Social and cultural history Books

Book SynopsisTartans have a long and fascinating history, with patterns specific to a particular region dating back to the 16th century. The wearing of tartans became widespread in Scotland during the 18th century, when clan warriors would choose a particular pattern of colours to show allegiance to a particular leader. Some of the earliest records of whole Scots regiments wearing the same tartan date back to the Seven Years War in Canada (1756– 63). In the early 19th century, the novels of Sir Walter Scott captured the public imagination with romanticized accounts of dashing Highlanders, starting a trend for all things Scottish. This gave rise to attempts to catalogue the patterns, or setts, worn by each of the traditional clans, and to revive the wearing of these tartans. Many new designs proliferated during this period, with tartan becoming a true symbol of Scottishness, incorporated into clothing, biscuit tins and trinkets. Throughout the 20th century, tartans have continued to be devised for special occasions and regions far from the Celtic countries. Nowadays both the United States and Canada have a strong tartan tradition, and there are more than 2,700 known and registered setts in circulation, of which this book contains many of the best known. Featuring more than 250 setts, Tartans is a comprehensive guide to the ancient tartans of Scotland and Ireland, along with many other tartans adopted by organizations and regions around the world in more recent times. For anyone interested in tracing their Celtic roots and investigating the tartans of the Scottish clans, this is an accessible and attractive reference guide.Table of ContentsTartans featured include: Abbotsford Abercrombie Agnew Allison Anderson Arbuthnot Armstrong Austin Baillie Baird Bannockbane Barclay-Dress Barclay-Hunting Bisset Blair Borthwick-Dress Borthwick Bowie Boyd Brodie-Hunting Bruce Buccleuch Buchanan Buchanan-Hunting Buchan-Clan Burnett Burns-Check Cameron-Clan Cameron-Erracht Cameron-Hunting Cameron-Lochiel Campbell Campbell Argyll Campbell-Breadalbane Campbell-Cawdor Campbell-Dress Campbell-Louden Carmichael Carnegie Chattan Chisholm Hunting Chisholm Christie Clark Cochrane Cockburn Colquhoun Cooper Craig Cranston Crawford Cree Cumming-Clan Cumming-Hunting Cunningham Dalziel Davidson-Clan DavidsonTulloch Douglas-Grey Douglas Drummond Drummond-Perth Drummond-Strathallan Dunbar Duncan Dundas Dyce Elliot Erskine (Black-White) Erskine Farquharson Ferguson Fletcher-Dunans Fletcher Forbes Forbes-Dress Forsyth Fraser-Hunting Fraser-Old Fraser-Red Galbraith Gillies Gordon-Clan Gordon-Dress Gordon-Old Gordon-Red Gow Graham Menteith Graham Montrose Grant Gunn Guthrie Hamilton-Dress Hamilton-Green Hamilton-Hunting Hannay Hay&Leith Hay Henderson Home Hunter Inglis Innes-Red Irvine Johnstone Keith Kennedy Kerr Kidd Kilgour Kincaid-Kincaid Lamont Lauder Leslie-Green Leslie-Red Lindsay Livingston Logan Lumsden MacAlister MacAlpine MacArthur MacAuley MacAuley-Hunting MacBean MacBeth MacCallum MacColl MacDiarmid MacDonald Ardnamurchan MacDonald-Boisdale MacDonald-Clan MacDonald-Clanranald MacDonald-Dress MacDonald-Isles-Hunting MacDonald-Isles-Red MacDonald-Kingsburgh MacDonald-Lord-Isles MacDonald-Sleet MacDonald-Staffa MacDonnell-Glengarry MacDonnell-Keppoch MacDougall MacDuff- Hunting MacDuff-Dress MacDuff-Hunting MacDuff MacEwan MacFarlane-Black-White MacFarlane-Clan MacFarlane-Hunting MacGill MacGillivray-Hunting MacGillivray MacGill MacGregor MacGregor-Hunting MacGregor MacGregor-Rob-Roy MacHardy Macian MacInnes-Hunting MacIntosh-Clan MacIntosh-Hunting MacIntyre-Hunting MacIntyre-Clan MacIntyre-Glenorchy MacIvor MacKay MacKay-Blue MacKellar MacKenzie MacKenzie-Dress MacKillop MacKinley MacKinnon-Hunting MacKinnon-Red MacLachlan-Dress MacLachlan MacLachlan-Old MacLaine-Lochbuie-Hunting MacLaine-Lochbuie MacLaren-Clan MacLean-Duart MacLean-Hunting MacLellan MacLennan MacLeod-Dress MacLeod-Harris MacLeod-Red MacMillan-Dress MacMillan-Hunting MacMillan-Old MacNab MacNaughton MacNeil-Barra MacNeil-Colonsay MacPhail-Hunting MacPhail-Red MacPherson-Dress MacPherson-Hunting MacPherson-Red MacPhie MacQuarrie MacQueen MacRae-Conchra MacRae-Dress MacRae-Hunting MacRae-Red MacTaggart MacTavish MacThomas Malcolm Marshall Matheson-Hunting Matheson-Red Maxwell Melville Menzies-Black White Menzies-Green Menzies-Red White Middleton Mitchell Moffat Montgomery Morgan Morrison-Green Morrison-Red Mowat Muir Munro Munro-Red-Black Murray Atholl Murray-Elibank Murray-Tullibardine Napier Nicolson-Hunting Nicolson Nisbet Ogilvie-Hunting Ogilvie-Old-Rare Oliphant Oliver Oliver-Hunting Ramsay-Blue Ramsay-Red Rattray Renwick Robertson-Hunting Robertson-Red Rose-Hunting Rose-Red Ross-Hunting Ross-Red Russell Ruthven Scott-Black-White Scott-Green Scott-Hunting Scott-Red Scrimgeour Seton-Hunting Seton Shaw Shaw-Tordarroch-Green Shaw-Tordarroch-Red Shepherd Sinclair-Hunting Sinclair-Red Skene Smith Stewart Appin-Hunting Stewart-Black Stewart-Blue-Dress Stewart-Dress Stewart-Hunting Stewart-Royal Stuart-Bute Sutherland-Old Taylor Thompson Hunting Thompson Red Thomson-Blue Thomson-Grey Turnbull-Dress Turnbull-Hunting Urquhart Wallace Hunting Wallace Red Watson Weir Wemyss Wilson DISTRICT & SPECIAL Aberdeen Angus Black Watch Black Watch-Dress Buchan Caledonia Clergy Commonwealth Cornish Culloden Duchess-Of-Kent Duke-Of-Rothesay Duke-Of-Rothesay-Hunting Dunblane Dundee-Old Earl-St Andrews Edinburgh Flower-Of-Scotland Galloway-Hunting Galloway-Red Glasgow Holyrood Huntley Inverness Irish National Tartan Jacobite King-George VI Lennox Lochaber Lorne Marr Musselburgh Nithsdale Paisley Prince of Wales Stirling & Bannockburn Tweedside CANADIAN Alberta British Columbia Canadian Maple-Leaf Cape Breton Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland Nova-Scotia Ontario PEI Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon

