Rule, Nostalgia: A Backwards History of Britain
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- Create Date：2022-08-21 06:51:41
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Hannah Rose Woods
- ISBN：0753558734
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Summary
Britain is an island ruled by nostalgia， but nostalgia today isn't what it used to be。。。
Longing to go back to the 'good old days' is nothing new。 For hundreds of years， the British have mourned the loss of older national identities and called for a revival 'simple'， 'better' ways of life - from Margaret Thatcher's call for a return to 'Victorian values' in the 1980s， to William Blake's protest against the 'dark satanic mills' of the Industrial Revolution that were fast transforming England's green and pleasant land， to sixteenth-century observers looking back wistfully to a 'Merry England' before the upheavals of the Reformation。 By the time we reach the 1500s， we find a country nostalgic for a vision of home that looks very different to our own。 But were the 'good old days' ever quite how we remember them？
Beginning in the present， cultural historian Hannah Rose Woods takes us back on an eye-opening tour through five hundred years of Britain's perennial fixation with its own past to reveal that history is more complex than we care to remember。 Asking why nostalgia has been such an enduring and seductive emotion across hundreds of years of change， Woods separates the history from the fantasy， debunks pervasive myths about the past， and illuminates the remarkable influence that nostalgia's perpetual backwards glance has had on British history， politics and society。
Rule， Nostalgia is a timely and enlightening interrogation of national character， emotion， identity and myth making that elucidates how this nostalgic isle's history was written， re-written and （rightly or wrongly） remembered。
Longing to go back to the 'good old days' is nothing new。 For hundreds of years， the British have mourned the loss of older national identities and called for a revival 'simple'， 'better' ways of life - from Margaret Thatcher's call for a return to 'Victorian values' in the 1980s， to William Blake's protest against the 'dark satanic mills' of the Industrial Revolution that were fast transforming England's green and pleasant land， to sixteenth-century observers looking back wistfully to a 'Merry England' before the upheavals of the Reformation。 By the time we reach the 1500s， we find a country nostalgic for a vision of home that looks very different to our own。 But were the 'good old days' ever quite how we remember them？
Beginning in the present， cultural historian Hannah Rose Woods takes us back on an eye-opening tour through five hundred years of Britain's perennial fixation with its own past to reveal that history is more complex than we care to remember。 Asking why nostalgia has been such an enduring and seductive emotion across hundreds of years of change， Woods separates the history from the fantasy， debunks pervasive myths about the past， and illuminates the remarkable influence that nostalgia's perpetual backwards glance has had on British history， politics and society。
Rule， Nostalgia is a timely and enlightening interrogation of national character， emotion， identity and myth making that elucidates how this nostalgic isle's history was written， re-written and （rightly or wrongly） remembered。
Reviews
Yvonne
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This is a really interesting and quite addictive book about how nostalgia plays a part in our lives。 I hadn't realised how it is used in modern politics until I read this book and now I have noticed it in many advertising campaigns。The author starts with Britain today， this works really well as it meant that as a reader I could immediately identify and recognise things that are and have been happening within the last couple of years。 Using examples， the author shows how words and meanings are us This is a really interesting and quite addictive book about how nostalgia plays a part in our lives。 I hadn't realised how it is used in modern politics until I read this book and now I have noticed it in many advertising campaigns。The author starts with Britain today， this works really well as it meant that as a reader I could immediately identify and recognise things that are and have been happening within the last couple of years。 Using examples， the author shows how words and meanings are used to convey a feeling。 A couple of good examples are from the pandemic - "Keep Calm and Carry On" and also the Brexit message of "Make Britain Great Again" are phrases from 20th Century history， yet play on the current feeling of Britishness。 This is only one very small example， but it is one that we can remember seeing or hearing at some point over the last couple of years and probably within the last couple of weeks as the Tories are awaiting who will take over from PM Boris。 As I said， starting with the present day is a great way of showing the point of this book and its relevance。 The author doesn't show just one side， she shows different sides and this gives various viewpoints and perspectives from everyday people to those who are known for whatever reason。The nostalgic view of people back through the years is something that has always happened， and when a campaign or favour is needed or support required， then phrases that have been used in the past are brought back out again。 They worked well to appeal to the sense of belonging， of family and of friendships。 However， they are not always from the best of Britain's history and this is where viewpoints and perspectives become very important。 This is a very readable book， I suppose you could say that the author is like the devil's advocate as she shares different arguments， ideologies， p[olicies， religions and opinions。 It is a well-researched book and I really enjoyed the way it was laid out。 It was a book I initially planned on dipping in and out of but soon found myself caught up in it and read it within a couple of days。 Great for those who like history and how history has been used over the generations。 Very enjoyable and informative and I would definitely recommend it。 。。。more
