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The Oxford Companion to Black British History
The Oxford Companion to Black British History is an essential reference for anyone who wants to understand the long and fascinating history of black people in Britain from classical times to the present day. It brings together a unique collection of articles that provide an overview of the black presence in Britain, and the rich and diverse contribution made to British society. The A-Z guide includes entries for landmark figures, key events, concepts (such as Emancipation and Reparations), and historical accounts. Subject areas include medicine, military history, art, music, sports, and education. Entries range from the African auxiliaries stationed on Hadrian's Wall in the second century A.D., through John Edmonstone, who taught taxidermy to Charles Darwin, Mary Seacole, the "Black Florence Nightingale," and Walter Tull, a professional soccer player and First World War officer. The guide will be of tremendous interest to those involved in commenting on subjects relating to the Black British community, or anyone interested in finding out about the history of expatriated Africans outside the Americas.
· First ever reference book to explore the fullhistory of black people in Britain
· Detailed timeline charts key dates for people and events from the 2nd century AD to the 21st century
· Edited by David Dabydeen, prize-winning novelist and respected academic, together with John Gilmore and Cecily Jones
· Over 400 entries written by more than 100 specialists under the direction of Professor Dabydeen, his colleagues, and a distinguished team of advisers
· First ever reference book to explore the fullhistory of black people in Britain
· Detailed timeline charts key dates for people and events from the 2nd century AD to the 21st century
· Edited by David Dabydeen, prize-winning novelist and respected academic, together with John Gilmore and Cecily Jones
· Over 400 entries written by more than 100 specialists under the direction of Professor Dabydeen, his colleagues, and a distinguished team of advisers
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
592 pages, Hardcover
First published March 19, 2007
113 people want to read
About the author
David Dabydeen
35 books25 followersDavid Dabydeen (born 9 December 1955) is a Guyanese-born critic, writer, novelist and academic. Since 2010 he has been Guyana's ambassador to China.
Dabydeen is the author of novels, collections of poetry and works of non-fiction and criticism, as editor as well as writer. His first book, Slave Song (1984), a collection of poetry, won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize and the Quiller-Couch Prize. A further collection, Turner: New and Selected Poems, was published in 1994, and reissued in 2002; the title-poem, Turner is an extended sequence or verse novel responding to a painting by J. M. W. Turner, "Slavers Throwing overboard the Dead and Dying – Typhoon coming on" (1840).
His first novel, The Intended (1991), the story of a young Asian student abandoned in London by his father, won the Guyana Prize for Literature. Disappearance (1993) tells the story of a young Guyanese engineer working on the south coast of England who lodges with an elderly woman. The Counting House (1996) is set at the end of the nineteenth century and narrates the experiences of an Indian couple whose hopes of a new life in colonial Guyana end in tragedy. The story explores historical tensions between indentured Indian workers and Guyanese of African descent. His 1999 novel, A Harlot's Progress, is based on a series of pictures painted in 1732 by William Hogarth (who was the subject of Dabydeen's PhD) and develops the story of Hogarth's black slave boy. Through the character of Mungo, Dabydeen challenges traditional cultural representations of the slave. His latest novel, Our Lady of Demerara, was published in 2004.
Dabydeen has been awarded the title of fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He is the second West Indian writer (V.S. Naipaul was the first) and the only Guyanese writer to receive the title.
In 2001 Dabydeen wrote and presented The Forgotten Colony, a BBC Radio 4 programme exploring the history of Guyana. His one-hour documentary Painting the People was broadcast by BBC television in 2004.
The Oxford Companion to Black British History, co-edited by Dabydeen, John Gilmore and Cecily Jones, appeared in 2007.
In 2007, Dabydeen was awarded the Hind Rattan (Jewel of India) Award for his outstanding contribution to literature and the intellectual life of the Indian diaspora.
(from Wikipedia)
Dabydeen is the author of novels, collections of poetry and works of non-fiction and criticism, as editor as well as writer. His first book, Slave Song (1984), a collection of poetry, won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize and the Quiller-Couch Prize. A further collection, Turner: New and Selected Poems, was published in 1994, and reissued in 2002; the title-poem, Turner is an extended sequence or verse novel responding to a painting by J. M. W. Turner, "Slavers Throwing overboard the Dead and Dying – Typhoon coming on" (1840).
His first novel, The Intended (1991), the story of a young Asian student abandoned in London by his father, won the Guyana Prize for Literature. Disappearance (1993) tells the story of a young Guyanese engineer working on the south coast of England who lodges with an elderly woman. The Counting House (1996) is set at the end of the nineteenth century and narrates the experiences of an Indian couple whose hopes of a new life in colonial Guyana end in tragedy. The story explores historical tensions between indentured Indian workers and Guyanese of African descent. His 1999 novel, A Harlot's Progress, is based on a series of pictures painted in 1732 by William Hogarth (who was the subject of Dabydeen's PhD) and develops the story of Hogarth's black slave boy. Through the character of Mungo, Dabydeen challenges traditional cultural representations of the slave. His latest novel, Our Lady of Demerara, was published in 2004.
Dabydeen has been awarded the title of fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He is the second West Indian writer (V.S. Naipaul was the first) and the only Guyanese writer to receive the title.
In 2001 Dabydeen wrote and presented The Forgotten Colony, a BBC Radio 4 programme exploring the history of Guyana. His one-hour documentary Painting the People was broadcast by BBC television in 2004.
The Oxford Companion to Black British History, co-edited by Dabydeen, John Gilmore and Cecily Jones, appeared in 2007.
In 2007, Dabydeen was awarded the Hind Rattan (Jewel of India) Award for his outstanding contribution to literature and the intellectual life of the Indian diaspora.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 11, 2019
Quite a tome but fascinating read on the history of Britain and Empire that you never heard in school. Shows that black lives in Britain is a long and complex story we all need to understand.
November 3, 2019
It's an encyclopedia of knowledge regarding the subject, very well-written and researched, however my only gripe is the lack of images, which if included would make this a strong five stars.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews