Industrialisation and industrial history Books

Book SynopsisLocal enterprise, institutional quality and strategic location were of central importance in the growth of medieval towns. This book, comprising a study of 112 English towns, emphasises these key factors. Downstream locations on major rivers attracted international trade, and thereby stimulated the local processing of imports and exports, while the early establishment of richly endowed religious institutions funnelled agricultural rental income into a town, where it was spent on luxury goods produced by local craftsmen and artisans, and on expensive, long-running building schemes. Local entrepreneurs who recognised the economic potential of a town developed residential suburbs which attracted wealthy residents. Meanwhile town authorities invested in the building and maintenance of bridges, gates, walls and ditches, often with financial support from wealthy residents. Royal lordship was also an advantage to a town, as it gave the town authorities direct access to the king and bypassed local power-brokers such as bishops and earls. The legacy of medieval investment remains visible today in the streets of important towns. Drawing on rentals, deeds and surveys, this book also examines in detail the topography of seven key medieval towns: Bristol, Gloucester, Coventry, Cambridge, Birmingham, Shrewsbury and Hull. In each case, surviving records identify the location and value of urban properties, and their owners and tenants. Using statistical techniques, previously applied only to the early modern and modern periods, the book analyses the impact of location and type of property on property values. It shows that features of the modern property market, including spatial autocorrelation, were present in the middle ages. Property hot-spots of high rents are also identified; the most valuable properties were those situated between the market and other focal points such transport hubs and religious centres, convenient for both, but remote from noise and pollution.This book takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on expertise from the disciplines of economics and history. It will be of interest to historians and to social scientists looking for a long-run perspective on urban development.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the 1894 Pullman Strike, one of the most consequential clashes between labor and capital that paralyzed America's railroad system.The Gilded Age saw rapid economic growth, expansion of industrialization, and real wage growth. Yet between 1800 and 1900 there were nearly 37,000 strikes, and the Pullman Strike reflected the broad dissatisfaction and unrest among American workers. The book consists of an engaging narrative, analysis of existing scholarship, sidebars, and primary source documents which collectively answer why the Pullman Strike is so critical to the American Experience: it exposed the limits of paternalistic capitalism, revealed the extraordinary power of big business, introduced the use of injunctions to stop strikes, and launched the career of the iconic labor leader Eugene Debs. Overall, it reveals what struggles workers encountered when forming unions, the changing role of government regarding the economy, and the threat that unchecked big b

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Book SynopsisThe fascinating history of industry in this historic Welsh county. Chris Barber has compiled this richly illustrated book to provide an insight into the important industrial history of this area.

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Book SynopsisUncovers the full story of the social unrest that was seen throughout Britain at the times of the Napoleonic Wars.

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Book SynopsisA pictorial history of the working life of the city of Salford and it's people over the last century and more.

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Book SynopsisDocumenting the county's fascinating industrial history. Which is nowadays associated with food production as the âMarket Garden of Englandâ.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating insight, derived from a regular feature on the Robert Elms show, into some of the forgotten industries of London, lavishly illustrated throughout.

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Book SynopsisAnyone interested in the real London needs to read this. - Andrew MarrNo city can survive without water, and lots of it. Today we take the stuff for granted: turn a tap and it gushes out. But it wasn''t always so. For centuries London, one of the largest and richest cities in the world, struggled to supply its citizens with reliable, clean water. The Mercenary River tells the story of that struggle from the middle ages to the present day. Based on new research, it tells a tale of remarkable technological, scientific and organisational breakthroughs; but also a story of greed and complacency, high finance and low politics. Among the breakthroughs was the picturesque New River, neither new nor a river but a state of the art aqueduct completed in 1613 and still part of London''s water supply: the company that built it was one of the very first modern business corporations, and also one of the most profitablTrade ReviewA thoroughly original and gripping book; from the elm-wood pipes of Tudor London, via dragon-like early steam engines, from pioneering reformers to outrageous scoundrels, and finally to the lives of modern Londoners, perplexed as to why Thames Water has yet again had to close a road, to replace cast-iron Victorian pipework with blue tubes, this is a lucid, hugely readable account of the struggle to supply clean water to one of the world's first megacities. The conflicts between private profit and public interest, which go back to Jacobean times, carry on today. Anyone interested in the real London needs to read this. -- Andrew MarrThe first biography of liquid London is a pacey yet scholarly tale of greed versus altruism. Nick Higham breaks new ground in analysing the history of that most fundamental metropolitan element - its water supply. -- Sarah WiseAn enthralling guide to London's most neglected and under-exploited asset. Its day must surely come. -- Simon JenkinsLondon has been called the city of rivers, but for more than a century the capital's watery powers have been built over and then disregarded. In this multi-faceted work, Higham swims through the centuries to show how integral water has been to the creation of an industrial powerhouse, and how the historic struggle between private enterprise and public good continues to float the market. A masterful achievement. -- Judith FlandersA painstakingly researched account of how contemporary incompetence and private-interest greed in the water industry is reflected in a long and fascinating history of adventuring, double-dealing, political corruption and short-termism set against the efforts of visionary engineers and prophets. Beyond that, a story told with cracking momentum. And great respect for the charms of our lost and culverted rivers. -- Iain SinclairThe Mercenary River is a gruesome yet fascinating tale of how London came to be supplied with water. -- Adrian Tinniswood * Daily Telegraph *Higham takes the reader through three centuries of life in a thirsty city, judiciously blending social, scientific and engineering history while also describing the successes and failures drawing on his skills as a journalist... but also weaving into his work larger, more complex issues... each chapter is detailed, diverse and engaging... it is clear that [Higham] spent a considerable amount of time in the archives to provide the reader with this fascinating account of an important and somewhat neglected aspect of metropolitan history. -- Lee Jackson * Literary Review *Higham's book proves a consistently fascinating read for all those curious about London's history. * Daily Mail *It's well written... and extensively researched... This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in social and industrial history. The Mercenary River is very readable, extremely informative and a very enjoyable book. * Portobello Book Blog *A round of applause for journalist Nick Higham... [he] has transformed pages of detailed research through three centuries of water history papers in the London Metropolitan Archives into a fascinating page-turner of a book... This is a magnificent book for anyone fascinated by the history of London, engineering, politics, human endeavour, and our challenging relationship with water. -- Wendy Tobitt * The Thames Guardian *[A] magnificent history . . . The pages are littered with facts, anecdotes and knitted together in a compelling, informed and at times witty narrative. There's nothing dry about The Mercenary River! -- David Winskill * Ham & High, Hackney Gazette, Islington Gazette *

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Book SynopsisStartling revision of English historyItaly's contribution to the Industrial Revolution and why much of the initial inventive glory belongs to ItalyFirst recorded case of industrial espionage. John Lombe pays with his life for stealing Italian secretsTranscript of Arkwright's final and most damaging trial for plagiarism