Bryony Armstrong
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I really enjoyed the premise of this book。 I picked it up because I've always cringed when people make statements such as "we're living in a world now when [insert something negative that has always been the case]"， or "people these days [negative thing]"， or the big one， "standards are slipping"。 These statements are often rooted in sexism， racism， imperialism and more， and usually idealise a false past， and this book did a good job of showing that that is the case。 I loved the discussion of th I really enjoyed the premise of this book。 I picked it up because I've always cringed when people make statements such as "we're living in a world now when [insert something negative that has always been the case]"， or "people these days [negative thing]"， or the big one， "standards are slipping"。 These statements are often rooted in sexism， racism， imperialism and more， and usually idealise a false past， and this book did a good job of showing that that is the case。 I loved the discussion of the current right wing complaint that people are trying to "rewrite history"， when a。 that is literally a historian's job， and b。 it's hypocrisy when they are the ones who are trying to portray a false history （e。g。 people complaining that anglophone WW1 or WW2 films that *accurately* show people of colour and colonial regiments fighting are being "distracting" and trying to "rewrite the past"）。 I feel equipped now to suggest this book to people （especially British people） who make those statements。 However， while this book gave countless good examples of the way British people have literally always been looking back nostalgically to a past that never truly existed， it didn't go beyond the examples enough for me。 I wanted a bit more analysis of the examples， and more of a discussion of why this happens。 I also was left wanting a discussion of why Woods sees this as a British phenomenon， and perhaps a comparison of how nostalgia figures in the cultures of other nations。 。。。more
Dave
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It was a lot of fun， and had some stories from history that were new to me。 Sometimes goes on at too much length about the current British political situation， like a long Guardian article。 She shifts the ground of her arguments sometimes - were the people she writes about feeling nostalgia about the past， or shock at adapting to the present？
Fern Adams
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I’m so glad I read this as it was absolutely fascinating。 ‘Rule， Nostalgia’ is a history book with a bit of a twist in that not only does it start in the present day and work backwards but it is also about history itself or rather the history of the role of history。 Woods explores the idea that history is not fixed as such and is constantly rewritten。 How we view it and what we see as important or not is often far more linked to the present moment than the past。 We often think it was better befo I’m so glad I read this as it was absolutely fascinating。 ‘Rule， Nostalgia’ is a history book with a bit of a twist in that not only does it start in the present day and work backwards but it is also about history itself or rather the history of the role of history。 Woods explores the idea that history is not fixed as such and is constantly rewritten。 How we view it and what we see as important or not is often far more linked to the present moment than the past。 We often think it was better before， that the nation was greater and view the past with skewed rose- tinted glasses。 The thing is every generation， era and century have done exactly the same thing。 Not only does this influence how we look at the past but it can change how we view the present too， something frequently harnessed by politicians， leaders and media。The timing of this book couldn’t be more apt as Brexit， Boris Johnson， MPs standing to be the new MP are constantly in the news and use propaganda of the British past to paint a picture of today and an imagined ideal future。 As terms such as ‘woke’ are branded round and arguments and counter arguments take place about statues and which history is told this book shows that many of these ideas are not new but where danger lies is in silencing anyone who questions the history and nostalgic image a country paints。 So much of reading this made me think of Benedict Anderson’s ‘Imagined Communities’ idea and his writing on nationalism。 I can see this book really making people think。As Woods goes back through hundreds of years she shows how the arguments and nostalgia have clear patterns throughout the ages。 Her writing while being informative and packed full of information is extremely readable and not dry in the slightest。 Honestly I really loved reading this one。 If nothing else everyone needs to read the conclusion！ Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Peter Baran
