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Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Local history
In 2003 the US Supreme Court overturned anti-sodomy laws across the country, ruling in Lawrence v. Texas that the Constitution protects private consensual sex between adults. To some, the decision seemed to come like lightning from above, altering the landscape of America's sexual politics all at once. In actuality, many years of work and organizing led up to the legal case, and the landmark ruling might never have happened were it not for the passionate struggle of Texans who rejected their state's discriminatory laws. Before Lawrence v. Texas tells the story of the long, troubled, and ultimately hopeful road to constitutional change. Wesley G. Phelps describes the achievements, setbacks, and unlikely alliances along the way. Over the course of decades, and at great risk to themselves, gay and lesbian Texans and their supporters launched political campaigns and legal challenges, laying the groundwork for Lawrence. Phelps shares the personal experiences of the people and couples who contributed to the legal strategy that ultimately overturned the state's discriminatory law. Even when their individual court cases were unsuccessful, justice seekers and activists collectively influenced public opinion by insisting that their voices be heard. Nine Supreme Court justices ruled, but it was grassroots politics that vindicated the ideal of equality under the law.
This text presents a comprehensive list of those from County Wexford who died during the First and Second World Wars. It includes data and never-seen-before correspondence and photographs.
Tavistock has cast its spell over generations of visitors. Attractively set between two significant natural barriers, the River Tamar to the west and Dartmoor to the east, residents and visitors today would still recognise the truth of what one impressed tourist wrote in 1892: 'The town has a leisurely and beautiful appearance, and the people do not seem to need to kill themselves and slay each other in the mad rush of life which spoils so many other towns.' However, being relaxed is not the same as being sleepy. The economic and social life of the town has, at each stage of its development, been dynamic. The designation 'Ancient Stannary Town' on the welcoming road signs, for example, is a reminder of the long association with the tin industry, and the oft-quoted description 'The Gothic town of the West' brings to mind the great age of copper mining and the changes to the town centre that accompanied it. This fully illustrated account brings the modern resident and visitor face to face with the factors that have influenced the development of this unique and fascinating corner of Devon.
Existential Edinburgh is a personal journey through a city that has for centuries inspired many. An exploration, an evocation of the city's past and present it weaves together personal experience, memory and history. It takes the reader beyond the city's historic centre, looking out to surrounding areas that are inseparable from Edinburgh's story. There are companions on this journey, well-known figures from the past and the not so well-known.
The impact of people and places in Wolstanton and May Bank is recorded in this pictorial record that recognises the contribution of village notables, dear old friends and long-gone institutions. A wealth of photographs depicting the joys of community life mingle with contemporary pictures, showing, often with dramatic impact, the shocking demolition of facilities we perhaps took for granted, such as The Plough, the Oxford Arms and The Marsh Head. Elsewhere, images of former shops such as Holdridge's, Swettenham's and the Spinning Wheel show how High Street shopping patterns have changed. Author Mervyn Edwards has only ever lived in Wolstanton and May Bank, and through this unique selection of old and new images, he presents a tribute to the place he happily calls home.
This book gives a fascinating insight into the dramatic changes that have taken place in Rotherham over the past 100 years. It recalls houses and public buildings, shops, factories and pubs that have vanished or been changed almost beyond recognition. The pictures show changing types of transport and fashion, and the developing character of streets and districts as they took on the form that is familiar today. The astonishing periods of growth that occurred during the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, and since the Second World War, are particularly well illustrated. Many aspects of the changing town are recalled - hospitals and schools, places of work and recreation, parks and squares, suburban streets and the main thoroughfares - and the pictures record the ceaseless building and rebuilding that characterises the town today. The author has combined a remarkable selection of archive photographs with modern views of the same scenes in order to record the transformation that has occurred. The book will add to the knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of all those who take an interest in this distinctive town.
Dublin has many histories: for a thousand years a modest urban settlement on the quiet waters of the Irish Sea, for the last four hundred it has experienced great - and often astonishing - change. Once a fulcrum of English power in Ireland, it was also the location for the 1916 insurrection that began the rapid imperial retreat. That moment provided Joyce with the setting for the greatest modernist novel of the age, Ulysses, capping a cultural heritage which became an economic resource for the brash 'Tiger Town' of the 1990s. David Dickson's magisterial survey of the city's history brings Dublin to life from its medieval incarnation through the glamorous eighteenth century, when it reigned as the 'Naples of the North', through to the millennium. He reassesses 120 years of Anglo-Irish Union, in which Dublin - while economic capital of Ireland - remained, as it does today, a place in which rival creeds and politics struggled for supremacy. Dublin reveals the rich and intriguing story behind the making of a capital city.