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Book SynopsisSão Paulo, by far the most populated state in Brazil, has an economy to rival that of Colombia or Venezuela. Its capital city is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the world. How did São Paulo, once a frontier province of little importance, become one of the most vital agricultural and industrial regions of the world? This volume explores the transformation of São Paulo through an economic lens. Francisco Vidal Luna and Herbert S. Klein provide a synthetic overview of the growth of São Paulo from 1850 to 1950, analyzing statistical data on demographics, agriculture, finance, trade, and infrastructure. Quantitative analysis of primary sources, including almanacs, censuses, newspapers, state and ministerial-level government documents, and annual government reports offers granular insight into state building, federalism, the coffee economy, early industrialization, urbanization, and demographic shifts. Luna and Klein compare São Paulo's transformation to other regions from the same period, making this an essential reference for understanding the impact of early periods of economic growth.Trade Review"A major undertaking by two eminent scholars on one of the most important regions in Latin America. Weaving together rich scholarship, original research, and extensive historical data, Luna and Klein offer a sorely-needed synthesis of the facets that contributed to São Paulo's evolution from modest agricultural province into Brazil's economic leader. This accessible volume offers an excellent case for comparative research on the developing world and areas of recent settlement, and will be welcomed by historians of Brazil and Latin America."—Anne Hanley, Northern Illinois University"An Economic and Demographic History of São Paulo, 1850-1950is animportant accomplishment and a welcome addition to the literature on the history of São Paulo. Besides a comprehensive survey of the factors behind São Paulo's impressive growth, the book is also a successful attempt at historical and historiographical synthesis, one that covers many decades of literature and establishes a serious dialogue with Brazilian historiography and social science literature."—Paula Vedoveli, H-LatAmTable of Contents1. São Paulo Agriculture in the Nineteenth Century 2. Government and Public Finance in the Empire, 1850-1889 3. Government and Public Finance in the Old Republic, 1889-1930 4. Paulista Agriculture, 1899-1950 5. Crisis of the State and the Loss of Hegemony of the Paulista Elite 6. The State in National and International Commerce 7. Industrial Growth in São Paulo 8. Infrastructure and Urbanization of the State 9. Population Growth and Structure Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThis volume explores the possibilities of studying embodied subjects in the past through the sources and approaches of archaeology, history and material culture studies. It draws on collections of human remains, material culture and documentary evidence from Britain during the period 1700–1850, considering the themes of gender, rank, age, disability and maternity. Each chapter looks at the lived experiences of the material body, bringing together disciplines that share an interest in the material or embodied turn. Combining archaeological and historical data to reconstruct embodied experiences, the volume represents the first collection of genuinely collaborative scholarship by historians and archaeologists.Table of ContentsIntroduction: the material body in archaeology and history – Elizabeth Craig-Atkins and Karen Harvey1 Archives of embodiment: body and experience in the archaeological and historical record – Karen Harvey2 Marking maternity: integrating historical and archaeological evidence for reproduction in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries – Elizabeth Craig-Atkins and Mary E. Fissell 3 Embodying the history of shoes: footwear and gender in Britain, 1700–1850 – Matthew McCormack4 ‘The Corporation of Corpse-stealers’: archaeological and historical evidence of bodysnatching in early eighteenth-century London – Robert Hartle5 Who smokes anymore? Documentary, archaeological and osteological evidence for tobacco consumption and its relationship to social identity in industrial England, 1700–1850 – Anna M. Davies-Barrett and Sarah A. Inskip 6 Uncovering the lives of late-eighteenth- and nineteenth-century inhabitants of Bristol through osteoarchaeological and documentary analysis – Heidi Dawson-Hobbis and Jocelyn Davis7 Disability, gender and old age in the Industrial Revolution: cultural historical and osteoarchaeological perspectives – Sophie L. Newman and David M. TurnerIndex

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Book SynopsisCycling advocates envisage a future in which bikes are a widespread daily form of transportation. While many global cities are seeing the number of bike commuters increase, this future is still far away; at times, urban cycling seems to be fighting for its very survival. Will we ever witness a true "bike boom" in cities? What can we learn from past successes and failures to make cycling safer, easier, and more accessible? Use of bicycles in Britain and America fell off a cliff in the 1950s and 1960s thanks to the rapid rise in car ownership. Urban planners and politicians predicted that cycling would wither to nothing, and they did their level best to bring about this extinction by catering to only motorists. But in the 1970s, something strange happened, cycling bounced back, first in America and then in Britain. In Bike Boom, journalist Carlton Reid uses history to shine a spotlight on the present and demonstrates how cycling has the potential to grow even further, if the right measures are put in place by the politicians and planners of today and tomorrow.He explores the benefits and challenges of cycling, the roles of infrastructure and advocacy, and what we can learn from cities that have successfully supported and encouraged bike booms, including London; Davis, California; Montreal; Stevenage; Amsterdam; New York; and Copenhagen. Given that today's global cycling "boom" has its roots in the early 1970s, Reid draws lessons from that period. At that time, the Dutch were investing in bike infrastructure and advocacy, the US and the UK had the choice to follow the Dutch example, but didn't. Reid sets out to discover what we can learn from the history of bike "booms" in this entertaining and thought-provoking book.

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Book Synopsis“A well-rendered and -documented tale of exploitation in the developing world” (Kirkus Reviews) with deep resonance in the present day In a book Paul Farmer called “a gem of a social history linking two countries stuck in uncomfortable embrace for well over a century,” award-winning author and filmmaker Gregg Mitman tells a sweeping story of capitalism, racial exploitation, and environmental devastation, as Firestone transformed Liberia into America’s rubber empire. Scouring remote archives to unearth a story of promises unfulfilled for the vast numbers of Liberians who toiled on rubber plantations built on taken land, Mitman “peppers this history with a wealth of fascinating details and interesting characters” (Foreign Affairs), revealing a system of racial segregation and medical experimentation that reflected Jim Crow America—on African soil. Called “a brilliant, compelling read” by Princeton scholar Rob Nixon, Empire of Rubber, now available in paperback, provides a riveting narrative of ecology and disease, of commerce and science, and of racial politics and political maneuvering—the hidden story of a corporate empire whose tentacles reach into the present.Trade ReviewPraise for Empire of Rubber: Named One of the Best Books of the Fall by Bloomberg “Mitman peppers this history with a wealth of fascinating details and interesting characters.”—Foreign Affairs “A fascinating and enlightening page-turner that uncovers Liberia’s often-overlooked importance in U.S. history.”—Foreign Policy“Calls into question Western ideas of progress, and powerfully traces the results of the Firestone experiment to the war and poverty that would wrack the nation.”—Shelf Awareness“Superbly crafted. . . . Empire of Rubber is primarily a portrait of power as it was and is exercised through American capital.”—Africa Is a Country“Gregg Mitman provides an accessible, compelling, and monumental account of the surprisingly American history of Liberia.”—Science for the People "A well-rendered and -documented tale of exploitation in the developing world." —Kirkus Reviews "[Empire of Rubber] documents the fragile arrangement between Firestone and the Liberian government that has existed for 95 years, surviving civil war and power plays on both sides, proving lucrative for some while causing great devastation with its racism and the depletion of natural resources.”—Booklist “A harrowing and richly detailed account of U.S. tire manufacturer Firestone’s exploitation of Liberian workers in the 20th century . . . Mitman marshals a wealth of material to make his case, which encompasses ecological injustice, racial capitalism, and medical racism. The result is a devastating exposé of the tensions between ‘the interests of white capital and the desire for Black self-determination.’” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “With the Firestone archives closed to him, Gregg Mitman has to strain for a clear view of how Harvey Firestone transformed a small Liberian rubber plantation into a Goliath that broke a British monopoly on latex. But Mitman’s lack of access to company archives makes Empire of Rubber a better book. He finds plenty of Liberians and Americans, or the archives and accounts left by their predecessors and by dissident scholars, to fill in the blanks. The reader is left with a gem of a social history linking two countries stuck in uncomfortable embrace for well over a century.” —Paul Farmer, Kolokotrones University Professor and chair of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard University, and author of Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds: Ebola and the Ravages of History “Empire of Rubber is at once an iconic story and utterly unique. In Mitman’s clear, complex, and compelling narrative, he provides privy to the measured and malevolent workings of the U.S. as an imperial formation. Mitman’s account . . . is told with erudition and grace in a powerful narrative that combines the political imaginaries and grounded conditions of racism, capitalism, and visionaries long at the heart of imperial democracies.” —Ann Laura Stoler, Willy Brandt Distinguished University Professor of Anthropology and Historical Studies and director, Institute for Critical Social Inquiry, New School for Social Research, and author of Duress: Imperial Durabilities in Our Times “Gregg Mitman has delivered a brilliant, compelling read. Empire of Rubber draws together the long history of commodity colonialism, the imperial roots of Liberia’s recent civil war, and the fraught relations between American medical institutions and racism at home and abroad. Empire of Rubber dramatizes intersectional thinking at its very best.” —Rob Nixon, Barron Family Professor of Environment and Humanities, Princeton University, and author of Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor “In this brilliantly rendered, epic tale of American racial capitalism in West Africa, Gregg Mitman details the profound and devastating effects of plantation agriculture. In the process he unearths the political and legal machinations of Firestone rubber in undermining Black sovereignty, and reveals the violence of corporate philanthropy in the guise of development.” —Julie Livingston, professor of history, and social and cultural analysis at New York University, MacArthur fellow, and author of Improvising Medicine“In this brilliant and powerfully moving narrative of the Firestone Tire Company’s activities in Liberia, Gregg Mitman provides an unprecedented account of the destructive power of racial capitalism on colonized bodies and ecologies . . . Empire of Rubber is unique in its exposition of the connection between the Firestone company and elite American universities and unrivaled in its account of the valiant fight Liberians put up to maintain their autonomy.”—Simon Gikandi, Robert Schirmer Professor of English, Princeton University, and author of Slavery and the Culture of Taste

