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Good Book On Birmingham's History Please

A

AnyaDarr

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Is there a book you history buffs could recommend on Birmingham's history please :)
 
Darr have one in front of me at the moment and it is signed by the authors. It is called Memories of Birmingham by Alton Douglas and contains a 100 years of photographs. It was priced at £7.99p but that was a while back. Take care. Jean. PS I aint no buff by the way.
 
A History of Birmingham by Chris Upton.
Published by Phillimore.

ISBN 0 - 85033 - 870 - 0

Very well written and researched. Comprehensive and well illustrated.

Recommended.

Price £15.95...or it was when I bought it.
 
I agree with Beamish - "The History of Birmingham" by Chris Upton.
Well written in an interesting format (i.e not at all "dry")
 
I agree Chris Upton's book is very good. I also have his book Living Back to Back. Another if you are interested in the idustrial side is Ray Shill's book, Industrial Heritage 1900-2000. Carl Chinn's One Thousand Years Of Brum.
 
Thanks for this great feedback. I will order them from my local (Devon) library first and then decide. They are very good and get me anything and are used to strange requests from me! My main period of interest is really 19th C and early 20th C before WW11.
 
The books by Kathleen Dayus are wonderful glimpses into the social history of life in Birmingham in the early part of the 20th Century. She lived and worked in the jewellery quarter, and her life is chronicled in her books.
Her People
Where there's Life
All my days.

There is I think one more, you won't be able to put them down.:)
 
The meatiest history I know is in fact two volumes written by Victor Skipp nearly 30 years ago. The first volume was entitled "A History of Greater Birmingham - down to 1830", first published in 1980 [ISBN 0 - 9506998 - 0 - 02] but often reprinted. The second was "The Making of Victorian Birmingham" [ISBN 0 - 9506998- 3 -7]. They don't take you into the 20th century, but most of us remember some of that. They are copiously illustrated and very readable, packed with well-chosen detail. He died in the 1990s, but I think I have seen copies on sale recently in Waterstone's in New Street, and Amazon could probably help you out over the internet.
Peter
 
Thank you this is all good stuff and I will let you know when I have read it all and becoem the expert! Ha Ha:D
 
Thanks to all for advice have got Chris Upton's book from libray, nice light read and dig the humour. Will try something meatier next.
 
Darr I am glad you liked the book. Chris does walks and talks sometimes in the city. I too love his humor and his walks are great. A few here would get on with him as he tries to dive into the local pubs! I would recommend going on one!:):)
 
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