On this page you will find some excellent books that focus on social history - the study of people through time. Any book marked with an * is available for loan.
*Akala (2019) Natives: Race & Class in the Ruins of Empire. London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd. - Although not a historian, Akala is an excellent social commentator. In Natives, he draws upon his own experiences as a black person living in London to assess the impact of institutionalised racism that was born out of the collapse of the British Empire.
Colley, Linda (2009). Britons: Forging the Nation 1707-1831. Yale University Press - An in depth social study of the population of Britain from the Union between England and Scotland until the reforms of the 1830s and their relationship with Britain. Besides the useful political, religious and social changes, the Colley presents one of the most convincing arguments for the development of a British identity.
*Eddo-Lodge, Reni (2018). Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race. London: Bloomsbury. - Exploring everything from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class and race, Reni Eddo-Lodge's incredible book is essential for anyone who wants to understand race relations in Britain today.
Gregory, A. (2008). The Last Great War: British Society and the First World War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Adrian Gregory sheds new light on the public reaction to the war, examining the role of propaganda and rumour in fostering patriotism and hatred of the enemy
*Hirsch, Afua (2018). Brit (ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging. London: Vintage. - Afua Hirsch argues that Britain is a nation in denial about race its imperial past and that racism still plagues our present. Her deeply personal account explores how this came to be and she calls for urgent change.
*Hunter, Clare (2020). Threads of Life: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle. London: Hodder & Stoughton. - Hunter recounts the stories of the men and women, over centuries and across continents, who have used the language of sewing to make their voices heard.
*Kneale, Matthew (2018) Rome: A History in Seven Sackings from the Gauls to the Nazis. London: CPI Group. - An excellent read that charts how Rome was transformed over a thousand years. Kneale examines everything from the change in cuisine to dress.
*Murray, Jenni (2017) A History of Britain in 21 Women. London: One World Publications. Jenni Murray presents a history of Britain through the lives of twenty one women who refused to succumb to the established rules of society regarding women, these women have inspired many and their lives embodied hope and change.
Olusoga, David & Backe-Hansen, Melanie (2020). A House Through Time. London: Picador. - Based on the accompanying TV series, David Olusoga and Melanie Backe-Hansen explore the impact on a house in a city through history through their own ancestry.
*Rubenhold, Hallie (2019). The Five: the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper. London: Transworld Publishers. - A social history that aims to end the obsession with the murders but focus on the lives of these women and the perilous age they lived in.
Thompson, E P (1963) The Making of the English Working Class. St Ives: Penguin Books. - One of the most influential books about English history published in the last century. This covers the development of a political awareness amongst the lower orders of British society from the late 18th century through to the mid-nineteenth century and provides a detailed account of popular counter-politics in this period. Available for free online here
*Ackroyd, Peter (2018). Queer City: Gay London from the Romans to the present day. London: Vintage. - Londoner and historian, Peter Ackroyd explores London's gay past from the Romans, through to anti gay laws passed in the 16th century and the gay liberation movement of the 1970s.
Bourne, Stephen (2018). Fighting Proud: The untold story of the gay men who served in two world wars. London: IB Tauris. - Stephen Bourne explores the individual stories of gay relationships that were formed during the two world wars.
*Lame, Amy (2019). From Prejudice to Pride: A history of the LGBTQ+ movement. London: Wayland. - Amy Lane examines the rise and achievements of the LGBTQ+ movement for equal rights and the different communities, pioneers and stories of heartbreak, courage that have marched alongside it.