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Book SynopsisThe Kahans from Baku is the saga of a Russian Jewish family. Their story provides an insight into the history of Jews in the Imperial Russian economy, especially in the oil industry. The entrepreneur and family patriarch, Chaim Kahan, was a pious and enlightened man and a Zionist. His children followed in his footsteps in business as well as in politics, philanthropy, and love of books. The book takes us through their forced migration in times of war, revolution, and the twentieth century’s totalitarian regimes, telling the story of fortune and misfortune of one cohesive family over four generations through Russia, Germany, Denmark, and France, and finally on to Palestine and the United States of America.Trade Review“Verena Dohrn’s book presents a complex transnational story of Jewish oil merchants in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, contributing to the growing scope of research on Jewish family businesses in East and Central Europe. … This book will be an interesting read for a broad audience, providing an intimate insight into the private life of oil magnates in turbulent historical times. It may also introduce a new perspective on Jewish business elites to academic readers. The Kahan story transcends the stereotypical divisions between East and West, showing the example of the well-managed business family corporation, which managed to integrate into a few imperial and national contexts of different countries and adapt to the new situations while preserving their complex cultural integrity.”— Vladyslava Moskalets, Business History“Jewish entrepreneurs played a major role in economic development in late Imperial Russia, and the oil barons of the Kahan family were among the most important. And the least studied—until 2018, when Verena Dohrn published her pioneering monograph in German, now being made available in English translation. The research is massive: the book uses family archives (with thousands of documents) as well as state repositories in fourteen countries, complemented by oral history and the contemporary press. All this allows Dohrn to provide a detailed narrative that explains how the family was able to thrive before the 1917 revolution and then to survive after its emigration to the West. Not only specialists but general readers will discover a rich narrative of this family’s everyday life and successful business activities.”—Gregory L. Freeze, Raymond Ginger Professor of History, Brandeis University“This fascinating family history takes the reader across countries and continents during the turbulent period of European wars and revolutions, from a small Belarusian shtetl to Baku, Moscow, Petrograd, Berlin, and then on to Tel Aviv and New York. The Kahans were successful entrepreneurs, generous philanthropists and cultural activists who left their mark on modern Jewish life and culture. Thoroughly researched and engagingly written by Verena Dohrn, a prominent German historian of Russian Jewry, this study is not only an important contribution to Jewish history and transnational diaspora studies, but also a captivating reading in its own right."—Mikhail Krutikov, University of MichiganTable of ContentsTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsPreface — Jonah Gavrieli In Memoriam Eli Rosenberg — Noa RosenbergTranslator’s Foreword — Uri Themal 1. Jacob Kahan: Imprisoned. Berlin2. Chaim Kahan. From Orlya to Brest-Litovsk3. Life under War Conditions. Berlin4. On the Move. Vilna, Warsaw, Kharkov, Saratov... 5. Citizenship and the World of Education—Berlin, Bonn, Frankfurt, Marburg, Antwerp6. To Baku7. Zina and the Oilfields. Baku8. Aron and the Black Gold. Baku9. Summer Resorts during the War. Bad Harzburg, Bad Neuenahr, Bad Polzin10. Economic Management in Times of War and Revolution. Petrograd11. Across the Front Line—Berlin, Warsaw, Baku, Moscow, Vilna, Kharkov, Kiev12. Expulsion from Russia. Baku, Kharkov, Yekaterinoslav, Moscow13. Fresh Start in the West: Caucasian Oil Company. Copenhagen, Berlin, London, Hamburg, Wilhelmshaven14. Family in Exile. Berlin15. Nitag. Berlin16. Devotion to Books. Petrograd, Vilna, Berlin17. 36 Schlüterstrasse. Expulsion from Paradise. Berlin18. The Mavericks between the Wars—European Corporate Networks: Berlin, Hamburg, Copenhagen, London, Riga, Paris, Amsterdam19. The Third Expulsion. Paris, Lisbon20. Eretz Israel. Tel Aviv21. Sanctuaries. The Family Is Alive. New York, Tel Aviv, Ma’agan MichaelIllustrationsNotes

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated introduction to how British industries, supported by thousands of newly recruited women, strove to meet the nation’s wartime need for munitions, armour, shipping, uniforms and aircraft. During the Second World War (1939–45), Britain stretched every sinew of its industrial might to fend off a Nazi invasion. As the nation stood alone against Fortress Europe, it harnessed, coordinated and maximised its resources, firstly to defend itself and then to help liberate Axis-occupied countries. Wartime Industry uses informative text and beautiful illustrations to show how the men and women of Britain met this unprecedented demand for military and home-front materials. It explores the work of Lord Beaverbrook’s highly organised Ministry of Aircraft Production; the ‘Shadow Factories’ that enabled manufacturers such as Vauxhall and Rootes to make tanks and aircraft; the Royal Ordnance Factories that produced firearms and explosives; the ‘Bevin Boys’ conscripted to work in the coal mines; the Women’s Timber Corps; and war workers – who, together, helped the nation to make it.Table of ContentsIntroduction Raw Materials and Salvage Shipyards Munitions, Tanks and Military Motors Battle Dress, Boots and Utility Goods The Workforce Further Reading Places to Visit Index

