Freeze had acted as a pause and catalyst between two distinct eras。
From politicians to pop stars， shopkeepers to schoolchildren and her own family， Juliet Nicolson traces the hardship of that frozen winter and the emancipation of the spring that followed， when new life was unleashed， along with freedoms we take for granted today。
On Boxing Day 1962 the snow began to fall。 It did not stop for ten weeks。 It was one of the coldest and harshest winters for 300 years。 The drifts in East Sussex reached twenty-three feet。 In London， milkmen made deliveries on skis。 On Dartmoor 2，000 ponies were buried in the snow， and foxes attempted to eat sheep alive。
It wasn’t just the weather that was bad。 The threat of nuclear war had reached its height with the recent Cuban Missile Crisis。 Unemployment was on the rise， de Gaulle was blocking Britain from joining the European Economic Community， Winston Churchill， still the symbol of Great Britishness， was fading。 These were the shadows that hung over a country paralysed by frozen heating oil， burst pipes and power cuts。
And yet underneath the frozen surface， new life was beginning to stir， with JF Kennedy， the pill， Bob Dylan， Mary Quant and the Beatles symbols of an exuberant youthquake。 Scandals such as the Profumo Affair and revelations from MP Jeremy Thorpe’s gay lover were exposed by satirists like Private Eye and That Was the Week That Was and threatened to blow the lid off the complacent decadence of the British establishment。 When the thaw came， it was as if the Big Freeze had acted as a pause and catalyst between two distinct eras。
From politicians to pop stars， shopkeepers to schoolchildren and her own family， Juliet Nicolson traces the hardship of that frozen winter and the emancipation of the spring that followed， when new life was unleashed， along with freedoms we take for granted today。
Reviews
Stephen Lavington
，
Entertaining snapshot of life in Britain during the harsh winter of 1962/3。 Picks up some of the key events and people of that time; the rise of the Beatles， the Profumo Affair， Sylvia Plath's suicide。 It also weaves in the author's personal recollections （as the grand-daughter of Harold Nicolson these carry a bit more than the usual heft， but are more of the ground-eye view slice-of-life nature than name-dropping high society （which gives a more interesting， personal feel）。It captures moments a Entertaining snapshot of life in Britain during the harsh winter of 1962/3。 Picks up some of the key events and people of that time; the rise of the Beatles， the Profumo Affair， Sylvia Plath's suicide。 It also weaves in the author's personal recollections （as the grand-daughter of Harold Nicolson these carry a bit more than the usual heft， but are more of the ground-eye view slice-of-life nature than name-dropping high society （which gives a more interesting， personal feel）。It captures moments and so， despite the added context， can feel a little lacking in closure （the Profumo chapters in particular just sort of tail off。 It is difficult to buy into the central conceit， that this winter represented a watershed moment in the liberalisation of post-war Britain， but it is engaging nonetheless 。。。more
steve Holmes
，
Really interesting read。 Great detail of the frozen winter of 1962。 It truly was the start of true change for this country。 Fantastic historical detail。 Well researched。 Well worth a read。
Colin
，
This didn’t turn out in the way I’d expected。 What I thought I was getting was a history of the great freeze of 1962-3 and how the UK emerged from the glacial conditions a changed and better country。 Well， Frostquake delivered on the second part but not on the first。 Juliet Nicolson covers much well-trodden ground in her survey of the changing mores of the country at the beginning of the 1960s: Profumo， the Beatles and the Stones， the satire boom， Mary Quant， Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes， the Wol This didn’t turn out in the way I’d expected。 What I thought I was getting was a history of the great freeze of 1962-3 and how the UK emerged from the glacial conditions a changed and better country。 Well， Frostquake delivered on the second part but not on the first。 Juliet Nicolson covers much well-trodden ground in her survey of the changing mores of the country at the beginning of the 1960s: Profumo， the Beatles and the Stones， the satire boom， Mary Quant， Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes， the Wolfenden report and more， but， barring a couple of chapters， there’s precious little about how the ordinary people of the UK experienced the worst winter of the twentieth century。 The author does weave in her personal experience and that of her family （the Nicolsons of Sissinghurst）， which I found surprisingly touching， but there’s a book on the great freeze still to be written。 。。。more
Lynda
，
Fascinating recall of events and experiences of this time…。
Dr。 Christopher M Rayner
，
