Oswald Mosley and A Short History of Fascism is an engrossing examination of Britain’s flirtation with fascism and the troubling allure of authoritarianism, both past and present. As the nineteenth century closed and the trauma of the First World War shook the foundations of society, Britain’s elite and ‘upper classes’ increasingly looked to strongman leadership. Inspired by Mussolini’s rise in Italy, figures like Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists (BUF) gained traction, offering a seductive alternative to democracy rooted in fear of the loss of colonies, communism and anti-Semitism. From the drawing rooms of the influential Cliveden Set and the Mitford family to the sympathies of the abdicated King Edward VIII, fascism found unexpected champions. But it was not just the privileged classes whose interest was piqued – working-class citizens too were drawn to its promises of a better and brighter future. This powerful book draws chilling parallels between history and today, examining the thin line between democracy and extremism. With rising autocracies across Europe and beyond, it asks urgent questions about the resilience of democratic values and warns of a cycle we seem doomed to repeat. Provocative and timely, Oswald Mosley and A Short History of Fascism is a stark reminder that the past is never as far away as we think.
