Tim Bale graduated from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge before going on to take a Masters degree at Northwestern University in the USA. He received his doctorate from Sheffield University. He joined the University of Sussex in 2003 after teaching at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. He has published widely on party politics, particularly in Britain and Europe. He is the author of the prize-winning book, The Conservative Party from Thatcher to Cameron and has written for the Financial Times and the Guardian, as well as contributing to television and radio shows both in the UK and overseas.

an extremely valuable addition to the academic literature, opening the door to further avenues for discussion which would provide important practical lessons for politicians and parties, not just academics.

• 1. Introduction ; 2. Disaster to Deliverance: 1945-1951 ; 3. Anxiety, Appeasement, Affluence - and After: 1951-64 ; 4. Amateur to Professional: 1964-1970 ; 5. Betrayal: 1970-4 ; 6. Confrontation and Consensus: 1974-1979 ; 7. Messiah to Meltdown: 1979-1997 ; 8. Conclusion ; Index

Tim Bale graduated from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge before going on to take a Masters degree at Northwestern University in the USA. He received his doctorate from Sheffield University. He joined the University of Sussex in 2003 after teaching at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. He has published widely on party politics, particularly in Britain and Europe. He is the author of the prize-winning book, The Conservative Party from Thatcher to Cameron and has written for the Financial Times and the Guardian, as well as contributing to television and radio shows both in the UK and overseas.

an extremely valuable addition to the academic literature, opening the door to further avenues for discussion which would provide important practical lessons for politicians and parties, not just academics.

• 1. Introduction ; 2. Disaster to Deliverance: 1945-1951 ; 3. Anxiety, Appeasement, Affluence - and After: 1951-64 ; 4. Amateur to Professional: 1964-1970 ; 5. Betrayal: 1970-4 ; 6. Confrontation and Consensus: 1974-1979 ; 7. Messiah to Meltdown: 1979-1997 ; 8. Conclusion ; Index

Tim Bale graduated from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge before going on to take a Masters degree at Northwestern University in the USA. He received his doctorate from Sheffield University. He joined the University of Sussex in 2003 after teaching at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. He has published widely on party politics, particularly in Britain and Europe. He is the author of the prize-winning book, The Conservative Party from Thatcher to Cameron and has written for the Financial Times and the Guardian, as well as contributing to television and radio shows both in the UK and overseas.

an extremely valuable addition to the academic literature, opening the door to further avenues for discussion which would provide important practical lessons for politicians and parties, not just academics.

• 1. Introduction ; 2. Disaster to Deliverance: 1945-1951 ; 3. Anxiety, Appeasement, Affluence - and After: 1951-64 ; 4. Amateur to Professional: 1964-1970 ; 5. Betrayal: 1970-4 ; 6. Confrontation and Consensus: 1974-1979 ; 7. Messiah to Meltdown: 1979-1997 ; 8. Conclusion ; Index