Released: 4th November 2018
Genre: Non-Fiction, Society
Number of Pages: 341
Many would agree that the UK is in a very dark place right now; political tribalism, botched plans and a considerable amount of anger and bitterness among the populous; James Hamilton-Paterson argues that the nation’s downward spiral really began decades earlier with the dismantling of Britain’s industries.
From 1945 to present Paterson charts an agonising inability to adapt and work out a way forward. Political ineptitude, an inability to compete and a refusal from society to move forward; these are just some of the causes presented in What We Have Lost. With one chapter per industry, the author typically brings together commentary from the time, his own viewpoint and broader occurrences in society. This includes car, motorbike and ship building as well as our engineering, fishing and nuclear sectors. Many of these either went bankrupt or were sold off to foreign investors.
With the many areas of manufacturing discussed, there’s a consistent theme that runs through Paterson’s reflections; a lack of collective planning for the country as a whole. He deftly weaves this idea throughout the chapters without pinning the blame on one political faction or individual over another. Instead he shows how collectively, the decisions of politicians and the direction the UK took after the Second World War slowly pulled it down from the dominance it once held. One sobering moment comes when Paterson describes a former RAF naval commander; having long been made redundant from his position, the man lives in the past, hoarding together past memorabilia and growing more reclusive since his wife passed away. Paterson uses this as an analogy for the UK itself to brilliant effect and packs every dissection with plenty of detail.
To tie everything together, the author writes a final reflection on where Great Britain is and it’s a very heart-wrenching anecdote. You can feel the disappointment from Paterson here as he believes that the country has refused to tackle its long-rooted problems. As a means of tying things together, the concluding chapter lands with great impact, doubly so for older readers who have witnessed the UK change through the decades. It speaks to a suitably bleak direction for the country.
Recommended?
YES: It doesn’t make for easy reading, but What We Have Lost is a very well-presented look at a nation’s decline from an author with many a lived experience. Paterson deftly explores each field of industry across the chapters, providing a clear and well supported reason for each, while also touching on the societal and political shifts that came about. The book’s only drawback is its somewhat eloquent, somewhat older-style manner of description which may not appeal to everyone.
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