Inside the Black Box of 'White Backlash': Letters of Support to Enoch Powell (1968-1969)

Inside the Black Box of 'White Backlash' explores the contents of letters of support sent to British politician Enoch Powell in the wake of his 'Rivers of Blood' speech, providing a unique window into British society in the late 1960s. The book investigates how British whites used Powell's speech to vent their frustrations, anger, and hostility against immigrants and the evolution of British society.

Format: Hardback
Length: 218 pages
Publication date: 09 December 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Inside the Black Box of 'White Backlash' delves into the contents of the letters of support sent to British politician Enoch Powell in the aftermath of his renowned 'Rivers of Blood speech' of April 20, 1968. Never before has a politician garnered such an overwhelming surge of written support in such a brief period. This book adopts a thematic approach to examine how British whites channeled their frustrations, anger, hostility towards (non-white) immigrants, and the evolving dynamics of British society during the late 1960s. Each chapter delves into a specific facet of a 10,000-letter sample, drawn from the approximately 100,000 letters received by Powell. The book explores various themes, including race, state, war, empire, America, class, gender, elites, parties, and the final chapter focuses on letters of protest against Powell. This extraordinary archival material offers a singular glimpse into British society during the late 1960s, akin to a (white) anthropological study of nativist Britons navigating rapid change.

This book holds appeal for students and scholars of race, immigration, and ethnicity, as well as the broader public. Olivier Esteves, the author, discusses the book in a short video available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0lA5Nb9cso

Weight: 590g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032291178