During the 20th century, England had surrendered her status as a major world power to the U.S. and Soviet Union. Meanwhile, life at home has become more tolerable for the unfortunate and more secure for the majority. This book surveys these two great currents of change and studies their political and economic implications. For the revised third edition, Lloyd has included a new chapter to cover events up to 1985 and has incorporated updated information on Britain's economic and social development.