Mathew Thomson, Reader in History, University of Warwick

Mathew Thomson is a Reader in History at the University of Warwick. He is the author of The Problem of Mental Deficiency (OUP, 1998) and Psychological Subjects (OUP, 2006).

"In sum, this is a fascinating, well-researched and insightful contribution to the literature." - Dr Laura King, Reviews in History

"Recommended." - CHOICE

"[A]t its heart the book is a close and convincing examination of the processes that turned the optimism of the post-war settlement into the pessimism that has reigned from the late twentieth century." - Hugh Cunningham, Childhood in the Past: an international journal

"Thomson's book acts as a call to future research in these areas, as well as being a stimulating study in its own right. Its publication has obvious value for historians of childhood, but it also convincingly demonstrates how a study of attitudes and policies towards children can be critical to historians' understanding of modern Britain." - Hester Barron, English Historical Review

"Mathew Thomson has provided a valuable service in offering an analysis that focuses on 'the landscape of the child' ... The book draws attention to some of the key ideas of social scientists about the landscape of the child; Thomson offers an interesting way of understanding more about the way in which the child was seen by sociologists and psychologists." - Jane Lewis, Twentieth Century British History

"Lost Freedom sheds new light on decades that have lacked solid footing in modern British historiography ... Thomson's Lost Freedom will thus appeal not only to scholars working in the histories of children and childhood, but also to those more broadly interested in the history of the welfare state, the politics of psychology, changing meanings of emotion and family life, and the history of modern efforts to secure healthy human development." - Teri Chettiar, Journal of British Studies

Mathew Thomson, Reader in History, University of Warwick

Mathew Thomson is a Reader in History at the University of Warwick. He is the author of The Problem of Mental Deficiency (OUP, 1998) and Psychological Subjects (OUP, 2006).

"In sum, this is a fascinating, well-researched and insightful contribution to the literature." - Dr Laura King, Reviews in History

"Recommended." - CHOICE

"[A]t its heart the book is a close and convincing examination of the processes that turned the optimism of the post-war settlement into the pessimism that has reigned from the late twentieth century." - Hugh Cunningham, Childhood in the Past: an international journal

"Thomson's book acts as a call to future research in these areas, as well as being a stimulating study in its own right. Its publication has obvious value for historians of childhood, but it also convincingly demonstrates how a study of attitudes and policies towards children can be critical to historians' understanding of modern Britain." - Hester Barron, English Historical Review

"Mathew Thomson has provided a valuable service in offering an analysis that focuses on 'the landscape of the child' ... The book draws attention to some of the key ideas of social scientists about the landscape of the child; Thomson offers an interesting way of understanding more about the way in which the child was seen by sociologists and psychologists." - Jane Lewis, Twentieth Century British History

"Lost Freedom sheds new light on decades that have lacked solid footing in modern British historiography ... Thomson's Lost Freedom will thus appeal not only to scholars working in the histories of children and childhood, but also to those more broadly interested in the history of the welfare state, the politics of psychology, changing meanings of emotion and family life, and the history of modern efforts to secure healthy human development." - Teri Chettiar, Journal of British Studies