A Cultural History of Leisure presents historians, and scholars and students of related fields, with the first comprehensive and interdisciplinary overview of the cultural history of leisure from ancient times to modernity. With six highly illustrated volumes covering 2500 years, this is the definitive reference work on the subject, comprising: Volume 1: A Cultural History of Leisure in Antiquity (500BC-500AD) Volume 2: A Cultural History of Leisure in the Medieval Age (500-1450) Volume 3: A Cultural History of Leisure in the Renaissance (1450-1650) Volume 4: A Cultural History of Leisure in the Age of Enlightenment (1650-1800) Volume 5: A Cultural History of Leisure in the Age of Empire (1800-1920) Volume 6: A Cultural History of Leisure in the Modern Age (1920-2000+) Each volume adopts the same thematic structure, covering: the idea of leisure; the performing arts and their audiences; the cerebral arts and their publics; sports and games; holydays, holidays and tourism; the world of conviviality; the world of goods; the world of nature and representations of leisure, enabling readers to trace one theme throughout history, as well as gaining a thorough overview of each individual period. The Cultural Histories Series A Cultural History of Leisure is part of the Cultural Histories Series. Titles are available both as printed hardcover sets for libraries needing just one subject or preferring a one-off purchase and tangible reference for their shelves, or as part of a fully searchable digital library available to institutions by annual subscription or on perpetual access (see bloomsburyculturalhistory.com).

The eighteenth century represents a critical period in the transition of the English urban history, as the town of the early modern era involved into that of the industrial revolution; and since Britain was the 'first industrial nation', this transformation is of more-than-national significance for all those interested in the histroy of towns. This book gathers together in one volume some of the most interesting and important articles that have appeared in research journals to provide a rich variety of perspectives on urban evelopment in the period.

The eighteenth century represents a critical period in the transition of the English urban history, as the town of the early modern era involved into that of the industrial revolution; and since Britain was the 'first industrial nation', this transformation is of more-than-national significance for all those interested in the histroy of towns. This book gathers together in one volume some of the most interesting and important articles that have appeared in research journals to provide a rich variety of perspectives on urban evelopment in the period.

Histories of seaports and coastal resorts have usually been kept in separate compartments. This book brings them together and looks at how resort development affected historic ports during the rise and development of the seaside holiday in Europe from the 18th century to the 20th, and what the attributes of ports (fishing, harbour crafts, the whiff of the exotic, fishermen's homes and families) contributed to the attractions of resorts. Case-studies drawn from across Europe, from Wales and the Netherlands to Norway, Latvia and Spain, bring original perspectives to bear on these histories and relationships, and consider their influence on seaside heritage and regeneration at a time when coastal settlements are increasingly using their past to secure their future. The book will interest academics in tourism studies, history, geography and cultural studies, as well as provide essential information and analysis for policy-makers in coastal regeneration.

Since at least the Reformation, English men and women have been engaged in visiting, exploring and portraying, in words and images, the landscape of their nation. The Discovery of England examines these journeys and investigations to explore how the natural and historic English landscape was reconfigured to become a widely enjoyed cultural and leisure resource. Peter Borsay considers the manifold forces behind this transformation, such as the rise of consumer culture, the media, industrial and transport revolutions, the Enlightenment, Romanticism, and the Gothic revival. In doing so, he reveals the development of a powerful bond between landscape and natural identity, against the backdrop of social and political change from the early modern period to the start of the Second World War. Borsay’s interdisciplinary approach demonstrates how human understandings of the natural world shaped the geography of England, and uncovers a wealth of valuable material, from novels and poems to paintings, that expose historical understandings of the landscape. This innovative approach illuminates how the English countryside and historic buildings became cultural icons behind which the nation was rallied during war-time, and explores the emergence of a post-war heritage industry that is now a definitive part of British cultural life.

At a time when the proper role of the state is under constant review, its relationship to the private sphere is a matter of considerable public concern. Medicine in Wales, c.1800-2000 places this debate in historical context. to suicide, from mutual aid to industrial rehabilitation and the medical inspection of school children, and from nursing during the First World War to experiences of childbirth and health visiting after 1945. A concluding chapter assesses why medicine has failed to deliver the equitable outcomes that were promised with the creation of the National Health Service. the state, scientific knowledge, and professional expertise, and to its implications for the producers and consumers of healthcare in terms of class and citizenship, family, gender and community, and the urban/rural contrasts within Welsh national identity.

There is perhaps no city in Britain so saturated in history and layered with historic imagery as Bath. This interdisciplinary study explores the evolution, structure, and uses of the image of Georgian Bath, from its genesis in the eighteenth century to its renaissance in the twentieth century.

In the century after the Restoration of 1660, English provincial towns experienced a cultural renaissance. This penetrating study examines the economic and social origins which stimulated the most striking features of that revival: the transformation of the urban landscape under the influence of classical architecture and the emergent forces of planning; and the remarkable expansion in the provision of public leisure. Concentrating on the interaction between urban culture and society as a whole, Peter Borsay draws on a wide range of disciplines, shedding new light not only on the development of the early modern town, but also on the relatively neglected period of English history between the Civil War and the Industrial Revolution. Reference material is included, in a detailed town-by-town appendix.