The questions I'm about to ask have no doubt been asked here many times
before; but I'm a newcomer to this list, so I do ask everyone's forbearance.
I'm also something of an interloper here, as I'm not an historian of Britain
at all, but an historian of Germany. All the same, I've been asked to teach
our undergraduate survey of modern British history next Spring Quarter, and
so I'm turning to the experts for advice. I think that over the years I have
more or less kept up with the basic literature, the basic debates, and the
basic issues in modern British history, and lately I've been reading rather
frantically in preparation. So I'd appreciate any help I can get.
Specifically, the course I'll be teaching is listed in our catalogue as
(interestingly) "Britain and the British Empire, 1688-Present." It will be
taught in a 10-week quarter (five 50-minute segments per week, divided into
three 50-minute periods and a 100-minute double period). I would be
especially interested in what my British history colleagues think about
appropriate readings for a course of this nature. And the readiing list, of
course, depends upon the issues that are being emphasized in the course.
The students will mostly be upper-division, and reasonably motivated; so I
can expect to get them to read 150-200 pages per week.
So, my admittedly sweeping questions are these:
1) What readings do you think would work most effectively in an
undergraduate survey of this sort?
2) What are the larger issues that you think I should address in this
course?
I would be exceedingly grateful for any responses. BTW, I have to make my
book adoption choices by the end of January.
Thanks in advance,
David Barclay
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David E. Barclay (barclay@hobbes.kzoo.edu)
Department of History
Kalamazoo College
1200 Academy Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49006-3295
Tel.: (616) 337-7056
Fax: (616) 337-7251