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Books > History > British & Irish history > General
The correspondence from the most successful Irish-American trading firm of the colonial period forms a remarkable archive for economic historians of the eighteenth century. This is an edition of a letterbook that contains the first nine months of correspondence from this New York trading house. The letters to commercial contacts throughout the North Atlantic region offer a vivid picture of the transatlantic economy. And the private communications of Waddell Cunningham to his partner, Thomas Greg in Belfast, allow a rare behind-the-scenes look at the management and operation of an overseas merchant house. Guided by Professor Truxes's authoritative introduction, we can see in these letters the difficulties of decision-making over long distances, the problems of over-stretched resources, and the impact of the Seven Years War on the evolution of a vigorous enterprise.
This study offers a distinctive new account of British economic
life since the Second World War, focussing upon the ways in which
successive governments, in seeking to manage the economy, have
sought simultaneously to 'manage the people': to try and manage
popular understanding of economic issues. In doing so, governments
have sought not only to shape expectations for electoral purposes
but to construct broader narratives about how 'the economy' should
be understood. The starting point of this work is to ask why these
goals have been focussed upon (and differentially over time), how
they have been constructed to appeal to the population, and,
insofar as this can be assessed, how far the population has
accepted these narratives. The first half of the book analyses the
development of the major narratives from the 1940s onwards,
addressing the notion of 'austerity' and its particular meaning in
the 1940s; the rise of a narrative of 'economic decline from the
late 1950s, and the subsequent attempts to 'modernize' the economy;
the attempts to 'roll back the state' from the 1970s; the impact of
ideas of 'globalization' in the 1900s; and, finally, the way the
crisis of 2008/9 onwards was constructed as a problem of 'debts and
deficits'. The second part of the book focuses on four key issues
in attempts to 'manage the people': productivity, the balance of
payments, inflation, and unemployment. It shows how, in each case,
governments sought to get the populace to understand these issues
in a particular light, and shaped strategies to that end.
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?
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.
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 British general election of 1931 marked the culmination of a
period of political and economic crisis, and has long been regarded
as a watershed in twentieth-century British history. In the summer
of 1931 a struggling Labour government collapsed; its leader,
Ramsay MacDonald, stayed on to form a National government supported
mainly by Conservatives and Liberals. Within six weeks the decision
to call an election was taken, and in the ensuing contest the
Nationals won an overwhelming victory. Labour was left with a rump
of 46 MPs, a decade in opposition, and an enduring sense of
betrayal. Andrew Thorpe argues that, while 1931 changed much, the
general trends towards Conservative hegemony and two-party politics
were little disturbed by the crisis. He traces the background to
the events of 1931, and examines their implications in detail. His
scholarly analysis is the first full-length study of the election
to benefit from unrestricted access to contemporary documents, and
will be of value to all students of twentieth-century British
politics.
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.
This volume examines the use of the image of the Jewish temple in
the writings of the Anglo-Saxon theologian and historian, Bede (d.
735). The various Jewish holy sites described in the Bible
possessed multiple different meanings for Bede and therefore this
imagery provides an excellent window into his thought. Bede's
Temple: An Image and its Interpretation examines Bede's use of the
temple to reveal his ideas of history, the universe, Christ, the
Church, and the individual Christian. Across his wide body of
writings Bede presented an image of unity, whether that be the
unity of Jew and gentile in the universal Church, or the unity of
human and divine in the incarnate Christ, and the temple-image
provided a means of understanding and celebrating that unity. Conor
O'Brien argues that Bede's understanding of the temple was part of
the shared spirituality and communal discourse of his monastery at
Wearmouth-Jarrow, in particular as revealed in the great
illuminated Bible made there: the Codex Amiatinus. Studying the
temple in Bede's works reveals not just an individual genius, but a
monastic community engaged actively in scriptural interpretation
and religious reflection. O'Brien makes an important contribution
to our understanding of early Anglo-Saxon England's most important
author, the world in which he lived, and the processes that
inspired his work.
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