Chichester is the archetypal Georgian town, with streets of elegant buildings gathered closely around the ancient cathedral. It usually appears to today's first-time visitor that the city has been largely untouched by the hand of time - particularly the destructive hand that guided the 1960s. However, this is not the case: in the 1960s, Chichester faced the same challenges as all historic towns, and much was lost - but the brakes were applied in good time and it became one of the first conservation areas in the country. This book, the first of its kind, looks at how Chichester fared in that turbulent decade, how it gained its status as a city of culture with a new theatre and museum, and how it expanded to meet the demands of its growing populace. Historical research blends with personal anecdote to produce a heartfelt portrait of the decade.
The New Covent Garden Flower Market plays an integral part in Simon Lycett's life as a florist and has done for the last 25 years. Originally opened in London's Covent Garden in 1670, the Market moved to Nine Elms in Vauxhall in November 1974 and became known as the New Covent Garden Flower Market. Now after more than 40 years it is moving again, to a new purpose-built site in Nine Elms. In The Flower Market Year, Simon Lycett's witty and down to earth observations and Michelle Garrett's stunning photographs, taken over the course of a year of very early mornings in Nine Elms, combine to create a unique record of this historic and idiosyncratic market. Includes images of many beautiful arrangements of seasonal flowers and foliage sourced from the Market.
Did you know? The world's worst novelist, Amanda McKittrick Ros, was born near Ballynahinch. The entire Kilkeel fishing fleet was sunk by a German U-boat on 30 May 1918 without the loss of a single life. Sir Hans Sloane, whose collection formed the foundation of the British Museum, was born in Killyleagh. The Little Book of County Down is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about this ancient county of Northern Ireland. Here you will find out about Co. Down's history, its literary heritage, its churches and castles, its festivals and fairs, and its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. A reliable and quirky guide, this little reference book can be dipped into time and again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of this fascinating county.
'A complete rollercoaster romp of a story... Kit has a created cast of heroes and villains whose escapades leave the reader crying with laughter and gasping with horror... But the story also has an emotional depth and poignancy which resonates long after the final page has been turned.' - Ruth Hogan Now if you were a poor Gypsy mush, who'd had a run of bad luck and whose ever-loving was done with managing on thin air, and someone was to offer you a lucrative run of work, what would you do? Okay, so it's not legit, but sometimes it's got to be worth the risk. You could buy your lovely Zilla all that her heart desires, you could stand your rounds at the kitchema without counting the money in your pocket, update your van, put a deposit on a bit of ground to call your own. So you do it, you take the work and you take the risk, but then it all blows up in your face and you've pulled your loved ones into danger. Well worse than danger. And now you're going to have to take yourself away, disappear from sight. Be the undead playing at being dead. By the author of Thursday Nights at the Bluebell Inn, this Own Voices novel reveals, with compassion and humour, the precarious lives of its characters in a story where, sometimes, the mystical and the everyday worlds converge.
Norwich is a city that has seen it all. Its citizens have been murdered with poisoned dumplings, royalty and rogues have walked the same cobbled streets, and rioters have mustered outside its city gates. Quirky details and local anecdotes abound as this jam-packed compendium explores the UK's most easterly city, from its earliest origins to the present day. Looking at conflicts, sports, entertainment, traditions and all that makes Norwich special, this book will entertain and enthrall all those looking for some frivolous facts about this marvellous city.
The original editions of Curiosities of Bristol contained every surprising fact the Victorian reader could wish to know about the city's history. For the first time in more than 150 years, this fascinating volume collects together the complete run of this extremely rare publication. Every page is bursting with strange tales of local interest: antiquities and relics, folklore and magic, strange deaths, wicked murders and the complete history of events such as the Bristol Riots of 1831, many of which are infamous. Also including a visitor's guide to the city, and with the addition of beautiful contemporary plates from Skelton's 1850 masterpiece Etchings of the Antiquities of Bristol, this book will delight residents, visitors and lovers of curious tales alike.
