British Aircraft Industry and American-led Globalisation: 1943-1982

After the Second World War, British manufacturing declined irreparably, but Sakade argues that it staked out a new role as a key participant in a US-led process of globalisation, preserving a key share in a global market and successfully rehabilitating the British defence industry. This book is a valuable read for historians of British aviation and 20th-century British Industry.

Format: Hardback
Length: 238 pages
Publication date: 10 December 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The narrative that British manufacturing shifted its focus from Empire to Europe after the Second World War is challenged by Sakade. He contends that, in reality, the key relationship was trans-Atlantic. Contrary to the widely held belief that British manufacturing suffered a catastrophic decline and lost its industrial hegemony, Sakade argues that the situation is more complex. In the decades following 1945, Britain carved out a new role for itself as a significant player in a US-led process of globalization. Rather than becoming solely a European player, the UK managed to retain a significant share in the global market. The British defense industry, in particular, underwent successful rehabilitation. Sakade reverts to the original scholarly parameters of the decline controversy, particularly focusing on questions surrounding post-war decline in high-technology and the national defense industrial base. He makes the case that British industry remained relatively robust, using the strategically important military and civil aircraft industry as an example. This book is a valuable resource for historians interested in British aviation and 20th-century British Industry in general.

Weight: 550g
Dimension: 160 x 241 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367651206