Czechoslovak Studies Association Prize for the Best Book in the Field of Czechoslovak Historical Studies

To be eligible for consideration for the 2021 Prize, books must be primarily concerned with the history of Czechoslovakia, its predecessor and successor states, or any of its peoples within and without its historical boundaries. The field of historical studies will be broadly construed, with books in all fields considered for the prize if they are substantially historical in nature. The prize committee will decide whether a book matches these criteria. Books under consideration must be new works by a single author written originally in the English language with eligibility being the author’s membership in the Czechoslovak Studies Association.

In this cycle we are considering books published in the years 2019 and 2020

**Books for consideration should be submitted in hard copy to the book review committee at the following addresses as soon as possible and not later than 25 June 2021.**

Prof. Mark Cornwall
60 Northlands Road
Southampton SO15 2LH
UK

Prof. Cathleen Giustino
1203 Hickory Lane
Auburn
AL 36830
USA

Prof. James Krapfl
21326 Hwy 136
Cascade
IA 52033
USA

 

Publishing Policy

Simon Newman cropSimon Newman, Chair of the Publications Committee, writes: The RHS invests heavily in support for publishing, and one of our most long established ventures is the Studies in History Series, presently published by Boydell and Brewer. The series publishes exclusively adapted PhD dissertations. As part of ongoing process of review of our publications programme we are actively considering converting this series to an Open Access model of publishing which would be free to the author (no author charges). Open Access is potentially helpful to early career researchers, as it means that the text is available free of charge to any readers world-wide from the day of publication. But it would also be published in conventional book form: authors would receive the normal allocation of free copies, with the opportunity to purchase more, and the book would still be sent to review journals in print form.

We are seeking the views of early career researchers into the Studies in History Series and into other possible forms of support we can offer the ECR community, both in publishing and other spheres. Thank you for your time.


Emma Griffin is an RHS Literary Director. She writes:

Emma Griffin

As the nation’s foremost historical society, the RHS actively promotes the publication of historical scholarship.  It does so through four different publishing ventures designed to assist scholars in undertaking and disseminating their historical research.

The Camden Series

Our longest running series is the Camden Series – it has been published continuously since 1838 and now contains over 325 volumes.  Published twice yearly by Cambridge University Press, the Camden Series produces edited collections of previously unpublished British history sources.  The Camden volumes are fully annotated and indexed and contain expert introduction and commentary.  The entire back list of the Camden Society publications is available on-line through Cambridge Journals Online.  A smaller number are also freely available through British History OnLine. The literary directors are always keen to receive new proposals for Camden editions.  The main criterion for consideration is that the sources have not been previously published and are of broad historical significance.  If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please click here for an application form.

Transactions

In 1872, the RHS began publishing its annual Transactions of the Royal Historical Society – a bound copy of which is sent to all members of the society.  Transactions contains articles presented at RHS meetings in the previous year. The back list up to 2005 is available on JStor; and the entire collection from 1872 to the present is available on the CUP digital archive.

Studies in History

Since 1975 the RHS has published the Studies in History series.  Initially established by  Sir Geoffrey Elton and re-launched in 1995, this distinguished series is dedicated to publishing outstanding works by first-time authors at the beginning of their academic careers. In the process of preparing to present their work for a broader, scholarly readership, authors work closely with a member of the editorial board who acts as mentor. They also benefit from detailed, first-rate copy-editing and an excellent production team at Boydell & Brewer. So far more than 150 titles have been published in the series, which covers the whole range of the discipline from early medieval to the recent past, any geographical area, and all historical sub-disciplines. Early-career historians interested in publishing with the RHS are warmly encouraged to submit a proposal.

The Bibliography of British and Irish History (BBIH)

The most recent publishing venture of the RHS is the Bibliography of British and Irish History (BBIH) – a joint venture between the RHS, the IHR, and Brepols.  The BBIH contains over half a million records, making it easily the most comprehensive online bibliography of British and Irish history.  It is fully searchable and linked to online editions of articles, library catalogues and google books, making it an invaluable resource for any historian embarking on new research.

Emma Griffin is Professor of Modern British History at the University of East Anglia. She is the editor of History and a co-editor of Cultural and Social History, and the author of four books, most recently Liberty’s Dawn: A People’s History of the British Industrial Revolution (Yale University Press, 2013).

