Britain Since 1789: A Concise History - Softcover

Martin Pugh is Professor of Modern British History at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Pugh (Univ. Newcastle upon Tyne), a widely published scholar of British history, wrote this survey for Italian university students. His goal was to make his subject understandable to non-English speakers, primarily by writing short, focused chapters with minimal assumptions about the readers' knowledge. The book has 29 chapters, each nine pages or fewer. Its positive reception at the University of Rome prompted publication of this English edition. The author's assumptions make the book more accessible than most surveys, but it is understandably light on details. Pugh has to make more generalizations than in a typical survey history, and while he has the scholarly authority to do so, the result smacks of history lite. He's uncertain about his own assessment of recent events, and the book breaks no new scholarly turf. It's hard to tell where the book's audience will be in the English-speaking world; it's probably too superficial for college students but a little too demanding for high school or casual reading. Perhaps an alternate selection for public libraries?ARobert C. Moore, Raytheon Electronic Systems, Sudbury, MA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.