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Book SynopsisThe Autonomous City is the first popular history of squatting as practised in Europe and North America. Alex Vasudevan retraces the struggle for housing in Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Detroit, Hamburg, London, Madrid, Milan, New York, and Vancouver. He looks at the organisation of alternative forms of housing-from Copenhagen's Freetown Christiana to the squats of the Lower East Side-as well as the official response, including the recent criminalisation of squatting, the brutal eviction of squatters and their widespread vilification.Pictured as a way to reimagine and reclaim the city, squatting offers an alternative to housing insecurity, oppressive property speculation and the negative effects of urban regeneration. We must, more than ever, reanimate and remake the urban environment as a site of radical social transformation.Trade ReviewAn encyclopaediac and vital history of a topic which is often overlooked but is invariably at the heart of radical city politics. -- Anna Minton, author of Ground ControlThe Autonomous City is a detailed and sympathetic history of squatting movements in Europe and the United States. In addition, it is a discussion of its meaning in the ever fluctuating meanings of urban living. Part academic treatise and part action-packed history, Vasudevan's text provides the reader with a nuanced look at the nature and meaning of the housing crisis in the capitalist West and the solutions housing occupations can provide. In doing so, he brings in the political, cultural and historical meanings behind the squatters and the communities they occupy and create. This is an essential book for anyone interested in the meaning of housing in modern society. It is also a sort of a guidebook for those tired of waiting for the economic and political systems of their respective nations to resolve the crisis that exists in almost every urban zone and who are willing to take matters into their own collective hands. -- Ron Jacobs * Counterpunch *Sweeping research on the surprisingly radical history of occupying abandoned buildings and living in them. -- Lauren Oyler * New Republic *Delving into the history of squatting and radical housing activism, Vasudevan's book traces the ways housing insecurity and affordability crises intertwine with movements to claim and reclaim homes and apartments. -- Patrick Sisson * Curbed *A significant contribution to the written history of squatting movements and struggles to transform the city. It is wide-ranging and well-researched, which should appeal to a wide readership including architects, urban planners, scholars of social movements and anyone with a casual interest in squatting and urban politics. * RIBA Journal *Sheds new light on the transformative role of urban squatting in cities across Europe and North America since the Second World War. Departing from the persistent mythologies and best-known examples of urban squatting Vasudevan reveals understudied examples of activists taking over ordinary as well as iconic, vacant buildings. -- Helen Jarvis * Times Literary Supplement *Carefully researched and discursive study. -- Will Self * New Statesman *Poses difficult and timely questions... a scrupulously detailed, thought-provoking study... a resource for all urban dwellers. * LA Review of Books *This admirable, jargon-free book provides rich, interesting stories about urban squatter movements and makes a significant contribution to political and urban studies and to the field of public policy. * CHOICE *[The Autonomous City] deserves its place on the bookshelf alongside all others which embrace the vision of a more autonomous urban future. * Anarchist Studies *

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Book SynopsisEvery year, ten men from Ness, at the northern tip of the Isle of Lewis, sail north-east for some forty miles to a remote rock called Sulasgeir. Their mission is to catch and harvest the guga; the almost fully grown gannet chicks nesting on the two hundred foot high cliffs that circle the tiny island, which is barely half a mile long. After spending a fortnight in the arduous conditions that often prevail there, they return home with around two thousand of the birds, pickled and salted and ready for the tables of Nessmen and women both at home and abroad. The Guga Hunters tells the story of the men who voyage to Sulasgeir each year and the district they hail from, bringing out the full colour of their lives, the humour and drama of their exploits. They speak of the laughter that seasons their time together on Sulasgeir, of the risks and dangers they have faced. It also provides a fascinating insight into the social history of Ness, the culture and way-of-life that lies behind the world of the Guga Hunters, the timeless nature of the hunt, and reveals the hunt's connections to the traditions of other North Atlantic countries. Told in his district's poetry and prose, English and - occasionally - Gaelic, Donald S. Murray shows how the spirit of a community is preserved in this most unique of exploits.Trade Review'A book worthy to take its place as a classic of its kind' * New Shetlander *'Deeply moving' -- Will Self * Daily Telegraph *'He writes with an inherent understanding of Highland culture, language and way of life' * The Herald *'Mesmerising. When I closed this book I was left with the feeling that Donald S. Murray had been paring away layers of centuries of life in Ness for my benefit...Beautifully judged' -- Jim Crumley * Scots Magazine *'An extremely fine book...wonderful' * West Highland Free Press *

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Book Synopsis20th Anniversary Edition with an introduction by Frances Wilson From a childhood of gothic proportions, through teenage pregnancy in the 1960s, Lorna Sage vividly and wittily brings to life a vanished time and place and illuminates the lives of three generations of women in one of the most critically acclaimed memoirs of all time. Lorna Sage’s outstanding memoir of childhood and adolescence brings to life her eccentric family and bizarre upbringing in rural Wales. The period is evoked through a wickedly funny and deeply intelligent account: from the 1940s, dominated for Lorna by her dissolute but charismatic vicar grandfather; through the 1950s, where the invention of fish fingers revolutionised the lives of housewives like Lorna’s mother; to the brink of the 1960s, where Lorna’s pregnancy at 16 outraged those around her, an event her grandmother blamed on the fiendish invention of sex. Bad Blood vividly and wittily explores a vanished time and place, and illuminates the lives of three generations of women.Trade Review‘In a class of its own … It is a measure of her achievement that she can turn the peculiarities of her own past – and they are peculiar – into a narrative that speaks for the whole of post-war Britian … This is not just an exquisite personal memoir, it is a vital piece of our collective past.’ Daily Telegraph ‘A wonderful book. Women need this kind of book but perhaps men need it more, to give the sort of understanding which we still lack of how girls actually grow up.’ Margaret Forster ‘This could have been the saddest book you have ever read, but because of Lorna Sage’s relish in the details, her exuberant celebration of the vitality of this clever, surviving girl, it is as enjoyable a book as I remember reading.’Doris Lessing '[a] rich, justly acclaimed autobiography … this almost perfect memoir is a tribute to imperfection' Independent 'An almost unbearably eloquent memoir … Bad Blood is also a tale of shared consciousness, and although the lives Sage describes clash with and limit her own, there is much that is redemptive here, and even elegiac' Frances Wilson, Guardian

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Book Synopsis'Victorian Sensation' sheds light on the Victorians' fascination with celebrity culture and their obsession with gruesome and explicit reportage of murders and sex scandals. With a vivid cast of characters, ranging from the serial poisoner William Palmer, to Charles Dickens, Jumbo the Elephant, distinguished politicians and even the Queen herself, this passionate analysis of the period reveals how the reporting methods of our own popular media have their origins in the Victorian press, and shows that sensation was as integral a part of society in the nineteenth century as it is today.Trade Review'This enthralling book shows that the Victorians revelled in political and sexual scandals, murder reports, and the antics of royalty, the upper classes and celebrities. Diamond tackles his theme with verve and skill.' —'Sunday Times''Entertaining… the newspapers were offering a glimpse into another kind of world, an assertion that people living not very far away from the reader had a very different, and probably more exciting, lifestyle.' —'Guardian''This is a fun book. The reader is constantly thinking , "Ah that's what it was all about…" The book is well illustrated with the sort of ephemera of the period that is now so sought after, and there are many quotes from the music hall balladeers who were quick to latch on to each and every sensation as soon as it became hot news.' —'Bookdealer'Table of ContentsIntroduction; Chapter 1: Royalty; Chapter 2: Political Movements; Chapter 3: Religion and Morality; Chapter 4: Sex Scandal; Chapter 5: Murder; Chapter 6: The 'Sensation Novel'; Chapter 7: The 'Sensation Drama'; Chapter 8: Stars of Entertainment; Afterword; Chronology of the Main Events Mentioned; Notes; Index