Date
Headline

 

Freedom Seekers: Escaping from Slavery in Restoration London

Book Launch and Panel Discussion

Friday 18 February 2022
Watch the recording of this event

 

 

Published on 1 February 2022, Simon P. Newman’s Freedom Seekers: Escaping from Slavery in Restoration London uncovers the true extent of slavery in 17th-century England through the hidden stories of enslaved and bound people in London.

Simon’s book is now available free, Open Access, to read ahead of the event.

 

 

 

Speakers at the event

  • Professor Simon P. Newman (University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Glasgow)
  • Professor Corinne Fowler (University of Leicester)
  • Professor Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
  • Professor Emma Griffin (RHS President and University of East Anglia (chair)

Freedom Seekers demonstrates not only that enslaved people were present in Restoration London but White Londoners of this era were intimately involved in the construction of the system of racial slavery, a process that traditionally has been regarded as happening in the colonies rather than the British Isles. An unmissable and important book that seeks to delve into Britain’s colonial past.

About our panel

  • Simon P. Newman is Emeritus Professor of History, University of Glasgow, and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Research in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2022 Simon is visiting scholar at the Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History at Harvard University. Simon’s recent research has focused on runaway slaves in the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century English Atlantic world, of which his new book, Freedom Seekers, forms part. Simon is also a founding editor of New Historical Perspectives, the RHS Open Access book series for Early Career Historians.
  • Corinne Fowler is Professor of Post-Colonial Literature at the University of Leicester and Director of Colonial Countryside: National Trust Houses Reinterpreted — a child-led writing and history project exploring the African, Caribbean and Indian connections at 11 of National Trust properties. Corinne is an expert in the legacies of colonialism and post-colonialism to literature, heritage and representations of British history. Her latest book is Green Unpleasant Land. Creative Responses to Rural England’s Colonial Connections (2020).
  • Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina is the Paul Murray Kendall Chair in Biography, and Professor of English at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Gretchen is a specialist in Black British studies and the author of Britain’s Black Past (2020), was based on the BBC Radio 4 series of the same title, in addition to earlier titles including Mr and Mrs Prince (2013), Black Victorians, Black Victoriana (2003) and Black London. Life Before Emancipation (1995).
  • Emma Griffin is President of the Royal Historical Society and Professor of Modern British History at the University of East Anglia

Watch the recording of this event

 

RHS Lecture and Events: Full Programme for 2022 >

 

Society launches new Associate Fellowships and Postgraduate Memberships

In an important update to its membership package, the Society has introduced two new ways to join and engage with the RHS. Details of its new Associate Fellowship and Postgraduate Membership categories were announced at the Society’s 2021 AGM, held on Friday 26 November, and are effective from that date.

As a result, there are now four ways to be part of the Royal Historical Society: as a Fellow, Associate Fellow, Postgraduate Member and Member.

The changes better align the Society’s membership options to today’s historical profession, within and beyond Higher Education, and bring three important benefits to membership:

  • creating more opportunities for historians, of all backgrounds, to join the Society
  • enabling the Society to better tailor what it offers members based on their career stage and interests
  • providing members with opportunities for continuous involvement with the Society, with options to change membership type to reflect career progression

Further information on the changes is also available via the Society’s blog, Historical Transactions.

 

Associate Fellowship

The Society’s new category of Associate Fellowship recognises the contribution to history made by those who do not currently qualify for the full RHS Fellowship, which is typically available to historians on publication of a monograph, a substantial set of scholarly articles, or an equivalent body of work.

By contrast, the Associate Fellowship recognises individuals within Higher Education who’ve made a substantial contribution to historical knowledge (for example, with a completed PhD thesis or first set of articles) but have not (yet) reached the level required for election to the Fellowship.

The Associate Fellowship will also recognise those active in sectors other than HE—including heritage, conservation, libraries and archives, teaching, publishing, broadcasting, and community and public history—whose contribution to history is equally significant but was not previously adequately recognised within the Society’s Fellowship structure.

As for full Fellowships, the new Associate Fellowship is recognition, by the members of the profession, of a contribution made to historical knowledge and understanding, and voted for by the RHS Council at its regular meetings.

