`I can hardly believe, by the tranquillity of every thing about me, that we are a people who have just lost an empire. But it is so.' So wrote Edmund Burke on 30th May 1776. In the city about him duels, elopements, plays, highway robberies, masquerades and daily life continued much as usual while across the Atlantic cities burned and muskets blazed as the political order of the world was recast. Much has been written about events in America at this time, but what was it like to be living in London? This book seeks to answer that question by way of a daily chronicle in which the year's stories emerge through diaries, letters, newspaper reports, and a wealth of previously unpublished material, from state papers to Edward Gibbon's pocket-book. Among notable events were the trial of the Duchess of Kingston for bigamy, David Garrick's farewell to the stage, Captain Cook's setting out on his final voyage, and publication of Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations. These unfold alongside a host of forgotten stories, characters and incidents to create a revealing portrait of London in a momentous year.

At the crescendo of the Second Barons' War were the battles of Lewes and Evesham. It was an era of high drama and intrigue, as tensions between crown and aristocracy had boiled over and a civil war erupted that would shape the future of English government. In this detailed study, Richard Brooks unravels the remarkable events of the battles of Lewes and Evesham, revealing the unusually tactical nature of the fighting, in sharp contrast to most medieval conflicts which were habitually settled by burning and ravaging. At Lewes, Simon de Montfort, the powerful renegade leader of the Baronial faction, won a vital victory, smashing the Royalist forces and capturing Henry III and Prince Edward. Edward escaped, however, to lead the Royalist armies to a crushing victory just a year later at Evesham. Using full colour illustrations, bird's-eye views and detailed maps to generate an arresting visual perspective of the fighting, this book tells the full story of the battles of Lewes and Evesham, the only pitched battles to be fought by English armies in the mid-13th century.

David Crouch's William Marshal, now in its third edition, depicts this intriguing medieval figure as a ruthless opportunist, astute courtier, manipulative politician and a brutal but efficient soldier. Born the fourth son of a minor baron, he ended his days as Earl of Pembroke and Regent of England, and was the only medieval knight to have a contemporary biography written about him. Using this biography in addition to the many other primary sources dedicated to him, the author provides a narrative of William Marshal and a survey of the times in which he lived and also considers the problems and questions posed by the History. The third edition has been extensively updated and revised, and now includes: expanded sections on the reality of medieval tournaments and warfare as it is described in the biography an in-depth study of Marshal's family life and children based on the latest research including material from the new edition of the Marshal family acts and letters more on Marshal's royal patrons and contemporaries, in particular the relationship between Marshal and his nemesis, King John. William Marshal explores the world of medieval knighthood and the the aristocratic life of the times in engaging, readable prose, and is a unique resource for students of medieval history.

Philip Skippon was the third-most senior general in parliament's New Model Army during the British Civil Wars. A veteran of European Protestant armies during the period of the Thirty Years' War and long-serving commander of the London Trained Bands, no other high-ranking parliamentarian enjoyed such a long military career as Skippon. He was an author of religious books, an MP and a senior political figure in the republican and Cromwellian regimes. This is the first book to examine Skippon's career, which is used to shed new light on historical debates surrounding the Civil Wars and understand how military events of this period impacted upon broader political, social and cultural themes.

This book, first published in 1969, examines the achievement of Montgomery and the 21st Army Group in the campaign in Northwest Europe in 1944-45. The author observed the campaign first-hand, and has spent twenty years poring over war diaries and regimental papers to provide an in-depth analysis of Montgomery's generalship, personality, complex relations with his American allies, and his own subordinates. Looking at Montgomery's performance as a morale builder both for troops and civilians, this books also examines his difficulties with the diplomatic niceties of coalition warfare.

An examination of the relationship between sport and its cultural heritage. Sport is an integral part of British culture and an important aspect of modern life. Although its importance has been recognised by academic historians, sport has yet to be fully appreciated in the growing and related fields of heritage and museum studies. Sport and heritage have operated as seemingly separate spheres, yet together they can convey powerful messages; convergence between them is seen in the rise and popularity of sports museums, the collecting of sporting art and memorabilia, and popular concern over the demise of historic sports buildings and sport-related sites. These places, exhibitions and activities help to shape our understanding of sport, history and the past. The essays in this volume explore sports history as manifested in academic enquiry, museum exhibitions and heritage sites. They deal among other things with the public representation of sport and its significance; its impacton public spheres; the direction of sports heritage studies and their aims; the role of museums in public history; and place, memory and meaning in the historic sports landscape. Contributors: Jeffrey Hill, Jed Smith,Anthony Bateman, Ray Physick, Neil Skinner, Matthew Taylor, Tim O'Sullivan, Kevin Moore, Max Dunbar, Santiago De Pablo, John K. Walton, Wray Vamplew, Honor Godfrey, Jason Wood, Andrea Titterington, Stephen Done, Mike McGuinness, David Storey, Daphne Bolz, Jean Williams, Richard Holt Jeffrey Hill is Emeritus Professor of Historical and Cultural Studies, De Montfort University, Leicester; Kevin Moore is Director, National Football Museum, Manchester; Jason Wood is Director, Heritage Consultancy Services.