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Book Synopsis'Almost alone among contemporary critics, Tzvetan Todorov has chosen to apply his prodigious talents to the literature of twentieth-century totalitarianism. His unique gift is his ability to elucidatethe memoirs and writings of some of the century's greatest survivors, not merely discovering their literary qualities, but also finding in their works moral and political lessons, relevant to us all.' -- Anne ApplebaumTzvetan Todorov identifies totalitarianism as the major innovation of the twentieth century and examines the struggle between this system and democracy and its effects on human life and consciousness.Totalitarianism imposed itself because, more than any other political system, it played on people's need for the absolute: it fed their hope to endow life with meaning by taking part in the construction of a paradise on earth. As a result, millions of people lost their lives in the name of a higher good. This unique account explores the history of the past century by analyzing its spectacular political conflicts and by offering moving profiles of individuals who, at great personal cost, resisted the strictures of the communist and Nazi regimes. Hope and Memory reaffirms the legacy of the past as we move into the twenty-first century.'A very rich book, full of interesting - and often highly controversial - conversation as well as moving portraits of striking figures of the century that has just passed. It is addressed to a general public very much engaged in discussing what the twentieth century was all about and where we are going from here.' -- Charles Taylor Trade Review'A very rich book, full of interesting - and often highly controversial - conversation as well as moving portraits of striking figures of the century that has just passed. It is addressed to a general public very much engaged in discussing what the twentieth century was all about and where we are going from here.' * Charles Taylor *'Almost alone among contemporary critics, Tzvetan Todorov has chosen to apply his prodigious talents to the literature of twentieth-century totalitarianism. His unique gift is his ability to elucidatethe memoirs and writings of some of the century's greatest survivors, not merely discovering their literary qualities, but also finding in their works moral and political lessons, relevant to us all.' * Anne Applebaum *

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Book SynopsisThe Ruskin Society Book of The Year. Who was John Ruskin? What did he achieve - and how? Where is he today? One possible answer: almost everywhere. John Ruskin was the Victorian age's best-known and most controversial intellectual. He was an art critic, a social activist, an early environmentalist; he was also a painter, writer, and a determined tastemaker in the fields of architecture and design. His ideas, which poured from his pen in the second half of the 19th century, sowed the seeds of the modern welfare state, universal state education and healthcare free at the point of delivery. His acute appreciation of natural beauty underpinned the National Trust, while his sensitivity to environmental change, decades before it was considered other than a local phenomenon, fuelled the modern green movement. His violent critique of free market economics, Unto This Last, has a claim to be the most influential political pamphlet ever written. Ruskin laid into the smug champions of Victorian capitalism, prefigured the current debate about inequality, executive pay, ethical business and automation. Gandhi is just one of the many whose lives were changed radically by reading Ruskin, and who went on to change the world. This book, timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of John Ruskin's birth in 2019, will retrace Ruskin's steps, telling his life story and visiting the places and talking to the people who - perhaps unknowingly - were influenced by Ruskin himself or by his profoundly important ideas. What, if anything, do they know about him? How is what they do or think linked to the vivid, difficult but often prophetic pronouncements he made about the way our modern world should look, live, work and think? As important, where - and why - have his ideas been swept away or displaced, sometimes by buildings, developments and practices that Ruskin himself would have abhorred? Part travelogue, part quest, part unconventional biography, this book will attempt to map Ruskinland: a place where, two centuries after John Ruskin's birth, more of us live than we know.Trade Review'A glimpse into a vast and marvellous country' Spectator; 'A thoughtful book on why we need Ruskin now' Financial Times

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Book SynopsisEveryone knows three things about the Women's Institute: that they spent the war making jam; the sensational Calendar Girls were WI; and, more recently, that slow-handclapping of Tony Blair. But there's so much more to this remarkable Movement. Over 200,000 women in the UK belong to the WI and their membership is growing. They cross class and religion,include all ages -from students and metropolitan young professionals, such as the Shoreditch Sisters,to rural centenarians -with passions that range from supporting the 1920s Bastardy Bill (in response to a wartime legacy of illegitimate babies) to the current SOS for Honey Bees campaign.It was founded in 1915, not by worthy ladies in tweeds but by the feistiest women in the country, including suffragettes, academics and social crusaders who discovered the heady power of sisterhood, changing women's lives and their world in the process. Certainly its members boiled jam and sang ' Jerusalem ', but they also made history. This fascinating book reveals for the first time how they are - and always were - a force to be reckoned with.

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Book SynopsisFashioning Socialism is the first history of communist fashion in East Germany. Using clothing as a lens to read society, the author unveils wider tensions between the regime and the population and within the regime itself.In telling the surprising - and often bizarre - story of communist haute couture, fashion shows, seasonal clearance sales, the textile and garment industries, and everyday consumer practices, this book explores the paradoxical causes, forms, and consequences of East Germany's attempt to create a communist consumer culture during the Cold War. In attempting to compete with capitalism on the West's terms, East Germany unwittingly bred disgruntled consumers - consumers who ultimately tore down the Wall. Topics covered include gender and consumption, Americanization and Sovietization, women as consumer-citizens, and much more.A rare glimpse into consumerism under state socialism, this book offers unique insights into the Cold War, the dynamics and collapse of communism, and modern consumption.Trade Review'A fascinating and highly original study touching on two of the central goals of the East German socialist project: to improve the material living standard of working people, and to nurture a new and distinctive 'socialist culture'. This is a major contribution to the study of everyday life under state socialism that shows in compelling detail how the economic and political structures of the East German command society both shaped and were shaped by the desires of ordinary people.' Corey Ross, University of Birmingham and author of The East German Dictatorship: Problems and Perspectives in the Interpretation of the GDR'Stitziel's great accomplishment in this well-researched book is to offer a multi-dimensional analysis that treats fashion as both a cultural phenomenon and a productive concern. He intertwines this cultural and political history with a fascinating discussion of what the textile-and-garment industry produced and which wares did (and did not) sell. A most impressTable of ContentsIntroduction * Ideologies and Politics of Consumption * The Logic and Contingencies of Planning, Producing, and Distributing * From "New Out of Old" to "Socialist Fashion":Patching Together an Alternative Consumer Culture * Economies of Value and Politics of Price * The Embarrassment of Surpluses * The Disillusionment of Dreams of Distinction:Hochmodisch Apparel, Fashion Boutiques, and Exquisit Stores * Shopping, Sewing, Networking, Complaining:Consumer Practices and the Relationship between State and Society * Epilogue * Bibliography

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Book SynopsisA 4,000-year walk along the river Alun, an esoteric river full of many tales and secrets. It is a river of tranquillity and droughts, floods and trade, where fortunes were made and lost, and this book follows, on foot, the river through landscape and time, through farmlands and past-industrial mining areas, disappearing underground only to resurrect again. 91 colour images and 1 map.

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Book SynopsisThis is the untold story of black music – its triumph over racism, segregation, undercapitalised record labels, media discrimination and political anxiety – told through the perspective of the most powerful office in the world: from Louis Armstrong's spat with President Eisenhower and Eartha Kitt's stormy encounter with Lady Bird Johnson to James Brown's flirtation with Nixon, Reaganomics and the 'Cop Killer' scandal. Moving, insightful and wide-ranging, Hey America! charts the evolution of sixties soul from the margins of American society to the mainstream, culminating in the rise of urban hip-hop and the dramatic stand-off between Donald Trump and the Black Lives Matter movement. Trade Review'An erudite and deeply passionate dive into the complex relationship between American music and politics' -- Sean O'Hagan * The Observer *'The author has done a terrific job of accentuating the social tensions and ambiguities among various racial groups which still exist in the United States and which, if anything, have been heightened since Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president in 2017' -- Neil Drysdale * Dundee Courier *'Hey America! delivers another startling, detailed account melding music and politics as [Cosgrove] charts how black music has coloured the White House' * Sunday Post *

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Book SynopsisThe making of Ryan’s Daughter in Dingle 1969 is shrouded in myth and sensational stories. Hollywood superstars in late-1960s Ireland, the Irish climate, the studio system and one of film’s greatest auteurs all combined into a troubled and fabled production. Fifty years on, Sunday Times journalist Paul Benedict Rowan reveals in fascinating detail why David Lean’s behemoth holds such a unique place in movie history, bringing together exclusive interviews with cast and crew, as well as many stills photographs taken on- and off-set. Rowan pieces all into a definitive rollercoaster account of the making of one of Lean’s last films.

