Cover; Half-title; Title; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Illustrations; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Introduction: luxury's shadow; Consumerism: cultural or political phenomenon?; Luxury's shadow; 1 Socialism, co-operation, Free Trade and fair trade: the politics of consumption in the nineteenth century; 2 Revolutionary shoppers: the Consumers' Council and scarcity in World War One; 3 The right to live: consumer 'ideology' in inter-war Britain; 4 The price of depression: consumer politics in inter-war Britain; 5 Austerity to affluence: the twilight of the politics of necessity
Summary
This is the first comprehensive history of consumerism as an organised social and political movement. It explores the history of consumer organisations in twentieth-century Britain and makes a major contribution to an expanding inter-disciplinary discussion of the role of consumption in modern society
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 344-370) and index
