History : Great Britain

Many historians have described early industrial Britain as a 'bleak age' where the masses possessed little time, energy or money to devote to sport. Adrian Harvey reveals a very different picture of Britain at this time to show a rich, diverse and commercial sporting culture accessible to almost everyone. Far from being tied to a recreational calendar that was dependent upon established, traditional holidays, sporting events occurred within their own leisure timetable. Indeed, by the 1840s, it was common for sporting events to be conducted on a regular basis every week. The public perception of sporting activity changed dramatically, however, when the influx of money heightened the opportunities for corruption and crime.This is the first in-depth study of sporting culture in Britain during the first half of the nineteenth century that is based upon sporting periodicals, newspapers and sporting archives. Harvey depicts a society that is not suffering from a severe attack on recreations by commerce, industry and government, but one in which the principal problems experienced stemmed from criminal activity. As such, this book provides a much-needed revision of many misconceptions about the early history of sport in Britain. more...

Price: $120.00

A dandy, a best-selling novelist, and a man of political and sexual intrigue, Benjamin Disraeli was one of the most captivating figures of the nineteenth century. His flirtation with proto-Zionism, his ideas about power and empire, and his fantasies about the Middle East remain prophetically relevant today. more...

Price: $21.00

A study of Bernard Mandeville's "A Modest Defence of Publick Stews". Here, the author argues that in addition to being an advocation for the establishment of state-regulated houses of prostitution, Mandeville's writing is also a highly polished work of literature. more...

Price: $80.00

This new book examines how in the 20th century the British army learnt lessons past wars, both large and small, in order to prepare for the future. more...

Price: $37.50

This single-volume dictionary presents the lives of individual Scottish women from earliest times to the present. Drawing on new scholarship and a wide network of professional and amateur historians, it will throw light on the experience of women from every class and category in Scotland and among the worldwide Scottish diaspora. The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women is written for the general reading public and for students of Scottish history and society. It is scholarly in its approach to evidence and engaging in the manner of its presentation. Each entry seeks to make sense of its subject in narrative terms, telling a story rather than simply offering information. The editors aim to make the book as enjoyable to read as it will be easy and valuable to consult. It will be a unique and important contribution to the history of women and Scotland. more...

Price: $129.99