Mark Jones

Discovering Britain’s First Railways is devoted to the history, rediscovery and exploration of Britain’s first railways, examining its network of over 1,500 miles of horse-drawn tramroads and waggonways. This essential guide not only describes their origins and ways of working, but opens up a world of discovery in a little-documented part of Britain’s transport history. Tramways across the Britain, from Cornwall to Scotland, are documented and their remains detailed in a lively and informative style, making this an ideal reference book for social historians and railway enthusiasts as well as an invaluable walking guide with routes and maps around the country. Unlike a lot of former British Railways branch lines, many of these routes are now public rights of way enabling walkers and often cyclists to explore some spectacular and hitherto little-known countryside on a safe and level path.

For half a century the Royal Hippodrome was the most popular place of entertainment in Eastbourne, with shows twice-nightly, 52 weeks a year. Its management fought off predatory syndicates and steered independently through both World Wars, the rise of cinema, radio, talkies and, finally, the advent of television.The story of this remarkable theatre is set in the context of the growth of Eastbourne as a resort and the wider history of variety theatre in Britain. It contains contemporary reviews of such artists as Lottie Collins, Robb Wilton, P.T. Selbit, Hylda Baker, Max Bygraves and Harry Secombe.

Mark Jones examines the making of a new child’s world in Japan between 1890 and 1930 and focuses on the institutions, groups, and individuals that reshaped both the idea of childhood and the daily life of children. Family reformers, scientific child experts, magazine editors, well-educated mothers, and other prewar urban elites constructed a model of childhood—having one’s own room, devoting time to homework, reading children’s literature, playing with toys—that ultimately became the norm for young Japanese in subsequent decades.This book also places the story of modern childhood within a broader social context—the emergence of a middle class in early twentieth century Japan. The ideal of making the child into a “superior student” (yutosei) appealed to the family seeking upward mobility and to the nation-state that needed disciplined, educated workers able to further Japan’s capitalist and imperialist growth. This view of the middle class as a child-centered, educationally obsessed, socially aspiring stratum survived World War II and prospered into the years beyond.

Lessons we can learn from Weimar: the last time democracy chose to end itself. The constitution of the Weimar Republic was a watershed moment in politics, an attempt to create a modern political system that secured compromise between rich and poor, and a society that offered equal rights to men and women. The start of the Republic was the first time that German women could vote and become parliamentarians, as well as the first time that a state anywhere in the world provided funding for an organization that would campaign for gay and transsexual rights. Despite overcoming its turbulent beginnings, including violent attempts to overthrow the new order led by extremists of the political left and right, the Weimar Republic's best years began in 1924 but did not last. By 1930 the Republic's end was already in sight. We are all liberal subjects in crisis. Just like people living in Germany one hundred years ago, we live in a time of accelerated technological change. We find it hard to cope with new and growing challenges, and we wonder about what has happened to our cultures, identities and our ability to control events taking place on a global scale. We, like them, face up to a world of industrialized economies where managers constantly seek to optimize the speed of production and reduce costs to maximize profits. Like Weimar, our governments are democratically chosen by men and women, who have the equal right to vote. But just as was the case in Weimar, we also live in democracies where billionaire businessmen enter politics not just to shape policy but also to fundamentally bend the essence of the state and the political system to their advantage. As bad as these similarities may be, this book is not suggesting that the western world is reliving the end of the Weimar Republic step by step. Things being comparable, in other words, does not mean that they are entirely the same. But that doesn't mean that there aren't lessons to be learned about the origins of our present conditions from the political and cultural history of Weimar Germany. The arguments that follow are based upon some twenty years of research and thinking about Weimar. They include analysis of events and interpretations that are shared here for the first time. Like us, Weimar's democrats were trying to save their system and shore up the shaking foundations that were the result of the first crisis of classical modernity. Instead of thinking that we have arrived in totalitarianism, by measuring our present moment against the history of Weimar democracy, we can see more clearly what is genuinely unique about our current moment, and what strategies are needed to bring an end to our own moment of liberal despair.

Hunting with Pop, Dale his Dad and Uncles is a heartwarming family adventure that celebrates connection, courage, and culture. Guided by his Pop and uncles, little Dale experiences his very first turtle hunt, a journey filled with laughter, lessons, and legacy. Rooted in Indigenous knowledge and storytelling, this true tale shares the importance of family bonds, respect for land and sea, and the passing down of traditions to the next generation.

The second edition of Criminal Justice Pioneers in US History presents a rich tapestry of biographies showcasing individuals who have made significant contributions to our criminal justice system, encompassing fields such as criminology, law enforcement, corrections, and legal jurisprudence. Each biography includes an introductory overview, background information, career highlights, an analysis of contributions and controversies, and concludes with legacies, further reading suggestions, and discussion prompts.

Steptoe's Grandson follows the fortunes of the original Lampblack Steptoe's of Fighting Cocks London who move to London Fields Liverpool following the great Cockney flood. Grandson Hal and his girlfriend Cherry. B are the new generations who attempt to modernize Steptoe from the 1930's depression to the rock n roll era and swinging 60's and 70's, while inspired by the junk left behind in property auction shows. Harry and Albert are now deceased but their ghosts continue to bicker and corrupt an alternate heaven, as they guide Hal and Cherry. B about Lampblack Steptoe family history while unwittingly mimicking through Randall and Hopkirk style scenarios the playacting Steptoe's of Shepherd's Bush, Hal and Cherry. B learn about the junk game, Albert's time in the Home Guard, Cousin Jarvis and branches of the Steptoe family and family romantic assignations, past and present.

