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Books > Humanities > History > British & Irish history
This first scholarly account of the Royal Navy in the Pacific War
is a companion volume to Arthur Marder's Old Friends, New Enemies:
Strategic Illusions, 1936-1941 (0-19-822604-7, OP). Picking up the
story at the nadir of British naval fortunes - `everywhere weak and
naked', in Churchill's phrase - it examines the Royal Navy's role
in events from 1942 to the Japanese surrender in August 1945.
Drawing on both British and Japanese sources and personal accounts
by participants, the authors vividly retell the story of the
collapse of Allied defences in the Dutch East Indies, culminating
in the Battle of the Java Sea. They recount the attempts of the
`fighting admiral', Sir James Somerville, to train his motley fleet
of cast-offs into an efficient fighting force in spite of the
reluctance of Churchill, who resisted the formation of a full-scale
British Pacific Fleet until the 1945 assault on the Ryukyu Islands
immediately south of Japan. Meticulously researched and fully
referenced, this unique and absorbing account provides a
controversial analysis of the key personalities who shaped events
in these momentous years, and makes fascinating reading for anyone
interested in the Pacific War. This book also appears in the Oxford
General Books catalogue for Autumn 1990.
Based upon a wealth of primary sources and a life of research in
the field, this history provides a fascinating discussion of the
development of the House of Commons during the early years of
Stuart rule. Mr. Notestein was completing work on the manuscript at
his death in 1969. The basic issues characterizing the
confrontations between James I and the Commons are examined,
including the matters of royal prerogatives that were increasingly
questioned by the Commons in the period 1604-1610. To these are
added the awkward problems attendant upon the prospective Union of
England and Scotland under a monarch of Scottish origins. Mr.
Notestein makes it clear that the Commons, following the age of
Elizabeth, was consciously searching out a new sense of itself and
its powers; neither James nor the House of Lords was able to
appreciate fully the trends accompanying the Commons' quest for a
broadened role in national affairs. Mr. Notestein's work is a
superb narrative constantly enriched by in-depth research and
enlivened by an impressive mixture of analytical commentary and
personalized speculation.
Richard Brooks examines the strategic importance of the Naval
Brigades and their human side from personal testimonies. They were
introduced by the Royal Navy as a land warfare force to help the
regular British Army during the the 19th century.
This is a study of the major landholders of England and their
estates during the reign of Edward the Confessor. It is the first
comprehensive analysis of the lay landholders recorded in Domesday
Book. Peter A. Clarke examines not only the great earls but also
lesser lords with significant holdings, and the complex network of
relationships based on land. As well as Domesday, Dr Clarke makes
full use of all other available evidence, such as chronicles and
charters, and skilfully builds a detailed and convincing picture of
landholding and lordship in eleventh-century England. He assesses
the impact of the Norman Conquest, contrasting conditions under
Edward the Confessor with those of the Norman regime. Dr Clarke's
work marks a significant advance in knowledge and understanding of
medieval England, and its extensive and detailed appendices of
landholders and their estates will form an invaluable reference
resource.
In 1801 and again in 1809 the British made a treaty with the Qajar
regime of Persia. The two treaties and the attempts to define and
to protect Great Britain's interests in the Middle East were known
at the time as the Persian Connection. Edward Ingram's scholarly
and extensively researched study shows how the British expected the
Persian Connection to help them win the Napoleonic Wars and to
enable them to enjoy the fruits of empire in India. Professor
Ingram examines British policies and activities in the Middle East
and Central Asia during the early nineteenth century, and traces
the course of Anglo-Russian diplomatic relations during this
period. The Persian Connection, he argues, was a measure of the
status and reputation of Britain as a Great Power; the history of
its first twenty years illustrates the limits to British power, as
well as having much light to shed on the creation of the Indian
Empire.