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Book SynopsisMarking the centenary of Ireland’s – and possibly the world’s – most famous novel, this joyful introductory guide opens up Ulysses to a whole new readership, offering insight into the literary, historical and cultural elements at play in James Joyce’s masterwork. Both eloquent and erudite, this book is an initiation into the wonders of Joyce’s writing and of the world that inspired it, written by Daniel Mulhall, Ireland’s ambassador to the United States and an advocate for Irish literature around the world. One hundred years on from that novel’s first publication, Ulysses: A Reader’s Odyssey takes us on a journey through one of the twentieth century’s greatest works of fiction. Exploring the eighteen chapters of the novel and using the famous structuring principle of Homer’s Odyssey as our guide, Daniel Mulhall releases Ulysses from its reputation of impenetrability, and shows us the pleasure it can offer us as readers.Trade ReviewI can take heart from Dan Mulhall, Ireland’s ambassador to the US, whose Ulysses: A Reader’s Odyssey is just published. He takes a practical approach: if some bits of the book prove just too baffling, simply bin them and skip on a few pages. -- Jude Webber * Financial Times *Powerfully, [Mulhall] argues that Joyce and Ireland for him are indissociable and that he retains a burning relevance today. -- Anne Fogarty * The Irish Times *....an excellent guide through daunting terrain. -- Pat Carty * Hot Press *...releases the great masterpiece from its reputation of impentrability. An affectionate, accessible tribute. -- JP O'Malley * Sunday Independent *Ambassador Mulhall cleverly decodes all 18 episodes of the novel, providing personal and funny insights that contextualize and illuminate Joyce’s text, making you want to pick up "Ulysses" again. -- Ted Smyth * Irish Central *An informed, enjoyable guide, it homes in on Ulysses’ emotional core […] A convivial companion to help navigate Joyce’s masterpiece. -- Dermot Bolger * Irish Independent *Never has a visit to the attic proven so educational. -- Dermot Keyes * Waterford News and Star *This book is a delightful, chatty introduction to the wonderful world of James Joyce’s Ulysses -- Felix M. Larkin * The Irish Catholic *James Joyce’s magnus opus remains in need of chaperones. This is certainly one of the better ones available — highly readable, personable and well researched. -- Kevin Power * The Times (UK) *‘In this genial, largely first-person narrative, based on Mulhall’s experience of discussing Ulysses .. during his international postings, he argues that Joyce is a significant asset for the “soft power” of the Irish state.’ -- Emer Nolan * The Times Literary Supplement *Mulhall brings a historian’s eye to Joyce’s text, rather than that of a literary critic, and he writes about Ulysses with exuberance and evident enjoyment. -- David Blake Knox * Dublin Review of Books *

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Book Synopsis‘Ach cérbh í Peig Sayers?’ Níorbh í in aon chor an tseanbhean ologónach í ar chuir na glúnta de dhaltaí scoile aithne uirthi. Is léir ó chuntais uathu siúd arbh eol dóibh í gur bhean ghrámhar thuisceanach í a raibh acmhainn grinn inti; bean a fuair blas ar ghal tobac agus ar bhraoinín fuisce, agus a bhí oilte ar chraiceann a chur ar scéal. Saolaíodh Peig i nDún Chaoin i gCo. Chiarraí i 1873. Thug sí bua na scéalaíochta léi óna hathair agus tugadh a sárchuimhne agus an lé a bhí aici le comhluadar faoi deara go luath. Phós sí iascaire ón mBlascaod agus chaith sí saol cruógach i dteaghlach líonmhar ag déanamh cúraim don seisear leanbh léi a mhair. Tugann Labharfad le Cách le chéile den chéad uair na taifeadtaí a thóg an BBC agus RTÉ uaithi i 1946, 1947 agus 1953, mar aon le haistriúcháin Bhéarla orthu. Léiríonn siad fairsinge repertoire Pheig idir scéalta cráifeacha, paidreacha, scéalta rómánsacha, scéalta faoin osádúr agus cuntais ar an saol a caitheadh tráth ar an oileán ach go bhfuil a chuimhne ag dul i léig anois. ‘Who was that Peig Sayers?’ She was anything but the maudlin and old-fashioned Peig remembered by generations of school children. From the descriptions of those who met her, the real Peig emerges as a warm, wise and humorous woman, with an addiction to tobacco, a fondness for a sup of whiskey and a mastery of the art of ‘spin’. Born in Dún Chaoin in County Kerry in 1873, Peig learned the art of storytelling at her father’s knee, and quickly became known for her sociable nature and excellent memory. Marrying a fisherman from the Great Blasket, she enjoyed a full life with a large extended family and the care of her six living children. I Will Speak to You All collects, for the first time, in both Irish and English, the recordings made by the BBC and RTÉ of Peig Sayers in 1946, 1947 and 1953. They illustrate Peig’s repertoire, ranging from religious stories and prayers to humorous, romantic, even supernatural tales, as well as descriptions of an island life that is passing from living memory.

