What factors led to the rapid rise and subsequent disintegration of the Social Democratic Party in British politics? Authors Anthony King and Ivor Crewe utilize their extensive academic backgrounds to examine the internal dynamics and external pressures that defined the SDP. By synthesizing primary source materials from the party's private archives with candid interviews from key figures like Roy Jenkins and David Owen, the authors construct a comprehensive political autopsy of the organization. The text argues that the party's failure was not merely a result of electoral misfortune but a consequence of structural instability and internal ideological friction.

Experts and political historians frequently cite this work as the definitive account of the SDP's brief existence. Readers often note the academic rigor and the balanced, objective tone maintained by the authors throughout the narrative.