This book publishes, for the first time in decades, and in many
cases, for the first time in a readily accessible edition, English
language philosophical literature written in India during the
period of British rule. Bhushan's and Garfield's own essays on the
work of this period contextualize the philosophical essays
collected and connect them to broader intellectual, artistic and
political movements in India. This volume yields a new
understanding of cosmopolitan consciousness in a colonial context,
of the intellectual agency of colonial academic communities, and of
the roots of cross-cultural philosophy as it is practiced today. It
transforms the canon of global philosophy, presenting for the first
time a usable collection and a systematic study of Anglophone
Indian philosophy.
Many historians of Indian philosophy see a radical disjuncture
between traditional Indian philosophy and contemporary Indian
academic philosophy that has abandoned its roots amid
globalization. This volume provides a corrective to this common
view. The literature collected and studied in this volume is at the
same time Indian and global, demonstrating that the colonial Indian
philosophical communities were important participants in global
dialogues, and revealing the roots of contemporary Indian
philosophical thought.
The scholars whose work is published here will be unfamiliar to
many contemporary philosophers. But the reader will discover that
their work is creative, exciting, and original, and introduces
distinctive voices into global conversations. These were the
teachers who trained the best Indian scholars of the
post-Independence period. They engaged creatively both with the
classical Indian tradition and with the philosophy of the West,
forging a new Indian philosophical idiom to which contemporary
Indian and global philosophy are indebted.
This collection takes a thematic approach to eighteenth-century
history, covering such topics as domestic politics (including
popular political culture), religious developments and changes,
social and demographic structure and growth, and culture. It
presents a lively picture of an era of intense change and growth.
Birmingham is a city with an extraordinarily diverse achievement in
fields as varied as science, industry, politics, education,
medicine, printing and the arts. Labels such as the 'first
industrial city', 'city of a thousand trades', 'the best-governed
city in the world' and 'the youngest city in Europe' have been
applied to the town. This new publication, the first major history
of Birmingham since the 1970s, is published to commemorate the
850th anniversary of Birmingham's market charter in 1166, an event
which marked the first step in the rise of Birmingham as a
commercial and industrial powerhouse. Authored by scholars, but
written for a general readership, this detailed, accessible and
richly illustrated book is both a definitive reference work and a
readable account of a diverse, culturally rich and high-achieving
city. Many aspects of the history of Birmingham are presented for
the first time outside academic publications: its diverse people's
history, a rich prehistoric and Roman past, the rise of Birmingham
in medieval and early modern times, the evolution of an innovative
system of education, a varied experience in art and design and an
extraordinary printing history. The book covers economic and
political themes and new approaches to the history of society and
culture. It is illustrated with many images which have never before
been published either in books or on the web. The result is a
visually stunning and factually illuminating book which will appeal
to many kinds of people.
Lord Derby, Lancashire's highest-ranked nobleman and its principal
royalist, once offered the opinion that the English civil wars had
been a 'general plague of madness'. Complex and bedevilling, the
earl defied anyone to tell the complete story of 'so foolish, so
wicked, so lasting a war'. Yet attempting to chronicle and to
explain the events is both fascinating and hugely important.
Nationally and at the county level the impact and significance of
the wars can hardly be over-stated: the conflict involved our
ancestors fighting one another, on and off, for a period of nine
years; almost every part of Lancashire witnessed warfare of some
kind at one time or another, and several towns in particular saw
bloody sieges and at least one episode characterised as a massacre.
Nationally the wars resulted in the execution of the king; in 1651
the Earl of Derby himself was executed in Bolton in large measure
because he had taken a leading part in the so-called massacre in
that town in 1644.In the early months of the civil wars many could
barely distinguish what it was that divided people in 'this war
without an enemy', as the royalist William Waller famously wrote;
yet by the end of it parliament had abolished monarchy itself and
created the only republic in over a millennium of England's
history. Over the ensuing centuries this period has been described
variously as a rebellion, as a series of civil wars, even as a
revolution. Lancashire's role in these momentous events was quite
distinctive, and relative to the size of its population
particularly important. Lancashire lay right at the centre of the
wars, for the conflict did not just encompass England but Ireland
and Scotland too, and Lancashire's position on the coast facing
Catholic, Royalist Ireland was seen as critical from the very first
months.And being on the main route south from Scotland meant that
the county witnessed a good deal of marching and marauding armies
from the north. In this, the first full history of the Lancashire
civil wars for almost a century, Stephen Bull makes extensive use
of new discoveries to narrate and explain the exciting, terrible
events which our ancestors witnessed in the cause either of king or
parliament. From Furness to Liverpool, and from the Wyre estuary to
Manchester and Warrington...civil war actions, battles, sieges and
skirmishes took place in virtually every corner of Lancashire.