This is a collection of documents on English history. Editorial comment is directed towards making sources intelligible rather than drawing conclusions from them. Full account has been taken of modern textual criticism. A general introduction to each volume portrays the character of the period under review and critical bibliographies have been added to assist further investigation. Documents collected include treaties, personal letters, statutes, military dispatches, diaries, declarations, newspaper articles, government and cabinet proceedings, orders, acts, sermons, pamphlets, agricultural instructions, charters, grants, guild regulations and voting records. Volumes include genealogical tables, lists of officials, chronologies, diagrams, graphs and maps.

Originally published in 1976, this book discusses the relationship of the age of intellectual enlightenment in Scotland to the age of economic improvement and analyses the Scottish Enlightenment from a more sociological point of view. It describes the intense period of high intellectual endeavour and activity that took place in the resorts of the cultural social Scottish elite in 18th and early 19th Century Scotland. It discusses the crucial place of lawyers in 18th Century Scottish society and examines the intellectual features of the Scottish university system, charting the rise of the societies, clubs and other institutions such as the Encyclopaedia Britannica and The Edinburgh Review.

Originally published in 1935, this book's author was both a nationalist and internationalist who believed that these positions were complementary, not in conflict with each other. This concise volume doesn't merely discuss the significance of literature in Scottish history but also charts that literary heritage. Examining native and foreign influences from Ireland and Scandinavia, the book also examines the role literature has played in the formation of the national identity of Scotland.

Originally published in 1965, this book subjected the economic performance of Scotland to close examination. The progress of the Scottish economy from 1951 to 1960 was assessed in quantitative terms and estimates provided of Scottish gross domestic product, income from employment, gross profits and other economic statistics. Chapters are devoted to output and investment in manufacturing in industry and to personal income and expenditure. The results showed the extent to which the Scottish economy lagged behind the rest of the UK, especially during the latter part of the decade.

The British mercantilist writers of the 17th and 18th centuries had great influence on modern economics. Their writings, especially on trade and on money, have had an impact both through their ideas and by shaping the language in which subsequent economic debate took place. This text demonstrates that the mercantilists were more subtle and balanced economists than Smith and his followers alleged. Far from naively confusing wealth and money, the writers produced sophisticated accouts of the workings of the economic system which show a complex response to the political economy of the time. The texts reproduced range from Thomas Mun's "A Discourse of Trade from England Unto the East..." (1621) to Jacob Vanderlint's " Money answers to all things..." (1734). Other writers featured include Edward Misselden, John Cary, Joshua Child, John Locke, Charles Davenant and Matthew Decker.

Buoyed by the runaway success of his bestselling A General History of the Pirates (1724), Captain Charles Johnson went on to publish a much-expanded edition of the work to include a further 80 accounts of some of the most extraordinary British criminals of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries entitled A General History of the Lives and Adventures of the Most Famous Pirates, Highwaymen, Murderers, Street-Robbers, &c. (1734). He added further pirate biographies but expanded the cast to include a ferocious band of ruthless and vicious highwaymen, murderers, and wider criminals. Johnson's volumes, featuring fictional accounts based on factual sources, are significant as the forerunners of the real-life criminal biography genre, and for their influence on such early novels as Defoe's Moll Flanders and Fielding's Jonathan Wild but equally resonate right through to the present day inspiring the fiction of Ben Aaronovich and Jake Arnott. Originally published in folio size complete with fine engravings, this new collection of rogues includes the very best of these original decorative plates but also presents a series of related illustrations, playbills, and portraits from the British Library collections.

This is a survey of current debates over the significance and role of Puritanism in 17th-century England. It is intended for undergraduate courses on 17th-century England.

A spectacular collection of aerial photographs of Britain's most extraordinary prehistoric sites. This breathtaking collection of aerial images reveals ancient monuments from all around the British Isles, as they have never been seen before: Neolithic enclosures, cairns and stone circles; Bronze Age villages, farmsteads, tombs and burial mounds; and Iron Age hillforts, all photographed in spectacular bird's-eye-view detail. Photographs taken directly above the sites, often at dawn, allow uniquely informative views, showing not only how ancient monuments fit into the surrounding landscape, but also how they define or respond to the area's natural character. Stone cairns and circles evoke lost rituals and religious ceremonies; Iron Age ramparts hint at former strongholds; and tangible geographical clues reveal the scars of real or mythical battles. The oldest site in the collection was created nearly 6,000 years ago; the most recent originated shortly before the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43. This is an inspiring way to discover the beauty and history of the British landscape, revealing the visible traces of our ancestors, from such famous monuments as Stonehenge to little-known gems that have never before been seen from the air.

Series Information:
English Historical Documents

This is a collection of documents on English history. Editorial comment is directed towards making sources intelligible rather than drawing conclusions from them. Full account has been taken of modern textual criticism. A general introduction to each volume portrays the character of the period under review and critical bibliographies have been added to assist further investigation. Documents collected include treaties, personal letters, statutes, military dispatches, diaries, declarations, newspaper articles, government and cabinet proceedings, orders, acts, sermons, pamphlets, agricultural instructions, charters, grants, guild regulations and voting records. Volumes include genealogical tables, lists of officials, chronologies, diagrams, graphs and maps.

