The Angry Young Men (book)

The Angry Young Men is a 1951 collection of essays edited by John Lehmann, considered a significant precursor to the Angry Young Men literary movement in Britain during the 1950s. While the collection predates the commonly understood timeframe and thematic associations of the movement, it showcased a number of emerging writers and their perspectives on post-war Britain.

The book comprises contributions from various authors, predominantly focusing on socio-political issues and the challenges faced by the younger generation. Though the term "Angry Young Men" gained widespread recognition with the publication of John Osborne's play Look Back in Anger in 1956, The Angry Young Men anthology offered an earlier glimpse into the disillusionment and frustrations that characterized the period.

The essays within the collection explored themes such as class inequality, the decline of traditional values, the perceived hypocrisy of the establishment, and the struggle for individual identity in a rapidly changing society. While the tone was often critical and questioning, the book lacked the more overt and aggressive rebellion that would later define the Angry Young Men movement. The book is considered historically significant for its role in prefiguring and contributing to the development of this literary and cultural phenomenon.