Future History traces the ways that English and American writers
oriented themselves along an East-West axis to fantasize their
place in the world. The book builds on new transoceanic scholarship
and recent calls to approach early American studies from a global
perspective. Such scholarship has largely focused on the early
national period; Bross's work begins earlier and considers the
intertwined identities of America, other English colonial sites and
metropolitan England during a period before nation-state identities
were hardened into the forms we know them today, when an English
empire was nascent, not realized, and when a global perspective
such as we might recognize it was just coming into focus for early
modern Europeans. The author examines works that imagine England on
a global stage in the Americas and East Indies just as-and in some
cases even before-England occupied such spaces in force. Future
History considers works written from the 1620s to the 1670s, but
the center of gravity of Future History is writing at the
mid-century, that is, writings coincident with the Interregnum, a
time when England plotted and launched ambitious, often violent
schemes to conquer, colonize or otherwise appropriate other lands,
driven by both mercantile and religious desires.
This is the first full scholarly study of British anticolonialism,
an offshoot of a massive global upsurge of sentiment which has
dominated much of the history of this century. In this wide-ranging
and important book, Stephen Howe surveys the attitudes and
activities relating to colonial issues of British critics of Empire
during the years of decolonisation. He also evaluates the changing
ways in which, arising out of the experience of Empire and
decolonisation, more general ideas about imperialism, nationalism,
and underdevelopment were developed during these years. His
discussion encompasses both the left wing of the Labour Party and
groups outside it: in the Communist Party, other independent
left-wing groups, and single-issue campaigns. The book has
considerable contemporary relevance, for British reactions to more
recent events - the Falklands and Gulf Wars, race relations, South
African apartheid - cannot fully be understood except in the
context of the experience of decolonisation and the legacy of
Empire.
This book: covers the essential content in the new specifications
in a rigorous and engaging way, using detailed narrative, sources,
timelines, key words, helpful activities and extension material
helps develop conceptual understanding of areas such as evidence,
interpretations, causation and change, through targeted activities
provides assessment support for A level with sample answers,
sources, practice questions and guidance to help you tackle the
new-style exam questions. It also comes with three years' access to
ActiveBook, an online, digital version of your textbook to help you
personalise your learning as you go through the course - perfect
for revision.
This full colour book to the Historic Cotswolds takes you
alphabetically through the fascinating and mostly hidden side to
the Cotswolds. 100s of pen and ink line drawings by Peter Reardon
matching 100s colour photos of the same thing by his son Nicholas
Reardon, so one can see things such as a stone crocodile head, with
a spring gushing out of its mouth at Compton Abdale, as both a line
drawing and colour photograph. The book travels all over the
Cotswolds from its very own Stonehenge (Rollright Stones) in the
North of the Cotswolds, to a Sham Castle in the South, with lots of
strange or old odd things to see on the way, with this book you
will soon find the Cotswolds have something of interest for anyone.
Born out of a desire to commemorate those men from King's Road, St
Albans, who lost their lives in the Great War, the road's current
residents suggested the idea of a lasting memorial. Then came the
task of researching the lives and the families of those men. It
involved many hours of leafing through old newspapers and archives,
obtaining advice from local and national bodies and seeking help
from relatives of the deceased. A further memorial - this book,
which includes a brief history of this street - is the result. The
book was compiled by Compiled by Judy Sutton & Helen Little
with help and support from many others.
On 10 October 1810, 27 men came together to form the Independent
Order of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity. It was to be the beginning
of an organisation which for the last 200 years has appealed to the
best in people, treated them as capable of exercising
responsibility, and empowered them to face the challenges of life.
