This England

Rating:
Summary: Elections are about people
Review: When I first saw this book I thought I wouldn't read it; the last British General Election (the subject of this book) seems like a long time ago now, and most "popular politics" books I've read in the past have been disappointing. But I'm so glad I changed my mind! Davies is no tyro - he'd written five books before, two of them novels, and he brings all of that experience to bear on this story of ten months in the life of one English parliamentary constituency, Calder Valley in Yorkshire.

Several things go into making this such a good read: 1. Davies obviously planned the book very carefully, something which immediately gains the reader's respect. The choice of Calder Valley (out of 650 possible places) in particular was spot-on. 2. Davies doesn't hide the fact that he's a socialist and therefore not an impartial observer. This is good because it gives an emotional energy to the text and an edge to the reporting. 3. Although this is a subjective account Davies's approach is human and sympathetic: he responds to the people rather than to their politics. Although he finds one or two of the characters exasperating he rarely resorts to sarcasm. 4. The novelistic style Davies adopts means that full attention is given to character and plot development, and to description of the area, and the book appeals because it is so clearly about people first and about politics second. 5. Davies used a dictaphone to record his characters' outpourings and his transcriptions of these are not only believable but give an insight into the way Yorkshire people think and speak. 6. Davies is a thoughtful, intelligent, and good writer. There is never a dull moment.

I would hold this book up as a model for anyone putting their mind to writing a work of popular non-fiction. And with an American election just gone and a British one looming, the political and social aspects are still relevant. And finally, Christine McCafferty ("a well-built woman of fifty with straight, short blonde hair, an attentive, piercing blue gaze and an unashamedly loud laugh; a talkative, friendly, basically ordinary person who wanted this England to change") is as good a hero as you'll find anywhere.

Rating:
Summary: Elections are about people
Review: When I first saw this book I thought I wouldn't read it; the last British General Election (the subject of this book) seems like a long time ago now, and most "popular politics" books I've read in the past have been disappointing. But I'm so glad I changed my mind! Davies is no tyro - he'd written five books before, two of them novels, and he brings all of that experience to bear on this story of ten months in the life of one English parliamentary constituency, Calder Valley in Yorkshire.

Several things go into making this such a good read: 1. Davies obviously planned the book very carefully, something which immediately gains the reader's respect. The choice of Calder Valley (out of 650 possible places) in particular was spot-on. 2. Davies doesn't hide the fact that he's a socialist and therefore not an impartial observer. This is good because it gives an emotional energy to the text and an edge to the reporting. 3. Although this is a subjective account Davies's approach is human and sympathetic: he responds to the people rather than to their politics. Although he finds one or two of the characters exasperating he rarely resorts to sarcasm. 4. The novelistic style Davies adopts means that full attention is given to character and plot development, and to description of the area, and the book appeals because it is so clearly about people first and about politics second. 5. Davies used a dictaphone to record his characters' outpourings and his transcriptions of these are not only believable but give an insight into the way Yorkshire people think and speak. 6. Davies is a thoughtful, intelligent, and good writer. There is never a dull moment.

I would hold this book up as a model for anyone putting their mind to writing a work of popular non-fiction. And with an American election just gone and a British one looming, the political and social aspects are still relevant. And finally, Christine McCafferty ("a well-built woman of fifty with straight, short blonde hair, an attentive, piercing blue gaze and an unashamedly loud laugh; a talkative, friendly, basically ordinary person who wanted this England to change") is as good a hero as you'll find anywhere.