Class is back.

After a couple of decades in which it was about as popular as rickets, it's becoming more acceptable to analyse British society in terms of class, which is why we're seeing books like this. An academic from a humble background, Todd presents a century of working-class history, from 1910 through the post-War years when it was at its more prevalent and powerful, to a present day when identity politics has elbowed class war aside and globalism has given the powerful an even greater bite. Todd's account distinguishes itself in several respects, making copious use of oral histories (including the interesting device of interspersing quotes from pools winner Viv Nicholson throughout the text) and giving more attention to domestic servants, who are usually overlooked in favour of industrial workers. Building to quite a polemical finish, Todd makes much of her own working-class background, which helps her sift nuggets of truth from myth, nostalgia and received wisdom.