Summer Vacation Loans start 21 June 2023

With the end of term fast approaching, readers are advised that HFL borrowing for the summer will begin on Wednesday 21st June. Please note, this is in 9th Week due to the History of the British Isles assessment that takes place during the preceding week. From this date onwards HFL borrowing limits will increase to 30 items (short loans inclusive), with a due date of Monday 9th October. Wishing you all the best of luck in the coming weeks!

New Books Display – February 2023

Currently on our New Books Display for the month of February, you can find a wide selection of the latest additions to the History Faculty Library’s collection, covering a range of historical periods and subject matter. Several items are featured below, along with a short summary of their contents. Click the photo to be taken to the item’s SOLO record. All NBD items can be borrowed at the Circulation desk in the Lower Camera reading room.

The Mughals and the Sufis: Islam and Political Imagination in India, 1500-1750 by University of Chicago Professor Muzaffar Alam, presents the author’s findings through a critical study of a large number of contemporary Persian texts, court chronicles, epistolary collections, and biographies of Sufi mystics. Professor Alam examines the complexities in the relationship between Mughal political culture and the two dominant strains of Islam’s Sufi traditions in South Asia. Muzaffar Alam analyses the interplay of these elements, their negotiation and struggle for resolution via conflict and coordination, and their longer-term outcomes as the empire followed its own political and cultural trajectory as it shifted from the more liberal outlook of Emperor Akbar “The Great” (r. 1556-1605) to the more rigid attitudes of his great-grandson, Aurangzeb Alamgir (r. 1658-1701). Alam brings to light many new and underutilized sources relevant to the religious and cultural history of the Mughals and reinterprets well-known sources from a new perspective to provide one of the most detailed and nuanced portraits of Indian Islam under the Mughal Empire available today.

The Persistence of Party: Ideas of Harmonious discord in Eighteenth-Century Britain by Dr Max Skjönsberg examines the development of how the idea of a political party was viewed in the eighteenth century, at a time when some of the core components of modern, representative politics were being trialled. From Bolingbroke to Burke, political thinkers regarded party as a fundamental concept of politics, especially in the parliamentary system of Britain. In the eighteenth century, the concept of a political party was usually understood as a set of flexible and evolving principles, associated with names and traditions, which categorised and managed political actors, voters, and commentators. This book seeks to demonstrate that the idea of party as ideological unity is not purely a nineteenth- or twentieth-century phenomenon, but can be traced to its roots in the eighteenth century. Also available as an eBook through Cambridge Core, accessible once you are signed into SOLO via your Single Sign On.

 From Near and Far: a Transnational History of France by historian Tyler Stovall relates the history of modern France from the French Revolution to the present. The work considers how the history of France interacts with both the broader history of the world and the local histories of French communities, examining the impacts of such figures as Karl Marx, Ho Chi Minh, Paul Gauguin, and Josephine Baker, alongside the rise of haute couture and contemporary art movements. Particularly, the nation’s relationship with Europe, the United States, and the French colonial empire is contextualized and examined in depth. This ‘transnational’ approach to the history of modern France allows Dr. Stovall to explain how the theme of universalism, so central to modern French culture, has manifested itself in different ways over the last few centuries. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of historical narrative both within and outside the boundaries of the nation. From Near and Far therefore situates the reader in a vision of France that is simultaneously global and local.

The Dutch Overseas Empire: 1600-1800 by Pieter C. Emmer and Jos J. L. Gommans is a new work that attempts to answer the question of how the Dutch empire compared to other imperial enterprises, and how it was experienced by the indigenous peoples who became a part of its colonial power. Beginning in the seventeenth century, the Dutch Republic emerged at the centre of a global empire that stretched along the edges of continents. In this empire, ideas of religious tolerance and scientific curiosity went hand in hand with severe political and economic exploitation of the local populations through violence and slavery. This pioneering history of the early modern Dutch Empire, encompassing two centuries, provides for the first time a comparative and indigenous perspective on Dutch overseas expansion. As well as the impact of the empire on the economy and society in the Dutch Republic itself, it also offers a fascinating window into the contemporary societies of Asia, Africa and the Americas: through their interactions, we see the effect of the Dutch overseas empire on processes of early modern globalization. Also available electronically through Cambridge Core, accessed via SOLO.

