Not like home : American visitors to Britain in the 1950s / Michael John Law.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Law, Michael John, author.

Series:

McGill-Queen's transatlantic studies ; Volume 1

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Public opinion--Great Britain.

Public opinion.

Public opinion--United States.

Tourism--Great Britain--History--20th century.

Tourism.

Tourists--Great Britain--History--20th century.

Tourists.

Travelers--Great Britain--20th century.

Travelers.

United States--Relations--Great Britain.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (255 pages).

Place of Publication:

Montreal : McGill-Queen's University Press, [2019]

Summary:

In the decade of economic expansion following the Second World War, many ordinary Americans travelled abroad for the first time. Those who visited Britain were surprised to find that the people they encountered were not the aristocrats or working-class ciphers they knew from Hollywood movies. Britons' views of Americans were likewise informed by films and by encounters with the American military during the war. Based on over thirty personal accounts of Americans travelling to Britain in the 1950s, Not Like Home examines how direct contact influenced the relationships between these two groups and their attitudes towards each other. Michael John Law explains that prejudice on both sides was replaced by the realities of direct encounters. Painting an evocative portrait of Britain in the 1950s as seen through the eyes of outsiders, Law depicts the characteristics and practices of these American visitors and compares them to their caricatures in British newspapers and magazines. Going to Britain was a transformative experience for most American visitors, providing a link to a shared history and culture. In turn, their arrival influenced British life by providing a reality check on Hollywood's portrayal of American life and through their demands for higher standards in Britain's hotels, restaurants, and trains. Through an engaging narrative incorporating unpublished reports of American visits to Britain, Not Like Home describes the exciting and sometimes confounding mid-century encounters between two very different cultures.

Contents:

Front Matter

Contents

Tables and Figures

Abbreviations

Introduction: Americans and Britons

Archetypes and Representations

Demographics of American Visitors

Selling Britain’s Heritage and History

Crossing the Atlantic

Destinations and Travelling in Britain

Accommodating American Visitors

Ecountering the British – USAF Families

Encountering the British – Trip Reporters

Asymmetry and Ambiguity

Appendices

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Appendix 3

Appendix 4

Appendix 5

Appendix 6

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780773559561

0773559566

9780773559554

0773559558

OCLC:

1099680352