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'There was nothing extraordinary about my childhood or background. And yet I looked in vain for any aspect of my family's story when I went to university to read history, and continued to search fruitlessly for it throughout the next decade. Eventually I realised I would have to write this history myself.' What was it really like to live through the twentieth century? In 1910 three-quarters of the population were working class, but their story has been ignored until now. Based on the first-person accounts of servants, factory workers, miners and housewives, award-winning historian Selina Todd reveals an unexpected Britain where cinema audiences shook their fists at footage of Winston Churchill, communities supported strikers, and where pools winners (like Viv Nicholson) refused to become respectable. Charting the rise of the working class, through two world wars to their fall in Thatcher's Britain and today, Todd tells their story for the first time, in their own words. Uncovering a huge hidden swathe of Britain's past, The People is the vivid history of a revolutionary century and the people who really made Britain great.Trade ReviewI am delighted to see social class storm its way back into our contemporary history * Guardian *The most interesting academic work on British politics this year * Independent Books of the Year *Todd's account distinguishes itself in several respects, making copious use of oral histories . . . and giving more attention to domestic servants, who are usually overlooked in favour of industrial workers. Building to quite a polemical finish, Todd makes much of her own working-class background, which helps her sift nuggets of truth from myth, nostalgia and received wisdom * Herald *What an excellent book this is . . . The final chapters are its best, providing an analysis of what we have all lived through. Ms Todd's great ability as an academic is to avoid writing like one, so her book is accessible and entertaining. Even for those not engrossed by politics, the tales of the ordinary lives are compelling * Alistair Dawber, Independent *What differentiates Selina Todd's book from existing literature on this subject is the way her narrative actually documents the voices of working-class people. Through their words we come to a better understanding of how lives flourished or faltered, as various government policies were introduced, or taken away . . . Brilliant and well-researched * New Internationalist *Straightforward and useful * Juliet Gardiner, Daily Telegraph *The landscape is fascinating, and the distance travelled enormous . . . It is a colour tale too, taking in working class culture, music and dance crazes, and the move from a world of clerks, secretaries and manual workers to DIY superstores, Sunday working and the demise of trade union power . . . The scope and range of Todd's study is impressive * Scotsman *Todd is excellent in describing the effects that the Great War had on society and her use of servants as barometers of social change brings a fresh voice to this history * Alan Johnson, The Spectator *Selina Todd does not lack in courage and ambition. Her book, based on more than 10 years' research, is wide-ranging in its scope and packed with detail. Through her own extensive interviews in Coventry and Liverpool she provides new insights into the lives of working-class families, while she puts particular emphasis on the role of women, a theme often neglected in previous studies. She is good at contradicting some of the conventional wisdom about this period * Daily Express *The timing is apt for Selina Todd's examination of what she calls 'the rise and fall' of the working class . . . The People is a book we badly need . . . [It] offers a clear, compelling, broadly persuasive narrative of a century of British history as seen through working-class eyes and from a working-class perspective. Todd avoids hectoring, but by the end one is left suitably angry: the people have been screwed . . . She is a subtle as well as powerful historian. Retrospective oral testimony can be a problematic type of source, but she uses it with a dexterity and intelligence comparable to Orlando Figes in his masterly The Whisperers; weaving through her account the rollercoaster life story of the celebrated pools-winner Vivian Nicholson works beautifully; above all, she has an enviably assured grasp of the realities at any one time of working-class life . . . The underlying truth of the story - ultimately a tragic as well as a shocking story - that Todd tells remains essentially valid. And she tells it in a way that is, as Henry James might have said, the real thing * David Kynaston, Observer *Todd is insightful on servants . . . The bitterness of women forced back into domestic service is also captured well . . . [The People] is at its best when destabilising cliched narratives. Todd is strong on the 50s * Guardian *Why has revolution never broken out in Britain, because God knows there has been enough provocation. My feelings, after reading Selina Todd's great book, is that a little salutary use of the guillotine wouldn't go amiss . . . A brief century ago, if you weren't a toff, you lived in overcrowded slums, with neither drains nor electricity, 'grim rooms and surly faces', to use Todd's evocative phrase. Livelihoods were in constant peril. Welfare provision was scant. This book - all the more powerful for being written in a cool, seemingly neutral and factual fashion: Todd is a history don at the University of Oxford - recounts the hard and heroic slog, as ordinary men and women sought basic protection and regulation, decent homes, adequate remuneration, and compensation for horrifying injuries in factories . . . If this rousing book has an overriding theme, it is that such a (feudal) mentality accounts for the reluctance of the British to rise up and rebel - and it is why as of 2010, according to Todd, 'we are the most economically unequal country in the European Union', with Old Etonians and plutocratic villains as ever fully in charge and the likes of myself and everyone else I know, metaphorically if not literally, dining on cold baked beans in the cafeteria of Morrison's (Strood branch) * Roger Lewis, The Times *An impressively researched and passionately argued chronicle of hopes dashed. Todd's argument is interwoven with interviews and autobiographical extracts to demonstrate how lives changes - and also how they did not . . . Very good * Lucy Lethbridge, Financial Times *Selina Todd's impassioned, comprehensive history is a much-needed contribution to the revival of thinking about class in Cameron's Britain * New Statesman *Polemical and engaging * Times Higher Education *Writing the experiences of these forgotten groups into the history of class is overdue. Not only does Todd bust a few myths in the process . . . but she opens up new vistas on the social history of modern Britain * History Today *

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Book SynopsisExperience a new history of Scotland told through its places. Writers Kathleen Jamie, Alexander McCall Smith, Alistair Moffat, James Robertson and James Crawford pick twenty-five buildings to tell the story of the nation. Travelling across the country, from abandoned islands and lonely glens to the heart of our modern cities, these five authors seek out the diverse narrative of the Scottish people. Follow Kathleen Jamie as she searches for the traces of our first family hearths in the Cairngorms and makes a midsummer journey to Shetland to meet the unlikely new inhabitants of an Iron Age broch. Tour the wondrous and macabre Surgeons’ Hall with Alexander McCall Smith, or walk with him over sacred ground to Iona’s ancient Abbey. Join Alistair Moffat as he discovers a lost whisky village in the wilds of Strathconon, and climbs up through the vertiginous layers of history in Edinburgh Castle. Accompany James Robertson as he goes from the standing stones of Callanish to the humble cottage of Hugh MacDiarmid – via the engineering colossus of the Forth Rail Bridge. And journey with James Crawford from a packed crowd in Hampden Park, to an off-the-grid eco-bothy on the Isle of Eigg. Who Built Scotland is a landmark exploration of Scotland’s social, political and cultural histories. Moving from Neolithic families, exiled hermits and ambitious royal dynasties to highland shieling girls, peasant poets, Enlightenment philosophers and iconoclastic artists, it places our people, our ideas and our passions at the heart of our architecture and archaeology. This is the remarkable story how we have shaped our buildings and how our buildings, in turn, have shaped us.Trade Review'The 25 essays are all admirable appreciations of buildings – or of landscapes and places from which buildings have long disappeared. They are written with knowledge and enthusiasm and the photographs are gorgeous . . . [Who Built Scotland] is very enjoyable and rich in information. You would have to be quite exceptionally knowledgeable not to learn much from it, and it certainly paints a fine picture of our strange and varied country and its history' -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *'The quality of the writing is uniformly high . . . This is a very good book; edifying and, at times, revelatory' * The Herald *'A fascinating alternative take on the country's social, political and cultural histories . . . While the buildings are the focus of this book, the stories of the people who built them and use them are what really stay in the mind. It's easy to think of buildings as inanimate but this book demonstrates the life behind them.' - 5 star review. * Scottish Field *'the history is skilfully woven throughout the course of the book in a way that is intriguing and easy to follow . . . It really reads as an epic love story to Scotland' * The Courier *''The result is a book that is by turns inspiring and fascinating; a book that gives perspective to Scotland's many and varied architectural traditions; and a book that gives context to the Scotland we see around us today . . . There's one sense in which the title of the book is misleading in that you find rather more than 25 buildings between its covers. Some contributions cover themes or groups of buildings rather than individual structures. The effect is to broaden further the scope of the book and adds to its already considerable lasting value.' * Undiscovered Scotland *

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Book SynopsisThis guide explores the rich history of the atmospheric Arnol Blackhouse and township on the Isle of Lewis a history which reaches back over 2,000 years.

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Book SynopsisThe cultural heritage of the Ottoman Empire has traditionally been presented to us through its monuments and high arts. Our understanding of its culture has thus come from a world created by and for sultans, viziers and the elite of the Empire. But what of the world of the craftsmen and tradesmen who produced the monuments and artefacts? Or the townspeople who prayed in the mosques, drank water from the sebils or passed by the mausolea in the ordinary course of their lives? How did they live and die? To date no book has adequately explored the day-to-day life of the common people during the centuries of Ottoman rule. In this new edition Faroqhi explores the urban world of the Ottoman lands from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century, describing the social significance of the popular arts and crafts of the period and examining the interaction among the diverse populations and classes of the Empire.Trade ReviewUNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE'[Faroqhi] has produced here an impressive and thoughtful study of Ottoman social culture which is witnessed by her acknowledgement of the work of well-respected scholars, the inclusion of a chronology which usefully highlights relevant cultural events, and a superb bibliography of English, French, German and Turkish publications...a stimulating read.'-Jennifer M Scarce, University of DundeeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TURKISH STUDIES'One of the most prolific of present-day Ottoman historians...her forte is her complete ease in using the Ottoman archives not only to capture and retell the stories buried in the records but also to weave some sense of the ordinary and extraordinary aspects of a distant empire into a story that is accessible to a literate audience.'-Virginia H. Askan, McMaster UniversityMESA BULLETIN'...interesting and erudite...stimulating...This book is highly suitable as a text for courses in Ottoman history or Middle Eastern cultural history. The prose is clear and accessible, and the presentation not overly complex or obscure. Its mixture of broad analysis and striking detail make it an attractive initiation for undergraduates into debates about Ottoman cultural history. Graduate students, too, would benefit from a close reading of the text, which is studded with off-hand questions and asides that could easily launch entire dissertations. Her command of the historical literature and ability to identify potential lines of research are truly impressive. For anyone seeking a well-informed overview of Ottoman cultural history, Faroqhi's book will stand out as a valuable guide.'-James Grehan, Portland State University