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Book SynopsisIn recent decades digital devices have reshaped daily life, while tech companies' stock prices have thrust them to the forefront of the business world. In this rapid, global development, the promise of a new machine age has been accompanied by worries about accelerated joblessness thanks to new forms of automation. Jason E. Smith looks behind the techno-hype to lay out the realities of a period of economic slowdown and expanding debt: low growth rates and an increase of labour-intensive jobs at the bottom of the service sector. He shows how increasing inequality and poor working conditions have led to new forms of workers' struggles. Ours is less an age of automation, Smith contends, than one in which stagnation is intertwined with class conflict.Trade Review"One of the very best books on the social consequences of technological change I have read, far more insightful than the technology books that get so much attention in the mainstream press." -- Tony Smith * Brooklyn Rail *"In his book Smart Machines and Service Work, Smith offers a reality check to the effects of automation in an age of stagnated production and wages. . . . Workers usurped from administrative as well as industrial roles have recomposed themselves on behalf of service industries as a massively expanded, desiccated and low-paid servant class, the new 'precariat.' . . . Smith dials up his Marx to probe several fascinating and troubling effects of this current dynamic." * Morning Star *"One thing that has puzzled academic economists is why, given the spread in recent years of IT, AI, and automation generally, productivity has hardly gone up. In Smart Machines and Service Work: Automation in an Age of Stagnation, Smith offers an explanation which also challenges those like Paul Mason who see a society of abundance and leisure as in the process of gradually evolving." * Socialist Standard *"[A] vital guide . . . carefully charting how our economic system is unable to deliver further social progress." * Roar *"To understand the future, we must first understand the present. In Smart Machines and Service Work,Smith critically examines the rhetoric on automation, robots taking over jobs and a future without work in the context of a stagnating global economy. . . . Smith combines a detailed theoretical argumentation with rigorous empirical analysis to produce an enlightening explanation of the technological, economic, and social conditions that have shaped and continue to shape the world of work today. Overall, Smart Machines and Service Work is targeted critique of today’s decontextualized automation rhetoric and an impressively broad analysis of the US economy and labor market." -- Sigurd M. N. Oppegaard * Journal of Extreme Anthropology *"A novel and persuasive explanation of why the technological advances of the computer age have been accompanied by a significant slowdown in productivity growth, with an increasing proportion of the labor force in low productivity—and low paid—service industries. This well-written book should be of interest to everyone who wants to understand—and end—the 'near depression' of the US economy." -- Fred Moseley, professor of economics, Mount Holyoke College, author of "Money and Totality""The technological advances of the last four decades have brought only insignificant productivity gains. This 'productivity paradox' remains an abiding mystery in mainstream economics. Smith removes the mystery, explaining how rates of investment, economic growth, and real wage increases have been abysmally low not despite capitalism's technological dynamism, but because of it. This important book should be read by anyone interested in the social consequences of technological change today." -- Tony Smith, professor of philosophy, Iowa State University, author of "Technology and Capital in the Age of Lean Production"

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Book SynopsisSamuel Smiles published Lives of the Engineers in 1862. The noted biographer presented his engineers as heroic progress makers who conquered nature and overcame impossible obstacles to drive the Industrial Revolution forward, but included twisted and often fabricated accounts in his work.In Ten Engineers Who Made Britain Great, Anthony Burton seeks to correct this narrative by offering nuanced portraits of some of the best-known engineers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Burton investigates the common themes that run between the stories of John Metcalf, James Brindley, John Smeaton, William Jessop, Thomas Telford, James Watt, Richard Trevithick, George and Robert Stephenson, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and also explores how each of these men learned from one another.

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Book SynopsisNo one personified the age of industry more than the miners. The Shadow of the Mine tells the story of King Coal in its heyday - and what happened to mining communities after the last pits closed. Coal was central to the British economy, powering its factories and railways. It carried political weight, too. In the eighties the miners risked everything in a year-long strike against Thatcher's shutdowns. Defeat foretold the death of their industry. Tens of thousands were cast onto the labour market with a minimum amount of advice and support. Yet British politics all of a sudden revolves around the coalfield constituencies that lent their votes to Boris Johnson's Conservatives in 2019. Even in the Welsh Valleys, where the 'red wall' still stands, support for the Labour Party has halved in a generation. Huw Beynon and Ray Hudson draw on decades of research to chronicle these momentous changes through the words of the people who lived through them.Trade ReviewA powerful study of tumultuous political events steeped in knowledge of the coalfields. Essential reading for all those who care about the future - and hence the past - of working-class politics. -- Hilary Wainwright, author of A New Politics from the LeftAfter defeat by Thatcher, the pits were levelled and the Miners' Welfare Halls, their social and intellectual centres, vanished. With carefully controlled passion, this book indicts such ruthless disregard for the values of care and association. -- Sheila Rowbotham, author of Daring to HopeDrawing on decades of research ... [The Shadow of the Mine] is a moving account of 150 years of coalfield history ... By tracing the "deep story" of the marginalisation of Britain's coalfields, it aims to understand the continuing exclusion of working-class people in deindustrialised areas from political and social life. -- Diarmaid Kelliher * Antipode *The Shadow of the Mine reminds us why this spirit [of solidarity and collectivism] has lived on in the coalfields, in spite of people feeling a sense of political betrayal going back decades ... enlightening. -- Conrad Landin * Guardian *Refreshing and necessary ... [The Shadow of the Mine] explains in loving, careful detail why working people's relationship with Labour in former industrial communities ... had become complex and ultimately soured. -- Laura Pidcock * Red Pepper *Beynon and Hudson ... write with authority and respect of the former mining communities of Britain. -- John Lloyd * Financial Times *Starmer and his allies in Renaissance would do better to pick up a copy of The Shadow of the Mine ... As Beynon and Hudson make clear, the succession of defeats inflicted on the trade unions over the last four decades has brought about the gradual fragmentation of old loyalties. -- Tom Blackburn * Tribune *A solid account of the history of the coalfields in Durham and South Wales and the impact of deindustrialisation and closure upon them. -- Mike Phipps * Labour Hub *A brave book ... anyone interested in the transformation that has reshaped Britain's former coalfields should read The Shadow of the Mine. -- Ewan Gibbs * Jacobin *Considered, comprehensive and insightful ... a book that deserves the widest distribution -- Steven Andrew * Morning Star *Elegiac ... [The Shadow of the Mine] provides essential economic and social context for both the Leave vote in 2016 and the consequent collapse of the so-called 'Red Wall'. -- Rhian E. Jones * Tribune *The work of two outstanding 'organic intellectuals' of the very communities they are giving voice to ... Anyone who wants to go beyond the 'Red Wall' platitudes of British politics ought to start with The Shadow of the Mine. * Spokesman *Excellent -- Robert Colls * New Statesman *Superb and timely ... full of lessons and insights for today -- Steve Davies * New Socialist *A concern for the dignity of those who made (and continue to make) their lives in the coalfields runs through the book like an unbroken seam. -- Gavin Bridge * AAG Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisIsambard Kingdom Brunel was Britain's greatest engineer, he was the man who built everything on a huge scale, he built Britain's biggest ship, some of Britain's most spectacular bridges, a tunnel under the Thames and the finest railway line in Britain, the London to Bristol route of the Great Western Railway. Everything he did was on a scale not seen before, not just in Britain, but in the world. Brunel left a legacy of industrial architecture and design, from the vaulted roof of Paddington station to the SS Great Britain, the first true ocean greyhound, from the Clifton Suspension Bridge to the Tamar Bridge, which bears his name on its approaches. His life was one of superlatives - bigger, wider, taller and faster. Nearly drowning in the Thames Tunnel, he eventually suffered a stroke aboard his Great Eastern, the world's largest vessel for almost half a century, and died two days before her maiden voyage. As the historian Dan Cruikshank put it, Brunel was quite simply 'a one-man Industrial Revolution'. Here, John Christopher tells the story of the man and his tunnels, bridges, railways, ships and buildings, with many new illustrations accompanying the old, showing the changes time has made to Brunel's greatest legacy - the things he designed and built that we still take for granted and use every day, over a century and a half since his death.

