{"product_id":"up-in-the-air-a-history-of-high-rise-britain-9781804297377","title":"Up in the Air: A History of High Rise Britain","description":"\u003cb\u003eHow the Rise Rise Tower Block came to symbolise the welfare state, and what went wrong - fron an award-winning debut historian.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eUp in the Air\u003c\/i\u003e tells the story of Britain's multi-storey council housing from its beginnings to the present day. Throughout its history, high rise has been a symbol of the welfare state for better or worse. Here, Holly Smith tells a new story from the perspective of those who lived there, exploring how residents grappled with this brave new world above the old skyline. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThrough a series of historical moments based upon prize-winning research, we confront the human story of high-rise Britain. Interrogating the complex inheritance of mid-century urban reconstruction, Smith shows how these buildings became a crucible for the welfare state's reimagination over the decades. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eShe traces the scattering of a local community during the construction of Park Hill in Sheffield in the 1950s. The resistance of residents after the Ronan Point collapse of 1968. The formation of a pioneering tenants' cooperative to revive a crumbling estate during the closure of the Docklands. The rage of a National Tower Blocks Network advocating for high-rise safety in the 1980s and 1990s. The excitement of early digital culture in a Liverpudlian pensioners' high-rise internet television show in the 2000s. And the fierce battle to defend estates from demolition in the 2010s. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eUp in the Air\u003c\/i\u003e is a rich history of political struggle within Britain's most misunderstood buildings, offering essential lessons for a reformed social housing compact.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Verso\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/28\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781804297377\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.85lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.40h x 5.70w x 1.10d","brand":"Holly Smith","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52197251350709,"sku":"9781804297377","price":25.46,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_ab14b1f5-58a7-4b22-9929-6f8755ee1588.jpg?v=1769622780","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/up-in-the-air-a-history-of-high-rise-britain-9781804297377","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}