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Book SynopsisEarly manuscripts in the English language include religious works, plays, romances, poetry and songs, as well as charms, notebooks, science and medieval medicine. How did scribes choose to arrange the words and images on the page in each manuscript? How did they preserve, clarify and illustrate writing in English? What visual guides were given to early readers of English in how to understand or use their books? 'Designing English' is an overview of eight centuries of graphic design in manuscripts and inscriptions from the Anglo-Saxon to the early Tudor periods. Working beyond the traditions established for Latin, scribes of English needed to be more inventive, so that each book was an opportunity for redesigning. 'Designing English' focuses on the craft, agency and intentions of scribes, painters and engravers in the practical processes of making pages and artefacts. It weighs up the balance of ingenuity and copying, practicality and imagination in their work. It surveys bilingual books, format, ordinatio, decoration and reading aloud, as well as inscriptions on objects, monuments and buildings. With over ninety illustrations, drawn especially from the holdings of the Bodleian Library in Old English and Middle English, 'Designing English' gives a comprehensive overview of English books and other material texts across the Middle Ages.Trade Review'From Anglo-Saxon gospels to early Tudor monuments, this beautifully illustrated work explores 800 years of graphic design.' * The Arts Society Journal *'Studded with nearly a hundred illustrations, this is much more gripping than its over-technical title might suggest.' * History Revealed *'Good examples of English on the page with a text that illuminates it discursively, full of interesting details and with an original voice. … I found my vision refreshed and my curiosity enhanced by this attractive book.' * Edge: Calligraphy & Lettering Arts Society *'An extremely important survey …the quality of the production is high, pricing very competitive and the many full colour illustrations superbly complement the text. 'Designing English' deserves a wide readership, and not just in academia.' -- Colin Steele * Australian Book Collector *'A welcome addition to a growing corpus of scholarship on pre-modern reading … a big, gorgeous book, lavishly illustrated.' * TLS *Table of ContentsContents Foreword Acknowledgements Introduction 1 Making Space for English 2 Making Pages 3 Pages for Reading 4 Decorating Pages 5 Pages for Voicing 6 English in Space Further Reading Quotations and References Notes Picture Credits Index of Manuscripts General Index

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Book SynopsisIn the seventeenth century, even the most elaborate and fashionable gardens had areas set aside for growing herbs, fruit, vegetables and flowers for domestic use, while those of more modest establishments were vital to the survival of the household. This was also a period of exciting introductions of plants from overseas. Using manuscript household manuals, recipe books and printed herbals, this book takes the reader on a tour of the productive garden and of the various parts of the house – kitchens and service rooms, living rooms and bedrooms – to show how these plants were used for cooking and brewing, medicines and cosmetics, in the making and care of clothes, and finally to keep rooms fresh, fragrant and decorated. Recipes used by seventeenth-century households for preparations such as flower syrups, snail water and wormwood ale are also included. A brief herbal gives descriptions of plants that are familiar today, others not so well known, such as the herbs used for dyeing and brewing, and those that held a particular cultural importance in the seventeenth century. Featuring exquisite coloured illustrations from John Gerard’s herbal of 1597 as well as prints, archival material and manuscripts, this book provides an intriguing and original focus on the domestic history of Stuart England.Trade Review"[The Domestic Herbal] is a history rather than a practical guide on the precise uses, planting strategies and the like for household herbs. It should be especially useful for those who have some experience in household gardening and are looking for some inspiration in plants that have previously been planted at home, even if today such home planting seems strange. This study is also of interest to those who want to understand more intimately the household lives of seventeenth-century Europeans (mostly Brits). Thus, this is a good addition mostly for academic libraries." * Pennsylvania Literary Journal *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments viiIntroduction 1Productive Gardens 17For the Table 57Small Beer & Strong Liquors 89A Herbal 112Health & Beauty 131Care of Clothes 161Fragrant Chambers 181Notes 206Select Bibliography 216Picture Credits 219Index 221

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Book SynopsisThis richly illustrated guide to the historical buildings of the Bodleian Library not only makes an attractive keepsake but is also packed with fascinating architectural details about one of the oldest libraries in Britain that has been in continuous use since the Middle Ages. Following a short introduction which tells the story of the founding of the Library by Sir Thomas Bodley in 1602, this book offers a succinct guide to the architectural styles, exquisite stone masonry and subsequent renovations of the renowned buildings of the Bodleian, situated in the heart of the University of Oxford. It also describes the involvement of famous architects such as Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor in designs and embellishments for these buildings. As well as giving the individual histories of Duke Humfrey’s Library, the Divinity School, Convocation House, the Schools Quadrangle, the Radcliffe Camera and the Clarendon Building, author Geoffrey Tyack also provides a guide to the intriguing statuary and carvings which adorn the buildings, and gives translations of the many Latin inscriptions which mark key moments in the library’s history. The 400-year narrative is brought up to date with a description of the development of the Weston Library, a state-of-the-art renovation of the New Bodleian Library, designed to house the Bodleian’s special collections in the twenty-first century.

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Book SynopsisOnce our ancient ancestors discovered that by settling and cultivating grains they would have a regular and plentiful food source, it was only a matter of time before beer became a part of everyday life. And that beer was mainly made by women. For centuries, women brewers remained key participants in our beer trade, up to the Industrial Revolution when increased mechanisation, alongside Victorian societal constraints, conspired to push a lot of them out. From then on, commercial brewing was generally considered a male-led profession. But things are changing. With the increase in new breweries, and a growing enthusiasm for beer, women are back at the helm at an ever-growing number of British brewers, large and small, reasserting their dominance in the industry.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction About the book Chapter One: Of Pints and Plagues Chapter Two: Rules, Regulations, and How to Blithely Ignore Them Chapter Three: This Beer Can Kill You Chapter Four: Homebrewing Housewives Chapter Five: Workin' 9 to Last Call Chapter Six: 'Til Death Do Us Part Chapter Seven: Beyond Breweries Recipes Bibliography and further reading

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Book SynopsisJoanne Hayes, at 24 years of age, concealed the birth and death of her baby in County Kerry, Ireland, in 1984. Subsequently she confessed to the murder, by stabbing, of another baby. All of the scientific evidence showed that she could not have had this second baby. The police nevertheless, insisted on charging her and, after the charges were dropped, continued to insist that she had given birth to twins conceived of two different men. A public tribunal of inquiry was called to examine the behaviour of the police and their handling of the case. The police, in defence of themselves and in justification of confessions" obtained, called a succession of male experts on the medical, social and moral roman catholic fibre of Joanne Hayes. Her married lover detailed the times, places and manner of her love making. Using the twins' theory as a springboard, the question was posed and debated: Did she love this man or what was he and other men prepared to do with her? After six months of daily discussion among the men, the judge declared 'There were times when we all believed she had twins'. The treatment of Joanne Hayes, who stood accused of no crime, was a model for Irish male attitudes to woman. She was caught up in a time of rapid social change between two Irelands, an earlier Ireland in which the Catholic Church had held a moral monopoly and a new liberal and secular Ireland.Table of ContentsForeword by Nell McCafferty

