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The Battle of Britishness: Migrant Journeys, 1685 to the Present
Paperback / softback
Main Details
Title |
The Battle of Britishness: Migrant Journeys, 1685 to the Present
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Authors and Contributors |
By (author) Tony Kushner
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Physical Properties |
Format:Paperback / softback | Pages:332 | Dimensions(mm): Height 234,Width 156 |
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Category/Genre | British and Irish History |
ISBN/Barcode |
9780719066412
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Classifications | Dewey:304.841009 |
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Audience | Tertiary Education (US: College) | Professional & Vocational | |
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Publishing Details |
Publisher |
Manchester University Press
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Imprint |
Manchester University Press
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Publication Date |
31 May 2014 |
Publication Country |
United Kingdom
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Description
This pioneering study of migrant journeys to Britain begins with Huguenot refugees in the 1680s and continues to asylum seekers and East European workers today. Analysing the history and memory of migrant journeys, covering not only the response of politicians and the public but also literary and artistic representations, then and now, Kushner's volume sheds new light on the nature and construction of Britishness from the early modern era onwards. It is an essential tool for those wanting to understand why people come to Britain (or are denied entry) and how migrants have been viewed by state and society alike. The journeys covered vary from the famous (including the Empire Windrush in 1948) to the obscure, such as the Volga German transmigrants passing through Britain in the 1870s. While employing a broadly historical approach, Kushner incorporates insights from many other disciplines and employs a comparative methodology to highlight the importance of the symbolic as well as the physical nature of such journeys. -- .
Author Biography
Tony Kushner is Professor of History and Director of the Parkes Institute, University of Southampton -- .
ReviewsKushner underscores that remembering is above all a political process of selection and exclusion, and that national memories as well as migrant recasting of narratives are part and parcel of this process. Beyond the author's obvious craftsmanship and empathy for his subjects, what emerges from this is the complexity of the struggle for meaning. -- .
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