The Witches of St. Osyth: persecution, betrayal and murder in Elizabethan England by University of Exeter historian Marion Gibson is an account of witch trials in Essex (1581-2). Despite the history of English witchcraft and documented witch hunts and trials being studied extensively, the events are St. Osyth have been overlooked in previous scholarship. These accusations caused a destructive wave of persecution which tore apart this Essex community. Using fresh archival sources that pertain not only to the village of St. Osyth itself, but also its neighbouring hamlets, Gibson offers a comprehensive exploration into the sixteen women and one man who were accusd of practicing sorcery in addition to posing provocative and relevant questions about the way history is recollected and interpreted. Combining landscape fieldwork and readings of crucial documents, the author skilfully unlocks the poignant personal histories of those whose voices have been lost to history. Also available electronically through Cambridge Core, accessible through your SOLO account.

Queens of the age of Chivalry: England’s fourteenth-century Consorts, 1299-1409 by Alison Weir is the newest work by well-known public historian Weir, whose expertise lies in both medieval and post-medieval biography and historical fiction of the royalty of England, particularly when it comes to the lesser documented lives of female figures. Medieval queens were seen as mere dynastic trophies and political pawns, yet many of the Plantagenet queens of the High Middle Ages dramatically broke away from the restrictions imposed on them and wielded considerable influence over the male courtly figures who surrounded them, as well as the kingdom as a whole. Using personal letters and other vivid primary sources, Weir evokes the lives of five of these remarkable queens of the chivalric age: Marguerite of France, Isabella of France, Philippa of Hainault, Anne of Bohemia and Isabella of Valois. Each of these women lived through a period which oversaw some of the most environmentally and politically turbulent events in English and wider European history, including the Black Death, the Peasants’ Revolt, the Hundred Years War against France and baronial civil wars against their own monarchy. The turbulence of the fourteenth-century, and these Queen’s role in it, set the stage for the later dramatic events of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries to unfold as the Middle Ages drew to a close and Europe entered the early modern period.

On Savage Shores: how Indigenous Americans Discovered Europe by University of Sheffield historian Dr. Caroline Dodds Pennock. This work has grown out of her cutting edge researches into the transatlantic journeys and exploration of Indigenous Mesoamerican and North American peoples during the sixteenth century. Although the reason for this was often due to the slave trade, Pennock documents other reasons for these individual’s travels to Europe – as diplomats, merchants and explorers. Pennock presents the story of the Brazilian king who met Henry VIII; the Aztecs who mocked up human sacrifice at the court of Charles V; the Inuk baby who was put on show in a London pub; the children of Indigenous American mothers and Spanish fathers who then returned to Spain – as well as the many servants employed by Europeans of every rank. The people of the Americas were regarded as exotic and were marginalised by European society; but their interactions, worldviews, and cultures still had a profound impact on European civilisation. Drawing on first-hand account of their surviving literature and poetry, as well as European eyewitness accounts, Pennock gives us a sweeping and monumental presentation of Indigenous American presence in early modern Europe.

Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Northern Europe 1080-1350: A Sourcebook is an edited collection with contributions by several social historians, designed to introduce researchers to the everyday lives of Jewish people living in the German Empire, northern France, and England from the 11th to the mid-14th centuries. The volume consists of translations of primary sources written by or about medieval Jews. Each source is accompanied by an introduction that provides it’s historical context. Through the sources, readers can become familiar with the spaces frequented by medieval Jewish Europeans, their daily practices and rituals, and their worldview and wider culture. The subject matter ranges from culinary preferences, garments, objects, and communal buildings and relationships. The documents testify to how Sabbath and holidays were enacted, weddings and births celebrated, and the mourning of the dead. Some of the sources focus on the relationships they had with their Christian neighbours, local authorities, and the Christian Church, while others shed light on their economic activities and professional life.

