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British Prime Ministers and Democracy: From Disraeli to Blair

by Roland Quinault

Today representative democracy is the dominant political system in the world. Britain played a prominent part in the democratization of the world through both its constitutional reforms at home and its power and influence abroad. In that process, Prime Ministers played a prominent role through their power and influence in government, Parliament and the country more generally. Quinault examines the stance of ten leading Prime Ministers - from the mid-nineteenth century until the twenty-first century - on the theory and practice of democracy. The attitude of each Prime Minister is assessed by considering their general views on democracy and their use of that term and concept in their discourse and thereby their role in advancing or resisting democratic political change. Particular attention is paid to their role in electoral reform, together with their stance on the composition and powers of the House of Lords and the role of the monarchy in the governing process. Their attitudes to the democratic aspects of some major international issues are also considered.

British Prime Ministers and Democracy: From Disraeli to Blair

by Roland Quinault

Today representative democracy is the dominant political system in the world. Britain played a prominent part in the democratization of the world through both its constitutional reforms at home and its power and influence abroad. In that process, Prime Ministers played a prominent role through their power and influence in government, Parliament and the country more generally. Quinault examines the stance of ten leading Prime Ministers - from the mid-nineteenth century until the twenty-first century - on the theory and practice of democracy. The attitude of each Prime Minister is assessed by considering their general views on democracy and their use of that term and concept in their discourse and thereby their role in advancing or resisting democratic political change. Particular attention is paid to their role in electoral reform, together with their stance on the composition and powers of the House of Lords and the role of the monarchy in the governing process. Their attitudes to the democratic aspects of some major international issues are also considered.

British Prime Ministers From Balfour to Brown

by Robert Pearce Graham Goodlad

The origins of the post of Prime Minister can be traced back to the eighteenth century when Sir Robert Walpole became the monarch’s principal minister. From the dawn of the twentieth century to the early years of the twenty-first, however, both the power and the significance of the role have been transformed. British Prime Ministers from Balfour to Brown explores the personalities and achievements of those twenty individuals who have held the highest political office between 1902 and 2010. It includes studies of the dominant premiers who helped shape Britain in peace and war – Lloyd George, Churchill, Thatcher and Blair – as well as portraits of the less familiar, from Asquith and Baldwin to Wilson and Heath. Each chapter gives a concise account of its subject’s rise to power, ideas and motivations, and governing style, as well as examining his or her contribution to policy-making and handling of the major issues of the time. Robert Pearce and Graham Goodlad explore each Prime Minister’s interaction with colleagues and political parties, as well as with Cabinet, Parliament and other key institutions of government. Furthermore they assess the significance, and current reputation, of each of the premiers. This book charts both the evolving importance of the office of Prime Minister and the continuing restraints on the exercise of power by Britain’s leaders. These concise, accessible and stimulating biographies provide an essential resource for students of political history and general readers alike.

British Prime Ministers From Balfour to Brown

by Robert Pearce Graham Goodlad

The origins of the post of Prime Minister can be traced back to the eighteenth century when Sir Robert Walpole became the monarch’s principal minister. From the dawn of the twentieth century to the early years of the twenty-first, however, both the power and the significance of the role have been transformed. British Prime Ministers from Balfour to Brown explores the personalities and achievements of those twenty individuals who have held the highest political office between 1902 and 2010. It includes studies of the dominant premiers who helped shape Britain in peace and war – Lloyd George, Churchill, Thatcher and Blair – as well as portraits of the less familiar, from Asquith and Baldwin to Wilson and Heath. Each chapter gives a concise account of its subject’s rise to power, ideas and motivations, and governing style, as well as examining his or her contribution to policy-making and handling of the major issues of the time. Robert Pearce and Graham Goodlad explore each Prime Minister’s interaction with colleagues and political parties, as well as with Cabinet, Parliament and other key institutions of government. Furthermore they assess the significance, and current reputation, of each of the premiers. This book charts both the evolving importance of the office of Prime Minister and the continuing restraints on the exercise of power by Britain’s leaders. These concise, accessible and stimulating biographies provide an essential resource for students of political history and general readers alike.

