History

A biography of William Beckford that provides a look at eighteenth-century British history from the perspective of the colonies. He was born in 1709 into a family of wealthy sugar planters living in Jamaica, when the colonies were still peripheral to Britain.

This groundbreaking study puts examples from World Englishes into dialogue with postcolonial studies, resulting in a postcolonial perspective on English today.

Imperialism as Diaspora reassesses the important years of the British Raj in India and the diasporic position of Anglo-Indians, who, while neither quite British nor Indian, were simultaneously both, and who were instrumental in the construction of the Empire in India.

This collection of essays is the first serious attempt to conceptualise the transplantation of English migrants and culture in the New World as a Diaspora.

Established in 1942, the Manhattan Project brought together an international team of scientists in a top secret quest: beating the Nazis to the atomic bomb. Their 'Little Boy' and 'Fat Man' bombs destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. In one terrible swoop humans could now kill potentially ...

Susan Hunter illuminates the history and social dynamics of the AIDS pandemic through focusing on Africa. She combines personal stories from her 20 years of work in Africa with analysis of the raging debates on the topic (Mbeki's continued assertions that HIV does not cause AIDS), and more.

The long-lost diary of a journalist at war

Revealing the innermost thoughts of both famous citizens and men and women forgotten by history, this book explores life on the battlefield and the home front, capturing the astonishing perseverance of the men and women caught up in this most brutal of conflicts.

Originally published by Palgrave in 1996, this timely and significantly updated edition covers the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Britain and America's ongoing participation in conflicts in the Middle East, their responses to the emergence of ISIL, and the weakening of Britain's military capabilities.

One of the questions Geoff Nicholson is frequently asked is whether he has a favourite walk? In 'The Lost Art of Walking' he answers 'no' but this isn't quite the case. Geoff doesn't have a favourite walk but he does have favoured walks and these almost always involve ruins. 'Walking with Ruins' describes ...

Reveals a picture of London at a critical point in history - poised to become a major centre of international commerce and culture. This title provides accounts of various aspects of contemporary life, from the arts and entertainment, to politics and religion.

Part historical treasure trove and part contemporary reflection, Exotic England is also a surprising love letter to the country from one of its most outspoken and insightful immigrants

First published in 1844, these letters are the collected observations of Sophia Poole, who lived in Cairo from 1842 until 1849 with her brother, the well known Orientalist Edward Lane, and her two children. During her residence, Poole learned Arabic and adopted Egyptian clothing that enabled her not ...

Panama is an ethnically diverse country with a recent history of political conflict which makes the representation of historical memory an especially complex and important task for the country's museums. This book studies new museum projects in Panama with the aim of identifying the dominant narratives that are being formed...

Although not a professional historian, the author raises several issues pertinent to the state of history today.Qualifying the "non-historian" as an "able" interventionist in historical studies, the author explores the relationship between history and theory within the current epistemological configurations and re-figurations.

Can a writer help to bring about a more just society? This question was at the heart of the movement of al-adab al-multazim, or committed literature, which claimed to dominate Arab writing in the mid-twentieth century. By the 1960s, however, leading Egyptian writers had retreated into disillusionment, ...

An exploration into the impact of the Stalinist purges on the lives, families and contacts of members of the British Communist Party.

In this compact and tightly argued essay, the author maintains that the French Third Republic - and European history during this period in general - can only be understood if particular attention is paid to the special relationship that existed between France and Germany.

Investigates the Zen family's claims about their explorations in the North Atlantic, considers the narrative by their 1558 statesman ancestor, the nineteenth-century charge of misrepresenting their achievements, and the author's own attempt to follow their route.

War words have embedded themselves in our collective psyche; British politicians are fond of invoking the 'Dunkirk spirit' whenever the country is faced with major crisis or even minor adversity, and Roosevelt's famous description of Pearl Harbor as 'a date which will live in infamy' was echoed by many ...