Summary

The century began with British troops at war in South Africa, and majors, colonels, and privates recall their part in the action. The death of Queen Victoria led to the streets of London being lined with funeral spectators, and the subsequent coronation of Edward VII in 1902 lent the nation a mood of lightheartedness, sparkle and glamour. Meanwhile theatregoers and music hall audiences were being entertained by Henry lrving and Marie Lloyd. A multitude of vox pops offers fascinating insights into life in the 1900s--the manners, fashion, discipline, religion, alcohol, and sport. Voices of ordinary people are mixed with those whose names still resonate today: writer Compton Mackenzie, playwright Ben Travers, Marconi the radio pioneer, suffragette's daughter Sylvia Pankhurst, and Violet Bonham-Carter.