Crisis? What Crisis? Urbanite writes damn fine book!

[Mation]

I've just been reading Haller's new book Crisis? What Crisis? and it's great

Tis a history of Britain in the 1970s - brilliantly observed and very funny.

Here be a trailer for it on youtube

and here's a review of the book by Francis Wheen

Francis Wheen

[Haller] may be an anorak, but he is an acutely intelligent anorak who knows that popular culture doesn't give the full picture. He points out that, at a time when opinion polls identified the general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union as the most powerful man in Britain, active trade unionists were almost invisible in popular entertainment. The representation of black people was even more out of sync with reality: it is a real shock to be reminded of a Goodies episode in which Bill Oddie, his face smeared with shoe polish, appeared as "Rastus Watermelon" - and of the fact that, as late as 1976, The Black and White Minstrel Show was one of the five most watched programmes over the Christmas holiday.

Sorry for the shameless plugginess of this thread... He's not paying me, honest, I'm just dead chuffed for the anorak

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Congrats to Haller

 

[marty21]

congrats - will check it out

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Well done sir.

Adds: I've often used the following example to show how the world (and the mental world) has changed since the Seventies. There was an edition of Not The Nine O'Clock News which carried a Just A Minute! spoof in which a trade union letter was invited (using, of course, news footage of aforesaid leaders) to speak for a minute without using the term "aspirations". Naturally they always failed and said something like "our members' aspirations" within the first few seconds.

Very, very shortly, the term "aspirations" was simply assumed to have nothing to do with trades unionism and indeed to be very hostile to it.

 

[Mation]

Just heard a thing on Today about a film on tonight about Mary Whitehouse. Won't be able to watch it but I was reading about her in Crisis? Very odd woman. She must have spent her every waking moment absolutely fuming!

 

[Virginia Plain]

I'd like to add my recommendation to this fine thread.

Crisis? What Crisis? is lovingly researched and beautifully written with a generous dusting of his wry humour.

Haller’s knowledge on the subject is breath-taking as he guides you through Britain in the seventies armed with a divine passion for a decade that was as troubled as it was glorious.

This is what real books are made of.

Another glittering winner from the intelligent anorak, I reckon.

And a worthy reason for me to step out from the shadowy backdrop of the boards and make my first post…

 

[loud 1]

hyper mega!

 

[Donna Ferentes]

I'd like to add my recommendation to this fine thread.

Crisis? What Crisis? is lovingly researched and beautifully written with a generous dusting of his wry humour.

Haller’s knowledge on the subject is breath-taking as he guides you through Britain in the seventies armed with a divine passion for a decade that was as troubled as it was glorious.

This is what real books are made of.

Another glittering winner from the intelligent anorak, I reckon.

And a worthy reason for me to step out from the shadowy backdrop of the boards and make my first post…

And your relationship to the gentleman?

 

[Firky]

 

[marty21]

i have the book, and i'm enjoying it, i was a kid at the time, the 3 day week seemed a good idea to me when i was 7

 

[frogwoman]

Wow I'll have to check it out! Nice one!!

 

[foo]

am i the only one who has no idea who Mation's talking about?

who's Haller on here then?

whoever he is, congratulations on getting published anyway.

 

[Mation]

He's Haller! Does that help?

 

[DRINK?]

thanks.....was a struggle though hope you like it....enjoy

 

[Tank Girl]

i have the book, and i'm enjoying it, i was a kid at the time, the 3 day week seemed a good idea to me when i was 7

seems like a good idea to me at 37

 

[Mation]

i have the book, and i'm enjoying it, i was a kid at the time, the 3 day week seemed a good idea to me when i was 7

Decimal door numbering, though! WTF?

 

[jayeola]

Just heard a thing on Today about a film on tonight about Mary Whitehouse. Won't be able to watch it but I was reading about her in Crisis? Very odd woman. She must have spent her every waking moment absolutely fuming!

What would she be like if she were alive now? All that p0rn and ppl wearing those lo-cut jeans with the strap lines showing!

 

[foo]

He's Haller! Does that help?

nope.

i guess it's a need to know thing.

 

[marty21]

seems like a good idea to me at 37

and yet heath didn't win the election after that

 

[Mation]

nope.

i guess it's a need to know thing.

Not at all! He's a poster (but not that often, I guess) and a very good friend of mine. Wasn't trying to be obtuse, I just assumed you'd do a search

 

[redsnapper]

nope.

i guess it's a need to know thing.

He is indeed an urbanite

Sounds like a great book btw Mation. Congrats' Haller!

 

[foo]

Not at all! He's a poster (but not that often, I guess) and a very good friend of mine. Wasn't trying to be obtuse, I just assumed you'd do a search

oh sorry Mation i thought it was another one of those cliquey london things...

and thanks redsnapper.

 

[Haller]

i have the book, and i'm enjoying it, i was a kid at the time, the 3 day week seemed a good idea to me when i was 7

Thank you for the kind words.

It was great if you were a kid - candles and everything. And the possibility that you'd get time off from school.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

I remember we had a chart on our wall during the power strikes saying when the elecricity would go off.

 

[marty21]

Thank you for the kind words.

It was great if you were a kid - candles and everything. And the possibility that you'd get time off from school.

no problem - it's my having a fag on the front step as i can't smoke any more indoors - book

 

[Mation]

oh sorry Mation i thought it was another one of those cliquey london things...

and thanks redsnapper.

no prob

 

[marty21]

finished it- enjoyed it - helped a bit that i lived through the 70s so i had a vague familiarity with the events - although it filled in the gaps as i was just a kid - very good