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Book SynopsisMatthew Boulton (1728-1809) was a globally important industrialist who introduced innovative minting practices at this Soho Mint. This book describes the processes involved, from mining the copper to the delivery of products to the customer. There was a shortage of small change towards the end of the 18th century, and Boulton strove to solve this problem, eventually obtaining customers all over Britain, including the British Government. He also made coins for the East India Company, and for Europe, Africa, the West Indies and America. Included is Boulton's role in the copper industry, and how he obtained his raw materials; his expertise in steel making for dies, and the technology of his new steam-powered mint. The design, production, marketing and distribution of the finished product is also covered. The book is illustrated with over 200 colour images, including an extensive section on the coins, tokens and medals produced at the Soho Mint.

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Book SynopsisTHE INDUSTRY THAT FORGED THE MODERN WORLDThroughout history metals and raw materials have underpinned human activity. So it is that the industry responsible for extracting these materials from the ground - mining - has been ever present throughout the history of civilisation, from the ancient world of the Egyptians and Romans, to the industrial revolution and the British Empire, and through to the present day, with mining firms well represented on the world''s most important stock indexes including the FTSE100.This book traces the history of mining from those early moments when man first started using tools to the present day where metals continue to underpin economic activity in the post industrial age. In doing so, the history of mining methods, important events, technological developments, the important firms and the sparkling personalities that built the industry are examined in detail. At every stage, as the history of mining is traced from 40,000BC to the prese

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Book SynopsisThe first five Kestrel Railway Books volumes by David Larkin looked at the revenue-earning wagon fleet operated by British Railways and its successor, British Rail. These were followed by a series of three books looking at the specially-designed wagons that were used for track maintenance, and then three volumes covering the parcels and passenger-rated stock. This is the first of a series covering the ex-private owner fleet.When BR was created, it was intended that it should own all railway rolling stock, but legal action by some of the larger wagon-owning companies delayed things until 1951. Non-Pool wagons were defined as privately-owned wagons allowed to run over railways owned or operated by the British Transport Commission. This series sets out the types of wagon eligible to be classified as Non-Pool and lists them individually with details of numbers carried, capacity and registration details where known. Volume 1 covers owners with initials A to H, and Volume 2 (expected to be published in October 2016) deals with the remaining owners alphabetically.

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Book SynopsisBeing environmentally conscious is not nearly as modern as we imagine. As a mode of thinking it goes back hundreds of years. Yet we typically imagine ourselves among the first to grasp the impact humanity has on the environment. Hence there is a fashion for green confessions and mea culpas.But the notion of a contemporary ecological awakening leads to political impasse. It erases a long history of environmental destruction. Furthermore, by focusing on our present virtues, it overlooks the struggles from which our perspective arose.In response, Happy Apocalypse plunges us into the heart of controversies that emerged in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries around factories, machines, vaccines and railways. Jean-Baptiste Fressoz demonstrates how risk was conceived, managed, distributed and erased to facilitate industrialization. He explores how clinical expertise around 1800 allowed vaccination to be presented as completely benign, how the polluter-pays pr

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Book SynopsisBringing together multidisciplinary scholars from the growing discipline of food studies, Food Mobilities examines food provisioning and the food cultures of the world, historically and in contemporary times. The collection offers a range of fascinating case studies, including explorations of Italian food in colonial Ethiopia, traditional Cornish pasties in Mexico, migrant community gardeners in Toronto, and beer all around the world.In exploring the origins of the contemporary global food system and how we cook and eat today, Food Mobilities uncovers the local and global circulation of food, ingredients, cooks, commodities, labour, and knowledge.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Mobility and the Making of World Cuisines Daniel E. Bender and Simone Cinotto Mobility and Its Discontents: Historical Perspectives on Cities and Food Systems from the Paleolithic to the Present Donna R. Gabaccia Part One: The Body and the Self 1. Mobility of Food and Ideas in Egypt: Between Sterilization and Inoculation Sara El-Sayed and Christy Spackman 2. Let’s Get Phygital: Food Representations on the Move Signe Rousseau 3. People-Plant Mobilities: Growing Bitter Melon and Bottle Gourd in Toronto Sarah Elton Part Two: Infrastructures and Pathways 4. Gastrofascism in the Empire: Food in Italian East Africa, 1935–1941 Simone Cinotto 5. The Fastest Food in the World: Airplane Cuisine and the “Taste of Pace” Elizabeth Zanoni 6. From Cloth Oil to Extra Virgin: Italian Olive Oil Before the Invention of the Mediterranean Diet Carl Ipsen 7. Mobile and Immobile Histories of Tea Jayeeta Sharma Part Three: Mobilities and Immobilities 8. Street Food and Street Life in Immigrant Enclaves: A Case Study of the Jews of the United States Hasia R. Diner 9. Rhythms of Mobility: How (Im)Mobility Shapes Rural Food Retail Practices in South Africa Elizabeth Hull 10. Immobility: Threats to the Livelihoods of the Poor Krishnendu Ray Part Four: Biodiversity, Taste, and Nation 11. From Cornish Pasties to Mexican Pastes: Mobilities across Time and Space Sandra C. Mendiola García 12. How the World Eats: Myra Waldo and the Around-the-World Cookbook Daniel E. Bender 13. Hop Movements: The Global Invention of Craft Beer Jeffrey M. Pilcher 14. Transnational Journeys and Biocultural Heritage: The Caribbean Food-Medicine Nexus Ina Vandebroek Coda: Food Mobilities in the Time of COVID-19 Locked Down: Writing about Food Mobility while Sheltering in Place Daniel E. Bender and Simone Cinotto

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Book SynopsisExplore Britain's remaining historic lines with railway expert Julian Holland. The essential guide to exploring Britain’s last remaining historic lines, Britain’s Heritage Railways is ideal for anyone planning or looking for a nostalgic railway trip. From bestselling railway author Julian Holland.Trade Review“If the author is Julian Holland, and the subject is railways, you know you’re going to be in for a treat” Cotswold Life

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Book SynopsisFrom best-selling railway expert, Julian Holland, explore Britain's historical railways in All Aboard.The history of Britain's railways is a long and fascinating one, filled with stories of grand endeavours, noted figures and record-breaking feats.Julian Holland brings together a unique miscellany of intriguing tales and engaging trivia the perfect collection for every railway enthusiast.Stories range from Bulleid's ''Chinese Laundries'', trainspotting trips in Wales and Scotland and Liverpool's Dockers' Umbrella'' to railway artists and clergy, a railway-owned airline and railways that were never built.Find out about The Royal Scot's 11,000-mile journey in the USA and Canada A narrow gauge island railway in the middle of the Bristol Channel How the London & South Western Railway saved the British Empire Mallard's unbeaten world speed record of 1938 How to fly by Great Western Railway from Cardiff to Plymouth The 75-mile network of narrow gauge railways on the Isle of Skye How anotherTrade Review“If the author is Julian Holland, and the subject is railways, you know you’re going to be in for a treat” Cotswold Life

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE DUFF COOPER PRIZE 2018 ''This is stupendous. The British nineteenth century, in all its complexity, all its horror, all its energy, all its hopes is laid bare. This is the definitive history, and will remain so for generations'' A.N. WilsonTo live in nineteenth-century Britain was to experience an astonishing series of changes, of a kind for which there was simply no precedent in the human experience. There were revolutions in transport, communication, work; cities grew vast; scientific ideas made the intellectual landscape unrecognizable. This was an exhilarating time, but also a horrifying one.In his dazzling new book David Cannadine has created a bold, fascinating new interpretation of the British nineteenth century in all its energy and dynamism, darkness and vice. This was a country which saw itself at the summit of the world. And yet it was a society also convulsed by doubt, fear and introspection. Victorious Century rTrade ReviewA book such as this is a work of heroic summary. -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *Magnificent... a thumping great book, and it is probably destined to become a classic. Cannadine succeeds triumphantly. -- Jane Ridley * Spectator *A sparkling history, immensely readable * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisVeins of iron run deep in the history of America. Yet it was Great Britain that became the Atlantic world's dominant low-cost, high-volume producer of iron. The author argues that the prolonged development of the American iron industry was largely due to geographical problems the British did not face.

