Book Reviews

• Published date: 01 September 1973
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1813-6982.1973.tb00372.x
• Date: 01 September 1973

Book Reviews

BREACH, L. R. W. and HARTWELL, R. M. (eds). British economy and society, 1870-1970 . . . . .. H. F. Kenny

LAYARD, Richard (ed.). Cost-benefit analysis. . . . W. H. Thomas

MYINT, Hla. Southeast Asia's economy: Development policies in the 1970s . . . . . . . . . . . . W. H. Thomas

TERREBLANCHE, S. J. Die doelwit van 'n hoë ekonomiese groeikoers . . . . . . . . . . . . . W. H. Thomas

BREACH, L. R. W. and HARTWELL, R. M. (eds). British Economy and Society, 1870-1970 Oxford University Press, 1972. 3.00,

406 pp.

THIS BOOK is a selection of source material on British economic and social history over the past century, with the emphasis on the

social. It is divided into three periods, 1870-1918, 1918-1945, 1945-1970. For the quantitatively inclined there is a very useful

statistical appendix with data on national income, population, foreign trade, etc. The documents for each period are preceded by an

editorial introduction, while they also supply a general introduction for the whole period.

The editors explain that much has been written on Britain's economic history during the past century, but that social history has

been relatively neglected. They have attempted to redress the balance and each period therefore deals with General Social

Conditions, Work, Opinion, with Economy an unfamiliar last. In this context it is a well-balanced selection and it is interesting and

informative to read about "The workshop of Joseph Brown, Birmingham", "Workers in the ports, 1926" and "The Anglican

clergyman".

The main interest of this book, however, lies in the interpretation of the period advanced by the two editors. Mr Hartwell is well

known as the current leader of the "optimistic" interpreters of the Industrial Revolution, seen by him as a process of economic

growth which improved both the material level and quality of life of the British working classes.

Both the general and period introductions are pervaded by true Hartwellian optimism about British history during the last century.

It was a time when British was, if no longer quite the best, still second or at least third best. The continuously rising standard of

living of the mass of the population has been the "most striking phenomenon" of this period, closely followed by the expanding

social and economic role of the state, particularly in the field of welfare.

But, in spite of many profound changes, there has been neither political nor institutional revolution. Also, change has generally

been for the better. There

1973 SAJE v41(3) p306

are "current indicators of social malaise" such as a growing crime rate, high illegitimacy and student unrest. Yet despair would be

misplaced: "Britain certainly has never had it so good". "It may not be quite the best country in the world in which to live but it is

certainly one of the best."

So Britain is not the Sick Man of Europe after all, and the "British disease" is presumably a figment of the New Left imagination.

The vision of history which underlies these sentiments resembles that of the Indian author, Nirad Chaudhuri, who wrote, with

England and his own country in mind, that "nations acquire a sort of monumentality in their passage through history. Since to exist

is to change, nothing can hope to remain always the same, but I cannot believe that such changes destroy the once formed

personality of a people or civilization, or alter their basic character."

This approach does have its merits. It would be nice to think that all those strikes are just passing phenomena. It would be just as

nice to think the same about Messrs. Wilson and Heath. No doubt they are ephemeral, sub specie aeterninatis. But, in the

meantime, things might get just a little more uncomfortable than Messrs Breach, Hartwell and Chaudhuri anticipate.

H. F. Kenney

University of the Witwatersrand

LAYARD, Richard (ed.). Cost-Benefit Analysis. Harmondsworth : Penguin Modern Economics Readings, 1972. 82,63, 4,96 pp.

During the past decade the literature on cost-benefit analysis has virtually exploded, both with regard to theoretical and applied

aspects. It seems only logical that the Penguin series of Modern Economics Readings should add a volume on this modern

sub-discipline of economics to its already renowned collection. The topic is already covered in other Penguin Readings, including

those on Transport, Economics of Education, Technological Change, Public Finance and Public Enterprise. This set of readings is

in fact a well selected collection of the most recent papers (seven readings have been prepared in 1970 or later), together with a

most valuable introduction. Layard admits what many a university teacher may already have felt about this field: "I searched in vain

for any introductory survey that was not only theoretical but also showed how one may tackle a particular problem" (p. g). As a

result Layard brought an innovation into the Penguin Readings which, one hopes, will be taken up in further collections. In the first

56 pages he presents a systematic and lucid introduction to the topic, emphasizing the operational aspects, but at the same time

indicating the major theoretical issues and unresolved problems and inte-grating the readings that follow. With its comprehensive

reading list the introduction also functions as a bibliographical essay.

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