British Prime Ministers from Walpole to Salisbury: The 18th and 19th Centuries

by Dick Leonard

Dick Leonard’s British Prime Ministers from Walpole to Salisbury: The 18th and 19th Centuries surveys the lives and careers of all the 32 Prime Ministers from Sir Robert Walpole (1721–42) to Archibald Philip Primrose, fifth Earl of Rosebery (1894–95), in 32 succinct, informative and entertaining chapters. Bringing to life the political achievements and personal idiosyncrasies of Britain's rulers over the 18th and 19th centuries, the author recounts the circumstances which took them to the pinnacle of British political life, probes their political and personal strengths and weaknesses, assesses their performance in office and asks what lasting influence they have had. Along the way Leonard entertains and informs, revealing little-known facts about the private lives of each of the Prime Ministers, such as who was suspected to be an illegitimate half-brother of George III, who was assassinated in the House of Commons, and who spent his evenings prowling the streets of London, trying to "reform" prostitutes. This book can also form part of a two-volume set published by Routledge including the companion volume Modern British Prime Ministers from Balfour to Johnson. This book will be of key interest to scholars, students and readers of British political history, the Executive, government and British politics.

British Prime Ministers from Walpole to Salisbury: The 18th and 19th Centuries

by Dick Leonard

Dick Leonard’s British Prime Ministers from Walpole to Salisbury: The 18th and 19th Centuries surveys the lives and careers of all the 32 Prime Ministers from Sir Robert Walpole (1721–42) to Archibald Philip Primrose, fifth Earl of Rosebery (1894–95), in 32 succinct, informative and entertaining chapters. Bringing to life the political achievements and personal idiosyncrasies of Britain's rulers over the 18th and 19th centuries, the author recounts the circumstances which took them to the pinnacle of British political life, probes their political and personal strengths and weaknesses, assesses their performance in office and asks what lasting influence they have had. Along the way Leonard entertains and informs, revealing little-known facts about the private lives of each of the Prime Ministers, such as who was suspected to be an illegitimate half-brother of George III, who was assassinated in the House of Commons, and who spent his evenings prowling the streets of London, trying to "reform" prostitutes. This book can also form part of a two-volume set published by Routledge including the companion volume Modern British Prime Ministers from Balfour to Johnson. This book will be of key interest to scholars, students and readers of British political history, the Executive, government and British politics.

British Privateering Enterprise in the Eighteenth Century (Exeter Maritime Studies)

by Professor David J. Starkey

An important part of eighteenth-century maritime conflict involved the destruction of enemy commerce and the protection of home trade. In performing these tasks, state navies were augmented by privateers, vessels owned, equipped and manned by private individuals authorised by their governments to attack and seize the enemy’s seabourne property. For their reward, the investors and seafarers engaged in privateering ventures shared in the proceeds of any ships and goods taken and condemned as lawful prize. Privateering therefore represented a business opportunity to the maritime community, a chance to acquire instant wealth at the enemy’s expense; at the same time, it appeared as a cheap convenient means by which the state might supplement its naval strength. In this important analysis David J. Starkey draws upon a wealth of documentary evidence to throw fresh light upon the character, scale and significance of the British privateering business.

The British Problem 1534-1707 (PDF)

by David Bradshaw Morrill

Much that is stimulatingly contentious but all is excellent. This work not merely reinterprets British history in terms of the past interactions between four nations, but could have a real impact on how we think of the present crises of British identity, Britain and Europe and relations between England, Ireland and Scotland. ' - Professor Bernard Crick

The British Problem c.1534-1707: State Formation in the Atlantic Archipelago (Problems in Focus)


