Born 1900 Book

What do hamburgers, the Labour Party, Freud's Interpretation of Dreams, The Queen Mother, and Len Vale-Onslow, Birmingham motorcycle mechanic, all have in common? They were all born in 1900, and are just some of the figures discussed in Hunter Davies' Born 1900: A Human History of the Twentieth Century. Davies' book is a great concept. If, as has been suggested recently, the 20th century is The People's Century, then what better way to take stock of the epoch than through the oral testimony of a group of people born in 1900? Add to this some of the institutions and objects which have defined the century, and you have the basis for a wonderful and fascinating book. Many of Davies' interviews and stories are a joy, such as the remarkable story of Dorothy Ellis, devout Quaker and one of the few female undergraduates to study at the University of Birmingham-- another 1900 babe examined by Davies. Unfortunately Born 1900 tends to play safe in its subject matter, and as a result often falls into banality. Interviews with people pushing a hundred can never be easy, but what about the issues which have really defined the century? Where's the political conflict? Where's the impact of industrialisation and new media? Where's the sex? Speaking of sex, the chapters on objects and institutions also disappoint, as in the discussion of Freud's.contribution. If the 20th century really was like this, then we're in serious trouble from future generations. --Jerry BrottonRead More