2008
 Liverpool 800
Culture, Character & History
Ed. John Belchem
University of Liverpool
Published to mark the 800th anniversary in 2007 of the founding of modern Liverpool by King John, Liverpool 800 is the definitive biography of this magnificent world city. Contributors explore the life of Liverpool over eight centuries, looking at the town’s early development, the eighteenth-century foundations of its mercantile economy, the golden period of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the difficult inter-war years, the fifties boom and the subsequent disastrous and seemingly irreversible decline – seemingly, because the winning of European Capital of Culture status for 2008 reflects Liverpool’s contemporary renaissance, an aspect of current history which is also reflected upon by the contributors. Ranging widely over politics and government, famous and infamous personalities, domestic lives and global connections, and culture both high and low, Liverpool 800 offers a warts-andall portrait of a city that has inspired contempt (‘a black spot on the Mersey’) and adulation (‘the centre of consciousness of the human universe’) but rarely indifference. Elegantly designed and including over 300 illustrations, many of which have never been published before, Liverpool 800 is a superb anniversary celebration of a great city and its people.
528 pages, 246 x 189mm, September 2006
300 colour and b/w illustrations
p/b 1846310350 (9781846310355) £14.95
h/b 1846310342 (9781846310348) £35.00
special edition, superbly bound with slip case 1846310369 (9781846310362) £100.00
This excellent book reminds us that there is more to Liverpool than the Beatles or such stereotypes as Koppites with dodgy perms... it is grounded in solid academic research, accessibly written and richly illustrated. Even Mancunians might like it.'
BBC History Magazine
'Liverpool 800: Culture, Character & History provides a long overdue reappraisal of Liverpool's chequered history...Lavishly illustrated, this is a vibrant, stylish and witty book.'
Times Literary Supplement |
King John’s ‘Charter’ 1207
An image of the actual letters
patent granted by King John in 1207. To see a transcription and translation
of the charter using the Mersey-Gateway click
here.
From their website:
A2A aims to create a virtual national archives catalogue, bringing together a critical mass of information about the rich national archival heritage and making that information available globally from one source via the World Wide Web. The North West region has hosted a number of projects.
Community Spirit
This project will convert 23,281 pages of catalogues, from the region relating to church, parish and local government archives. These records are the pivotal collections of many local record offices and represent the some of the most heavily used items, particularly for family historians. Family historians make up over 79% of users of archives in the region and this is an excellent entry point into using archives for leisure and learning. The collections covered by the project represent a key part of the history of the region and will complement collections covered in previous successful regional A2A projects, namely Our Mutual Friends in the North and Mills, Mansions and Corner Shops.
The project will also encourage new users of archives by creating a series of web pages which will serve as an introduction as to how archives can be used by everybody. The pages will reveal the detail of the archives contained in the converted catalogues and by focusing on sources for family history, the project will have a universal appeal. An outreach officer will undertake a number of talks and demonstrations to promote the project, which is expected to coincide with a major BBC TV series on family history this winter.
We are currently seeking funding for this project.
|
![[Speke Hall Icon]](../resources/images/homepage/speke.jpg)