The principal benefits of the Associate Fellowship include:

  • Print copy of latest volume of the Society’s academic journal, Transactions
  • Discounts on new print volumes in RHS Camden Series and personal subscriptions to the ‘Bibliography of British and Irish History’ online​
  • Access to the Society’s Library and Archive ​at University College London
  • Eligibility to apply for RHS grants and fellowships, where applicable
  • Eligibility to participate in the Society’s Annual General Meeting
  • Access to RHS members events, including Early Career training​ programmes
  • 30% discount on all Cambridge University Press academic books (print only)

Full details, and pricing, of the new Associate Fellowship are available via the Join the RHS section of the Society’s website.

 

Postgraduate Membership

The Society’s second new category of Postgraduate Membership is open to all those currently enrolled for a further degree (MA and above) in history or a related discipline, in the UK or overseas, and for the duration of the university course, plus one year.

The principal benefits of the Postgraduate Membership include:

  • Online access to latest volume of the Society’s academic journal, Transactions
  • Discounts on new print volumes in RHS Camden Series and personal subscriptions to the ‘Bibliography of British and Irish History’ online​
  • Receipt of weekly e-circulars with news relating to History events + regular RHS communications and Newsletters
  • Access to the Society’s Library and Archive at University College London
  • Eligibility to apply for RHS grants and funded fellowships
  • Eligibility to participate in the Society’s Annual General Meeting
  • Access to RHS training events, including Early Career workshop programme
  • 30% discount on all Cambridge University Press academic books (print only)

Full details, and pricing, of the new Postgraduate Membership are available via the Join the RHS section of the Society’s website.

The launch of the Associate Fellowships and Postgraduate memberships also sees an end to the Society’s existing Early Career Membership category, which previously catered for all research-focused historians who were not full Fellows.

Spanning PhD students at different stages of their research—as well as a wide range of post-docs several years out of a doctorate—the previous ECR category included a very broad range of members. The Society now seeks to support these members via more closely defined categories composed of historians at equivalent career stages.

Following these changes, in 2022 all existing members of the Society’s Early Career category will be given the option to convert their membership to one of the two new categories: i.e. to Associate Fellowship, for those current advanced ECRs who have completed a PhD; or to Postgraduate Membership for those currently studying for a further degree.

From now, anyone wishing to join the Society—who was  previously eligible only for ECR membership—will be able to do so via the new Associate Fellowship or Postgraduate membership routes, as appropriate for their career stage.

Existing Fellowship and Membership options

November’s changes to the Society’s membership will not change the criteria for joining the full Fellowship or becoming a Member of the RHS—the latter being a category open to anyone with an interest in history, but without the professional contribution required for full Fellowship or Associate Fellowship; or who are not studying for a research degree as required for the Postgraduate category.

Many current Members of the Society are, of course, practising historians. Those Members who wish to apply for the new Associate Fellowship, on account of their contribution to history, will also be invited to do so. As for the current ECR members, we will contact these Members in 2022 to invite them to consider converting to the Associate Fellowship.

The new RHS membership categories at a glance

The Society’s previous three membership categories now become four with the creation of the new Associate Fellowship and Postgraduate Membership, which replace the previous Early Career Research option.

 

What the new Associate Fellow and Postgraduate categories offer

Following November’s changes, the Society will be better able to provide tailored packages and support (e.g. training courses or access to specialist networks) to suit members’ specific interests.

This is especially so for those in academia at the start of their research or professional careers: historians who are either studying for a higher degree (and may take advantage of Postgraduate Membership); or who’ve completed a PhD and are beginning to publish or start a teaching career (Associate Fellowship).

The final content of these offers, by category, is currently being developed and will be communicated to the RHS membership in the coming months.

The Associate Fellowship also has the potential to broaden the Society’s membership beyond higher education, offering a means to recognise the contributions made by those in other professional sectors and via personal research.

By encouraging greater diversity of membership through broader definitions of historical work, we hope to enrich members’ experiences through closer co-operation with historians of different kinds and professions.

***

For more on the November 2021 changes to the Society’s Membership categories, please see the accompanying post on the RHS blog Historical Transactions, and the individual category pages in the Join the RHS section of the Society’s website.

