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February 2015 Vol. 52 No. 6

This book is a valuable addition to the literature because Denver (emer, Lancaster Univ.) and Garnett (Lancaster Univ.) provide a way to understand how British politics and elections have changed over time with the advent of television, the decline of major parties, the rise of new parties such as the Scottish National Party and UK Independence Party, and shifts in voting behavior.  The authors highlight comparisons between the elections of 2010 and 1964, when Harold Wilson led a modern campaign and began presidentializing the prime minister’s role.  Readers learn how voting is determined less by class and more by issues, and how issues—such as devolution and EU membership—have affected British politics for decades.  Chapters examine the rising importance of party leaders and how economic and demographic changes in Britain matter over time.  In light of endless campaigning and public relations consultants, the book could be more comparative since other industrialized democracies’ elections have been shaped by changing technology, transportation, and media sources.  The comprehensive synthesis of the literature, combined with language on how to interpret graphs and statistics, makes the book readable for undergraduates. 

--S. L. McMillan, Lander University

Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, research, and professional collections.