A History of Leisure: The British Experience Since 1500

ISBN-13: 9780333930816 / Angielski / Twarda / 2006 / 328 str.

Peter Borsay

Opis

Peter Borsay places leisure in its historical context, enriching understanding and challenging received views of contemporary recreational practices. His approach is analytical and critical, with an emphasis on the long perspective, on key concepts rather than simple chronology, and on the British Isles as a fluid and dynamic amalgam of local and national cultures and polities.

Spis treści

List of Tables.- Preface.- Acknowledgements.- Introduction.- Economy.- State.- Class.- Identities.- Place.- Space.- Time.- Conclusion.- Notes.- Select Bibliography.- Index.

O autorze

PETER BORSAY is Professor of History at the University of Wales, Lampeter, UK. His previous publications include The English Urban Renaissance: Culture and Society in the Provincial Town, 1660-1770 (1989) and The Image of Georgian Bath, 1700-2000: Towns, Heritage and History (2000).

Blurb

Leisure is a key aspect of modern living. How did our ancestors experience recreation in the past, and how does this relate to the present? To answer these questions, Peter Borsay examines the history of leisure in Britain over the past 500 years, analysing elements of both continuity and change.

A History of Leisure
- explores a range of pastimes, from festive culture and music to tourism and sport
- emphasises a conceptual and critical approach, rather than a simple narrative history
- covers a range of themes including economy, state, class, identities, place, space and time
- treats the constituent parts of the British Isles as a fluid and dynamic amalgam of local and national cultures and polities.

Authoritative and engaging, this text challenges conventional views on the history of leisure and suggests new approaches to the subject. Borsay draws upon the insights provided by a variety of disciplines alongside that of history - anthropology, the arts, geography and sociology - to offer an essential guide to this fascinating area of study.