 

RHS asks Government to clarify its position on historical research

The Royal Historical Society, together with the heads of other leading UK historical organisations, has written asking the Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden MP, to clarify the government’s position on the funding of historical research.

An excerpt of the letter has today been published in The Sunday Times (Letters, p.26). The letter comes with the news that Dame Helen Ghosh, master of Balliol College, Oxford, has apologised for the historical acceptance of donations linked to the Atlantic slave trade.

The full text of the letter, together with its signatories:

 

“Dear Sir,

We write to express our concern as historians about ministers’ illegitimate interference in the research and interpretation done by our arm’s length heritage bodies such as museums, galleries, the Arts Council and the lottery heritage fund.

In particular we deplore the position, attributed to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Department in the press recently, that Professor Corinne Fowler’s ‘Colonial Countryside’ project, which explores the links between National Trust properties, empire and slavery, will be barred from funding in future.  As historians, we find this deeply concerning and we ask the culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, to confirm or deny whether this is his department’s position.

Academics are protected from such interference by the ‘Haldane Principle’, which accepts that government should set the general strategic direction of public funding for academic research but that ministers must not seek to make directions on individual funding decisions, which are best left to peer review to ensure both quality and independence.  Arm’s length bodies such as the Arts Council and the National Lottery Heritage fund are not so explicitly protected.  Perhaps they should be; Parliament ought to consider this carefully.  But the Lottery Act at least specifies what are ministers’ powers and these do not include determination on individual projects.  The granting bodies, not the minister, have the expertise to determine what projects best fulfil their statutory mission, and both heritage organisations and individual researchers have the legitimate expectation based on long practice that the minister not interfere in those determinations.

The culture secretary has also been quoted as seeking to deny funding to any projects deemed ‘political’.  Not only do we dispute his authority to interfere in funding decisions, we also query his use of the word ‘political’.  It is worth pointing out that the Charity Commission has recently found that the National Trust’s recent investigations into the links between its properties, empire and slavery is compatible with its charitable purposes, i.e. not ‘political’ in the relevant sense of the word. The minister should welcome this finding and make clear that research of this kind, into the connections between heritage, slavery and empire, does indeed fall within the funding bodies’ public purposes, if deemed otherwise fundable by those bodies.

Britain has a tradition of arm’s length funding of education, culture and heritage which has always sought to insulate these spheres, crucial to free debate in a diverse society, from excessive interference by government.  Such interference stifles the capacity of historians to do their work and exerts a wider chilling effect.  It may deter – it may be intended to deter – historians from embarking on difficult or sensitive research.  It certainly undermines and impoverishes our ability to explore difficult issues.  It also runs counter to recent statements by the government in defence of academic freedom.

If anyone is being too ‘political’ here, it is politicians who violate the principles of arm’s-length governance by seeking to dictate what research our heritage bodies can and cannot support.”

Emma Griffin, President, Royal Historical Society
Peter Mandler, President, Historical Association
Peter D’Sena, Vice President, Royal Historical Society
Jonathan Morris, Vice President, Royal Historical Society
Olivette Otele, Vice President, Royal Historical Society
Jane Winters, Vice President, Royal Historical Society
Catherine Schenk, President, Economic History Society
Yolana Pringle, History UK
Jamie Wood, History UK.
Matthew Hilton, Co-Editor, Past & Present
Joanna Innes, Chair, Past & Present
Alexandra Walsham, Co-Editor, Past & Present
Naomi Tadmor, Chair, Social History Society

 

Society launches new Associate Fellowships and Postgraduate Memberships

In an important update to its membership package, the Society has introduced two new ways to join and engage with the RHS. Details of its new Associate Fellowship and Postgraduate Membership categories were announced at the Society’s 2021 AGM, held on Friday 26 November, and are effective from that date.

As a result, there are now four ways to be part of the Royal Historical Society: as a FellowAssociate FellowPostgraduate Member and Member.

The changes better align the Society’s membership options to today’s historical profession, within and beyond Higher Education, and bring three important benefits to membership:

  • creating more opportunities for historians, of all backgrounds, to join the Society
  • enabling the Society to better tailor what it offers members based on their career stage and interests
  • providing members with opportunities for continuous involvement with the Society, with options to change membership type to reflect career progression

Further information on the changes is also available via the Society’s blog, Historical Transactions.