New Books Display – January 2023

Happy New Year to all returning and new readers! Currently on our New Books Display for the beginning of 2023, you can find a varied selection of the library’s latest additions.

Several of our newest books are featured below, along with a short summary of their contents. Please click on each title to be taken to its SOLO record.

On Revolution by political theorist Hannah Arendt presents a comparison of the French and American revolutions of the eighteenth century and the impact of these revolutions on our modern world. Underpinning this comparison is an in-depth exploration of the concept of revolution itself, as it has manifested throughout human history.

Next up we have a new English translation of Autumntide of the Middle Ages: A study of forms of life and thought of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in France and the Low Countries by the renowned Dutch historian Johan Huizinga. This influential book is considered a monumental work in its discussion of the ritual, culture, and thought of late medieval society in France and the Netherlands.

Here, There and Everywhere: The Foreign Politics of American Popular Culture is an edited anthology of articles exploring the impact of American popular culture on the wider world. In five sections, 23 authors from around the globe examine the historical background of American culture, the impact of Hollywood, popular music from jazz to rock ‘n’ roll and rap, and the popularity of as well as resistance to American popular culture in particular countries.

These items and many more can be found on the display located in the Upper Gladstone Link, and can be checked out at the Lower Camera Circulation Desk.

New eBooks are also available, several of which are featured below. Click to be taken to the SOLO link.

 

New Books Display – December 2022

Currently on our New Books Display for the month of December, you can find a varied selection of our newest additions to the library. Several books are featured below, along with a short summary of their contents. Please click to be taken to the SOLO record.

‘Blood, Fire and Gold: The Story of Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici,’ by Estelle Paranque presents a new look at the two most powerful women of sixteenth-century Europe. Their friendship over the course of thirty years included competition and conflict; drawing on primary sources such as Elizabeth and Catherine’s personal correspondence, this is the first work to examine their complicated relationship in depth.

Also featured is ‘Tudor England: A History,’ by Oxford historian Lucy Wooding. Presenting a new take the Tudors between 1485 and 1603, the books focuses on how political, religious, and economic upheavals during the Tudor dynasty affected the lives of the general populace of England, particularly those who were not of the nobility, a side of Tudor England that has often been overlooked.

‘Misinformation Nation: Foreign News and the Politics of Truth in Revolutionary America,’ by Jordan E. Taylor, associate professor of history at Indiana University Bloomington, outlines how increasing consumption of foreign newspapers had a huge impact on the early colonists’ decision to revolt against British rule and create a new nation. News powered early American politics, but newspaper printers had few reliable sources to report on events from abroad. Information regarding battles, declarations and constitutions was often contradictory and unreliable, but shaped the people’s sense of reality. The books presents a striking and original argument about the early years of the United States.

‘East Asia and the First World War’ by Frank Jacob of Norway University examines how the First World War in East Asia facilitated the further rise of Japan as the leading power in the region, as well as contributing to radical social upheaval after the war concluded. In China and Korea, the effects of the First World War led to the growth of nationalistic movements, seeking freedom and equality for the people living within their semi-colonized borders. This book presents a comprehensive introduction to the First World War and its impact on East Asia.

These items and more can be found on the display located in the Upper Gladstone Link, and can be checked out at the Lower Camera Circulation Desk.

