Summers, Julie – The Bell Bookshop

British Vogue

Emma — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A glittering official history of British Vogue, telling the magazine’s story from the first issue in 1916 right up to the present day, written with exclusive access to the Vogue archives.

British Vogue has always been far more than just a fashion magazine. For more than a century it has defined the tastes and style of successive generations, playing a leading role in the continuing story of Britain’s national identity, and covering the arts, politics, health, travel and much more in addition to the fashion pages. It is an institution and a character in its own right. Now, for the very first time, the fascinating and glamorous history of British Vogue is told in full.

Founded in 1916, British Vogue has forged its own path from the very start. From the trauma and austerity of two world wars through to the freedom of the swinging Sixties, the rise of the supermodel to the groundbreaking editorial direction of Edward Enninful: the magazine’s chameleonic ability to move with the times has ensured its perennial status at the vanguard of British cool.

Beautifully illustrated with exclusive images from the Vogue photographic collections, the book draws on hitherto unseen archives and behind-the-scenes interviews with Vogue insiders including stylist Grace Coddington, editor Alexandra Shulman and fashion editor Lucinda Chambers. This is the story of a legend and the individuals who created (and curated) it, told against the backdrop of an extraordinary century of change, upheaval and beauty.

Rowing In Britain

Emma — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Boat races and regattas are mainstays of the British summer – but where did these races originate and how have they become so important a part of our culture? Historian, writer and novice sculler Julie Summers here explains the history of British rowing as a competitive sport from the early nineteenth century to the present day. She then profiles the three most famous rowing events: the Boat Race, rowed on the incoming tide from Putney to Mortlake in spring; Henley Royal Regatta, which takes place on the first weekend of July; and the Olympic Games, which have yielded some of the greatest British Olympians of all time, including Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Matthew Pinsent and Jack Beresford.

When the children came home

Emma — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

On 1 September 1939 Operation Pied Piper bgan to place the children of Britain’s industrial cities beyond the reach of the Luftwaffe. 1.5 million children, pregnant women and schoolteachers were evacuated in 3 days. A further 2 million children were evacuated privately; the largest mass evacuation of children in British history.

Some children went abroad, others were sent to institutions, but the majority were billeted with foster families. Some were away for weeks or months, others for years. Homecoming was not always easy and a few described it as more difficult than going away in the first place.

In When the Children Came Home Julie Summers tells us what happened when these children returned to their families. She looks at the different waves of British evacuation during WWII and explores how they coped both in the immediate aftermath of the war, and in later life. For some it was a wonderful experience that enriched their whole lives, for others it cast a long shadow, for a few it changed things for ever.

Using interviews, written accounts and memoirs, When the Children Came Homeweaves together a collection of personal stories to create a warm and compelling portrait of wartime Britain from the children’s perspective.