1963: That Was the Year That Was

A compendium of the year's milestone stories and watershed events in popular culture and politics. This year alone saw The Beatles' first No 1, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, the BBC's launch of Doctor Who, the Great Train Robbery, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley begin operating, the Profumo Affair rocks politics, Valentina Tereshkova is the first woman in space, the coldest winter since 1740, James Bond becomes an international phenomenon, 70,000 protest against nuclear weapons in London, Harold Wilson is elected, onset of "new politics" and satire, and the assassination of JFK. Arranged in a chronological, month-by-month format, 1963: The Year That Was pieces together these happenings, exploring their immediate and long-term effects and implications.

Andrew Cook is an author and TV consultant with a degree in history and ancient history and a former program director of the Hansard Scholars Program, University of London. The author has written for the Times, the Guardian, the Independent, BBC History Magazine, and History Today. His previous books include On His Majesty's Secret Service, Ace of Spies, To Kill Rasputin, Prince Eddy, Cash for Honours, and The Great Train Robbery.