This work investigates the cultural and social shifts that defined the 1970s in Britain, questioning whether the decade represented a period of genuine progress or a collapse of traditional values. Christopher Booker, a prominent British journalist and cultural critic, utilizes his observations of the era's media, politics, and social movements to construct a critique of the decade's prevailing ideologies. He argues that the period was marked by a pervasive sense of disillusionment and a departure from the stability of the post-war consensus.

Critics often note that the book serves as a polemical account of the decade rather than a neutral historical record. Readers frequently highlight the author's distinct stylistic voice and his focus on the psychological climate of the era as the primary value of the text.