All the principles and practices of Oddfellowship developed from
these core values, which still characterise the Society today. The
story of the last two centuries, including many dramatic changes,
is chronicled in this well-researched, readable and lively history,
lavishly illustrated with many wonderful photographs, documents and
commemorative memorabilia. And, as befits a Society which values
its members so highly, there are also contributions from
present-day Oddfellows, whose memories and recollections have been
passed down through families over generations. This wonderful book
vividly portrays the life of the Oddfellows since its birth and is
certain to fascinate all current Society members, for whom it will
be a treasured keepsake. It is also, however, a valuable and
interesting resource for historians, those connected with the study
of friendly societies, and anyone interested in British social
history.
In May 2022 Bradford was awarded the honour of being UK City of
Culture 2025. Bradford is one of the most fascinating places in the
country. This history provides a unique reference of what Bradford
has already achieved and how it can now build on that foundation.
It grew in the 19th century from a small market town to one of the
UK's largest cities. It built its new wealth on factory production
of woollen goods, a classic case study of the Industrial
Revolution. This book is no conventional narrative of Bradford's
history. It celebrates each day in the year with some important
story from 1212 to 2020 - the impact of a strong-minded or talented
individual, a critical event of success or disaster, or an
important moment in the development of the city, its buildings or
its institutions. Bradford has experienced good and bad times,
periods of growth, decline and regeneration, and several waves of
immigration. Often rising above adversity and strife, many
individuals have made outstanding contributions to the city and the
nation. They feature businessmen such as Sir Titus Salt and Samuel
Lister, who made large fortunes through hard work and innovation,
and creative giants with international reputations such as JB
Priestley and David Hockney. Many mill-owners became very wealthy,
but many more workers suffered from poverty and ill-health. Not for
nothing did Friedrich Engels describe Bradford as a 'stinking hole'
or TS Eliot refer to silk hats on Bradford millionaires in his most
famous poem. The stories cover a wide range of topics - industry,
commerce, politics, arts, leisure, sport, education, health etc.
They include social issues such as the extreme poverty and squalor
in the 19th century and women's rights and multi-culturalism in the
20th. The accent, however, is on the positive - the unusual, the
brave, the eccentric and the amazing. Never before have such
stories about everyday life in and around Bradford across the
centuries been brought together in one volume. Martin Greenwood has
built a remarkable kaleidoscope of life in his home city from
medieval times to the current day.
In May 2022 Bradford was awarded the honour of being UK City of
Culture 2025. Bradford is one of the most fascinating places in the
country. This history provides a unique reference of what Bradford
has already achieved and how it can now build on that foundation.
It grew in the 19th century from a small market town to one of the
UK's largest cities. It built its new wealth on factory production
of woollen goods, a classic case study of the Industrial
Revolution. This book is no conventional narrative of Bradford's
history. It celebrates each day in the year with some important
story from 1212 to 2020 - the impact of a strong-minded or talented
individual, a critical event of success or disaster, or an
important moment in the development of the city, its buildings or
its institutions. Bradford has experienced good and bad times,
periods of growth, decline and regeneration, and several waves of
immigration. Often rising above adversity and strife, many
individuals have made outstanding contributions to the city and the
nation. They feature businessmen such as Sir Titus Salt and Samuel
Lister, who made large fortunes through hard work and innovation,
and creative giants with international reputations such as JB
Priestley and David Hockney. Many mill-owners became very wealthy,
but many more workers suffered from poverty and ill-health. Not for
nothing did Friedrich Engels describe Bradford as a 'stinking hole'
or TS Eliot refer to silk hats on Bradford millionaires in his most
famous poem. The stories cover a wide range of topics - industry,
commerce, politics, arts, leisure, sport, education, health etc.
They include social issues such as the extreme poverty and squalor
in the 19th century and women's rights and multi-culturalism in the
20th. The accent, however, is on the positive - the unusual, the
brave, the eccentric and the amazing. Never before have such
stories about everyday life in and around Bradford across the
centuries been brought together in one volume. Martin Greenwood has
built a remarkable kaleidoscope of life in his home city from
medieval times to the current day.
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