Nostalgic review of early 60sI remember the harsh winter of 1962-63; I was 14， living in Birmingham in a house which backed on to a lake。 With my local friends I was able to bicycle on the frozen surface for several weeks。 I remember the rise of the Beatles and the Cuban missile crisis。 Not as well connected as the author， but even so I observed the various political scandals and the Cuba missile crisis。The book shows the marks of the author’s enthusiasm and diligent research。 Perhaps a slightly Nostalgic review of early 60sI remember the harsh winter of 1962-63; I was 14， living in Birmingham in a house which backed on to a lake。 With my local friends I was able to bicycle on the frozen surface for several weeks。 I remember the rise of the Beatles and the Cuban missile crisis。 Not as well connected as the author， but even so I observed the various political scandals and the Cuba missile crisis。The book shows the marks of the author’s enthusiasm and diligent research。 Perhaps a slightly firmer hand on the part of an editor would have improved the text。 There is a ready embrace of cliche and the prose is loose and rambling from time to time。 It is a pleasurable bit of nostalgia for those who were there。 。。。more
Stephen King
，
A well written and personal account of the winter of 1962 by Juliet Nicholson， which weaves together the social， cultural and political changes of the early 60’s and ascribes a ‘tipping point’ to this enforced dislocation over the winter months。 Coming out of the coronavirus pandemic （with still more to come） the winter of 62 in Britain seems like small beer。 An entertaining romp through some interesting cultural moments （satire on TV， the Beatles and the Profumo Affair） and although the winters A well written and personal account of the winter of 1962 by Juliet Nicholson， which weaves together the social， cultural and political changes of the early 60’s and ascribes a ‘tipping point’ to this enforced dislocation over the winter months。 Coming out of the coronavirus pandemic （with still more to come） the winter of 62 in Britain seems like small beer。 An entertaining romp through some interesting cultural moments （satire on TV， the Beatles and the Profumo Affair） and although the winters’ relevance to these social and cultural upheavals is questionable， 1962 does seem to have been an important confluence of events for the rest of the decade。 。。。more
Sheena
，
I have enjoyed all the books I have read by Juliet Nicholson and was attracted to this one because evean though I was only four I have the memory of trudging through the snow next to my baby sister's pram with my feet fozen in wellington boots。 Was probably very unhappy not just because of my frozen extremities but the fact that after four years of being the centre of attention I was now having to share the limelight。 I do wonder how we kept warm at home as there was only one coal fire and that I have enjoyed all the books I have read by Juliet Nicholson and was attracted to this one because evean though I was only four I have the memory of trudging through the snow next to my baby sister's pram with my feet fozen in wellington boots。 Was probably very unhappy not just because of my frozen extremities but the fact that after four years of being the centre of attention I was now having to share the limelight。 I do wonder how we kept warm at home as there was only one coal fire and that was in the living room with a wall heater in the bathroom to take the chill off。 I expect we prefererred the tin bath downstairs which would be right in front of the roaring fire。 I became aware of the Beatles through my older cousins and remember them going to see Help but was too young to really recall any of the shenanigans that went on in the early Sixties sadly in some cases， probably for the best in others。 Obviously I learnt of the history of this period later on and it felt like I knew a lot of it already。 The previous books were much more removed from my lived experiences and felt like real history but it is fascinating to realise I was living through these days unaware and this is now considered history just as much as the turn of the 19th Century and the perioid after The Great War。 。。。more
Kitty
，
täiesti loetav raamat， mis räägib。。。 sellest， mis juhtus Suurbritannias （põhiliselt ikkagi Inglismaal） 1962。 aasta talvel， aastake siia-sinna。 põhiliselt oli jube külm， biitlid kogusid kuulsust， Mary Quant müüs miniseelikuid ja värvilisi sukkpükse， Sylvia Plath tappis end ära ja Profumo afäär （mis oli vist küll pikem ettevõtmine） jäi ka kuidagi otsapidi sisse。kuidagi püüab autor seda kõike raamistada nii， et just selle talvega toimus tohutu murrang ja ühiskond polnud pärast kevadist sula enam su täiesti loetav raamat， mis räägib。。。 sellest， mis juhtus Suurbritannias （põhiliselt ikkagi Inglismaal） 1962。 aasta talvel， aastake siia-sinna。 põhiliselt oli jube külm， biitlid kogusid kuulsust， Mary Quant müüs miniseelikuid ja värvilisi sukkpükse， Sylvia Plath tappis end ära ja Profumo afäär （mis oli vist küll pikem ettevõtmine） jäi ka kuidagi otsapidi sisse。kuidagi püüab autor seda kõike raamistada nii， et just selle talvega toimus tohutu murrang ja ühiskond polnud pärast kevadist sula enam sugugi see， igasugune rassism ja homofoobia ja muud vanad kombed hakkasid murenema， keskkonnateadlikkus kasvama ja mis kõik。 ma seda seost küll eriti ei osta， üsna meelevaldne tundub。 eks lihtsalt。。。 viiekümnendad olid läbi ja kuuekümnendad käes ja elu tasapisi muutus nagu ta ikka muutub。aga hästi kirjutatud ja ma hindasin isegi autori enda pereelu põhjalikke kirjeldusi， sest ta on ikkagi Vita Sackville-Westi lapselaps。 。。。more