 

Associate Fellowship

The Society’s new category of Associate Fellowship recognises the contribution to history made by those who do not currently qualify for the full RHS Fellowship, which is typically available to historians on publication of a monograph, a substantial set of scholarly articles, or an equivalent body of work.

By contrast, the Associate Fellowship recognises individuals within Higher Education who’ve made a substantial contribution to historical knowledge (for example, with a completed PhD thesis or first set of articles) but have not (yet) reached the level required for election to the Fellowship.

The Associate Fellowship will also recognise those active in sectors other than HE—including heritage, conservation, libraries and archives, teaching, publishing, broadcasting, and community and public history—whose contribution to history is equally significant but was not previously adequately recognised within the Society’s Fellowship structure.

As for full Fellowships, the new Associate Fellowship is recognition, by the members of the profession, of a contribution made to historical knowledge and understanding, and voted for by the RHS Council at its regular meetings.

The principal benefits of the Associate Fellowship include:

  • Print copy of latest volume of the Society’s academic journal, Transactions
  • Discounts on new print volumes in RHS Camden Series and personal subscriptions to the ‘Bibliography of British and Irish History’ online​
  • Access to the Society’s Library and Archive ​at University College London
  • Eligibility to apply for RHS grants and fellowships, where applicable
  • Eligibility to participate in the Society’s Annual General Meeting
  • Access to RHS members events, including Early Career training​ programmes
  • 30% discount on all Cambridge University Press academic books (print only)

Full details, and pricing, of the new Associate Fellowship are available via the Join the RHS section of the Society’s website.

 

Postgraduate Membership

The Society’s second new category of Postgraduate Membership is open to all those currently enrolled for a further degree (MA and above) in history or a related discipline, in the UK or overseas, and for the duration of the university course, plus one year.

The principal benefits of the Postgraduate Membership include:

  • Online access to latest volume of the Society’s academic journal, Transactions
  • Discounts on new print volumes in RHS Camden Series and personal subscriptions to the ‘Bibliography of British and Irish History’ online​
  • Receipt of weekly e-circulars with news relating to History events + regular RHS communications and Newsletters
  • Access to the Society’s Library and Archive at University College London
  • Eligibility to apply for RHS grants and funded fellowships
  • Eligibility to participate in the Society’s Annual General Meeting
  • Access to RHS training events, including Early Career workshop programme
  • 30% discount on all Cambridge University Press academic books (print only)

Full details, and pricing, of the new Postgraduate Membership are available via the Join the RHS section of the Society’s website.

The launch of the Associate Fellowships and Postgraduate memberships also sees an end to the Society’s current Early Career Membership category, which previously catered for all research-focused historians who were not full Fellows.

Spanning PhD students at different stages of their research—as well as a wide range of post-docs several years out of a doctorate—the previous ECR category included a very broad range of members. The Society now seeks to support these members via more closely defined categories composed of historians at equivalent career stages.

Following these changes, in 2022 all existing members of the Society’s Early Career category will be given the option to convert their membership to one of the two new categories: i.e. to Associate Fellowship, for those current advanced ECRs who have completed a PhD; or to Postgraduate Membership for those currently studying for a further degree.

From now, anyone wishing to join the Society—who was  previously eligible only for ECR membership—will be able to do so via the new Associate Fellowship or Postgraduate membership routes, as appropriate for their career stage.

 

Existing Fellowship and Membership options

November’s changes to the Society’s membership will not change the criteria for joining the full Fellowship or becoming a Member of the RHS—the latter being a category open to anyone with an interest in history, but without the professional contribution required for full Fellowship or Associate Fellowship; or who are not studying for a research degree as required for the Postgraduate category.

Many current Members of the Society are, of course, practising historians. Those Members who wish to apply for the new Associate Fellowship, on account of their contribution to history, will also be invited to do so. As for the current ECR members, we will contact these Members in 2022 to invite them to consider converting to the Associate Fellowship.

