This volume investigates the most significant political, social, and cultural developments of the year through the lens of the Guardian's editorial and reportorial output. The editor, W.L. Webb, curates a selection of articles that capture the prevailing anxieties and triumphs of the era. By organizing these pieces, the book provides a retrospective analysis of how the newspaper framed the major events that defined the period.

The collection serves as a dense, archival resource for those interested in the history of British journalism and the specific editorial voice of the Guardian during the 1980s. The framing suggests a specialist text intended for readers seeking a primary-source perspective on the era's public discourse.