Books
by Tristam Hunt
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Ten Cities that made an Empire |
Hunt's fresh approach to Britain's imperial history* explores the urban form through its architecture and civil institutions, street names and fortifications, news pages, plays and ritual. From Boston in the 1770's, his portrayal of the great colonial and imperial cities of Bridgetown, Dublin, Cape Town, Calcutta, Hong Kong, Bombay, Melbourne and New Delhi ends in C20th Liverpool. He delivers a new understanding of the British Empire's influence upon the world and the world's influence upon it.
Ed. note: similar ground but in a different manner is covered by Maya Jasanoff in Liberty's Exiles (bwl 63)
(Jeremy Miller - bwl 78 Autumn 2015) |
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The Radical Potter: Josiah Wedgwood and the Transformation of Britain |
This is not just another biography. As V&A Director and former Stoke-on-Trent MP, nobody perhaps is more qualified to address the context in which this enlightened potter made such a mark on his profession and became a beacon that inspired the industrial revolution. How sad then that the company's fortunes subsequently declined, no more so than in this century. A visit to the wonderful Barlaston's museum, now saved for posterity, provides a glimmer of enlightenment.
(Jeremy Miller - bwl 104 Spring 2022) |
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