This is a collection of documents on English history. Editorial comment is directed towards making sources intelligible rather than drawing conclusions from them. Full account has been taken of modern textual criticism. A general introduction to each volume portrays the character of the period under review and critical bibliographies have been added to assist further investigation. Documents collected include treaties, personal letters, statutes, military dispatches, diaries, declarations, newspaper articles, government and cabinet proceedings, orders, acts, sermons, pamphlets, agricultural instructions, charters, grants, guild regulations and voting records. Volumes include genealogical tables, lists of officials, chronologies, diagrams, graphs and maps.

A social history of the changing fortunes of apprentices and the system of apprenticeship over three centuries of English history.

The Bretton Woods system ensured a quarter of a century of relative stability on the world's financial markets. The quarter of a century which has followed has brought financial chaos and excessive financial volatility. Exchange Rate Chaos: 25 Years of Financial and Consumer Democracy describes and compares US and British financial history during this period. It highlights: * similarites in financial developments between the two countries * consumer democracy: Have the wishes of consumers dominated exchange rate policy? * The decline of the small investor and the hegemony of financial institutions * How the floating exchange rates are manipulated to government advantage One of the few financial histories to deal with the postwar period, this book shows how financial developments have shaped contemporary society and politics.

Examining the origins of the Arthurian legend and major trends in the portrayal of Arthur from the Middle Ages to the present, this collection focuses on discussion of literature written in English, French, Latin, and German. Its 16 essays, four published here for the first time, deal with such matters as the search for the historical Arthur; the depiction of Arthur in the romances "Erec" and "Iwein" of Hartmann von Aue; the way Arthur is depicted in 19th-century art and the Victorian view of manhood; and conceptions of King Arthur in 20th-century literature. Six of the essays, originally published in French and German, are translated into English especially for this book. Two essays have been substantially revised. An introduction offers a general discussion of the development of the legends in the countries of Europe.
Works discussed include medieval and Renaissance chronicles (Geoffrey of Monmouth's "Historia Regum Britanniae," Wace's "Roman de Brut," Polydore Vergil's Anglica Historia, Scottish vernacular and Latin chronicles), medieval romances (the "Lancelot en prose," the "Mort Artu," the Post-Vulgate "Roman du" "Graal," and works of Chretien de Troyes, Hartmann von Aue, and Sir Thomas Malory), Spenser's "Faerie Queene," Tennyson's "Idylls of the King," and T.H. White's "Once and Future King." A bibliography lists selected major secondary studies of King Arthur as well as major reference works.

This book is a study of the complex relationship between Britain and Europe from the Second World War to the present day. Drawing on first-hand experience of British and European politics, the author highlights not only the dramatically shifting power play between London and Brussels but also the EU's own struggle to come to terms with its federal mission. He traces the important constitutional events that have fashioned the EU, of which the Brexit process is an outstanding example. The author proposes a number of constitutional reforms which, if carried through, would form the basis of a new entente between the EU and the UK. Both polities will profit from stronger democratic government of a federal type. The author advocates spanning the divide between NATO and the EU. He proposes installing a new class of affiliate EU membership, which may be useful for the whole European neighbourhood, including the UK. Featuring the history, present and future of Britain's relationship with the European Union, the book will be of worldwide interest to students and practitioners of European integration, as well as diplomats and journalists. It is the first comprehensive manifesto for the future of Europe and Britain since Brexit.

The London County Council was the world's largest municipal government and a laboratory for social experimentation before the Great War. It sought to master the problems of metropolitan amelioration, political economy and public culture.
"A Vision for" "London, 1889-1914" tests the vision of London Progressivism against its practitioners' accomplishments. Pennybacker argues that the historical memory of the hopes inspired by LCC achievement and the disillusions spawned by failure are major forces in today's deeply ambivalent response to metropolitan politics in London.
The "new women," bohemian London, scandal in the building industry, midwifery, lodging houses, children's provision and the music hall were all provocative issues in LCC work. Their story richly evokes life in the turn-of-the-century metropolis and illustrates the complexities of "municipal socialism."

This is a collection of documents on English history. Editorial comment is directed towards making sources intelligible rather than drawing conclusions from them. Full account has been taken of modern textual criticism. A general introduction to each volume portrays the character of the period under review and critical bibliographies have been added to assist further investigation. Documents collected include treaties, personal letters, statutes, military dispatches, diaries, declarations, newspaper articles, government and cabinet proceedings, orders, acts, sermons, pamphlets, agricultural instructions, charters, grants, guild regulations and voting records. Volumes include genealogical tables, lists of officials, chronologies, diagrams, graphs and maps.

A pocketbook reproduction of the Declaration of Arbroath with historical analysis by Tom Turpie to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration. The document is a declaration of Scottish independence as a sovereign state in 1320, rather than a feudal land controlled by England's Norman kings, and to lift the excommunication of Robert the Bruce.