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“Cool Britannia” is alive and well today. British culture is at the top of its game—in fashion, popular music, art and entertainment, science and technology, new inventions, and in the rediscovered skills and excellence in engineering that make it Germany’s leading trading partner in Europe. As a family of nations, the British are inventive, reflective, good humored, funny, focused, and tenacious. Today’s multicultural Britain is managing the challenges of integrating minorities in a way that remains true to its fundamental values and beliefs as a fair and open society, one that continues to see itself as a model for others to follow. Since the first edition of this guide appeared, Britain has faced huge and accelerated change in its cultural, economic, and political life. In ten years immigration has added a further five million to its population. Confidence in its banks and regulatory structures was shaken by the global financial crisis. The very unity of the United Kingdom was tested in 2014 in the referendum on Scottish independence, and although those wishing to retain the Union triumphed, it prompted a debate about national identities and rights, and the prospect of a new “fairer” settlement for the English. While the desire of Scottish nationalists for independence remains as strong as ever, the surge in support for the UK Independence Party (which wants Britain to leave the EU) may well result in a new form of power sharing in parliament. This revised and updated edition of Culture Smart! Britain examines the impact of these issues on British society and guides the reader through the quirks, customs, values, and changing ways of British life. It is a must-read for the record-breaking numbers of visitors coming to these islands.
"Our contemplation of London must begin, as London began, at the river. The River Thames is a slow moving and rather murky body of water, flowing west to east, about a quarter to an eighth of a mile wide as it passes through the city. To this day, the sinewy thread of the Thames is London's most notable topographical feature, the curving line around which the metropolis orientates itself. As we have seen, this was not by chance. The Romans founded London in imitation of their own great capital city so that London, like Rome, sits on its river at exactly the spot where it narrows enough to bridge (see Map 1). That confluence of west-east river and south-north bridge made London both a military choke-point and an economic funnel long before our arrival sometime in 1550"--
The “meticulously researched, elegantly argued and deeply humane” sequel to the landmark volume of social history, The Making of the English Working Class (The New York Times Book Review). This remarkable study investigates the gradual disappearance of a range of cultural customs against the backdrop of the great upheavals of the eighteenth century. As villagers were subjected to a legal system increasingly hostile to custom, they tried both to resist and to preserve tradition, becoming, as E. P. Thompson explains, “rebellious, but rebellious in defense of custom.” Although some historians have written of riotous peasants of England and Wales as if they were mainly a problem for magistrates and governments, for Thompson it is the rulers, landowners, and governments who were a problem for the people, whose exuberant culture preceded the formation of working-class institutions and consciousness. Essential reading for all those intrigued by English history, Customs in Common has a special relevance today, as traditional economies are being replaced by market economies throughout the world. The rich scholarship and depth of insight in Thompson’s work offer many clues to understanding contemporary changes around the globe. “[This] long-awaited collection . . . is a signal contribution . . . [from] the person most responsible for inspiring the revival of American labor history during the past thirty years.” —The Nation “This book signals the return to historical writing of one of the most eloquent, powerful and independent voices of our time. At his best he is capable of a passionate, sardonic eloquence which is unequalled.” —The Observer
Noting Voices: Contemplating London's Culture is author Haseeb Iqbal's take on the bubbling 'London Jazz Scene' and live music explosion that has consumed the capital in recent years. Having grown up within it all, Haseeb focuses on the spaces that have aided a scene so rich and layered, basing his reflections on five conversations from his 'Mare Street Records' podcast. He maps the scene's growth via the perspective of those who have provided the space, appreciating the instrumental role of such environments and the figureheads who have driven them. He navigates the unconventional template many of these spaces have observed, dissecting how a cultural movement, now internationally acclaimed, found its voice and established its identity. This story takes it back to the grassroots spaces and DIY communities who can be forgotten when an underground movement turns more mainstream. It appreciates a set of community-based values that have underpinned a radical cultural shift in London's sound, acknowledging the role of gentrification throughout, and the threat it poses to the spaces that birth and nurture this culture.
F. J. Snell's "The Customs of Old England" takes the reader on a fascinating journey of the intricate web of ancient traditions and customs in England. Snell deeply examines into England's cultural legacy, highlighting the traditions, rituals, and practices that have defined the country's identity. Snell covers a broad variety of exciting themes, from ancient festivals and rural traditions to societal conventions and folklore, with rigorous study and a great eye for detail. Each chapter reveals a different facet of England's history, illuminating the complex web of traditions that were an essential component of daily life. Snell transports readers to a bygone period and gives them the chance to experience the sights, sounds, and taste of ancient England through his descriptions and captivating narrative, which bring these practices to life. "The Customs of Old England" provides a fascinating and absorbing reading experience, whether of whether you're a history buff, a lover of cultural heritage, or just interested in the customs that have created a country.
In Victorian London, filth was everywhere: horse traffic filled the streets with dung, household rubbish went uncollected, cesspools brimmed with "night soil," graveyards teemed with rotting corpses, the air itself was choked with smoke. In this intimately visceral book, Lee Jackson guides us through the underbelly of the Victorian metropolis, introducing us to the men and women who struggled to stem a rising tide of pollution and dirt, and the forces that opposed them. Through thematic chapters, Jackson describes how Victorian reformers met with both triumph and disaster. Full of individual stories and overlooked details--from the dustmen who grew rich from recycling, to the peculiar history of the public toilet--this riveting book gives us a fresh insight into the minutiae of daily life and the wider challenges posed by the unprecedented growth of the Victorian capital.
Nominated for the 2016 Forest of Reading Evergreen Award Nominated for the 2014 Victoria Book Prize An Englishwoman’s mysterious death in 19th-century West Africa haunts those left behind. Letitia Landon, "Letty" to her friends, is an intelligent, witty, successful writer, much sought after for dinner parties and soirées in the London of the 1830s. But, still single at thirty-six, she fears ending up as a wizened crone in a dilapidated country cottage, a cat her only companion. Just as she is beginning to believe she will never marry, she meets George Maclean, home on leave from his position as the governor of Cape Coast Castle on the Gold Coast of West Africa. George and Letty marry quietly and set sail for Cape Coast. Eight weeks later she is dead — not from malaria or dysentery or any of the multitude of dangers in her new home, but by her own hand. Or so it would seem. Local Customs examines, in poetic detail, a way of life that has faded into history. It was a time when religious and cultural assimilation in the British colonies gave rise to a new, strange social order. Letty speaks from beyond the grave to let the reader see the world through her eyes and explore the mystery of her death. Was she disturbed enough to kill herself, or was someone — or something — else involved?
Once a Year: Some Traditional British Customs was first published in 1977 establishing Homer Sykes as one of the UK's leading young photographers. Over a period of almost seven years he travelled the country photographing around 100 traditional British customs, with over 80 appearing in the book. Though inspired by the 19th century photographer Benjamin Stone, Homer Sykes approached the events with a distinctly modern sensibility, creating dynamic images which focus mainly on the tradition that is being re-enacted against a background of everyday life.