Halifax

Enthusiastically welcomed by both professional historians and the general reader, the first edition of this history of Halifax quickly went out out print. Now fully revised to take account of Halifax's continuing development in the twenty-first century, the vastly augmented text has been supplemented by many additional illustrations. Until the publication of the first edition of Dr John Hargreaves's acclaimed history of Halifax in 1999, no full-lengh history of the town had been published, explaining the complex process by which `a few straggling tenements built of wood, wattles and thatch' in the late medieval period developed into `a town of a hundred trades' by the late Victorian era, and then became in the twentieth century the home of one of the largest UK financial institutions. This book explores the transformation of Halifax from a remote Pennine settlement into a thriving commercial centre. The author asks how, when and why did such a transformation occur. Was it the product of the major economic and social changes which the town experienced from the late eighteenth century? Or was it stimulated by an earlier phase of commercial expansion before the Industrial Revolution? How did geography and environment shape Halifax's urban growth? How did the experience of rapid industrial expansion followed by dramatic decline affect the development of the town? Perhaps most importantly, he considers how the experience of history has impacted upon the lives of those who live in Halifax today.

About the Author :
John A. Hargreaves is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and Vice-President of the Halifax Antiquarian Society and has been Editor of the new series of `Transactions of the Halifax Antiquarian Society' since 1992. He also served as Honorary Secretary of the Halifax Antiquarian Society for fifteen years and as President from 2001 to 2003. A native of Burnley, he was educated at Burnley Grammar School and the University of Southampton, where he obtained an honours degree in history and a postgraduate certificate of education. He subdequently obtained the degrees of MA with distinction and PhD, both following part-time study at the University of Huddersfield. He has taught history for over thirty years and is currently Head of Humanities at Howden Clough Girls' High School and Sixth Form Centre, Batley. He has lectured extensively on aspects of local history and has received three Yorkshire History Prize awards. Married with four children, he lives in Halifax, where he is a Methodist Local Preacher and a member of the Halifax urban renaissance town team. For recreation he enjoys music, swimming, tennis and fell walking.

Review :
Halifax 1st edition `This is an exhaustively researched and superbly illustrated history of a town clearly dear to Hargreaves's heart... Indeed, for anyone who shares his love of Halifax, or is interested in the development of the West Riding, it is essential.' Yorkshire Post `It is extraordinary that until now such an interesting and admirable place as Halifax should have no full-length history that traces its transformation from a remote Pennine settlement into a prosperous Victorian town. John Hargreaves' lively, clear, and very well-illustrated account is therefore all the more welcome. If this standard is maintained, the `Town and City Histories' series that it inaugurates will be applauded for presenting local history in a way that is both academically sound and widely accessible'. Northern History `Every local household that takes a serious interest in the town's rich past so influential on our present - ought to own a copy of `Halifax.' Halifax Courier `This fine work of synthesis will be valued by many different species of historian, no less so because the standard of book production is exceptionally high.' English Historical Review `His account is clear, well-written, lively and coherent...Halifax... now has an enjoyable, descriptive and interpretative history worthy of its regional and national importance.' The Local Historian Halifax 2nd edition In this new, enlarged edition, therefore, John Hargreaves has been able to update the final chapter as well as to provide a full revision of his text and to include more illustrations in a volume which, like the first version, is handsomely produced.' Yorkshire