Miriam Murcutt
，
This book gives a very haphazard account of some of the high profile people and events in the cultural， political and social life of Britain in the early 1960s。 Nicolson’s thesis is built around the contention that the very severe winter of 1962 symbolized a watershed moment in British history from which the country emerged a changed place with a changed people。 True， the Sixties were a time of radical social change， but I’m not sure that the snowdrifts of 1962 were the transition point。 Poorly This book gives a very haphazard account of some of the high profile people and events in the cultural， political and social life of Britain in the early 1960s。 Nicolson’s thesis is built around the contention that the very severe winter of 1962 symbolized a watershed moment in British history from which the country emerged a changed place with a changed people。 True， the Sixties were a time of radical social change， but I’m not sure that the snowdrifts of 1962 were the transition point。 Poorly planned as this books is， I enjoyed the memories it evoked of the notables from my teenage years （Mary Quant， the Rolling Stones， Fonteyn and Nureyev， David Frost， Sylvia Plath， David Bailey， Harold Macmillan） and the places they hung out （The King’s Road， World’s End， Abbey Road， Madam Tussauds， Liverpool）。 。。。more
Amanda
，
Terrific hybrid of history and memoir， providing a look at a moment in time that included Bob Dylan， Sylvia Plath， the Beatles， and the Profumo scandal。 Really enjoyable read
Michelle Birkby
，
This is fascinating - an account of a year when everything， even the weather， seemed to change and be strange and new
Flob
，
Ok sort of history。 More about the people of those days with the winter forming a backdrop。
Nicola
，
Very interesting social history with a lot of memoir。 Not sure I agree that the weather caused a turning point in society but an interesting device。 Seems 1962/3 were pretty seismic years， nonetheless。 Enjoyable and quick read。
Katedurie50
，
This history does justice to the extraordinary physical conditions of the freezing weather that persisted for 3 months in the early weeks of 1963。 It also explores the equally extraordinary social， political and cultural changes of the 60s， many of which began in this period。 Actually relating the two is rather more difficult。 Many of the stories are well told - the rise of the Beatles; the Profumo Affair; the death of Sylvia Plath。 But they have all been told before and in more detail。 Equally This history does justice to the extraordinary physical conditions of the freezing weather that persisted for 3 months in the early weeks of 1963。 It also explores the equally extraordinary social， political and cultural changes of the 60s， many of which began in this period。 Actually relating the two is rather more difficult。 Many of the stories are well told - the rise of the Beatles; the Profumo Affair; the death of Sylvia Plath。 But they have all been told before and in more detail。 Equally I found there was rather too much of the Nicholson family history in this。 so somehow the book doesn't quite hang together， though it is well written and well researched。 。。。more
Ginni
，
Juliet Nicolson was eight during the winter of 1962-3; I was twelve。 She draws an analogy between the frozen state of the U。K。， or actually England （as most of the descriptions are set in the S。E。 and London）， and the hide-bound conventions of a political and social Establishment that was still almost Edwardian in its attitudes and conventions。 As Spring approaches， the thaw arrives， and the changes that gathered pace during the Sixties are already in place。 That was the winter when the Beatles Juliet Nicolson was eight during the winter of 1962-3; I was twelve。 She draws an analogy between the frozen state of the U。K。， or actually England （as most of the descriptions are set in the S。E。 and London）， and the hide-bound conventions of a political and social Establishment that was still almost Edwardian in its attitudes and conventions。 As Spring approaches， the thaw arrives， and the changes that gathered pace during the Sixties are already in place。 That was the winter when the Beatles went from being popular in Liverpool to becoming a national sensation， and then spreading to world-wide fame。 Newspapers and television started to seek freedom， with the arrival of ‘That was the week that was’ or TW3， as it was known， and the eruption of the Profumo scandal。