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Book SynopsisPurchased by the city of Manchester in the 1870s, Thirlmere was dammed and converted into a reservoir. This book examines the battle for Thirlmere and the clashes between conservationists who wished to preserve the lake and developers eager to meet the needs of industry and a growing urban population.Trade Review"This is the first detailed study of a pathbreaking late nineteenth-century controversy about whether to turn a lake in England's most scenic district into a reservoir to provide water for the fast-growing industrial city of Manchester. The debate over Thirlmere pitted nature against progress, a conflict that has become common in the century since. Ritvo tells the story with skill and insight, and The Dawn of Green will be widely read." - Adam Rome, author of The Bulldozer in the Countryside: Suburban Sprawl and the Rise of American Environmentalism"Table of ContentsIntroduction One The Unspoiled Lake Two The Dynamic City Three The Struggle for Possession Four The Cup and the Lip Five The Harvest of Thirlmere Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Illustration Credits Index

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Book SynopsisThis is a unique account of working-class childhood during the British industrial revolution, first published in 2010. Using more than 600 autobiographies written by working men of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries Jane Humphries illuminates working-class childhood in contexts untouched by conventional sources and facilitates estimates of age at starting work, social mobility, the extent of apprenticeship and the duration of schooling. The classic era of industrialisation, 1790â1850, apparently saw an upsurge in child labour. While the memoirs implicate mechanisation and the division of labour in this increase, they also show that fatherlessness and large subsets, common in these turbulent, high-mortality and high-fertility times, often cast children as partners and supports for mothers struggling to hold families together. The book offers unprecedented insights into child labour, family life, careers and schooling. Its images of suffering, stoicism and occasional childish pleasuTrade ReviewReviews of the hardback: 'This is a deeply humane book which breathes new life into the debate over the impact of industrialisation on the standard of living. It uses a range of qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine the evidence provided by more than 600 working-class autobiographies dating back to the 1600s. It will surely become essential reading for all scholars and students of modern economic and social history, as well as for all those interested in the history of childhood, the family and human well-being.' Bernard Harris, Professor of the History of Social Policy, University of Southampton'Jane Humphries has cast considerable new light on many important questions about the economic, social, and demographic history of that era. We are provided with much new information on the nature and role of child labor, family relations, and education, among its many issues. This is an unusually well-done work of scholarship, based on the imaginative use of traditional sources to interpret long-standing topics in a most convincing manner.' Stanley Engerman, Professor of Economics and History, University of Rochester'Jane Humphries' ingenious use of a remarkable assemblage of working class autobiographies brings new dimensions to this long-discussed subject by illuminating the contributions of children to the first Industrial Revolution. It is written with great empathy for the social and economic costs that these younger generations carried in facilitating this historical divide. It will be essential reading for economic, social, demographic and family historians and those whose interests focus on child labour in Third World countries.' Richard M. Smith, Professor of Historical Geography and Demography, University of Cambridge'This is a work of economic history that is at once rigorous and humane. Jane Humphries' use of workers' autobiographies opens the black box of the household economy to reveal family relations and the circumstances that led young boys into the workplace. Humphries takes the reader from the highly particular to the reliably general with a rare and enviable mastery of both economics and history.' Jan de Vries, Professor of History and Economics, University of California, Berkeley'These life stories treat us to colourful detail about what it was like to be a working child in industrialising Britain … [Humphries] has conveyed more about the nature and importance of children's employment than any previous study …' The Times Higher Education Supplement'The industrial revolution brought immense prosperity to the British Empire … But as a new book by Jane Humphries, a professor of economic history, shows, a terrible price was paid for this success by the labourers who serviced the machines, pushed the coal carts and turned the wheels that drove the Industrial Revolution. Many of these labourers were children.' Daily Mail'Britain's industrial revolution - the first in the world - would have never happened without child labour. That's the startling conclusion drawn by a leading economic historian following the most detailed analysis of relevant contemporary sources ever carried out.' BBC History Magazine'There are too many strengths in this book to pack into a short review. The scale and impact of the Napoleonic Wars on ordinary families is fully appreciated. The situating of child labour within an Industrial Revolution that slowly gathers force through the eighteenth century is another one. … this monograph is a tremendous achievement.' Pamela Sharpe, Local Population Studies'… eloquently written account … meticulous and brilliant research …' Journal of Economic Geography'Children were increasingly at the heart of economic life in the acute age of industrialisation, and the historical community and the public alike owe Humphries a debt of gratitude for bringing this point into sharper focus.' The English Historical Review'Childhood and Child Labour in the British Industrial Revolution is richly innovative in its marrying of economic data with life stories. The voices of the children - stoical, matter of fact, and moving in their ordinariness - jump off the page. There is no other historical study of British labour during the industrial revolution that so vividly brings to life the world of the working-class child.' History Workshop Journal'… offers unique insights into working-class childhoods and sheds light on the significant role of child workers during industrialisation. This important book is essential reading for historians of childhood and the family.' Mary Nejedly, Family & Community HistoryTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Sources, models, context; 3. Families; 4. Household economy; 5. Family relationships; 6. Wider kin; 7. Starting work; 8. Jobs; 9. Apprenticeship; 10. Schooling; 11. Conclusion; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisNarrow gauge railways, so well suited to difficult, mountainous terrain, were built in many of the UK's most scenic locations. Their genesis was in mines and quarries where they replaced man- or horse-pulled wagons, but their adaptability meant that by the 1860s they were also carrying passengers, in some cases over quite considerable distances. Today a good proportion of all the important lines survive in the service of tourists, whose appreciation of the landscape, and the railways themselves, keep these relics of industrial Britain alive in all their variety. Peter Johnson has been researching and writing about narrow gauge lines for many years, and this is the perfect introduction to a rich and appealing corner of British railway history.Table of Contents?Introduction / The Festiniog Railway / Developing Festiniog Concepts / Wider Does Not Necessarily Mean Bigger / 3-foot Gauge / The Light Railways / Between the Wars: A Narrow Gauge Swansong / Places to Visit / Further Reading / Index

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Book SynopsisL T C Rolt was an engineer and pioneer of industrial history; in this book he combined these two passions to give us a fascinating account of the men who ''made'' Britain. From Brunel to Telford, he takes us on a journey from the first railway tracks being laid down to bridges spanning hitherto unimagined lengths, through to the ''invention'' and mastery of the gas and electricity, which we take for granted today. The Victorians were at the forefront of modern technology in their time, but often came to see it as a blight on their landscape and struggled to adapt to the fast pace of this new industrial era.In this book, Rolt not only examines the creations that made Britain''s empire great, but also how the age of optimism turned to one of disillusionment with many of our inventors finding fame and fortune abroad. This unrivalled insight into our industrial heritage is compulsory reading for anyone wanting to appreciate the foundations on which our modern lives were built.

