The Times History of Our Times Editor Marcus Cunliffe

The Times History of Our Times was a collaborative effort initiated by The Times newspaper and the publisher Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Cunliffe was given a free hand to plan the book and select the authors for each chapter. The book is divided into two main sections:

• “One World”: This section includes chapters on topics such as the nuclear age, the global economy, and mass culture, exploring the themes of growing global interconnectedness.
• “Nations and Frontiers”: This part focuses on the multiplicity and divisiveness of life in the post-war era, with chapters dedicated to different regions and their unique challenges.

The book is praised for its comprehensive approach and for successfully capturing the complex and often contradictory nature of the quarter-century following World War II. It was conceived as a way to make sense of the recent past, which Cunliffe noted was often more “elusive” and “protean” than more distant history.