Stately mansions and picturesque, cozy cottages line the avenues of beautiful Beaufort, South Carolina, but most visitors have had to be content with merely enjoying their facades--until now. The Majesty of Beaufort invites you to come inside and enjoy the simple elegance and down-home southern charm of these historic homes. Inside these pages you will find stunning full-color photographs of historic house museums, architectural landmarks, and the famous downtown historic district, as well as St. Helena Island sites and attractions. Whether you are lucky enough to live in Beaufort, plan on visiting, or just have an interest in Southern history or American architecture, this volume will be a welcome and beautiful addition to your library.
Celia Smith Hill's journal provides a glimpse of hardscrabble life in far West Texas during the first half of the twentieth century. Hill's family moved to Texas from Tennessee in the late 1800s. After her death, Bill Wright and Marianne Wood researched the history of the area and interviewed family and friends to provide context for Hill's colorful tale of endurance in an unforgiving landscape. Hill's family suffered lean times during the Depression before cinnabar-mercury ore-was discovered on her family's property. During World War II, the Fresno Mines supplied one tenth of all the mercury produced in the United States. After graduating college, Celia began a peripatetic teaching career that lasted decades, marrying and losing two husbands along the way. Finally, living alone along the most remote western border of Texas, Celia spent her later years selling snacks to the occasional visitor. Bill Wright met Celia at her La Junta General Store in Ruidosa, where she told him about her unfinished journal. With this book Bill fulfills his promise to share her courageous and fascinating life with others.
Of all the people documented by the Foxfire students since 1966,
none has been more appealing to readers than Arie Carpenter. For
all those who have read and cherished the "Foxfire" books, here is
a loving portrait of a fondly remembered friend. This book is not
just about Aunt Arie; it "is" Aunt Arie. In her own words, she
discusses everything from planting, harvesting, and cooking to her
thoughts about religion and her feelings about living alone. Also
included are testimonials from many who knew her and a wealth of
photographs.
Take an enchanting journey through the shifting seasons in a wildlife sanctuary home to wetland, forest, and grassland and supporting an incredible diversity of plants and animals. Flocks of waterfowl exploding into steely skies above frozen marshland, salamanders creeping across the forest floor to vernal pools, chorusing frogs peeping their ecstasy while warblers crowd budding trees, turtles sunning on floating logs, the ecological engineering of beavers-these are but a few of the sights and sounds marking a year at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary and its neighboring landscapes in Southern Maryland. In an absorbing account of a year in the life of this sanctuary, naturalist Colin Rees invites us to join him as he explores the secrets and wonders of the changing natural world. Alongside the author, we witness spring's avian migrations, quickening of aquatic vegetation, burgeoning of myriad invertebrates, and the assaults of extreme weather conditions. We revel in summertime's proliferation of fish, fowl, and mammals. We become attuned to the shifting climate's impacts on autumnal transitions, and we marvel at amazing feats of biological inventiveness in preparation for winter conditions. Through these visions of the fleeting-and yet enduring-cycles of nature, Rees shares deep insights into the ecological and behavioral dynamics of the natural environment. Enhanced by more than two dozen color plates, the book touches on a wide range of issues, from microbial diversity, bird banding, and butterfly phenology to genetic diversity and habitat fragmentation. It also examines the challenges of conserving these and other natural features in the face of climate change and development pressures. Thoughtful and lyrical, Nature's Calendar speaks to all readers, scientific and lay alike. Fascinating profiles of flora and fauna celebrate the richness and complexity of a unique ecosystem, exploring the entire ecology of this dynamic and delicate area.
With Hawks and Angels: Episodes from a Southern Life chronicles the fortunate life of a man born in the Cajun country of Louisiana and his interaction with the three distinct parts of his home state: the swampy, laissez-faire South where he was born, the red clay hills and piney woods of northern Louisiana where his relatives lived, and exotic New Orleans, where he was educated. Author Joel Lafayette Fletcher III examines his childhood on the campus of what is now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where his father, Joel Lafayette Fletcher Jr., was president for twenty-five years, to his time as a student at Tulane. The book follows Fletcher through his service as a naval officer—when he began to admit to himself, accept, and explore who he really was—to his life in Europe and, eventually, Virginia where he now resides. With Hawks and Angels intimately explores the life of a young man growing up in the racially segregated Deep South while coming to terms with being gay at a time when being out was not socially acceptable. Based on his personal journals and recollections and filled with the unique characters he met along the way, With Hawks and Angels is the culmination of writing that, for Fletcher, was a way of holding onto an important part of his true self that for many years he felt compelled to hide.
