Edinburgh

Edinburgh
Author: Michael Fry
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Total Pages: 580
Release: 2011-03-21
Genre: History
ISBN: 0330539973

The late poet laureate, Sir John Betjeman, said that Edinburgh was the most beautiful city in Europe. Like some other great cities it is set on seven hills. But only one of these, Rome, rivals Edinburgh in matching the beauty of its setting with the stateliness of its buildings. Edinbrugh, too, provides the backdrop to much of the dark drama of the Scottish past, from Mary Queen of Scots to Bonnie Prince Charlie and beyond. Michael Fry, who has lived and worked there for nearly forty years, provides a compellingly readable account of this great city, from the earliest times to the present, balancing Edinburgh's cultural, political and social history, and painting a vivid portrait of a city - that like Stevenson's Dr Jekyll - is both dark and light, both dark and light, both 'Auld Reekie' and 'Athens of the North'. ‘Impressive ... in the style of Peter Ackroyd’s history of London’ Magnus Linklator, Spectator 'No one interested in the history of Edinburgh, and indeed Scotland, should be without it’ Allan Massie,Scotsman

The Rise and Fall of the City of Money

The Rise and Fall of the City of Money
Author: Ray Perman
Publisher: Birlinn Ltd
Total Pages: 512
Release: 2019-10-10
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 178885229X

It started and ended with a financial catastrophe. The Darien disaster of 1700 drove Scotland into union with England, but spawned the institutions which transformed Edinburgh into a global financial centre. The crash of 2008 wrecked the city's two largest and oldest banks – and its reputation. In the three intervening centuries, Edinburgh became a hothouse of financial innovation, prudent banking, reliable insurance and smart investing. The face of the city changed too as money transformed it from medieval squalor to Georgian elegance. This is the story, not just of the institutions which were respected worldwide, but of the personalities too, such as the two hard-drinking Presbyterian ministers who founded the first actuarially-based pension fund; Sir Walter Scott, who faced financial ruin, but wrote his way out of it; the men who financed American railways and eastern rubber plantations with Scottish money; and Fred Goodwin, notorious CEO of RBS, who took the bank to be the biggest in the world, but crashed and burned in 2008.

The Oxford Art Book

The Oxford Art Book
Author: Emma Bennett
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 180
Release: 2018-09-12
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1906860866

A colourful showcase of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Inspired by Oxford's unique architecture and historic university, over 50 artists have produced a unique collection of contemporary images illustrating all aspects of the city and surrounding area. Oxford is both a thriving city and a byword for one of the world's best universities. Its ancient buildings are the wonder of the world, still used and inhabited by an energetic and passionate student community. From tightly-packed Cornmarket street catering for the shoppers of the busy city to Oxford's lush riverside walks that provide an asylum from the bustle of everyday life, to traditional St Giles's Fair and May Day that attract visitors from across Oxfordshire and beyond, this book represents them all, including: - Quirky hidden gems such as The Eagle and Child (the pub frequented by J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis) and the many cafes of the Covered Market - Innovative representations of classic tourist sites: the Bodleian Library, the Radcliffe Camera, the Sheldonian Theatre, Christ Church College, Magdalen College and many more... - The Mini Car Plant and Cowley Road transformed into artworks There is so much to wonder at in this lovely book. Its enthusiasm reveals a passion for both contemporary art and the lovely city of Oxford. It will renew memories and inspire visits and revisits to all its haunts.

Edinburgh: Mapping the City

Edinburgh: Mapping the City
Author: Chris Fleet
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2023-10-19
Genre:
ISBN: 9781839830433

An accessible, enjoyable, attractive and browsable history of Edinburgh as seen through maps, that will appeal to all those with an interest in Edinburgh and Scottish history.

