The Local: A History of the English Pub by Pete Jennings

by Paul Jennings

The pub has been at the heart of English life for centuries, evolving from elegant coaching houses and humble alehouses through Victorian backstreet beerhouses and ‘fine, flaring’ gin palaces to the drinking establishments of the twenty-first century. In this new and revised edition, historian Paul Jennings takes us on a fascinating journey over three centuries of pub life. Set within the wider context of social change, Jennings delves into the lives of the customers who frequented them, as well as those of the men and women who ran them, and takes a closer look at their architecture and interior design. The Local has been brought up to date to record both the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic on English pubs and what it tells us about pubs’ continuing importance to English people.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published June 1, 2007

About the author

Dr Paul Jennings is a History Professor at the University of Bradford.

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meticulously sourced and footnoted, this provides a succinct overview of the origins of the pub, how its function, ownership and clientele changed over time, as well as why it became such a central part of English culture.