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Book SynopsisThis book is the first comprehensive post-war history of one of Europe's most vibrant cities throughout an extraordinary period of social, cultural and economic change. The capital of Italy's economic miracle of the 1950s and 60s, Milan was a magnet for immigrants, as industry, design and culture created a heady mix of wealth, innovation and conflict. By the 1980s, heavy industry had all but disappeared and the city had reinvented itself as the world capital of fashion and a dynamic post-industrial metropolis. Meanwhile, the urban landscape was darkened by the bleak estates of the peripheries and the corruption scandals that exploded in what became known as 'Tangentopoli', or Bribesville. This fascinating book traces Milan's 'biography' through its buildings, design, fashion, cinema, families, immigrants and television. The city emerges as a potent economic power-house and laboratory for change, where art and culture converge in a modern but problematic urban space. Anyone interested in Italian history, urban studies or the future of Europe's cities will find this book an essential read.Trade Review'A pathbreaking book, drawing from a range of academic disciplines, which analyses in compelling fashion the history and culture of one of Europe's great cities.'Paul Ginsborg, University of Florence'John Foot's remarkable book reveals the many facets of a major European city over the last half-century, from the industrial growth and labour migrations of the 1950s and 1960s to the deindustrialisation, economic restructuring and new immigration of the 1990s. Milan's transition to fashion and design capital in a globalised economy is examined alongside an analysis of the degradation of its suburbs and the images of the city generated by cinema and fiction. What emerges is a unique in-depth study which will be indispensable for anyone who wants to makes sense of our changing urban landscapes.'Professor David Forgacs, University College London'A rare book ... unique.'Corriere della Sera'(The author is) the only historian who has taken the trouble to tell the story of MilanTable of ContentsCh. 1 Introduction: City of Fragments, Places, Dates, Books and Films Ch. 2 Mass Cultures and Popular Cultures in Milan, 1950-2000 Ch. 3 Families, Cultures and Social Change Since the Boom Ch. 4 Divided City, Milan and Cinema, 1945-1999 Ch. 5 Television and the City. The Impact of Television in Milan Since 1954 Ch. 6 City of Design. Urban Change and Design Cultures in Milan Ch. 7 Motorisation and the City. Lambretta, Alfa Romea and Urban Space Ch. 8 Immigration and the City. Milan and Mass Immigration Since the 1950s Ch. 9 The Urban Periphery, Myth and Reality. Milan, 1950-1990 Ch. 10 Fashion and the City. The Impact of Mass Fashion and the Fashion Industry in Milan Ch. 11 From Boomtown to Bribesville. The Images of the City. Milan, 1980-1997 Conclusion: The Identities of Milan

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Book SynopsisMother's Milk or Blue Ruin, Dutch Courage or Cuckold's Comfort - the fanciful nicknames that gin has acquired only hint at its colourful story. The story begins with the aromatic juniper berry originally used by the Dutch to flavour the whisky-like genever. The drink then made its way to Britain, where cheap imitations laced with turpentine and other caustic fillers made it the drink of choice for poor eighteenth-century Londoners. Eventually replaced by the sweetened Old Tom style and then by London Dry, gin was introduced to the wider world by means of the British Empire, and during the Jazz Age became a mainstay of a new drinking culture: the cocktail. Today classic cocktails like the Gimlet and the Negroni are embraced by drinkers who enjoy a new breed of modern gins, and gin has reclaimed pride of place in the world of mixology. Gin: A Global History will attract both cocktail aficionados and lovers of food history as it chronicles gin's evolution from cheap liquor to modern alcoholic marvel.Trade Review'The "Gin," volume seems particularly well-timed; the spirit is enjoying a US renaissance. Author Lesley Jacobs Solmonson brings us through gin's history at a blistering pace that manages to satisfy with plenty of drama and botanicals. Somerset Maugham, Dorothy Parker, The Dutch East India Company, and Robert Benchley ("I must get out of these wet clothes and into a dry martini.") all get their due.' - Boston Globe

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisDuring the 1960s swarms of motorcyclists roamed along London's North Circular Road in nightly burn ups. Their pit stop was the Ace Cafe at Stonebridge Park. This is their story as told by the boys who raced and the policemen who chased, woven against a background of contemporary reports.

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Book SynopsisThe thirty-three cases in this excellent book give a unique and fascinating insight into life in the Victorian period, in Liverpool and beyond. Although murder can never be condoned, it is clear from the accounts of the lives of the accused and their victims that the world they inhabited was a harsh one, where people were pushed to the very end of their tethers on a daily basis. It seems little wonder sometimes that people snapped under the strain, and this is clearly what happened in some of the cases described here. Others, however, are much more brutal and premeditated and still have the ability to shock 150 years on.

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Book SynopsisThe question of how environmental awareness originated and developed has been subject to sharply contesting points of view. Recently the debate has been expressed epistemologically in constructivist versus materialist approaches. In this book, Mark Luccarelli pushes past unproductive mind/body debates by rooting the rise of environmental awareness in the political and geographical history of the US. Considering history in terms of the categorical development of space - social, territorial and conceptual - the book examines the forces that drove people to ignore their surroundings by distancing culture from place and by assiduously advancing the dissolution of social bonds. Thus beneath the question of the surround, and the key to its renewal today, is the quest to re-engage the common. The latter is still a part of the approach to space, its arrangement and disposition, and has a necessary environmental dimension.Concepts of urbanism, place identity, picturesque landscape and nature are part of a larger Western intellectual and cultural context but, by examining the imaging of cities and landscape, Luccarelli links particular American geographic settings - as well as the political ideals and practices of the republic - to the application and aesthetic reading of these ideas. The advocates of these various perspectives shared an aesthetic orientation as a means of redefining or recovering the common. The book looks at various American urban and regional contexts, as well as the work of artists, writers and public figures, including painter and engraver William Birch, Thomas Jefferson, engraver John Hill, Henry David Thoreau and Frederick Law Olmsted. Luccarelli embeds his environmental study in the works of these men and in the course of American history between the planting of the city of Philadelphia and the establishment of Olmsted's major urban parks.Trade Review'Mark Luccarelli has written a trenchant analysis of why environmentalism has suffered a political decline in the United States since the 1960s, even as the problems it confronts have become more urgent. By linking his argument to the ethics of place, he moves beyond simplistic explanations and develops a global and historical understanding of this American paradox.' (David E. Nye, author of America as Second Creation and Technology Matters)

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Book SynopsisFirst published to huge acclaim during the war it describes, Very Ordinary Seaman relates—with humanity, humour and the authority of experience—lower-deck life in the British navy, from basic training to service on a destroyer protecting a convoy to Arctic Russia, a mission which came under heavy attack by air and sea, and from which many did not return. “When Very Ordinary Seaman first appeared in the spring of 1944, V. S. Pritchett of the New Statesman described it as `One of the best pieces of documentary writing that I have come across during the war.’ Elizabeth Bowen wrote in The Tatler, `the last chapters of Very Ordinary Seaman did leave me breathless; and also, feeling that we have known too little.’ John Betjeman wrote, `This is so sincere and truthful, so much both, that you are held all the time… You become part of the community life of the ship, so that despite the dangers, boredom and discomfort you step ashore reluctantly.’ By any standards this was a remarkable performance for a writer who was wearing the uniform of an ordinary seaman and sitting in a busy, overcrowded naval office `facing a blank wall and typing myself dry.’” — from Brian Lavery’s Introduction