Lindisfarne has captured the imagination of visitors and residents alike for decades. Also know as 'Holy Island', the rich and eventful history of the area is explored in great depth in this fascinating account. The author takes us on a journey to 'the cradle island' - the ancient shrine of Celtic Christianity - to reveal the treasures of the island. He tells the story of people and nature from the beginning to the present day, exploring the natural history and archaeology of the region. While best known for his television career, Magnus Magnusson published a number of books, including The Vikings.
In Unfriendly to Liberty, Christopher F. Minty explores the origins of loyalism in New York City between 1768 and 1776, and revises our understanding of the coming of the American Revolution. Through detailed analyses of those who became loyalists, Minty argues that would-be loyalists came together long before Lexington and Concord to form an organized, politically motivated, and inclusive political group that was centered around the DeLancey faction. Following the DeLanceys' election to the New York Assembly in 1768, these men, elite and nonelite, championed an inclusive political economy that advanced the public good, and they strongly protested Parliament's reorientation of the British Empire. For New York loyalists, it was local politics, factions, institutions, and behaviors that governed their political activities in the build up to the American Revolution. By focusing on political culture, organization, and patterns of allegiance, Unfriendly to Liberty shows how the contending allegiances of loyalists and patriots were all but locked in place by 1775 when British troops marched out of Boston to seize caches of weapons in neighboring villages. Indeed, local political alignments that were formed in the imperial crises of the 1760s and 1770s provided a critical platform for the divide between loyalists and patriots in New York City. Political and social disputes coming out of the Seven Years' War, more than republican radicalization in the 1770s, forged the united force that would make New York City a center of loyalism throughout the American Revolution.
The Midwest's place at the crossroads of the nation makes it a rich travel destination for anyone interested in the history and heritage of the United States. Cynthia Clampitt's guide to heartland historical sites invites readers to live the past, whether it's watching a battlefield reenactment or wandering the grounds of an ancient Native American city. From the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center to the Chinese American Museum, Clampitt uncovers the fascinating stories behind these quintessentially Midwestern places while offering valuable tips for getting the most out of your visit. She also ventures beyond the typical scope of guidebooks to include historic restaurants, small-town museums, and other overlooked gems perfect for turning that quick day trip into a leisurely itinerary. An informative handbook and introduction to the Midwest's colorful past, Destination Heartland provides travelers with a knowledgeable companion on the highways and backroads of history. States covered in the book: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Beekeeper of Aleppo. "A powerfully moving debut . . . Ukraine's tragic history painfully echoes its current crisis, and on every page the Ukrainian spirit shines out, unbowed, unbent and unbroken." Kate Quinn, author of The Diamond Eye In the 1930s, Stalin's activists marched through the Soviet Union, espousing the greatness of collective farming. It was the first step in creating a man-made famine that, in Ukraine, stole almost 4 million lives. Inspired by the history the world forgot, and the Russian government denies, Erin Litteken reimagines their story. In 1929, Katya is 16 years old, surrounded by family and in love with the boy next door. When Stalin's activists arrive in her village, it's just a few, a little pressure to join the collective. But soon neighbors disappear, those who speak out are never seen again and every new day is uncertain. Resistance has a price, and as desperate hunger grips the countryside, survival seems more a dream than a possibility. But, even in the darkest times, love beckons. Seventy years later, a young widow discovers her grandmother's journal, one that will reveal the long-buried secrets of her family's haunted past. This is a story of the resilience of the human spirit, the love that sees us through our darkest hours and the true horror of what happened during the Holodomor. May we never forget, lest history repeat itself.A share of proceeds will be donated to DEC's Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. "A compelling and intimate story of love and survival. Harrowing and haunting . . . yet, at the same time, it is sensitive, beautiful and inspiring. Everybody should read this story, especially now. I cannot recommend it highly enough." Christy Lefteri, author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo "A stunning portrait of Ukraine and its people, of strength, of endurance, of the fight for survival during the forced famine, the Holodomor, but