Site Menu

August 27th, 2015 4 comments

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

The Great British Dream Factory

The Great British Dream Factory: The Strange History of Our National Imagination

Available to order from www.amazon.co.uk

Britain’s empire has gone. Our manufacturing base is a shadow of its former self; the Royal Navy has been reduced to a skeleton. In military, diplomatic and economic terms, we no longer matter as we once did. And yet there is still one area in which we can legitimately claim superpower status: our popular culture.

dream-factory

It is extraordinary to think that one British writer, J. K. Rowling, has sold more than 400 million books; that Doctor Who is watched in almost every developed country in the world; that James Bond has been the central character in the longest-running film series in history; that The Lord of the Rings is the second best-selling novel ever written (behind only A Tale of Two Cities); that the Beatles are still the best-selling musical group of all time; and that only Shakespeare and the Bible have sold more books than Agatha Christie.

To put it simply, no country on earth, relative to its size, has contributed more to the modern imagination.

This is a book about the success and the meaning of Britain’s modern popular culture, from Bond and the Beatles to heavy metal and Coronation Street, from the Angry Young Men to Harry Potter, from Damien Hirst toThe X Factor.


Categorised under: Books, Reference books

Adverts/Affiliates

4 comments

  • 12th Doctor Fan

    August 27th, 2015 - 2:15pm

    Sorry not interested I’m thrilled my subscription early means I get four issues free to the complete history of Dr who, that collection will be pride and joy and my blue rays.

    Reply
  • 100000BC

    August 27th, 2015 - 12:51pm

    I love how whoever designed the cover has made sure that the TARDIS stands out by being the only colour image (apart from people wearing black suits, which might as well be in Black and white, and someone wearing a gold dress at the top which is hard to spot because she’s against the coloured background).

    Reply
  • The Doctor Returns

    August 27th, 2015 - 11:25am

    Won’t interest me, sadly

    Reply
    • doctor who fan 11

      August 27th, 2015 - 12:50pm

      me niether

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get your own avatar.
By clicking submit you agree to our terms and conditions (below), we reserve the right to edit or delete inappropriate messages.

Comment rules

The Doctor Who site welcomes constuctive comments related to the news article in question. Links posted in comments may not be displayed. We reserve the right to delete or edit any post entirely at our discretion. If you leave unacceptable comments your IP address will be banned and reported

Click here to read full comments terms and conditions

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Twitter

Facebook