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Book SynopsisConsidering that Coventry was the birthplace of the British cycle industry, it is perhaps no surprise that the city became heavily involved in the development of the British motor industry during the mid-1890s. From the first velocipedes built here in 1868, most of the later well-established cycle manufacturers quickly turned their attention to motorised vehicles, and many of the early motoring pioneers moved to Coventry to become part of this revolutionary work. Local companies such as Bayliss, Thomas & Co., Coventry Eagle, Humber, Riley, and Swift were just a few of the cycle firms quick to catch on, and steadily new companies were formed solely to manufacture motorcycles.Coventry''s Motorcycle Heritage covers the history of all these companies and their products, focussing on the individuals who both founded and worked for such firms. From world-famous companies like Triumph, to the more obscure marques like Wartnaby and Draper, it provides a brief summary of each manufacturer, as well as an insight into the social history of Coventry at the peak of its involvement in motorcycle history. It is sure to appeal to anyone interested in motorcycle history and Coventry''s industrial past.

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Book SynopsisIsambard Kingdom Brunel changed the world as we know it. He was responsible for building the Great Western Railway main line, introducing regular steamship travel across the Atlantic, building the first tunnel under a major river, and constructing docks, harbours and bridges that enabled Britain to expand and grow as the powerhouse of the world. Without his foresight and imagination, it is possible that nineteenth-century Britain might have been very different. There have been many books written about the man himself, but this book concentrates upon the structures, buildings and legacy of Brunel, introducing the reader to this great engineer and embarking upon a tour around Britain that reveals the many locations with a Brunel connection.

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Book SynopsisBirmingham has been a key innovator in the gun trade since the seventeenth century and the Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof house operates to this day. Between 1855 and 1861 six million arms were testing and proofed here - many of them destined for the USA. Those who worked in the Birmingham Gun Quarter were at the forefront of this incredible industry. This book tells the story of the technology and history of gun making. Covering the period 1720 to 1950, it sees the mechanical engineering technology of the ''lock, stock and barrel'' firearm change significantly. David Williams, an engineer and academic, has studied the battle between the manual processes of manufacturing using the dexterity of many pople and the clumsy but tireless machine, and here examines this complex relationship in gunmaking, paying particular attention to interchangeable military firearms manufacture and the growth and decline of the Birmingham military and sporting gun trade. Accompanied by over 130 illustrations,

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Book SynopsisThe Great Western Railway's Swindon Works was the largest employer in the area, even during the early British Railway years. For well over a hundred years thousands of apprentices and trainees' passed through its doors to learn the trades of the railways. Throughout its lifetime the apprenticeship process was hard work with many constraints, particularly in the early periods when even marriage was forbidden. However, alongside the hard work of doing time' (a colloquial term for apprenticeship), there were undoubtedly good times as the young boys were absorbed into the family' of workers Inside' (as Swindon Works was known locally). Doing Time Inside chronicles the changes of the apprenticeship process from its earliest times during the Industrial Revolution; through the varied work of two world war periods; the changes of thinking and policy in the post-war era; the significant developments of the 1960s; and the decline of apprenticeship until the closure of the Works in 1986. Full of fascinating photographs and documents, many previously unpublished, as well as numerous engaging first-hand accounts of the different apprenticeships' on offer, the books presents an in-depth study of apprenticeship in the railway world.

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Book SynopsisIt has long been recognised that the Church played a major role in the development of towns and cities from the earliest times, a fact attested to by the prominence and number of ecclesiastical buildings that still dominate many urban areas. Yet despite this physical evidence, and the work of archaeologists and historians, many important aspects of the early stages of urbanization in England are still poorly understood. Not least, there are many unanswered questions concerning the processes by which the larger towns emerged as planned settlements during the pre-Conquest centuries. Whilst the commitment of the Wessex kings is recognized, questions remain concerning the participation of the Church in this process. Likewise, our understanding of the Church''s influence in the later development of towns is not yet fully developed. Many intriguing questions remain concerning such issues as the founding of parish churches and their boundaries, and the extent to which the Church, as a Trade Review'One of the most significant urban studies for some time...well written, it really is important and a fine collaborative effort. Special mention for the 60-odd new plans which are exemplary.' British Archaeology 'Enough has been said to show that this handsomely produced book, with its 70 maps and plans, 19 plates and seven tables, is one to which all who have any interest in our medieval city must turn.' Worcestershire Recorder '...this is a fine work of scholarship, original and important.'Northern History '... a magnificient addition to medieval English urban history and greatly to be recommended.' Nottingham Medieval Studies 'Baker and Holt have compiled extensive archaeological and historical data in this meticulous, multidisciplinary study of the church's role in the urban development of medieval Gloucester and Worcester.' Choice '... this is a study of great and lasting value, with much to offer scholars working on other towns.' Landscape History '... a major interdisciplinary study in early urban history: one in which general conclusions about the Church's role in urban development are grounded in two splendidly detailed case studies, but which have important implications for many other towns... The richness of interpretation shown here is a model for other uban studies.' Urban History '... a magnificent addition to the study of urban history and thus greatly to be recommended.' Early Medieval Europe 'Never has the continuity of the English county town been demonstrated in more persuasive detail than in this learned and admirable study.' The Ricardian ’Les auteurs nous offrent donc un ouvrage d'une grande richesse, tant sur le plan factuel que méthodologique, qui fait désormais référence dans l'histoire urbaine de l'Angleterre et plus largement à l'échelle de l'Europe du Nord-Ouest pour qui veut étudier les imbrications entre l'Église, sous toutes ses formes, et l'espace urbain au Moyen Âge.’ Cahiers de civilisation médiévaleTable of ContentsContents: Preface; Introduction; Gloucester and the Church before 1100; The landscape of medieval Gloucester; Gloucester: churches, chapels and parishes; Worcester and the Church before 1100; The landscape of medieval Worcester; Worcester: churches, chapels and parishes; The lesser churches and chapels of Gloucester and Worcester: conclusions; The development of the parishes; The major religious institutions: their lands and their role in urban growth; The major religious institutions: their relationship to urban secular authority; Ecclesiastical precincts in the urban landscapes; The suburbs and the Church; The Church, town-planning and public works; Conclusion; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisProfessor Palliser focuses here on towns in England in the centuries between the Norman Conquest and the Tudor period, on which he is an acknowledged authority. Urban topography, archaeology, economy, society and politics are all brought under review, and particular attention is given to relationships between towns and the Crown, to the evidence for migration into towns, and to the vexed question of urban fortunes in the 15th and 16th centuries. Two essays set urban history in a broader framework by considering recent work on town and village formation and on the development of parishes. The collection includes two hitherto unpublished studies and is introduced and put in context by a new survey of English towns from the 7th to the 16th centuries.Trade Review'All in all, this book confirms Palliser's position as our major urban historian in the pre-industrial period... Both he and his publishers are to be congratulated.' Economic History Review '... the essays gathered here provide a model of how urban history should be written.' Urban History ’Overall [...], this collection is well worth seeking out for anyone, specialist and non-specialist alike, with an interest in pre-modern urban history.’ Local Population Studies ’As a collection, the papers showcase a mastery of topographical and archaeological as well as documentary material; the net result is that, while the accent is firmly on urban history, there is more than enough to appeal to those interested in the broader evolution of townscapes... In summary, this excellent volume stands as an essential point of reference for scholars interested in all aspects of medieval urbanism.’ Landscape History ’[The papers] are smoothly written, highly readable, and reflect the author's profound understanding of town history and his insistence on urban continuities. This collection thus presents a distinguished contribution to regional history, effectively set in a wider context.’ Northern History ’This book brings together a very important collection of studies in urban history, ranging across political, social, economic and cultural aspects, and over the medieval and early modern periods... These essays show some of the many contributions that David Palliser has made towards our understanding of that importance.’ The Local Historian ’Anyone who wishes to explore the medieval and early modern urban environment will find Towns and Local Communities very useful. Palliser effectively presents historiography, theories, and arguments in myriad branches of urban studies... This collection of Palliser's work provides a thorough and understandable overview of medieval English urban history.’ Sixteenth Century Journal ’Almost every aspect of medieval urbanTable of ContentsContents: Preface; Introduction: the origins and growth of English towns. Local Communities: Town and village formation in medieval England; The English parish in perspective. Archaeology and Topography: The archaeology of British towns 1066-1530; Town defences in medieval England and Wales. Towns and Power: Towns and the English state, 1066-1500; Towns and the Crown in England: the counties and the county towns. Late Medieval Society: The role of minorities and immigrants in English medieval towns; Urban society; Civic mentality and the environment in Tudor York; A regional capital as magnet: immigrants to York, 1477-1566. Urban Decline?: A crisis in English towns? The case of York, 1460-1640; Urban decay revisited. Index.