also a tender story of Katya, a grandmother whose hidden history holds the power to guide her granddaughter through the darkness of loss and grief, toward life and a limitless future. A remarkable read not to be missed." Lisa Wingate, author of Before We Were Yours "This beautifully written snapshot of Ukraine's history is both timely and heart-rending, sensitively bringing to life the culture of a nation devastated by an enemy invader. How shocking it is that it's a history that's being repeated today. And how important a reminder that where there's life, there's hope." Fiona Valpy, author of The Dressmaker's Gift "Emotionally riveting and honest . . . simultaneously shines an unflinching light on historical atrocities while it celebrates the resilience of the human spirit. You won't soon forget this stunning debut." Paulette Kennedy, author of Parting the Veil"The Memory Keeper of Kyiv is a meticulously researched novel . . . depicting a country whose people managed to dig deep enough to find the strength, determination and heart to survive." Deborah Carr, author of An Island at War "Breathtaking. Devastating. Erin Litteken's The Memory Keeper of Kyiv chronicles a defining but forgotten moment of Ukrainian history." Amanda McCrina, author of The Silent Unseen"The Memory Keeper of Kyiv is a truly enlightening read . . . I recommend this to anyone looking for a personal way to connect with Ukraine's history." M.B. Henry, author of All the Lights Above Us
In 1981 the suspended walkways-or "skywalks"-in Kansas City's Hyatt Regency hotel fell and killed 114 people. It was the deadliest building collapse in the United States until the fall of New York's Twin Towers on 9/11. In Skywalks R. Eli Paul follows the actions of attorney Robert Gordon, an insider to the bitter litigation that followed. Representing the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against those who designed, built, inspected, owned, and managed the hotel, Gordon was tenacious in uncovering damaging facts. He wanted his findings presented before a jury, where his legal team would assign blame from underlings to corporate higher-ups, while securing a massive judgment in his clients' favor. But when the case was settled out from under Gordon, he turned to another medium to get the truth out: a quixotic book project that consumed the rest of his life. For a decade the irascible attorney-turned-writer churned through a succession of high-powered literary agents, talented ghost writers, and New York trade publishers. Gordon's resistance to collaboration and compromise resulted in a controversial but unpublishable manuscript, "House of Cards," finished long after the public's interest had waned. His conclusions, still explosive but never receiving their proper attention, laid the blame for the disaster largely at the feet of the hotel's owner and Kansas City's most visible and powerful corporation, Hallmark Cards Inc. Gordon gave up his lucrative law practice and lived the rest of his life as a virtual recluse in his mansion in Mission Hills, Kansas. David had fought Goliath, and to his despair, Goliath had won. Gordon died in 2008 without ever seeing his book published or the full truth told. Skywalks is a long-overdue corrective, built on a foundation of untapped historical materials Gordon compiled, as well as his own unpublished writings.
The Royal Hospital Haslar was the first of three hospitals built in the 18th century for sick and wounded sailors and marines and was the last to remain in service. Following submissions to King George II by the Earl of Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, sites were identified at Portsmouth, Plymouth, and Chatham, and building commenced at Haslar farm in 1745. Designed by Theodore Jacobsen FRS in the manner of his Foundling Hospital in London, the hospital, reputed at one time to be the largest red brick building in Europe, was completed in 1762. Haslar was grand in concept, elegant in design and robust of build, and provided medical attention and nursing care to the sick and wounded of both Fleet and Army. This may not have been of the highest order in the early years, but the standards achieved during the Peninsular and Crimean Wars earned the hospital a reputation among military authorities that was unequalled. Sir John Richardson, eminent Arctic explorer and physician at Haslar, even corresponded with Florence Nightingale when the nursing reformer was campaigning for changes in the way casualties of war were treated. Described as the noblest of institutions by Queen Victoria, the Royal Hospital Haslar has provided medical care to the Royal Navy for over 250 years and Sick Berth staff for service in all areas of global conflict. In more recent times it treated patients from all three services and since the 1950s has made the professional and technological expertise contained within its walls accessible to civilian patients. The photographs in this fascinating illustrated history will stir the memory of all those who have entered Haslar, as either staff or patients, and provide a unique record of a singular and celebrated institution. |
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