 

The new RHS membership categories at a glance

The Society’s previous three membership categories now become four with the creation of the new Associate Fellowship and Postgraduate Membership, which replace the previous Early Career Research option.

 

What the new Associate Fellow and Postgraduate categories offer

Following November’s changes, the Society will be better able to provide tailored packages and support (e.g. training courses or access to specialist networks) to suit members’ specific interests.

This is especially so for those in academia at the start of their research or professional careers: historians who are either studying for a higher degree (and may take advantage of Postgraduate Membership); or who’ve completed a PhD and are beginning to publish or start a teaching career (Associate Fellowship).

The final content of these offers, by category, is currently being developed and will be communicated to the RHS membership in the coming months.

The Associate Fellowship also has the potential to broaden the Society’s membership beyond higher education, offering a means to recognise the contributions made by those in other professional sectors and via personal research.

By encouraging greater diversity of membership through broader definitions of historical work, we hope to enrich members’ experiences through closer co-operation with historians of different kinds and professions.

***

For more on the November 2021 changes to the Society’s Membership categories, please see the accompanying post on the RHS blog Historical Transactions, and the individual category pages in the Join the RHS section of the Society’s website.

 

New benefits for members of the Society

From the end of August, we will be extending the range of benefits available to all Fellows and Members of the Royal Historical Society. These will be in addition to the current set of benefits available, by category, to Fellows, Associate Fellows, Members and Postgraduate Members.

The new benefits provide online access to the archives of RHS publications, and include:

  • Online access to the current issue and searchable archive of the Society’s journal Transactions of the Royal Historical Society. The archive, available via CUP’s Cambridge Core platform, includes 144 volumes and more than 2200 articles, published between the journal’s foundation in 1872 and the early 2020s.
  • Online access to all 325 volumes of the Society’s Camden Series of primary source materials, including the latest titles published in 2021 and 2022, again via CUP’s Core platform. Since 1838, the Camden Series has made primary records available in accessible scholarly editions, compiled and introduced by specialist historians. The Series is especially strong in material relating to British history, including the British Empire and Britons’ influence overseas.

Other benefits available from late August 2022:

Following requests from current Fellows, with the introduction of full online access we will also offer the option to ‘opt out’ of the annual print copy of Transactions, starting with the November 2022 volume.

Current Members of the Society will be notified in August when these benefits become available.


In the coming 12 months, the Society expects to offer further membership benefits, including:

  • Access to a new ‘Fellows’ area’ on the Society’s website, providing curated content, a self-service membership subscription portal, and directory of Fellows’ research interests to enable scholarly exchange.
  • Inclusion in and access to a directory of Fellows’ Research Interests.
  • Additional discounts to partner publications and products. 

Applications to join the Royal Historical Society are welcome at any time. The next deadline for applications is Monday 22 August 2022.

 

 

 

History in UK Higher Education: A Statement from the Royal Historical Society

The President and Council of the Royal Historical Society have today issued a statement on their concerns for History teaching and research in UK Higher Education.

Please see here to read the full statement: ‘History in UK Higher Education. A Statement from the Royal Historical Society’

The statement identifies an environment of ‘unprecedented turbulence and uncertainty’ in the sector, evident in several forms: closure of departments, programmes of voluntary and compulsory redundancy; cuts to courses; and the persistent threat of future actions of this kind. The statement also comments on the changing profile of ‘at risk’ departments. Many of those with whom the Society now works are in established universities with long-standing History departments noted for their achievement in recent REF exercises.

Explanations for the increase of at risk departments rest with political decisions — notably the lifting the student cap in 2015 — and the marketisation of UK Higher Education. The negative effects of these changes are now being felt particularly acutely by History and other humanities disciplines.

In the coming months, the Royal Historical Society is undertaking a project to assess the full extent of the losses, risks and concerns that now characterise History in UK Higher Education. We expect to published this report later this year.


History in UK Higher Education: A Statement from the Royal Historical Society >

If you wish to contact the Society on topics raised in today’s statement, in confidence, please email: president@royalhistsoc.org


The Society’s Toolkit for Historians provides further resources for those at risk of departmental cuts and closures.