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The full title of Rule， Nostalgia is "A Backwards History Of Britain"， which it certainly is - back to the Elizabethan age。 Buit the project Hannah Rose Woods has set herself here， or has been set by the particularly jingoistic aftermath of Brexit， is to tell a history of histories of Britain， or more exactly a history of nostalgia and heritage has been shackled to political causes。 And by telling it backwards， she can start where the load of nostalgia is highest， the present whilst debunking a The full title of Rule， Nostalgia is "A Backwards History Of Britain"， which it certainly is - back to the Elizabethan age。 Buit the project Hannah Rose Woods has set herself here， or has been set by the particularly jingoistic aftermath of Brexit， is to tell a history of histories of Britain， or more exactly a history of nostalgia and heritage has been shackled to political causes。 And by telling it backwards， she can start where the load of nostalgia is highest， the present whilst debunking a few one sides myths （she debunks nearly all of the actual history - but it is important to note that both sides have happily utilised rose tinted glasses and golden ages when they need to。 The difficulty she faces however is as she travels back into the past （and its a chapter per age） her sources of chatter about "the good old days" becomes less plentiful。 There is probably as much material being churned out in the modern media in a week， than she has to go on for the 17th Century， particularly when the kind of talk about lionising the past is the place of editorials or political pronouncements which just weren't recorded in the same way back then。 This is necessarily a problem - her end point around the period of Shakespeare has a big honking touch up of history right there in Henry V and its ilk。 But what is a very novel and interesting technique to talk about history in the first four chapters does almost become a straight history in the back few。 I also think there is possibly a little bit more room for reflection than her conclusion。 Perhaps it doesn't need it， she makes the point over and over again with the history that people have used history， and retellings， and nostalgia for their own purposes forever。 There is a good Susan Sontag quote near the end that reminds us that we don't remember the day to day irritations of a holiday， only the golden moments。 This is a decent counter reminder of that。So whilst I enjoyed Rule， Nostalgia， and do think its central thesis is a strong one， there are tensions here - not least that this backwards and sometimes askew version of history sometimes expects to to know the history （particularly in the modern period）， and sometimes spends quite a bit of time telling you it。 Whilst this is necessarily an issue， it does make the book feel a little disjointed。 But the history she tells is well researched， resourced and with a light enough touch to make the whole thing very readable。 And of course， the very nature of the book， she delights in showing her working。 。。。more
Samantha
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4。5*。 This book caught my attention as I'm a fan of Hannah Rose Woods。 I'm no history buff - I don't generally read a lot of history books - but I remember Woods absolutely smashed being captain of her University Challenge team and really enjoyed watching her on that。As an English person who has lived in Scotland for almost 10 years now， I'm often amused by the difference between the English and Scottish media when it comes to reflecting on our shared history。 This is something Woods reflects on 4。5*。 This book caught my attention as I'm a fan of Hannah Rose Woods。 I'm no history buff - I don't generally read a lot of history books - but I remember Woods absolutely smashed being captain of her University Challenge team and really enjoyed watching her on that。As an English person who has lived in Scotland for almost 10 years now， I'm often amused by the difference between the English and Scottish media when it comes to reflecting on our shared history。 This is something Woods reflects on in this book， which uses nostalgia as a theme to reflect on the past 500 years of British history。 Effectively every age， every generation， likes to wish for the 'good old days' wearing rose-tinted spectacles。 When the 'good old days' was generally anything but。I learned a lot of interesting facts and stories from this book and enjoyed Woods' reflections on similarities with present day situations and political messaging。 Even going back 500 years （this book goes backwards in time） it gave more of an insight into the actual day-to-day actions and trivialities of real people that was eye-opening。This was fairly accessible to non-history fans but there were a few times towards the end of the book where there was definitely some assumed knowledge that I didn't have。 Slightly confusing at times but it forced me to do a lot of my own research where I learned even more！ A really fun and engaging journey through history that I highly recommend if you want to find out more about British （mostly English） history - and often the history that today's media likes to try and forget！Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Des
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 It is smart and very well written。 It draws on historical periods of great upheaval and uses this history to illuminate the present。 In the end it shows convincingly just how much is indeed timeless。 HRW depicts every era as yearning for its golden past， not the reality of its actual past， but rather an idealised， perfected and mythical version。 How this nostalgia pervaded previous ages and how it parallels current social and political discourse puts the present i I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 It is smart and very well written。 It draws on historical periods of great upheaval and uses this history to illuminate the present。 In the end it shows convincingly just how much is indeed timeless。 HRW depicts every era as yearning for its golden past， not the reality of its actual past， but rather an idealised， perfected and mythical version。 How this nostalgia pervaded previous ages and how it parallels current social and political discourse puts the present into perspective。 Plus ça change， plus c'est la même chose indeed。 As HRW says in the conclusion "Paradise is always lost"。 Those tempted by the allure of the nationalist global wave nostalgically yearning for a non-existent glorious past would do well read this book。 They would also do well to remember that “If we want things to stay as they are， things will have to change。” Excellent read， highly recommended。 Thank you very much to Ebury/PenguinRandomHouse for a no obligation advance copy。 。。。more