This pioneering book seeks to transcend the limitations of separate English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh histories by taking the archipelago made up of the islands of Britain and Ireland as a single unit of study. There has been little attempt hitherto to study the history of the 'Atlantic archipelago' as a coherent entity, even for the period during which there was a single ruler of both Great Britain and Ireland. This book begins with the onset of the intellectual, religious, political, cultural and dynastic developments that were to bring teh Scottish house of Stewart to the thrones of England (incorporating the ancient principality of Wales), Ireland, (a kingdom created in 1541 as a dependency of the English Crown) and to full control of Scotland itself and of its islands.This is then a story of the creation of a British state system if not a British state. but the book is also a study of how the peoples of the archipelago interacted - as a result of internal migration, military conquest, protestant and Tridentine CAtholic evangelism - and how they were changed as a result. Ten distinguished historians representing the seperate peoples of the islands of Britain and Ireland, and teaching histort in Britain, Ireland and the USA, offer provocative and challenging new approaches to how and why we need to develop the history of each component of the archipelago in the context of the whole and to make 'the British Problem' central to that study.

British Progressive Pop 1970-1980

by Andy Bennett

Positioned between the psychedelic and counter-cultural music of the late 1960s and the punk and new wave styles of the late 1970s, early 1970s British popular music is often overlooked in pop music studies of the late 20th century, but it was, in fact, highly diverse with many artists displaying an eclecticism and flair for musical experimentation. 'Progressive pop' artists such as Roxy Music, David Bowie, the early Queen, the Electric Light Orchestra, 10cc and Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel successfully straddled the album and singles markets, producing music that often drew on a variety of different musical styles and traditions. Similarly, such artists often set new benchmarks for songwriting and production, utilizing the full potential of the rapidly expanding studio technology of the era to produce albums of highly diverse material featuring, in some cases, special studio-crafted effects and soundscapes that remain unique to this day. This book considers the significance of British progressive pop in the early 1970s as a period during which the boundaries between pop and rock were periodically relaxed, providing a platform for musical creativity less confined by genre and branding.

British Progressive Pop 1970-1980

by Andy Bennett

Positioned between the psychedelic and counter-cultural music of the late 1960s and the punk and new wave styles of the late 1970s, early 1970s British popular music is often overlooked in pop music studies of the late 20th century, but it was, in fact, highly diverse with many artists displaying an eclecticism and flair for musical experimentation. 'Progressive pop' artists such as Roxy Music, David Bowie, the early Queen, the Electric Light Orchestra, 10cc and Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel successfully straddled the album and singles markets, producing music that often drew on a variety of different musical styles and traditions. Similarly, such artists often set new benchmarks for songwriting and production, utilizing the full potential of the rapidly expanding studio technology of the era to produce albums of highly diverse material featuring, in some cases, special studio-crafted effects and soundscapes that remain unique to this day. This book considers the significance of British progressive pop in the early 1970s as a period during which the boundaries between pop and rock were periodically relaxed, providing a platform for musical creativity less confined by genre and branding.

British Propaganda and Wars of Empire: Influencing Friend and Foe 1900–2010

by Christopher Tuck

'Influence' is a slippery concept, yet one of tremendous relevance for those wishing to understand global politics. From debates on the changing sources of power in the international system, through to analyses of its value as an alternative to the active use of force as a policy instrument, influence has become a recurrent theme in discussions of international relations and foreign policy. In order to provide a better understanding of the multifaceted and shifting nature of influence, this volume looks at how the British government employed various forms of pressure and persuasion to achieve its goals across the twentieth century. By focusing on Britain - a global actor with great power objectives but declining physical means - the collection provides a wide range of case studies to assess how influence was brought to bear on a wide array of non-western cultures and societies. It furthermore allows for an assessment of just how effective - or ineffective - British efforts were at influencing non-Western targets over a hundred years of operations. By shedding important light on the efficacy of British efforts to sustain and advance its interests in the twentieth century, the volume will be of interest not only to historians, but to anyone interested in contemporary problems surrounding the operation of influence as a foreign policy tool.