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1981, Trade Unions was written at a time when there was a widespread belief that Britainâs trade unions were undemocratic, obstructive and strike-prone. This book argues that throughout their history, British trade unions have played a reactive role, and that their objectives, organization and tactics have been shaped by the actions of others, whether employers, governments or the judiciary. The book examines the historical development of the trade union movement and its long running battle with lawyers and judges. It then analyses trade union structure, organization and government and looks at the pattern of union activity in the workplace. Trade Unions will be of interest to students of industrial relations, politics and management studies and for anyone interested in the role of unions within contemporary British society.

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Book SynopsisIn this wide-ranging interdisciplinary work, the authors draw on history, anthropology, and materials engineering to present a comprehensive and ambitious examination of the multifaceted roles of iron and steel throughout history and the current and future challenges faced by the steel industry.Ohjoon Kwon, Joo Choi, and Hae-Geon Lee provide readers with an in-depth understanding of the history of iron and steel and their impact on human society from a materials engineering perspective. They begin by describing the characteristics of iron and steel and the history of human use of and interaction with these metals by compiling the fundamental knowledge necessary to understand iron's unique properties and metallurgical phenomena. Following this, they explain the influence of steel on human society and culture, focusing on Industrial Revolution and warfare. They also give examples that are rarely discussed elsewhere, such as developments in Asia or iron's influence on thought an

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Book SynopsisJan Breman takes dispossession as his central theme in this ambitious analysis of labour bondage in India''s changing political economy from 1962 to 2017. When, in a remote past, tribal and low-caste communities were attached to landowning households, their lack of freedom was framed as subsistence-oriented dependency. Breman argues that with colonial rule came the intrusion of capitalism into India''s agrarian economy, leading to a decline in the idea of patronage in the relationship between bonded labour and landowner. Instead, servitude was reshaped as indebtedness. As labour became transformed into a commodity, peasant workers were increasingly pushed out of agriculture and the village but remained adrift in the wider economy. This footloose workforce is subjected to exploitation when their labour power is required and is left in a state of exclusion when it is surplus to demand. The outcome is progressive inequality that is thoroughly capitalist in nature.Trade Review'From Jan Breman's lifetime of research with labour in Gujarat have come original concepts of patronage and exploitation, circular migration, footloose labour, neo-bondage, exclusion and expulsion from social rights and habitat - all now essential to our understanding of India's labour-force. In this tour-de-force, Breman synthesises the history of coercive debt, bondage and servitude, tracing its persistence from colonial roots to the present where tied and contingent labour underpins capitalism with Indian characteristics. Shabash.' Barbara Harriss-White, Emeritus Professor, University of Oxford'A masterful summing up of the six decades-long research of Jan Breman in and on India. The deep changes in the mode and manner of social exploitation and the failed promises of a sovereign state have been pursued by the author with a relentless critique of India's capitalist path while retaining a deep empathy for the labouring poor.' K. P. Kannan, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum'In sum, this book makes some valuable points about the capitalist nature of progressive inequality.' A. A. Batabyal, Choice'… Jan Breman's work will certainly stand the test of time not only as evidence to the sufferings and fights of the dispossessed laboring, but also as an exercise in academic excellence, fueled by empathy that ultimately generated profound and intricate scholarly insights.' Nikolay Kamenov, H-Soz-KultTable of ContentsPart I. Labour as Codified in Annals of the State: 1. The country liberated; 2. An end to servitude?; Part II. Constrained in Decrepitude: 3. The commodification of agricultural labour; 4. The class struggle launched and suppressed; 5. The Gandhian road to inclusion; Part III. The Political Economy of Boundless Dispossession: 6. The Agrarian Question posed as the social question; 7. Labour migration: going off and coming back; 8. Indebtedness as labour attachment; Part IV. Conclusion: 9. Capitalism, labour bondage and the social question.

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Book SynopsisNOTHING LIKE IT IN THE WORLD is the story of the men who built the transcontinental railroad - the investors who risked their businesses and money; the enlightened politicians who understood its importance; the engineers and surveyors who risked, and sometimes lost, their lives; and the Irish and Chinese immigrants, the defeated Confederate soldiers, and the other labourers who did the backbreaking and dangerous work on the tracks. The US government pitted two companies - the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroads - against each other in a race for funding, encouraging speed over caution. Locomotives, rails and spikes were shipped from the East through Panama or around South America to the West, or lugged across the country to the Plains. In Ambrose''s hands, this enterprise, with its huge expenditure of brainpower, muscle and sweat, comes vibrantly to life.

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Book SynopsisIn July 1888, fourteen hundred women and girls employed by the matchmakers Bryant and May walked out of their East End factory and into the history books. Louise Raw gives us a challenging new interpretation of events proving that the women themselves, not celebrity socialists like Annie Besant, began it. She provides unequivocal evidence to show that the matchwomen greatly influenced the Dock Strike of 1889, which until now was thought to be the key event of new unionism, and repositions them as the mothers of the modern labour movement. Returning to the stories of the women themselves, and byinterviewingtheir relatives today, Raw is able to construct a new history which challenges existing accounts of the strike itself and radically alters the accepted history of the labour movement in Britain.Trade Review"'In a careful reconstruction of events, Raw exposes inaccuracies in the standard accounts... [she] tells a great story with a terrific cast of characters... parts of the book read like a detective story, with Raw ingenious in tracking down the strike leaders.'-Times Higher Education"Table of ContentsIntroduction, Methodology and Previous Literature; 1. Angels in the House and Factory Girls; 2. Haunted by the Woman Question: the Victorian Labour Movement and Women Workers; 3. Life, Work and Politics in the Victorian East End; 4. Liberals and Lucifers: Bryant & May and Matchmaking; 5. The 'Notorious' Annie Besant: the Strike Leaders Reconsidered; 6. 'One Girl Began': the Strike and the Matchwomen; 7. The Matchwomen, the Great Dock Strike and New Unionism; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisFrom small engines for driving machinery to the massive beam horizontal engines that kept tunnels dry and our cities clean, stationary engines are impressive relics of our industrial past. This is their story.

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