Want to improve your knowledge of politics? Read Marr!

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] developed an active interest in politics from an early age, but as I grew older it occurred to me that I didn’t really know much about it. I was operating in generalities – I knew of left vs. right and of Labour vs. Conservative but that was it – I never even realised there were other parties. Especially when it came to political history – that was a real whitewash. Scrape away the veneer of Winston Churchill and Maggie Thatcher and I couldn’t really tell you much else.

Marr’s way of writing is engaging, treating history, not as a dry subject, but as the gripping story that it is

There were two reasons for this. Firstly, as an avid Simpsons fan, my mind was crammed with American history and I just applied that knowledge to the UK, assuming we had a similar system. And secondly, I could never really find any good books to help me out. I wanted a general outline, a story of Britain, rather than a specific text focusing on one era (which was all could find in the library).

Step forward Andrew Marr’s A History of Modern Britain. It deals with the end of the Second World War up to 2006 (the then-present day). The book is clear and concise, ranging from specifics to generals and offering a fairly complete picture of the modern history of our country. I found it fascinating, and could barely put it down – I think I read it in one sitting, which was no mean feat as it’s 700 pages long! Marr’s way of writing is engaging, treating history, not as a dry subject, but as the gripping story that it is.

Following politics is a different story if you know what has led us to where we are today.

It is an incredible book, and well worth a look for anyone who wants to know more about Britain’s politics. With all the contentions over the NHS and the EU in this coming election, following their evolution has enabled me to make a clearer, more reasoned judgement about what I think. The book is fairly impartial, making it very valuable as a record of facts. As a result, I now feel I can make a better evaluation of the politics Britain offers and a more informed choice when I cast my vote. In politics, history definitely affects the present.

Image Credits: Header (The National Business Awards/Flickr), Image 1 (commons.wikimedia.org)