This is Tomorrow

Reviews / Votes

'This is Tomorrow is the work of an undercover agent - one who has bravely realigned the familiar legacies of British twentieth-century art. Thrilling accounts, forensically investigated, offer behind-the-scenes revelations of artists' lives, as to how the complexities of the twentieth century impacted on who they were, where they came from, how they thought, worked and lived - it is a fast-moving and compelling read' - Dame Phyllida Barlow 'An exhilarating insight into a whole wealth of artists who shaped Britain in the twentieth century' - Katy Hessel, @thegreatwomenartists and author of 'The Story of Art Without Men' 'Bird writes beautifully, researches heftily and thinks creatively around his subject. He makes us look at familiar things anew by his descriptions... It's a brilliant book, by far the best survey of a period that I've read in years' - Andrew Lambirth, The Spectator 'A timely update of the story of British art, packed with contextual material and photographs ... Mr Bird gives voice to artists previously sidelined in such historical overviews: Sir Frank Bowling, Lubaina Himid, Mary Kelly, John Latham, Phyllida Barlow.... Mr Bird's evocative prose keeps us turning the pages, from his immersive introductions that take us back to key moments in history to his pithy descriptions' - Charlotte Mullins, Country Life 'An enjoyable book, one which will entertain and inform even those who consider themselves well versed in this country's art history. Bird also writes with a witty verve' - Country & Townhouse Magazine '[Michael Bird's] pithy analysis touches upon socio-political trends, reflecting how people in Britain experienced an unprecedented pace of change, in culture and society, politics, technology and many other fields' - The Art Newspaper 'Bird has fantastic access to the stories, anecdotes, and personal recollections of those who were actually there. He threads together an incredible network of artists, gallerists, designers, socialites and more, bringing a hundred years of history to life' - Elephant 'Bird's sinuous narrative calls up the texture of history, constructing art less as something shaped by events than as something that eddies its way through and around them' - Times Literary Supplement 'By exploring the ways in which their work was influenced by class, injustice and war, [Bird] also offers a creative-tinged history of the wider forces that buffeted the nation - from the end of the Victorian era through to the heyday of the Young British Artists' - BBC History Revealed Magazine 'Beautifully produced and elegantly written' - The Critic 'This is a story that unrolls the narrative of a whole century, and Michael conjures up in words all the pictures you'll need. It's a heck of a journey' - artbookreview.com 'Bird's authoritative survey is thoroughly and engagingly preoccupied with the 'nature of art's potential contribution to the cause of social progress' - Shelf Awareness