This book is obviously a big hit with the baby boomer generation， as all copies are on loan in our county library system， with reservations on the title as well。 I wasn’t a very politically aware twelve year old - most of my knowledge of current affairs was drawn from the annual Giles cartoon volume that we always had at home。 Of course I knew about the Beatles， but the Cuban missile crisis， the Profumo affair and Sylvia Plath’s death were all either carefully concealed from me or just didn’t enter my field of consciousness。 It was my first winter at boarding school， on the notoriously cold North Foreland at Broadstairs in Kent。 My main memories are being allowed out of school to see the frozen sea at Joss Bay， and being taken tobogganing by my older brother at Christmas， when a wild bird came and sat on my shoulder， it was so desperate for food。However， I much enjoyed this read， and having visited Sissinghurst， family home of the Nicolsons， in the past also added to the enjoyment。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
Oh the burden of being a Nicholson， the weight of all that writing expectation！ I was a sucker for Frostquake - the 1962/63 Winter being that of my birth and the cover so reminiscent of David Kynaston's masterly Tales of a New Jerusalem series。 I've yet to read the final volume of that which would include the same winter and since the approach is similar， it will be interesting to compare。 This contains a more personal strand， an eerie mix of being a child at the time and the curious milieu of t Oh the burden of being a Nicholson， the weight of all that writing expectation！ I was a sucker for Frostquake - the 1962/63 Winter being that of my birth and the cover so reminiscent of David Kynaston's masterly Tales of a New Jerusalem series。 I've yet to read the final volume of that which would include the same winter and since the approach is similar， it will be interesting to compare。 This contains a more personal strand， an eerie mix of being a child at the time and the curious milieu of the wealthy （if sometimes cash strapped） and connected， and I felt this helped the book。 We'd already been induced to take a look back at that big freeze， triggered by the 2018 Beast from the East cold， and coverage accompanied by rather more vivid photographs than are included here。 The linking of the weather to societal change is not， on such evidence as is presented， sustainable as an idea。 You could argue that it was a kind of coda to post-war austerity but little is made of that。The choice of topics and in particular the way space was allocated to them seemed uneven。 There is so much about the Beatles and so much about the Profumo affair。 What I did find of note， in the light of the latter now being held up as a shining example of enduring contrition for the kind of misdemeanours which modern day types merely brazen out， was Juliet Nicholson's personal #MeToo。 It's a small but revealing incident and I am glad she has included it。I felt the book lacked tight enough editorial oversight。 There's reference to the Vassall affair with， as far as I could recall， no explanation （I had to consult Wikipedia） and the removal by detonation of an icy overhang on the Snake Pass appears twice。 The latter being quite vivid and interesting to me by virtue of personal geography， I wonder what others I missed。It was not an unenjoyable book for anyone who likes twentieth century social history， just didn't seem to deliver on its promise。 。。。more
Christine
，
Not really sure whether the brief was met。 I’m sure that a more ordinary person， ie not a grandchild of Vita Sackville-West， wouldn’t have got it published。 It’s full of bits and pieces really going from The Beatles to Plath to Profumo and Reg down the road who remembers his milk bottles freezing。 Not to mention the Kennedy’s chucked in for good measure。 Still easy read and some memories were triggered about life as it was when I too was a child in that winter。
Karen Revel-Chion
，
Not at all what I was expecting。A lot of rambling personal memoir which jumps about without ever feeling joined up。 Needed a better editor。
Lynne Emmett
，
Not exactly the book I was expecting， this covers a number of aspects of life in Britain that were changing at the time of the very harsh winter at the start of 1963。 It is an event I remember well， wearing thick tights for the first time， walking along mini mountain ranges made at the side of the pavement from heaped up snow which lasted until April， being pulled round the garden on a tray by my brother （a rare memory- we hardly ever did anything together。） But this book doesn't cover this kind Not exactly the book I was expecting， this covers a number of aspects of life in Britain that were changing at the time of the very harsh winter at the start of 1963。 It is an event I remember well， wearing thick tights for the first time， walking along mini mountain ranges made at the side of the pavement from heaped up snow which lasted until April， being pulled round the garden on a tray by my brother （a rare memory- we hardly ever did anything together。） But this book doesn't cover this kind of thing very much。 It is about Profumo， The Beatles， Mary Quant， the cold war， a panorama of society and it's concerns and developments as we struggled through those bitterly cold days。 A very enjoyable read， not going into great depths， but giving enough detail to make it interesting and informative。 。。。more