MarmottanReads
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Enjoyable backwards walk through history which demonstrates that each generation had those yearning for a previous era and those pushing back against that。 It’s made me think about nostalgia in a new light， and can see this being a book I reread。
Jill Rowlinson
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This is a fascinating look at collective national nostalgia and how each period of our history looks back on another age as the “Good Old Days”。 The author explains how nostalgia is a comfort during troubled times and so we tend to only remember the good parts。 She then sets out the actual history of Britain and how each age has been misremembered or often manipulated for political ends。 What struck me was that in each age examined， the issues social commentators felt had declined in their age a This is a fascinating look at collective national nostalgia and how each period of our history looks back on another age as the “Good Old Days”。 The author explains how nostalgia is a comfort during troubled times and so we tend to only remember the good parts。 She then sets out the actual history of Britain and how each age has been misremembered or often manipulated for political ends。 What struck me was that in each age examined， the issues social commentators felt had declined in their age and were better in the old days were all pretty much the same and quite often concerned disruption to the social hierarchy。 The exploration of the use of nostalgia as propaganda was particularly thought-provoking。 I wasn’t sure about the section on historical fiction painting a rosy picture of the past。 I’m sure some of it does but most of the historical fiction I read show how brutally ordinary people were treated and makes me feel relieved I’m alive now。Thanks to Ebury Publishing， Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the review access。 。。。more
Annarella
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It's an interesting and thought provoking book， perfect for this age when nationalisms and populisms are looking back to mythical past gold ages。As a matter of fact this already happened a couple of millenia ago when Romans living in the imperial age looked back at the Republican age as the golden one。I loved this books because there's a lot of myths about Britain past ages and the author did an excellent jobs in debunking them and picturing a more realistic image。Well researched and well told。H It's an interesting and thought provoking book， perfect for this age when nationalisms and populisms are looking back to mythical past gold ages。As a matter of fact this already happened a couple of millenia ago when Romans living in the imperial age looked back at the Republican age as the golden one。I loved this books because there's a lot of myths about Britain past ages and the author did an excellent jobs in debunking them and picturing a more realistic image。Well researched and well told。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Mrs Karen Bull
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Very interesting book， worth reading Enjoyed well written， Hannah rose woods great authorDefinitely worth buying
Helen
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A look at people's view of different periods in history as times and perception changes。 Empire and Great or empire and controlling。White washing unpleasant historical events to make them acceptable。Progress or destruction of history。Differing view points on events that make you look at the events from different perspectivesNot an easy read as it makes you think and question your own thoughts。 A look at people's view of different periods in history as times and perception changes。 Empire and Great or empire and controlling。White washing unpleasant historical events to make them acceptable。Progress or destruction of history。Differing view points on events that make you look at the events from different perspectivesNot an easy read as it makes you think and question your own thoughts。 。。。more
El
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ARC received via NetGalley。I was hoping this would be a bit more accessible to non-historians， but to those who know more about British history than me it's a great book which isn't too academic in tone。 The main point sometimes gets a bit lost， but when it's there it's a great reminder that previous generations have been nostalgic about previous generations and so on for-ever， and that reducing the past down is both kind of inevitable but also does a disservice to those who actually lived throu ARC received via NetGalley。I was hoping this would be a bit more accessible to non-historians， but to those who know more about British history than me it's a great book which isn't too academic in tone。 The main point sometimes gets a bit lost， but when it's there it's a great reminder that previous generations have been nostalgic about previous generations and so on for-ever， and that reducing the past down is both kind of inevitable but also does a disservice to those who actually lived through it。 I particularly enjoyed the last chapter on the Reformation， and the conclusion， which I thought summed up the book well。 Interesting， and an important perspective on a concept that has had such a grip on Britain for centuries。 。。。more
