Never Had It So Good cover art

Never Had It So Good

A History of Britain from Suez to the Beatles

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Never Had It So Good

By: Dominic Sandbrook
Narrated by: Dominic Sandbrook, Roger Davis
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About this listen

 'A rich treasure-chest of a book' ANTHONY HOWARD, Sunday Telegraph

'A spectacular history of the sixties' NICK COHEN, Observer

'Sandbrook's book is a pleasure to read ... he is a master of the human touch' RICHARD DAVENPORT-HINES, TLS

'Rivetingly readable' GODFREY SMITH, Sunday Times

From the bloodshed of the Suez Crisis to the giddy heyday of Beatlemania, from the first night of Look Back in Anger to the sensational revelations of the Profumo scandal, British life during the late 1950s and early 1960s seemed more colourful, exciting and controversial than ever. Using a vast array of sources, Dominic Sandbrook tells the story of a society caught between cultural nostalgia and economic optimism. He brings to life the post-war experience for a new generation of readers, in a critically acclaimed debut that will change for ever how we think about the sixties.©2015 Dominic Sandbrook (P)2024 Hachette Audio UK Europe Great Britain War Imperialism Winston Churchill

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Critic reviews

'Unforgettable vignettes and revelations in this prodigious and ground-breaking study of British life' (SUNDAY TIMES)

'A clever and engaging study of Britain as it prepared to swing into the sixties. Never Had It So Good is very good indeed' (Amanda Foreman)
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I went in to this sceptical - it's a period I already know a good deal about so didn't think there'd be much new, plus Sandbrook's a Tory explicitly trying to make the case that the 60s weren't a revolutionary moment of change. TBH the only reason I picked it up was it was in a 2 for 1 Audible sale so felt effectively free.

I'm glad I gave it a go, though. Very readable, with a good effort from the audiobook narrator (bar some dodgy attempts at accents), and a bunch of in-depth chapters on key political and cultural issues.

Strangely, though, despite starting with the Suez Crisis, this is a rather parochial affair - very little on the impact of the rest of the world bar some rather basic discussion of decolonisation (which mostly paints Britain as benevolent in the traditional Tory interpretation, skipping over things like the horrific response to the Mau Mau rising), and a chunky chapter on spy scandals that only make sense in a Cold War context.

It's also very Anglocentric, rather than truly British - hardly anything on regional differences in Scotland, Northern Ireland, or Wales.

And there's surprisingly little on the economics that drove many of the political decisions, despite disagreements between PM and Chancellor being flagged as a core part of the instability of the Macmillan government. This extends to a notable silence on scientific and industrial changes, and the related impact on employment and spending power, despite some references to the power of the unions.

But all this is potentially to be unfair, and to try to turn this into an all-encompassing textbook rather than an engaging (if loooong) overview.

It was decent enough that I'm considering moving straight on to the next book in the series, which is recommendation enough in itself.

Engaging and interesting

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I really enjoy Dominic Sandbrook’s work. It is thorough, well researched, humerous and always offers fascinating insights into modern British history. This book is no different. It covers Britain from the late 1950’s through to 1963, and it provides a lot of fascinating information in an approachable and engaging style.

However, while State of Emergency and Seasons in the Sun were brilliantly narrated by David Thorpe, both White Heat and Never Had it so Good have been narrated by someone who seems to struggle.
The accents are genuinely appalling and there is little warmth or engagement. It’s so disappointing. I actually couldn’t listen to the chapter on Ireland as the accents were insultingly bad.
This is a real shame but I would suggest that, if you enjoy Dominic’s work, buy the book not the audio version.

Another excellent book ruined by awful narration

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I was looking forward to this book but the narrator is so grim that I can't bear to listen to any more. I can't see how to return it

Disappointing narrator

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I love Sandbrook’s other works, State of Emergency, Seasons in the Sun and Who Dares wins and was looking forward to this but sadly the narrator in this one is awful.

Nasal performance

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An interesting and somewhat varied peek in to Britain in the past with a bit too much focus on pop music at the expense of economics.

"Never Had it So Good: A History Of the Beatles"

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Remarkably detailed coverage of a relatively short period from the mid 1950s in Britain to 1963. Sandbrook is an outstanding contemporary historian. Nearly 40 hours and in parts slightly repetitive but always interesting, particularly the Suez Crisis and the Profumo scandal. I didn’t find the narrator a problem at all & don’t understand the criticism.

Outstanding contemporary history

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Fantastically detailed, and explains a lot about my parents attitudes, and the way I was brought up in the 60s and 70s.

A brilliant review of the time when I was born.

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I had to abandon this after two chapters. It might be great as a printed book (or with a different narrator) but I’m sorry to say Dominic Sandbrook reads in a way that denudes the text sense. Reading an autocue is a skill. Mr Sandbrook’s skill lies in history, writing (or ‘off the cuff’ speaking in his podcast).

Disappointing delivery

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Sandbrook's explorations of British life post-Suez are rightly lauded for their ambitious scope and compulsive readabity, their collosal length a virtue rather than hindrance. 'life', as is experienced by the inhabitants of these isles is the key here. By combining astute political analysis with pointed social commentary and pop cultural insight, he provides an entirely original and immersive account of what it was actually like to live during these times. Previous titles were narrated by the peerless David Thorpe, whose bright but authoritative tones captured the brisk style of the author, complete with sly asides. Sandbrook's own narration (pre-podcasting) was a slight step down in terms of energy. However, the performance of Roger Davis is only just this side of unbearable. Erratic leaps in volume and emphasis prevent any kind of immersion in the text. One is always jolted out of the story by his nervy delivery. Come on Audible, don't you have any quality control when it comes to narrators? Do you even audition them? To follow David Thorpe with this guy is like following The Beatles with Atomic Kitten.

Another great book ruined by awful narrator

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Looked forward to this as have read all the books. Very very disappointed with Roger Davis. He should read children's fairy tales not a well researched historical work such as this!!!!! I am returning the book to audible as only needed to get to chapter 2!! A disgrace.....David Thorpe and Sandbrook himself did a wonderful job....not this idiot.

Narrator a disgrace

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