British social movements since 1945 : sex, colour, peace, and power / Adam Lent.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 237-244) and index.

1. Introduction -- 2. Parallel Universes: Social Movements Before 1970 -- 3. The Long Explosion I: Women's and Gay Liberation -- 4. The Long Explosion II: Environmentalism, Race, Disability and Peace -- 5. The Fragments: Descent into Division in the Late 1970s and Early 1980s -- 6. Quenching the Flames: Professionalisation and Integration in the 1980s -- 7. Passions Reignited Sexuality, the Poll Tax and Radical Environmentalism in the 1990s -- 8. Conclusion.

"Social movements have transformed Britain's social, political and cultural landscape. Yet, until now, no book detailed the history of these movements. This book focuses on campaigns around gender, race, sexuality, peace, disability and the environment. For the first time, it places these movements in a historical framework displaying their shared origins, development and fates.

From the polite lobbying of the 1950s, through the outrageous tactics of the 1970s, to the direct action of the 1990s, British Social Movements since 1945 explores the diversity of movement activity while never losing sight of larger historical trends." "Based on in-depth interviews with the key campaigners of the last fifty years, the book provides a vital insight into a side of British contemporary history that has too often been ignored."--BOOK JACKET.