Richard Taylor and Tom Steele"s detailed and informative study of higher education in the United Kingdom between 1945 and 2000 documents its development against a background of recurring economic crises and neo-conservative traditionalist and new labour pragmatist agendas. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the origins of current debates about the role of the state in higher education and its ultimate purpose and function" David Scott, Professor of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment and Faculty Director of Teaching and Learning, Institute of Education, University of London, UK