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Books > Humanities > History > British & Irish history
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.
This study looks at the relationship between popular recreations
and the spaces in which they took place, and in doing so it
provides a history of how England enjoyed itself during the long
eighteenth century. Because the poor lacked land of their own,
public spaces were needed for their sports and pastimes. Such
recreations included: parish wakes and feasts; civic fairs and
celebrations; football, cricket and other athletic sports; bull-
and bear-baiting; and the annual celebrations of Shrove Tuesday and
Guy Fawkes. Three case studies form the core of this book, each
looking at the recreations and spaces to be found in different
types of settlement: first, the streets and squares of provincial
market towns; then the diverse vacant spaces to be found in
industrialising towns and villages of the west Midlands and West
Riding of Yorkshire; and finally the village greens of rural
England. Through a detailed examination of contemporary books,
diaries and newspapers, and records in over forty archives, Dr
Griffin addresses the questions of what spaces were used, and what
was the interaction with those who used and controlled the land.
The industrial revolution has been seen to have had a negative
impact on popular recreation; through its innovative use of the
concept of space, this book provides a welcome alternative to this
traditional view.
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.
Belfast, August 1969. A campaign for civil rights in Northern
Ireland (which had begun less than two years previously)
degenerates into intercommunal violence as centuries of mistrust,
animosity, and blatant sectarianism come to a shuddering head. The
three days of August 13th, 14th, and 15th drastically changed the
course of Northern Irish history and also radicalised a generation
of Catholic youths. On the Protestant side, there was similarly
little to predict that their young generation would become
embroiled in the longest period of Irish Troubles to date. The UVF,
dormant since the creation of the state, was revived in 1966, but
it was barely mentioned anywhere outside the Shankill Road; by 1972
it was involved in full conflict. Belfast '69 provides interviews
with individuals from both sides of the conflict, many of whom went
on to join the various 'armies' that sprung up in the wake of the
riots. Many British Army officers who were only passive onlookers
in those early days also offer up their own stories. By analysing
these fascinating personal accounts in the wider context of the
Troubles, alongside other key sources, Belfast '69 seeks to answer
the most pertinent questions about the events of those days. How
were the emerging youth of both sides radicalised by the violence?
How did the events drive an otherwise-indifferent generation to
carry out some of the most heinous crimes in Irish history? And,
most importantly, can today's society learn from the bloody
mistakes of our recent past?
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.
The death of Edward I in 1307 marked the beginning of a period of
intense turmoil and change in England. The fourteenth century ushered
in the beginning of the bloody Hundred Years’ War with France, an epic
conflict with Scotland that would last into the sixteenth century,
famine in Northern Europe and the largest human catastrophe in known
history, the Black Death.
Through the epic drama of regicide, war, the prolonged spectre of
bubonic plague, religious antagonism, revolt and the end of a royal
dynasty, this book tells the story of the fourteenth century via the
lives of Edward II, Edward III and Richard II – three very different
monarchs, each with their own egos and ambitions, each with their own
ideas about England and what it meant to wield power.
Alongside the lives of the last Plantagenets, it also uncovers
lesser-known voices and untold stories to give a new portrait of a
fractured monarchy, the birth of the struggle between Europeanism and
nationalism, social rebellion and a global pandemic.
Sceptred Isle is a thrilling narrative account of a century of
revolution, shifting power and great change – social, political and
cultural – shedding new light on a pivotal period of English history
and the people who lived it.
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.
Stonehenge was not an observatory used by druidical
astronomer-priests. It was, instead, a monument in which the moon
and the sun and the dead were joined together. In this book the
author explains how people in the British Isles, four thousand or
more years ago, identified life and death with the cycle of
midwinter and midsummer and with the risings and settings of the
sun and moon. This is why so many megalithic monuments have
astronomical sightlines built into them. This book describes how
astronomical customs developed in the British Isles. Unlike other
works about 'megalithic astronomy' technical explanations about
azimuths and declinations are kept to their simplest. The emphasis
here is upon people rather than pertrubations and eclipses.
Returning to the UK in some ways has been disconcerting – or maybe
discombobulating would be a better word. It is, after all, my home; it
is where I grew up, a country I love and am proud of. But either it’s
changed, or I have. Maybe both.
It just feels like a strange land.
At the beginning of 2022, after eight years of political reporting in
the US, Jon Sopel returned home to the UK – and having spent almost a
third of his career abroad, he found a very different place to the one
he left. In Strangeland, his first book since launching the global hit
podcast The News Agents, he asks: What is the Britain he’s come home to?
In the US, Jon was the outsider looking in, firm in the belief that the
common language of English masked our fundamental differences; in terms
of values and beliefs, it seemed the British had much more in common
with our European neighbours.
Strangeland is Jon’s account of how much that has changed. The US was a
country he thought he knew well but didn’t really; returning home has
been in some ways even more disconcerting – either Britain, the country
he grew up in, has changed dramatically, or he has. Perhaps it’s both.
A trenchant analysis of politics, people, and everything in between,
Strangeland is an unforgettable portrait of a country gone through the
looking glass.
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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