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Book Synopsis"...a very attractive seasonable title..." --Books Ireland. A lavishly illustrated book. Everything you need to know about Christmas. With over 700 illustrations--25 in colour--from the first century to the twenty-first century. The forgotten Seasons of Christmas--the 40 days, the 20 days, the 12 (or is it 13?) days; Christmas and War; Christmas and the Movies; Christmas and the Industrial Revolution--the force that almost killed it; Christmas and Religion--when and where was it illegal to celebrate Christmas? Christmas food--Brawn, Boar's head, Plum pudding, Cookies, etc.; and Christmas drink--from Wassail to the Tom and Jerry; Why was Christmas traditionally celebrated until February? Who was Mithras? Why did the New York Santa come on New Year's Eve rather than Christmas Eve? Who really wrote " 'Twas the Night before Christmas"? All the Scrooge Movies, and Christmas Movies you might not be aware of. A richly illustrated Question-and-Answer Guide on 282 pages. (General) at: http://www.phaeton.ie Book video at: http://www.youtube.com/embed/UPpVPV7miiY?rel=0Trade Review"... Charming, with illustrations galore... A good guide to the festive season, raising a few laughs and managing to evoke some old-fashioned nostalgia for a time of year swamped by commercialism." --Books Ireland [2012] "...The book is very entertaining both in its array of miscellaneous facts about the season of the Nativity, and in its wide array of illustrations, many drawing on the rich traditions left us by the Victorians. The aim of the author is to entertain and to enlighten in a gentle way--and she achieves both, making this a Christmas present which will amuse for years to come." --The Irish Catholic Journal.Table of ContentsPART I -- MAKERS & MILESTONES OF CHRISTMAS: (i) Charles Dickens & Washington Irving; (ii) Robert Seymour; (iii) Pagan Rome & its Empire; (iv) Saint Nicholas; (v) Saint Francis of Assisi; (vi) Martin Luther; (vii) Marchmont Nedham, 1600s England; (viii) Edmund Andros, 1600s New England; (ix) Henry Livingston Jr., Clement C. Moore, & Don Foster; (x) 'The Children's Friend' 1821; (xi) Prince Albert & Mr Mike Carr; (xii) Thomas Nast; (xiii) Ulysses S. Grant; (xiv) Valentine Davies; (xv) Col. Harry Shoup, USAF; (xvi) The Year 1958; (xvii) Unknown author of 'Dan d'Oidhche Nodlag.' -- -- -- PART II -- A QUESTION-&-ANSWER GUIDE TO THE SEASON OF CHRISTMAS: [Chapter 1] The Merry Christmas -- where it came from; [Chapter 2] Christmas Calendar -- the 40 Days of Christmas; [Chapter 3 -- Interlude] The Tom & Jerry; [Chapter 4] Christmas Calendar -- The 12 Days of Christmas; [Chapter 5 -- Interlude] Scrooge Movies; [Chapter 6] Christmas Calendar -- The 20 Days of Christmas; [Chapter 7 -- Interlude] Christmas Movies; [Chapter 8] The Vigils of Christmas (day begins at night); [Chapter 9] The Banning of Christmas (in Geneva, England, Scotland, & the U.S.); [Chapter 10 -- Interlude] More Christmas Movies; [Chapter 11] The Resurgent Christmas of the English-speaking World; [Chapter 12] The Street Carnival -- Mumming, Wassail, & Waits; [Chapter 13] Other Days & Seasons Around Christmas; [Chapter 14 -- Afters] Notes on Four Christmas foods; Christmas Cookies; & 'A Visit from St Nicholas' 1823. [Sources & Bibliography].

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Book SynopsisA fresh perspective on a crucial time for courts, policing and punishment. Shows how individuals, concerned parties and vested interests drove many of the era's developments. A colourful account, which captures the essence of the period. Running to nearly 700 pages, this comprehensive work on the development of summary jurisdiction, early policing and the emergence of London's embryonic modern criminal justice system looks at every aspect of these topics from numerous perspectives and across the eighteenth century. The 'whores' and 'highwaymen' of Gregory Durston's title are just some of the dubious characters met within this absorbing work, including thief-takers, trading justices, an upstart legal profession whose lower orders developed various ways to line their own pockets and magistrates and clerks who often preferred dealing with those cases which attracted fees. The book shows how little was planned by government or the authorities, and how much sprang up due to the efforts of individuals-so that the origins of social control, particularly at a local level, had much to do with personal ideas of morality, class boundaries and perceived threats, serious and otherwise. Based on news reports, Old Bailey and local archives, and other solid records the book weaves a compelling picture of a critical time in English history, through the voices of contemporary observers as well as the best of writings by experts ever since. At its broadest point, the book spans the period from the Glorious Revolution to the early 1820s. It falls into three parts: Crime and the Metropolis-including Metropolitan crime, attitudes to crime and policing, explanations for crime, and criminal law and procedure. Policing-including policing the metropolis, constables, the watch, beadles, the role of the military, and the detection of crime. Justice-including the magistracy and its work, ways of prosecution, trial in the lower and higher courts, and the penal regimes of the day. Whores and Highwaymen concentrates on the Metropolis but also compares other parts of England and Wales.Trade Review'A very-well-researched and readable book... a bit of a romp' - Law Society Gazette; 'A monumental work on crime and justice in eighteenth century London... treasures are contained in its 668 pages' - John Hostettler, Legal Historian and author.Table of ContentsPart One: Crime and the Metropolis; Part Two: Policing; Part Three: Justice.

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Book SynopsisIn 1953 pioneering journalist Anne Scott-James started to write a weekly column for the Sunday Express newspaper. ‘The Anne Scott-James Page’ set the bar for a new way of writing. Scott-James perfected the art of the short, sharp column – and many of the topics she covered are equally on-trend today. She cogently expressed her views on men, children, fashion, beauty, food, interiors, travel, and anything else that took her fancy. Political opinions might be squashed between thoughts on eyebrow tweezing and a piece on swimsuit lines. Scott-James was a great believer in entertaining her readers, and her columns are sharp, witty, to the point, often very funny, sometimes very moving. In Hold the Front Page! a selection of the Sunday Express columns is brought together with a commentary by her daughter, writer Clare Hastings, and with photographs from the Scott-James/Hastings family albums and drawings by Osbert Lancaster, Scott-James’s third husband, to provide a fascinating insight into the 1950s – and into the public and private life of one of the most celebrated columnists of the twentieth century.Trade Review"Hold the Front Page!, compiled by her daughter Clare Hastings, is a selection of Scott-James’s articles (many of them hilarious, all of them sprucely professional) interspersed with Hastings’s affectionate but uncloying memoir. It conveys a completely vanished world." -- AN Wilson * Times Literary Supplement *"In Hold The Front Page Clare Hastings has compiled a warm hearted tribute to her mother the journalist and gardener Anne Scott-James. Anne, whom I knew well as a country neighbour was a beautiful and formidable woman, a pioneer in the then male-dominated world of Fleet Street, whose newspaper columns, reprinted here are still relevant and topical today. Interspersed with examples of her journalism, Clare gives us a touching memoir of her remarkable mother, like herself “strong on common sense and short on whingeing.” -- Richard Ingrams"Clare Hastings' deadpan and funny reminiscences of her mother are what elevates this book above a pleasingly nostalgic read." * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisMiss Kate Cranston opened four Glasgow Tea Rooms at the end of the 19th century/beginning of the 20th, including the famous Willow Tea Rooms. Ahead of her time, Miss Cranston ensured that her Rea Rooms were designed and furnished by talented young artists like Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Miss Cranston: Patron of Charles Rennie Mackintosh was first published in 1999 and is long out of print. It is being reissued to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. This new edition has some rewriting and updating; it is in a larger format; it now has around 60 colour+black&white photographs and illustrations.Trade Review' … Perilla Kinchen reveals Miss Cranston's 'successful formula' and eccentric characteristics in an engaging style which entices readers to continue.' Scottish Field (online)Table of ContentsForeword Introduction 1. Growing up in George Square: the family hotels 2. 'A cup of Kaisow 2d, bread and cakes extra': the first tea rooms 3. Making a name: Miss Cranston's Tea Rooms 4. New art 'weirdry': Miss Cranston, Walton and Mackintosh 5. A new century: the Willow Tea Room 6. 'A real patron and friend'" more jobs for Mackintosh 7. 'Everyone knows Miss Cranston': a Glasgow personality 8. Back in George Square: the last years and the legacy Epilogue: Recovery and restoration Select Bibliography and sources Index

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