Julie Rolle
，
Well great start， ok middle， but boy did we loose our way towards the end。 I found the personal recollections a bit hit and miss。 Some rang true but others felt a little weak and names were dropped from a great height （Profumo and JNs bottom spring to mind）。 Overall I enjoyed it and the social observations were good， if not original。 It’s well trod territory after all。 The writing just lost its focus in the later chapters。 I found it hard to follow the thread on occasion。 （ The Sylvia Plath entr Well great start， ok middle， but boy did we loose our way towards the end。 I found the personal recollections a bit hit and miss。 Some rang true but others felt a little weak and names were dropped from a great height （Profumo and JNs bottom spring to mind）。 Overall I enjoyed it and the social observations were good， if not original。 It’s well trod territory after all。 The writing just lost its focus in the later chapters。 I found it hard to follow the thread on occasion。 （ The Sylvia Plath entry seemed particularly rambling）。However a recommended read。 。。。more
Jane
，
An interesting look at a moment in time， but not， as the subtitle suggests， a moment that actually changed Britain。 Certainly the Sixties were an important time of change， and Nicolson brings in a taste of the politics， the fashions， the music， the culture and above all the tensions between the old world order and the new youth-based culture that would increasingly challenge the status quo in the next decade。This is a snapshot， not a systematic history， and Nicolson feels free to go off on tange An interesting look at a moment in time， but not， as the subtitle suggests， a moment that actually changed Britain。 Certainly the Sixties were an important time of change， and Nicolson brings in a taste of the politics， the fashions， the music， the culture and above all the tensions between the old world order and the new youth-based culture that would increasingly challenge the status quo in the next decade。This is a snapshot， not a systematic history， and Nicolson feels free to go off on tangents。 Some I loved， such as the evocations of Sissinghurst， the great garden set in the remains of an Elizabethan manor that Nicolson's grandparents created， in its final years as a family home before it passed into the hands of the National Trust。 Others I wasn't so keen on; I'm not a Beatles fan and didn't really need a potted history of the group。 Others I liked but wasn't sure how relevant they were; compelling as Sylvia Plath's story is， how did it really relate to the period？Still， the overall impression was of a portrait of a society that happened to be going through an exceptionally cold winter but that was also in the process of detaching itself from the post-war period and emerging into an age of flowering， one in which British talent made its mark on the world in a way it has probably not achieved since。 A good topic for an audiobook listen。 。。。more
Laura Spira
，
I found this book disappointing。 As social history it seems superficial: I note that Peter Hennessy encouraged her to write it， which is puzzling since his own "Winds of Change" covers the period rather more thoroughly。 The footnotes indicate that she read some books and talked to a random selection of people about their memories but there are many phrases in quotation marks for which no source is cited and I began to find that irritating。 In the middle of two rather turgid chapters about the sa I found this book disappointing。 As social history it seems superficial: I note that Peter Hennessy encouraged her to write it， which is puzzling since his own "Winds of Change" covers the period rather more thoroughly。 The footnotes indicate that she read some books and talked to a random selection of people about their memories but there are many phrases in quotation marks for which no source is cited and I began to find that irritating。 In the middle of two rather turgid chapters about the sad demise of Sylvia Plath we find an irrelevant and mawkish paragraph about Nicolson waking up on the anniversary of Plath's death and enjoying the sunrise。 I don't agree with the author's apparent thesis that the bad winter precipitated societal change: the weather had nothing to do with it。 But I may have misunderstood， as this idea is only clearly expressed in the book's lengthy subtitle。 As someone a little older than Nicolson， with my own memories of the period， I may not be a member of the target market: a millennial could perhaps find it very informative。 But there are much better books about the Beatles， the Profumo affair and Sylvia Plath。This book really needed a good editor to get to grips with the structure， to iron out the repetition and cut the closing paragraphs。 And there are so many typos！ 。。。more