British Propaganda and Wars of Empire: Influencing Friend and Foe 1900–2010

by Christopher Tuck

'Influence' is a slippery concept, yet one of tremendous relevance for those wishing to understand global politics. From debates on the changing sources of power in the international system, through to analyses of its value as an alternative to the active use of force as a policy instrument, influence has become a recurrent theme in discussions of international relations and foreign policy. In order to provide a better understanding of the multifaceted and shifting nature of influence, this volume looks at how the British government employed various forms of pressure and persuasion to achieve its goals across the twentieth century. By focusing on Britain - a global actor with great power objectives but declining physical means - the collection provides a wide range of case studies to assess how influence was brought to bear on a wide array of non-western cultures and societies. It furthermore allows for an assessment of just how effective - or ineffective - British efforts were at influencing non-Western targets over a hundred years of operations. By shedding important light on the efficacy of British efforts to sustain and advance its interests in the twentieth century, the volume will be of interest not only to historians, but to anyone interested in contemporary problems surrounding the operation of influence as a foreign policy tool.

British Propaganda during the First World War, 1914–18

by Michael L Sanders Philip M Taylor

This ebook is now available from Bloomsbury Academic. Bloomsbury Academic publish acclaimed resources for undergraduate and postgraduate courses across a broad range of subjects including Art & Visual Culture, Biblical Studies, Business & Management, Drama & Performance Studies, Economics, Education, Film & Media, History, Linguistics, Literary Studies, Philosophy, Politics & International Relations, Religious Studies, Social Work & Social Welfare, Study Skills and Theology. Visit bloomsbury.com for more information.

British Public Diplomacy and Soft Power: Diplomatic Influence and the Digital Revolution (Studies in Diplomacy and International Relations)

by James Pamment

This volume outlines two decades of reforms at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), British Council and BBC World Service – the so-called Public Diplomacy Partners. Between 1995 and 2015, the FCO and its partner organisations in promoting British influence abroad have introduced major changes to how, where and with whom diplomacy is conducted. This unique study links major organisational reforms to the changing political, technological and intellectual contexts of the day. Through detailed case studies over a 20-year period, this study demonstrates how and why British diplomacy evolved from a secretive institution to one understanding its purpose as a global thought leader through concepts such as public diplomacy, digital diplomacy and soft power. It is rich with unpublished documents and case studies, and is the most detailed study of the FCO and British Council in the contemporary period. From Cool Britannia to the recent GREAT campaign via the 2012 Olympics and diplomats on Twitter, this book charts the theory and practice behind a 21st century revolution in British diplomacy. This work will be of much interest to policymakers and advisors, students and researchers, and foreign policy and communication specialists.“From the heady past of Cool Britannia to the present days of the Great Campaign by way of the Royal Wedding, London Olympics and multiple other gambits in Britain's evolving attempt to connect to foreign publics, this book is the essential account of the inner workings of a vital aspect of contemporary British foreign policy: public diplomacy. James Pamment is an astute, succinct and engaging Dante, bringing his readers on journey through the policy processes behind the scenes. We see the public diplomacy equivalents of paradise, purgatory and the inferno, though Pamment leaves us to decide which is which.” Nicholas J. Cull, author of ‘The Decline and Fall of the United States Information Agency: American Public Diplomacy, 1989-2001’. “A gift to practitioners who want to do the job better: required reading for anyone going into a senior job at the British Council, the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office and enlightened thinkers at 10 Downing Street, HM Treasury and Ministries of Foreign Affairs worldwide. Authoritative, scholarly and accurate, Pamment strikes a great balance between the salient details and the overarching picture. He also does a major service to those of us who lived it; our toils make more sense for what he has done - placing them in a historical and conceptual context.” John Worne, Director of Strategy & External Relations, British Council, 2007-2015

The British Publishing Industry in the Nineteenth Century: Volume IV: Publishers, Markets, Readers

by David Finkelstein Andrew Nash

This volume documents how the nineteenth-century British publishing industry responded to and helped shape changes in readership and reading markets in the period. Focusing on broad social, economic and cultural changes, it traces the impact of improvements in transport and communication networks, which dramatically affected the production, distribution and retail of books and periodicals, and the implementation of the Education Acts of 1870 and 1871 which forced publishers to direct their attention to new markets and adopt cheaper publishing formats. The growth of circulating libraries, the revolution in serial and part publication, and the spread of railway bookstalls are among the many topics addressed in this volume which concludes with a section that documents the new pressures of censorship that arose as educational reforms provoked anxieties over the spread of cheap ‘pernicious’ literature.