 

Professor Margot Finn – RHS Presidential Address 27 November 2020

“Material Turns in British History IV. Erasures: Empire in India, Cancel Cultures and the Country House”

 

Professor Margot Finn
Friday 27 November 2020

18.00 GMT – Live online via Zoom
 

Watch the Lecture

 

 

Abstract

Historians today are said to be in the throes of a so-called culture war, in which empire and colonialism are key protagonists.  ‘Cancel cultures’ are conspicuous in the armoury of this cultural conflict.

Cancel culture refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive,’ the Pop Culture Dictionary explains, and is generally discussed as being performed on social media in the form of group shaming.’

History as both a scholarly discipline and as a broader institutional and social practice has come under repeated fire from all political sides and generational cohorts in this context.  In this lecture, I pick up a few highly visible threads among the rich tapestry of this contemporary conflict. By locating the social and material history of the British country house within the phenomena of colonialism and imperialism, this lecture aims to situate today’s ‘culture wars’ in both a broader and a longer historical context.

 

 

 

Camden Series volumes, 2022: new primary source collections for historians

Each year the Society publishes two volumes of primary source materials, edited by historians who’ve worked closely with these documents. The volumes appear in the Society’s Camden Series of scholarly editions and make new sets of primary sources available for research.

Each volume, compiled and edited by a specialist in the subject, includes an Introduction and full references and annotations. Camden Society volumes are published online and in print for the Society by Cambridge University Press.

The Camden Series volumes, 2022, provide primary sources on everyday life in Early modern England and high politics in Britain, Ireland and Germany in the interwar years.

 

Volume 64The Diary of George Lloyd (1642-1718), edited by Daniel Patterson (November 2022)

Virtually unknown to scholarship, Lloyd’s diary is not a record of notable events. Rather, it is a uniquely quotidian text consisting of regular daily entries documenting the activities and experiences of an individual far removed from great events.

Lloyd’s diary will be an invaluable resource for scholars studying many aspects of early modern English social and cultural history, including sociality, fashion, religious observance, courtship, food and drink, and working life.

The Diary of George Lloyd, 1642-1718 is now available online and in print from Cambridge University Press. RHS Fellows and Members may purchase hardback print copies directly from the Society for £16 per volume or £25 for both 2022 Camden Series volumes. To do so please email: administration@royalhistsoc.org.

Read the Introduction to The Diary of George Lloyd, 1642-1718.

Here, the editor Dr Daniel Patterson introduces George Lloyd and his world, on the Society’s blog, ‘Historical Transactions’.

 

Volume 63Aristocracy, Democracy, and Dictatorship. The Political Papers of the Seventh Marquess of Londonderry, edited by N. C. Fleming (September 2022).

The seventh Marquess of Londonderry (1878–1949) corresponded with the leading political figures of his day, including Winston Churchill (his second cousin), Neville Chamberlain, Stanley Baldwin and Ramsay MacDonald. Londonderry’s amateur diplomacy in the 1930s meant that his regular correspondents also included Hermann Göring, Joachim von Ribbentrop and Franz von Papen.

Aristocracy, Democracy, and Dictatorship is now available online and in print from Cambridge University Press. RHS Fellows and Members may purchase hardback print copies directly from the Society for £16 per volume or £25 for both 2022 Camden Series volumes. To do so please email: administration@royalhistsoc.org.

Read the Introduction to Aristocracy, Democracy, and Dictatorship. The Political Papers of the Seventh Marquess of Londonderry.

Here, on the Society’s blog, ‘Historical Transactions’, the volume’s editor Professor Neil Fleming introduces the interwar political networks of the Marquess of Londonderry.

 


About the RHS Camden Series

 

 

The Royal Historical Society’s Camden Series is one of the most prestigious and important collections of primary source material relating to British History, including the British empire and Britons’ influence overseas. The Society (and its predecessor, the Camden Society) has since 1838 published scholarly editions of sources—making important, previously unpublished, texts available to researchers. Each volume is edited by a specialist historian who provides an expert introduction and commentary.

Today the Society publishes two new Camden volumes each year in association with Cambridge University Press. The series is available via Cambridge Journals Online and full access is available to the Society’s Members and Fellows, as part of new member benefits from 2022. We welcome proposals for new Camden volumes: for more on how to submit an idea to the editors, please see the Camden Series page of the RHS website.