Paul Addison facts for kids

Paul Addison (born May 3, 1943 – died January 21, 2020) was a British historian. He was famous for studying the political history of Britain. His work focused on the time during and after World War II. Addison was one of the first historians to deeply research this period. His most well-known book is The Road to 1945. This book explored how Britain's post-war plans started during the war.

Paul Addison's Early Life and Education

Paul Addison was born in Whittington, England, on May 3, 1943. His father was an American soldier who served in the United States Army. He was stationed in Britain to prepare for the "Second Front." This was a plan to open another major battle area in Europe during World War II. Paul's father had no contact with him after his birth.

Paul was raised by his mother, Pauline Wilson Walker. She worked as a "Land Girl" during the war. Land Girls were women who helped with farming. They made sure Britain had enough food during the conflict.

Addison studied at the University of Oxford. He earned his first degree at Pembroke College, Oxford. Later, he went to Nuffield College, Oxford for his advanced studies. He was among the first historians to study World War II in a new way. These historians looked at the war critically, even though they had not lived through it themselves.

For his doctoral degree, Addison studied political opposition to Winston Churchill's wartime government. His supervisor was the famous historian A. J. P. Taylor. Addison earned his D.Phil. (Doctor of Philosophy) degree in 1971.

The Road to 1945: A Key History Book

Addison's first book, The Road to 1945, was published in 1975. People have called it a "landmark" book in modern British history. It came out after another important book, The People's War, by Angus Calder. However, Addison's book focused more on why the Labour Party won the 1945 United Kingdom general election by a huge amount.

Addison wrote that all three main political parties in 1945 agreed on certain ideas. These ideas were about rebuilding society and the economy after the war. He believed that a "massive new middle ground" had formed in politics. When Labour won in 1945, these new ideas became their main goals.

Addison's main point was that the "post-war consensus" grew during World War II. This "consensus" meant that both the Conservative and Labour parties largely agreed. They believed in a "managed economy," where the government guided the economy. They also agreed on some nationalisation (when the government takes control of industries). And they supported creating a welfare state, which provides social support for citizens. The Road to 1945 greatly influenced how people understood the political history of World War II in the UK.

Paul Addison's Later Career and Influence

Paul Addison taught at Pembroke College before moving to the University of Edinburgh in 1967. He worked there for most of his career. He wrote several more books about British politics during and after the war. These included two well-known biographies of Winston Churchill: Churchill on the Home Front (1992) and Churchill: The Unexpected Hero (2005).

From 1996, Addison was the director of the Centre for Second World War Studies. He retired in 2005. In 2006, he became a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. One of his students was Gordon Brown, who later became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Some people believe Addison's ideas influenced Brown's decision to raise the top rate of income tax when he was prime minister.

Selected Publications

• The Road to 1945, Jonathan Cape, 1975, ISBN: 978-0-7126-5932-1
• Now the War is Over: A Social History of Britain, 1945-1951, Jonathan Cape, 1985, ISBN: 978-0-224-02325-2
• Churchill on the Home Front, Jonathan Cape, 1992, ISBN: 978-0-224-01428-1
• Time to Kill: The Soldier's Experience of War in the West 1939-1945, Paul Addison, Angus Calder ed., Pimlico, 1997, ISBN: 0-7126-7376-8
• The Burning Blue: A New History of the Battle of Britain, Paul Addison, Jeremy Crang ed., Pimlico, 2000, ISBN: 978-0-7126-6475-2
• Churchill: The Unexpected Hero, Oxford University Press, 2005, ISBN: 978-0-19-927934-0
• Firestorm: The Bombing of Dresden, 1945, Pimlico, Paul Addison, Jeremy Crang ed., Pimlico, 2006, ISBN: 978-1-84413-928-6
• A Companion to Contemporary Britain, 1939-2000, Paul Addison, Harriet Jones ed., Wiley-Blackwell, 2007, ISBN: 978-1-4051-6730-7
• Winston Churchill, Oxford University Press, 2007, ISBN: 978-0-19-921757-1
• No Turning Back: The Peacetime Revolutions of Post-War Britain, Oxford University Press, 2010, ISBN: 978-0-19-219267-7