Susan
，
I have enjoyed all the books I have read by Juliet Nicolson so far and I am pleased to say that this is no exception。 It centres around the winter of 1962-63， when snow started falling on Boxing Day， 1962， and continued falling for ten weeks。 Although I was not born then， my brother was born in March， 1963， and so it was a winter my mother recalled with clarity。 In 1962， a new decade was underway， but Post-War Britain still seemed to be ensnared in the fifties。 Fog， a lack of optimism， the threa I have enjoyed all the books I have read by Juliet Nicolson so far and I am pleased to say that this is no exception。 It centres around the winter of 1962-63， when snow started falling on Boxing Day， 1962， and continued falling for ten weeks。 Although I was not born then， my brother was born in March， 1963， and so it was a winter my mother recalled with clarity。 In 1962， a new decade was underway， but Post-War Britain still seemed to be ensnared in the fifties。 Fog， a lack of optimism， the threat of the Cold War and a still censorious Auntie Beeb， meant that things were going along much as always。 By the time the snow had stopped， society would have shifted。 The Beatles， who released their first single in 1962， would explode into popularity， Private Eye and 'That Was the Week That Was，' would poke fun at previously off-topic subjects， and attitudes would change。 Juliet Nicolson manages to combine a personal memoir， with a social history， which is extremely readable and enjoyable。 From JFK， through Profumo and Christne Keeler， Mary Quant， Sylvia Plath， Macmillan， Tara Browne and others， she writes of social， and class， barriers being broken down。 Although she discusses sport， politics， ballet and changing attitudes， such as tolerance towards homosexuality， it is music which is central to her story。 Before 1963， regional accents were hardly heard on the BBC and possibly only there as a figure of fun （the 'O'ill give it foive' of 'Juke Box Jury'） but the Beatles would change all that and much more。 As they trundled in their van around the snow covered roads， roadie Neil Aspinall struggling to see through the windscreen， their irreverent humour， original music， and openly Liverpudlian accents， would charm a nation。 Meanwhile， waiting in the wings were Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones， poised to follow them， with Bob Dylan visiting London for the first time， and older acts， such as Helen Shapiro （even if she was very young） getting ready to exit the stage。 Music was about to change from American cover versions to home grown talent and that talent would explode with the melting of the snow。 A wonderful read - social history at its best。 。。。more
Jon Chaisson
，
（aka Frostquake， which is the correct title。。。not sure why it's listed under this one。）Enjoyed this one quite a bit！ Very insightful and balances perfectly between memoir and chronological history。 （aka Frostquake， which is the correct title。。。not sure why it's listed under this one。）Enjoyed this one quite a bit！ Very insightful and balances perfectly between memoir and chronological history。 。。。more
John
，
In 1962 I had just turned nine years of age， and my remembrance of a bitter winter living in a small caravan next to a partially built house， was refreshed by Nicholson’s description of that time。 The history that is retold interwoven with stories of her own （very different childhood and family circumstances） brought a new perspective。 The winter although exceptional was in reality a minor catalyst for change。 Exasperation with the old order， growing resistance to the established way of things， In 1962 I had just turned nine years of age， and my remembrance of a bitter winter living in a small caravan next to a partially built house， was refreshed by Nicholson’s description of that time。 The history that is retold interwoven with stories of her own （very different childhood and family circumstances） brought a new perspective。 The winter although exceptional was in reality a minor catalyst for change。 Exasperation with the old order， growing resistance to the established way of things， and new found freedoms of speech in the media （and for the individual） created a groundswell for change。 In concluding Nicholson raises valid， and ongoing concerns， ones that were first raised in the less receptive times of that cold winter。 It is to be hoped that we do not allow ourselves to return to such a state of social division and establishment arrogance that existed as the snow fell on that Boxing Day in 1962。 All in all a splendid read， well researched， a work that possibly creates a hypothesis to explain what was the ending of a rather sad era。 。。。more
Ellen
，
A mix of history and memoir - didn’t always gel。 But enjoyable！
Bookread2day
，