The British Publishing Industry in the Nineteenth Century: Volume IV: Publishers, Markets, Readers

by David Finkelstein Andrew Nash

This volume documents how the nineteenth-century British publishing industry responded to and helped shape changes in readership and reading markets in the period. Focusing on broad social, economic and cultural changes, it traces the impact of improvements in transport and communication networks, which dramatically affected the production, distribution and retail of books and periodicals, and the implementation of the Education Acts of 1870 and 1871 which forced publishers to direct their attention to new markets and adopt cheaper publishing formats. The growth of circulating libraries, the revolution in serial and part publication, and the spread of railway bookstalls are among the many topics addressed in this volume which concludes with a section that documents the new pressures of censorship that arose as educational reforms provoked anxieties over the spread of cheap ‘pernicious’ literature.

The British Publishing Industry in the Nineteenth Century: The Structure of the Industry

by David Finkelstein Andrew Nash

This volume assembles documents that illustrate the changing structure of the British publishing industry in the nineteenth century. It charts the increasing separation of the functions of printing, publishing and retailing in the production and distribution of books, and the emergence of new economic models of publishing. For most of the period the book trade operated on a shortage of capital, depending upon fragile networks of credit and debt which could lead, as in the financial crisis of 1825-6, to the collapse of many businesses. The volume documents how the structures of the industry impacted upon the pricing structure of books and periodicals and charts the slow emergence of a mass-market for print. Major points of contention such as the ‘taxes on knowledge’ and the battle over legal deposit are traced, along with recurring debates over discounting and underselling. The volume focuses on key moments such as the controversy over free trade in the 1840s and 1850s and the debates over price protection which led to the formation of the Net Book Agreement in 1900.

The British Publishing Industry in the Nineteenth Century: Volume II: Publishing and Technologies of Production

by David Finkelstein Andrew Nash

This volume brings together key documents covering technologies of production that affected the British publishing industry during a significant period of change. It focuses in particular on key source material related to industrialisation of print production, which saw major leaps forward as mechanised innovations increased the speed, efficiency and delivery of texts through the production process. The introduction of iron, steam and other forms of rotary power presses improved the output of the print room over the century. Alongside this came improvements in typesetting and associated tasks, with the adoption of linotype and monotype casting machines. Changes in available methods of reproducing illustrations such as the development of lithographic printing processes and, in the second half of the century, photographic processes such as half-tone and photogravure, enabled wider incorporation of illustrations into periodicals and books. Such technological changes also fed organisational changes within the print and publishing trade. National unions for the print trade were established in the middle of the century to adapt to new working conditions, and engaged in robust debates about technology and its effect in the workplace.

The British Publishing Industry in the Nineteenth Century: Volume III: Authors, Publishers and Copyright Law

by David Finkelstein Andrew Nash

This volume assembles documents that illustrate the changing relations between authors and publishers in the nineteenth century, and the impact of copyright reform on publishing practices. The enormous expansion in the scale and variety of the marketplace for print after 1815 provided new opportunities for authors and prompted debates over intellectual property and the working relations between authors and publishers. The volume documents the impact of these changes on the publishing industry and its markets, focusing on key moments such as the emergence of the professional literary agent in the late 1870s and the formation of the Incorporated Society of Authors in 1883. It also includes key contemporary material related to copyright and intellectual property, which were major battle grounds affecting nineteenth-century textual circulation, author/publisher relations, financial sustainability, competitiveness in international markets, and industrial relations. The British publishing industry’s attempts to control piracy and unrestricted circulation of their titles in the US and elsewhere found expression in a number of pressure campaigns, formal government commissions, legal acts, and contributions to public debate through journal articles, pamphlets, speeches, and newspaper accounts, of which a representative selection are featured in this volume.

