England: Post-war England struggled economically for decades, trying to rebuild an infrastructure so horribly damaged by Nazi air attacks. Such was the case throughout Europe and other portions of the world and particularly so in England. At the heart of this rebuilding was aid from the United States in the form of money and especially massive shipments of construction materials. A side-effect of these shipments was the fact that sailors also brought with them many examples of the latest items of American pop culture, particularly records, many of them rock n roll records. As a result England, as well as other parts of the world, developed an up-to-date appreciation and appetite for American culture. In many ways, the British (especially British youth) had a greater understanding of American culture than Americans did, particularly African-American culture. But more about that later.
England: Post-war England struggled economically for decades, trying to rebuild an infrastructure so horribly damaged by Nazi air attacks. Such was the case throughout Europe and other portions of the world and particularly so in England. At the heart of this rebuilding was aid from the United States in the form of money and especially massive shipments of construction materials. A side-effect of these shipments was the fact that sailors also brought with them many examples of the latest items of American pop culture, particularly records, many of them rock n roll records. As a result England, as well as other parts of the world, developed an up-to-date appreciation and appetite for American culture. In many ways, the British (especially British youth) had a greater understanding of American culture than Americans did, particularly African-American culture. But more about that later.