Chief Engraver at the Royal Mint and the leading medallist of his time William Wyon RA (1795-1851) produced some of the best known and most widely distributed images ever made. His portraits of the young Queen Victoria on the coinage, used throughout the British empire, and the more regal head used for the first postage stamps, the penny red and twopenny blue, were reproduced in their millions and distributed all around the globe. A highly regarded modeller in low relief, known and admired for the classical purity of his compositions and the accomplishment of their execution, Wyon was celebrated as a British artist who more than rivalled his continental competitors, favoured by royalty and by many of the most prominent and influential figures of his time. The book aims to understand how and why Wyon's work was commissioned and how it was received, using institutional archives, contemporary correspondence and reminiscence, and the popular press, to create a rounded picture of the life, work, networks, influence and impact of an artist who was also an entrepreneur on his own account and a public servant at the heart of the establishment. Wyon's career began with a major contribution to the execution of the monetary reform that created a new and widely respected coinage which underpinned and symbolised the global growth of the British economy. The medals, which he made throughout his career, reflect their time: commissioned to celebrate and reward the scientific and technological progress, the improvements in education and agriculture, the literary and artistic achievements, the passion for making things better and recognising and encouraging those who did, that characterised Wyon's contemporaries. Almost every major figure of the age is here, from Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, to Palmerston, Peel, Wellington and Gladstone; from Maria II of Portugal and Mrs Sweetenham Waters to Sir Joseph Banks, Sir Walter Scott, Sir John Soane and Thomas Telford. And yet the prosperity that enabled his patrons to commission Wyon's work, often came from the profits derived from the long hours and appalling conditions of industrialising Britain, from enslaved labour in the West Indies and from imperial aggression in India and the Far East. Late in his career it was Wyon who was commissioned to create the military and naval medals that recognised and rewarded the service of those who had fought in the Napoleonic wars; of those who had played a part in the establishment of British rule in India, and those who fought in contemporary wars in Afghanistan, India and Burma, and to force opium on China: medals which, despite moments of revulsion in parliament and the press, reflected pride in Britain’s growing empire. Wyon's work throws new light on the attitudes and networks that lay behind official commemoration at a time of ebullient energy and rapid change and holds a hitherto unexamined mirror to the British establishment in the first half of the nineteenth century. The close interrogation of things, of obstinate objects which insist on remaining themselves, provides us with an image which manages to be both arcane and popular, utterly conventional and intriguingly unexpected.

A History of the United States through High-Profile Assassinations presents a unique perspective on American history, framing the narrative through a sequence of notable assassinations and attempted assassinations. This approach offers a novel lens through which to examine historical continuity and change. The text emphasizes the broader social, political, and historical contexts revealed by these violent acts, regardless of whether the perpetrators aimed to make a political statement.The book explores the evolution of the term "assassination," its historical roots, and its impact on social and political change globally and within the United States. It delves into typologies of assassins, uses various historical episodes to discuss broader issues, and includes less explored assassination attempts alongside well-known events. Additionally, the book pays attention to the narratives often relegated to the sidelines of history, reflecting on the experiences of ethnic minorities and women.A History of the United States through High-Profile Assassinations serves as a compelling primary or supplemental text for courses in American history, criminal justice, and political science. It provides an innovative approach to learning that encourages students to connect individual events with larger national and international trends.

A BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE BOOK OF THE YEAR'Excellent' Richard Evans'A vivid, crisp, impressively sustained narrative' Financial Times'Riveting' Irish Independent'Refreshing and readable' Irish Times'Gripping . . . thoroughly researched and beautifully written . . . a warning for our times' Alex Watson, author of Ring of Steel'Fascinating . . . shows powerfully that there was nothing inevitable about the survival of Germany's young democracy in that year - nor about its death a decade later. A timely reminder' Katja Hoyer, author of Beyond the WallThe astonishing year when German democracy faced crisis and near destruction.1923 was one of the most remarkable years of modern European history. In January, France and Belgium militarily occupied Germany's economic heartland, the Ruhr; triggering a series of crises that almost spiralled out of control. Hyperinflation plunged millions into poverty. The search for scapegoats empowered political extremes. Hitler's populism ascended to national prominence. Communists, Nazis, separatists all thought that they could use the crises to destroy democracy. None succeeded. 1923 was the year of Hitler's first victory - and his first defeat. Fanning the flames of instability, anti-government and antisemitic sentiment, the Nazis' abortive yet pivotal putsch in a Munich beer hall failed when they were abandoned by their likeminded conservative allies. Drawing on previously unseen sources, Mark Jones weaves together a thrilling and resonant narrative of German lives in this turbulent time. Tracing Hitler's rise, we see how political pragmatism and international cooperation eventually steered the nation away from total insurrection. A decade later, when Weimar democracy eventually succumbed to tyranny, the warnings from 1923 - rising of nationalist rhetoric, fragile European consensus, and underestimation the of the enemies of liberalism - became only too apparent.This account of the republic's convulsions and survival offers a gripping image of a modern society in extreme crisis.

Delivering unrivaled insight into the latest trends and issues, Jones/Crain/Wlezien/Flores' TEXAS POLITICS TODAY, ENHANCED, 19th EDITION, combines a comparative approach with tightly integrated learning objectives and questions addressing the Texas GOVT 2306 Core Objectives. Equipping you to think critically, it offers expanded coverage of ideology and social issues that affect your daily life. Explore the latest developments in abortion access, LGBTQ rights, and marijuana laws. You'll find extensive coverage on topics like Texas demographic changes, the importance of Latinos in Texas politics, political polarization, culture clashes in politics, districting, voting obstacles, criminal justice reforms and more. First-person essays illustrate how Texas politics works in real-world practice. Closing the gap between political theory and reality, the text gives you a clear understanding of how Texas compares with other states.