I think, unless we have had a terrible upbringing, we do, from time to time, feel nostalgic. There is this magic age of childhood and teenage years. And yes I think, growing up in the seventies in France we were quite free. Were we really going to church on Sunday morning or smoking cigarettes behind it? Nobody really checked as long as we were back for lunch and diner time. I have also fond memories of West Germany in the eighties when I was a teenager. Lots of flirting with young German boys and girls. Being a teenager in Paris was more tricky as I was pestered all the time on the streets. One of the reasons why I moved to England I think.
When you're a teenager everything's tough and wonderful at the same time. My father was 15 when the German army invaded France and he used to tell me he had a great time, also because he wasn't sure if he would be alive long enough.
This is when he discovered Beethoven's music for example.
I think you've nailed that. I grew up in 70s and early 80s Britain and it was a country struggling to find economic growth, a sense of purpose and a place in the world again. Fast forward to now and we're in the same position but the difference appears to me that 50 years ago we had politicians with ideas, beliefs and conviction on all sides of the political spectrum.....Margaret Thatcher, John Smith, Keith Joseph, Tony Benn.....and regardless of whether you agreed with them or not you knew what they stood, that they believed in it and importantly, they could articulate it. Now? Who knows what any of them believe and stand for? And even if we knew I doubt very much they could communicate effectively. We are so much better off in many ways than in 1976 but infinitely poorer in others
Really interesting and insightful - thank you. Reminds me of the film, Good Bye Lenin!, which I loved.
My teens and twenties coincided with the 1990s in Scotland. There seems to be a curious nostalgia for that period in Britain. I think that’s because we had a growing economy and there was a sense of optimism: witness the collapse of the Soviet Union, for example.
But, even at the time, in the 1990s I recall a nostalgia for the 1960s: even the Blur v Oasis rivalry seemed to echo, in a self-conscious way, the Beatles v Rolling Stones.
I have a family connection to China where there is, for some but not many people, a certain nostalgia for the Maoist era. Even though in material terms China is infinitely better off now compared to 50 years ago. I can only imagine that’s because China’s economic growth has brought with it uncertainty and inequalities.
I’m often guilty of nostalgic longing for the 1970s. Of course I was happier then, as this was the decade in which I left home and became more independent, had lots of fun and, for some of the period, a decent disposable income. These of course were the years before responsibilities kicked in: mortgage, wife, children, etc. It’s not surprising, is it, when people long for a time when they were younger, probably healthier, and had, superficially at least, more freedom.
Objectively the situation is often different. Women in western capitalist countries were paid less then men, racism, homophobia and misogyny were all rampant and few measures were in place to tackle them. Healthcare was poorer, objective living standards, certainly in the UK, were lower.
In the end, it all comes down to feelings, an issue which presents a lot of challenges for any historian, but often one which politicians love to exploit.
As an American who was an adult back in 1975, the cities here were not as safe as now, and that can be proven by reference to the relevant crime statistics, regardless of what our Criminal-in-Chief Dilbert wants people to believe. I'll be the AfD types look back as they do for the same reason the MAGAs do here - there weren't so may "different" people there then.
BTW - got the book and love it. As a writer, your writing is excellent. Right now you're in competition with "Regime Change" (quick review - things aren't as bad a you think, they're far worse). I'm definitely recommending Weimar to everyone I know.
I think, unless we have had a terrible upbringing, we do, from time to time, feel nostalgic. There is this magic age of childhood and teenage years. And yes I think, growing up in the seventies in France we were quite free. Were we really going to church on Sunday morning or smoking cigarettes behind it? Nobody really checked as long as we were back for lunch and diner time. I have also fond memories of West Germany in the eighties when I was a teenager. Lots of flirting with young German boys and girls. Being a teenager in Paris was more tricky as I was pestered all the time on the streets. One of the reasons why I moved to England I think.
When you're a teenager everything's tough and wonderful at the same time. My father was 15 when the German army invaded France and he used to tell me he had a great time, also because he wasn't sure if he would be alive long enough.
This is when he discovered Beethoven's music for example.
Must read your new book BTW!
I think you've nailed that. I grew up in 70s and early 80s Britain and it was a country struggling to find economic growth, a sense of purpose and a place in the world again. Fast forward to now and we're in the same position but the difference appears to me that 50 years ago we had politicians with ideas, beliefs and conviction on all sides of the political spectrum.....Margaret Thatcher, John Smith, Keith Joseph, Tony Benn.....and regardless of whether you agreed with them or not you knew what they stood, that they believed in it and importantly, they could articulate it. Now? Who knows what any of them believe and stand for? And even if we knew I doubt very much they could communicate effectively. We are so much better off in many ways than in 1976 but infinitely poorer in others
Also "Weimar" is brilliant!!!!
Really interesting and insightful - thank you. Reminds me of the film, Good Bye Lenin!, which I loved.
My teens and twenties coincided with the 1990s in Scotland. There seems to be a curious nostalgia for that period in Britain. I think that’s because we had a growing economy and there was a sense of optimism: witness the collapse of the Soviet Union, for example.
But, even at the time, in the 1990s I recall a nostalgia for the 1960s: even the Blur v Oasis rivalry seemed to echo, in a self-conscious way, the Beatles v Rolling Stones.
I have a family connection to China where there is, for some but not many people, a certain nostalgia for the Maoist era. Even though in material terms China is infinitely better off now compared to 50 years ago. I can only imagine that’s because China’s economic growth has brought with it uncertainty and inequalities.
I’m often guilty of nostalgic longing for the 1970s. Of course I was happier then, as this was the decade in which I left home and became more independent, had lots of fun and, for some of the period, a decent disposable income. These of course were the years before responsibilities kicked in: mortgage, wife, children, etc. It’s not surprising, is it, when people long for a time when they were younger, probably healthier, and had, superficially at least, more freedom.
Objectively the situation is often different. Women in western capitalist countries were paid less then men, racism, homophobia and misogyny were all rampant and few measures were in place to tackle them. Healthcare was poorer, objective living standards, certainly in the UK, were lower.
In the end, it all comes down to feelings, an issue which presents a lot of challenges for any historian, but often one which politicians love to exploit.
As an American who was an adult back in 1975, the cities here were not as safe as now, and that can be proven by reference to the relevant crime statistics, regardless of what our Criminal-in-Chief Dilbert wants people to believe. I'll be the AfD types look back as they do for the same reason the MAGAs do here - there weren't so may "different" people there then.
BTW - got the book and love it. As a writer, your writing is excellent. Right now you're in competition with "Regime Change" (quick review - things aren't as bad a you think, they're far worse). I'm definitely recommending Weimar to everyone I know.