 

New Books Display – November 2022

Currently on our New Books Display, you can find a varied selection of our newest additions to the library.
Some items of note include ‘Horizons: A Global History of Science,’ in which author James Poskett traces the development of modern science from 1450 onwards, with particular focus on non-European contexts and contributions. The book has been praised for presenting a wide-ranging and comprehensive demonstration of the global exchange that led to the development and breakthroughs of science as we continue to understand it today.
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We also have ‘Ireland and the Crusades,’ by Edward Coleman, Paul Duffy and Tadhg O’Keefe. This book takes a comprehensive look, based on new research, that demonstrates a more nuanced picture of Ireland’s often overlooked role in the crusading period.
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Finally, we have ‘Peasants Making History’ by Christopher Dyer, which offers a new look at the lives and contributions of people of lower socio-economic status (for example, in the development of urbanised areas, trading, and religion) in the medieval English midlands.
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These items and more can be found on the display located in the Upper Gladstone Link and can be checked out at the Lower Camera Circulation Desk.
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New eBooks are also available, several of which are featured below. These can be accessed online once you are logged onto your SOLO account. Please click to go to the SOLO record.
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Welcome to the HFL!

Welcome, new and returning History students! We’re here to help you get started with finding your way around the History Faculty Library (HFL) and locating the books and online resources on your reading lists.

Make a start with the Bodleian Libraries welcome page, which will introduce you to key facilities and search tools. Next, check out our online guide to the History Faculty Library for further information on the collections and reading rooms in the HFL.

We’re based in the Radcliffe Camera in the centre of Oxford, so we’re easy to find! You can book online for one of our Welcome Tours to learn about using our reading rooms and resources. Alternatively, we also offer a Virtual Welcome Tour of our facilities and services. We have pages tailored to specific subjects and research guides, which can help you identify resources and tools for your study.

For the most up-to-date information on our services, please see the Bodleian Libraries website. If you need any help or have any questions then please drop in or get in touch with us at library.history@bodleian.ox.ac.uk. Please note, to continue safeguarding our spaces for readers and staff we are encouraging the use of face masks within the library. Hand sanitiser and cleaning materials are also located throughout the reading rooms.

History of the British Isles Assessment

For those of you about to undertake the History of the British Isles assessment, please note that library staff will be ready and willing to offer assistance during the next few weeks – whether in person or remotely if you’re unable to visit the library. Please approach us if you need help locating resources (physical or electronic) or contact us at library.history@bodleian.ox.ac.uk with any further questions. Most importantly, good luck!

Vacation Loans

With the end of Trinity Term fast approaching, readers are advised that vacation borrowing for the summer will commence on Wednesday 23rd June. Please note, this is 9th week, due to the History of the British Isles assessment for 2nd year History undergraduates. From this date onwards, HFL borrowing limits will increase to 30 items (short loans inclusive), with a due date of Monday 11th October.

We completely understand that this has been a challenging time for library users, so please don’t hesitate to get in contact at library.history@bodleian.ox.ac.uk with any queries about our collections or services.

Self-issue update: upgrades and additions

Bodleian Libraries are currently in the process of upgrading all self-issue machines, which should ensure that we’re able to offer readers a reliable and secure service. Unfortunately this will result in a temporary break in service, but we’re hopeful things will be up and running again by the end of January. In the meantime staff at the issue desk are more than happy to help anyone wishing to issue books. 

We’re also pleased to report that in the coming weeks the HFL will be receiving a second self-issue machine, which will be trialled in the Upper Gladstone Link. The machine will initially be located beside the PCAS machine on the Camera side of the reading room, where we hope it will prove a convenient addition for readers accessing collections in this area. We’re very keen to receive any feedback regarding the trial, so please email any comments or questions to library.history@bodleian.ox.ac.uk. Further updates will be provided when the machine is up and running! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vacation Loans start Monday!

Just a quick notification that winter vacation loans start on Monday 2nd December – borrow up to 15 books. Your limit increases to 20 books on Thursday 5th December and will include Short Loans. Everything will be due back on Monday 20th January (1st Week).

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! If you decide you’d like to combine your mince pies with some festive reading, you can access access many of our resources electronically. Use your Single Sign On to make use of a range of ebookejournal and database subscriptions while away from Oxford.