The British Publishing Industry in the Nineteenth Century: Volume III: Authors, Publishers and Copyright Law

by David Finkelstein Andrew Nash

This volume assembles documents that illustrate the changing relations between authors and publishers in the nineteenth century, and the impact of copyright reform on publishing practices. The enormous expansion in the scale and variety of the marketplace for print after 1815 provided new opportunities for authors and prompted debates over intellectual property and the working relations between authors and publishers. The volume documents the impact of these changes on the publishing industry and its markets, focusing on key moments such as the emergence of the professional literary agent in the late 1870s and the formation of the Incorporated Society of Authors in 1883. It also includes key contemporary material related to copyright and intellectual property, which were major battle grounds affecting nineteenth-century textual circulation, author/publisher relations, financial sustainability, competitiveness in international markets, and industrial relations. The British publishing industry’s attempts to control piracy and unrestricted circulation of their titles in the US and elsewhere found expression in a number of pressure campaigns, formal government commissions, legal acts, and contributions to public debate through journal articles, pamphlets, speeches, and newspaper accounts, of which a representative selection are featured in this volume.

The British Publishing Industry in the Nineteenth Century: Volume II: Publishing and Technologies of Production

by David Finkelstein Andrew Nash

This volume brings together key documents covering technologies of production that affected the British publishing industry during a significant period of change. It focuses in particular on key source material related to industrialisation of print production, which saw major leaps forward as mechanised innovations increased the speed, efficiency and delivery of texts through the production process. The introduction of iron, steam and other forms of rotary power presses improved the output of the print room over the century. Alongside this came improvements in typesetting and associated tasks, with the adoption of linotype and monotype casting machines. Changes in available methods of reproducing illustrations such as the development of lithographic printing processes and, in the second half of the century, photographic processes such as half-tone and photogravure, enabled wider incorporation of illustrations into periodicals and books. Such technological changes also fed organisational changes within the print and publishing trade. National unions for the print trade were established in the middle of the century to adapt to new working conditions, and engaged in robust debates about technology and its effect in the workplace.

The British Publishing Industry in the Nineteenth Century: The Structure of the Industry

by David Finkelstein Andrew Nash

This volume assembles documents that illustrate the changing structure of the British publishing industry in the nineteenth century. It charts the increasing separation of the functions of printing, publishing and retailing in the production and distribution of books, and the emergence of new economic models of publishing. For most of the period the book trade operated on a shortage of capital, depending upon fragile networks of credit and debt which could lead, as in the financial crisis of 1825-6, to the collapse of many businesses. The volume documents how the structures of the industry impacted upon the pricing structure of books and periodicals and charts the slow emergence of a mass-market for print. Major points of contention such as the ‘taxes on knowledge’ and the battle over legal deposit are traced, along with recurring debates over discounting and underselling. The volume focuses on key moments such as the controversy over free trade in the 1840s and 1850s and the debates over price protection which led to the formation of the Net Book Agreement in 1900.

British queer history: New approaches and perspectives (PDF)

by Brian Lewis

This collection of essays takes stock of the ‘new British queer history’. It is intended both for scholars and students of British social and cultural history and of the history of sexuality, and for a broader readership interested in queer issues. In offering a snapshot of the field, this volume demonstrates the richness and promise of one of the most vibrant areas of modern British history and the complexity and breadth of discussion, debate and approach. It showcases challenging think-pieces from leading luminaries alongside some of the most original and exciting research by established and emerging young scholars. The book provides a plethora of fresh perspectives and a wealth of new information, suggests enticing avenues for research and – in bringing the whole question of sexual identity to the forefront of debate – challenges us to rethink queer history’s parameters.

British queer history: New approaches and perspectives

by Brian Lewis

This collection of essays takes stock of the ‘new British queer history’. It is intended both for scholars and students of British social and cultural history and of the history of sexuality, and for a broader readership interested in queer issues. In offering a snapshot of the field, this volume demonstrates the richness and promise of one of the most vibrant areas of modern British history and the complexity and breadth of discussion, debate and approach. It showcases challenging think-pieces from leading luminaries alongside some of the most original and exciting research by established and emerging young scholars. The book provides a plethora of fresh perspectives and a wealth of new information, suggests enticing avenues for research and – in bringing the whole question of sexual identity to the forefront of debate – challenges us to rethink queer history’s parameters.

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