Book review: Britain should break free from its delusion and adjust to the realities of its global position

Written in the public glow surrounding the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, The Grand Delusion is a critical history of Britain’s post-war establishment, with the Queen and her Prime Ministers at its heart. It explores the key questions: has Elizabeth II’s reign been good for the UK? Or has it represented six decades of missed opportunities, deepening inequality and failure to adapt? Paul Ward finds out more. The Grand Delusion: Britain after Sixty Years of Elizabeth II. Stephen Haseler. IB Tauris. August 2012.