Rick Steves Snapshot Edinburgh

Rick Steves Snapshot Edinburgh
Author: Rick Steves
Publisher: Rick Steves
Total Pages: 215
Release: 2023-02-28
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1641715340

With Rick Steves, Edinburgh is yours to discover! This slim guide excerpted from Rick Steves Scotland includes: Rick's firsthand, up-to-date advice on Edinburgh's best sights, restaurants, hotels, and more, plus tips to beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps Top sights and local experiences: Visit ancient Edinburgh Castle and stroll the Royal Mile, uncover Scottish history at the National Museum of Scotland, or hike to the peak of Arthur's Seat for incredible views of the city. Go on a literary pub tour, sample whisky at a tasting, and tap your foot to traditional folk music at a local favorite spot Helpful maps and self-guided walking tours to keep you on track With selective coverage and Rick's trusted insight into the best things to do and see, Rick Steves Snapshot Edinburgh is truly a tour guide in your pocket. Exploring beyond Edinburgh? Pick up Rick Steves Scotland for comprehensive coverage, detailed itineraries, and essential information for planning a countrywide trip.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh
Author: Donald Campbell
Publisher: Signal Books
Total Pages: 298
Release: 2003
Genre: Authors, Scottish
ISBN: 9781902669731

Part of the Cities of the Imagination series, this is an in-depth cultural, historical, and literary guide by a lifelong native to Scotland's vibrant capital and home to one of the world's greatest arts festivals.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh
Author: Brian Edwards
Publisher:
Total Pages: 284
Release: 2005
Genre: History
ISBN:

This book provides a unique and comprehensive review of the making and re-making of Edinburgh over most of the last millennium. A series of themes of wide relevance are explored and discussed in the context of their impact upon the form of the city and its success as a capital. These include: *The European influence on urban and architectural form.*The synthesis of architecture, landscape and topography.*The dialogue between conservation and innovation.*The search for social, economic and cultural sustainability.*The role of governance and public action in urban ecology.A special feature of the book is the way the Old and New Towns are discussed as a connected problem of image and politics, rather than two isolated events in the history of the city. Likewise, the relations between the city centre, the suburban edge and beyond throughout the 20th century are examined holistically, allowing the reader to gain a broader perspective both of the city of today and of the future. What emerges is a city unique - at least in the UK - in terms of the care taken over its image and sense of identity, and the political and institutional investment made in preserving this.Key Features: *Deals with the development of the city in a holistic manner.*Relates the physical evolution of the city to wide social, cultural, economic and political movements in the UK and Europe.*Uses design, conservation, sustainability and governance as major structuring themes.*Presents fresh perspectives on the making and re-making of Edinburgh over a period of nearly 1,000 years.

Capital of the Mind

Capital of the Mind
Author: James Buchan
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
Total Pages: 500
Release: 2012-11-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 085790485X

This “elegant portrait of Edinburgh in the age of Enlightenment” reveals a thriving city of artists, architects, scientists, and other pioneers (Times Literary Supplement). In the early eighteenth century, Edinburgh, Scotland, was a filthy backwater town synonymous with poverty and disease. Yet by century’s end, it had become the marvel of modern Europe, home to the finest minds of the day and their breathtaking innovations in architecture, politics, science, the arts, and economics—all of which continues to echo loudly today. Adam Smith penned The Wealth of Nations. James Boswell produced The Life of Samuel Johnson. Alongside them, pioneers such as David Hume, Robert Burns, James Hutton, and Sir Walter Scott transformed the way we understand our perceptions and feelings, sickness and health, relations between the sexes, the natural world, and the purpose of existence. In Capital of the Mind, James Buchan beautifully reconstructs the intimate geographic scale and boundless intellectual milieu of Enlightenment Edinburgh. With the scholarship of a historian and the elegance of a novelist, he tells the story of the triumph of this unlikely town and those whose vision brought it into being. “As Buchan says in this marvelous book, ‘there is no city like Edinburgh in all the world’.” —Sunday Times

On Glasgow and Edinburgh

On Glasgow and Edinburgh
Author: Robert Crawford
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 362
Release: 2013-02-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 0674067274

A mere forty miles apart, these cities have enjoyed a scratchy rivalry since wistful Edinburgh lost parliamentary sovereignty and defiant Glasgow came into its industrial promise. Crawford brings them to life between the covers of one book, in a tale that mixes novelty and familiarity, as Scotland’s cultural capital and largest commercial city do.