In over 970 alphabetically arranged entries, this single-volume encyclopedia examines both high and popular culture
in the UK, and encompasses everything British--from architecture to
pubs to film to internet to the monarchy. This unique encyclopedia
casts its net over the whole range of British contemporary life.
Entries range from short biographical synopses of the careers of key
individuals to longer overview articles exploring the main issues
within contemporary cultural debates. Bringing together subjects rarely
found in one volume, the Encyclopedia defines "culture" in its broadest
sense, with entries including:
Asian
Press; BBC; Black
Theatre; Michael Caine; Carnaby Street; Channel 4; Jasper Conran;
Daniel Day-Lewis; Drink in Britain; FA Cup; Fantasy Football; Fashion
(90s); Food; Football; Gay and Lesbian Culture; Glenda Jackson; Stanley
Kubrick; Labour Party; Lucian Freud; Monarchy; Musicals; Notting Hill Carnival; Nick Park; Pop Art; Dennis Potter; Raves; The Rushdie Affair;
and much more. The comprehensive system of cross-referencing and
thematic contents list help readers to identify entries from particular
fields. Students, travelers, journalists and general readers will find
this an invaluable reference source on contemporary British life.
Added by: Maria | Karma: 3098.81 | Non-Fiction | 16 August 2008
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The monarchy is at the heart of British life. If you're going to
understand Britain and its history, you need to understand the story of
its royal family. This lively guide walks you through the history of
the British monarchy from the earliest times to the present day and
covers the colourful characters, extraordinary events, power struggles,
and politics that have shaped one of the most famous institutions in
the world.
"The History of the Kings of Britain" is a mythical hiistorical
account of British history, written around 1136 by Geoffrey of
Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons in a
chronological narrative spanning a time of two thousand years,
beginning with the Trojans of Homer's Iliad founding the British nation
and continuing until the Anglo-Saxons assumed control of Britain around
the 7th century.
In this book the author
discusses the political story of the first decade of the reign of George III,
one of the most controversial figures in modern British history. George III has
often been blamed for the loss of Britain’s American colonies in an attempt to
restore royal power.
Peter D. G. Thomas confirms earlier findings that George III was not seeking to
advance royal power and throws light on the extent to which a system of party
politics existed at the time. Although the structure of British politics
provides the setting for this study, America, India, and Ireland are also
considered here as important issues of the time.