Nicky Hallam
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A history book written backwards？ The idea might sound bizarre， but in fact， in the case of Hannah Rose Woods’ excellent new book， it makes perfect sense。 For this is a history of nostalgia itself。 As Woods gradually takes us back from the 2020s to the Tudor era， it makes so much sense that a chapter covering the years 1914 to 1945 should follow the one focusing on the period spanning 1945 to 1979， that it soon begins to seem normal。 Indeed， there never seems to have been a time when Britain was A history book written backwards？ The idea might sound bizarre， but in fact， in the case of Hannah Rose Woods’ excellent new book， it makes perfect sense。 For this is a history of nostalgia itself。 As Woods gradually takes us back from the 2020s to the Tudor era， it makes so much sense that a chapter covering the years 1914 to 1945 should follow the one focusing on the period spanning 1945 to 1979， that it soon begins to seem normal。 Indeed， there never seems to have been a time when Britain wasn’t taking a fond look back over its shoulder to savour the apparent security and certainties of the recent past。 Many today might mourn the passing of the immediate post-war decades。 But Woods is good at myth-busting and points out things were rarely as simple as they seem。 From the perspective of the 1950s， 60s and 70s， Britain seemed， on the one hand， to be drifting into seemingly irreversible decline。 We had lost our empire， been humiliated over Suez and as the 1960s moved into the 1970s， seemed to be perpetually lurching from one national crisis to another。 This is all true enough。 But at the same time as Harold Macmillan pointed out， “most of our people have never had it so good。” During his premiership and for nearly twenty years after it， lots of people had more money and free time than ever， acquiring cars， living in their own homes and going on foreign holidays for the first time。 The year 1977 is often seen as marking something of a national low point， coming so soon after the 1976 IMF Crisis。 But surveys from that year indicate Britons were then amongst the happiest peoples in the world。 As the Canadian philosopher， Joni Michell had argued a few years earlier， “Don't it always seem to go， that you don't know what you've got till it's gone？” There is more。 Contrary to popular myth， lots of people were pleased to be moved out of their slums， most people who went to the New Towns didn’t regret it and some people were never happier during their entire lives than when the Nazis were bombing them during the Second World War。 In short， this is an enjoyable and well written book， packed with insights。 You’ll be sure to remember it fondly， once it’s all over。 。。。more
thewoollygeek （tea， cake， crochet & books）
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I enjoyed this， but it’s definitely a book you read across time， a bit at a time as it’s 400 pages and a lengthy book。 A scholarly look at aspects of the British character and identity that continues on today， our obsession that things were better in the past。 I learnt some British history that I thought I knew， so it’s really good for that and it’s very well written， just a bit overly serious at points， but an interesting readThanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest o I enjoyed this， but it’s definitely a book you read across time， a bit at a time as it’s 400 pages and a lengthy book。 A scholarly look at aspects of the British character and identity that continues on today， our obsession that things were better in the past。 I learnt some British history that I thought I knew， so it’s really good for that and it’s very well written， just a bit overly serious at points， but an interesting readThanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion 。。。more
Natalie Copeland
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I loved it！ ‘Rule， Nostalgia’ is timely， illuminating， well researched， and a hugely enjoyable 5* read！ If you are curious about why we are always looking backwards to a better age， interested in British history， politics， and society， and looking for an intellectually stimulating book that will help you to understand the present this book is for you！ I found that this fresh take on ‘Who do You Think You Are’ for Britain illuminates not only our yearning for a lost past but also important debate I loved it！ ‘Rule， Nostalgia’ is timely， illuminating， well researched， and a hugely enjoyable 5* read！ If you are curious about why we are always looking backwards to a better age， interested in British history， politics， and society， and looking for an intellectually stimulating book that will help you to understand the present this book is for you！ I found that this fresh take on ‘Who do You Think You Are’ for Britain illuminates not only our yearning for a lost past but also important debates relating to Britain’s place in the world and how history is used - and abused。I particularly liked the witty， engaging style and quirky details with which cultural historian Hannah Rose Woods drew me into thinking about contemporary issues， as if speaking directly to me from where she used to lecture at the University of Cambridge。 I highly recommend this as a relevant and very entertaining read for our post Brexit times in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year and think this book deserves to be a best seller！ 。。。more
Jenny H
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