1964: The Year the Swinging Sixties Began

While Britain's new Labour government promised the 'white heat of technology', on the world stage 1964 saw the escalation of the Vietnam War, Nelson Mandela's sentence to life imprisonment and the continued brinkmanship of the global arms race. Brand-new subcultures clashed at Margate beach, where thousands of Mods and Rockers fought over their differing values, while London's Carnaby Street shone vibrantly in the country's capital and women flocked to Mary Quant's iconic designs, empowered by changing social sensibilities and rising hemlines.

In this captivating blend of historical events, cultural trends and personal anecdotes, Christopher Sandford tells the full and colourful story of the year that ushered in the modern era.