Since 1945 Great Britain has gone through many changes: the loss of an empire, economic decline and resurgence, entry into Europe, evolution into a multicultural society, and devolution, to name only the more obvious. In this book, six distinguished historians each take a theme - politics, international relations, high, middle , and low culture, social and economic policies, the nature of civil society, and Ireland - and set out the fundamental nature and development of each. These are set within the wider context of the Cold War, and its impact both internationally and domestically; of the impact on politics, economics and foreign policy of the decline of the pound and the attempts to arrest this; and finally, of the growing impact of Europe.