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Black Poppies
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 253

Black Poppies

In 1914 Britain was home to at least 10,000 black Britons, many of African and West Indian heritage. Most of them were loyal to the 'mother country' when the First World War broke out. Despite being discouraged from serving in the British Army, men managed to join all branches of the forces, while black communities contributed to the war effort on the home front. By 1918 it is estimated that Britain's black population had trebled to 30,000, as many black servicemen who had fought for Britain decided to make it their home. It was far from a happy ending, however, as they and their families often came under attack from white ex-servicemen and civilians increasingly resentful of their presence. With first-hand accounts and original photographs, Black Poppies is the essential guide to the military and civilian wartime experiences of black men and women, from the trenches to the music halls. It is intended as a companion to Stephen Bourne's previous books published by The History Press: Mother Country: Britain's Black Community on the Home Front 1939–45 and The Motherland Calls: Britain's Black Servicemen and Women 1939–45.

Fighting Proud
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 251

Fighting Proud

In this astonishing new history of wartime Britain, historian Stephen Bourne unearths the fascinating stories of the gay men who served in the armed forces and at home, and brings to light the great unheralded contribution they made to the war effort. Fighting Proud weaves together the remarkable lives of these men, from RAF hero Ian Gleed – a Flying Ace twice honoured for bravery by King George VI – to the infantry officers serving in the trenches on the Western Front in WWI - many of whom led the charges into machine-gun fire only to find themselves court-martialled after the war for indecent behaviour. Behind the lines, Alan Turing's work on breaking the 'enigma machine' and subsequen...

Deep Are the Roots
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 197

Deep Are the Roots

Deep Are the Roots celebrates the pioneers of Black British theatre, beginning in 1825, when Ira Aldridge made history as the first Black actor to play Shakespeare's Othello in the United Kingdom, and ending in 1975 with the success of Britain's first Black-led theatre company. In addition to providing a long-overdue critique of Laurence Olivier's Othello, Bourne has unearthed the forgotten story of Paul Molyneaux, a Shakespearean actor of the Victorian era. The twentieth-century trailblazers include Paul Robeson, Florence Mills, Elisabeth Welch, Edric Connor and Pearl Connor-Mogotsi. There are chapters about the groundbreaking work of playwrights at the Royal Court, the first Black drama school students, pioneering theatre companies and three influential dramatists of the 1970s: Mustapha Matura, Michael Abbensetts and Alfred Fagon. Drawing on interviews with leading lights, here is everything you need to know about the trailblazers of Black theatre in Britain and their profound influence on the culture of today.

Under Fire
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 256

Under Fire

During the Second World War all British citizens were called upon to do their part for their country. Despite facing the discriminatory 'colour bar', many black civilians were determined to contribute to the war effort where they could, volunteering as air-raid wardens, fire-fighters, stretcher-bearers and first-aiders. Meanwhile, black servicemen and women, many of them volunteers from places as far away as Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana and Nigeria, risked their lives fighting for the Mother Country in the air, at sea and on land. In Under Fire, Stephen Bourne draws on first-hand testimonies to tell the whole story of Britain's black community during the Second World War, shedding light on a wealth of experiences from evacuees to entertainers, government officials, prisoners of war and community leaders. Among those remembered are men and women whose stories have only recently come to light, making Under Fire the definitive account of the bravery and sacrifices of black Britons in wartime.

War to Windrush
  • Language: en

War to Windrush

  • Type: Book
  • -
  • Published: 2018
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  • Publisher: Jacaranda

Commemorating the 70th anniversaries of the arrival of the Empire Windrush on June 22, 1948 and the birth of the National Health Service on July 5, 1948, War to Windrush shines a light on the lives of black women in Britain. Spanning the years from the start of World War II to the arrival of the Empire Windrush, this engaging and informative book celebrates the contribution of black women to British society in a decade of major upheaval and social change. Through strong imagery and evocative prose, including many rare and previously unpublished photographs from Stephen Bourne's private collection, War to Windrush retraces the history of the black women who helped to build the great, multicultural Britain we know today. A much needed book in today's political climate.

Playing Gay in the Golden Age of British TV
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 267

Playing Gay in the Golden Age of British TV

The television set – the humble box in the corner of almost every British household – has brought about some of the biggest social changes in modern times. It gives us a window into the lives of people who are different from us: different classes, different races, different sexualities. And through this window, we've learnt that, perhaps, we're not so different after all. Playing Gay in the Golden Age of British TV looks at gay male representation on and off the small screen – from the programmes that hinted at homoeroticism to Mary Whitehouse's Clean Up TV campaign, and The Naked Civil Servant to the birth of Channel 4 as an exciting 'alternative' television channel. Here, acclaimed social historian Stephen Bourne tells the story of the innovation, experimentation, back-tracking and bravery that led British television to help change society for the better.

Black in the British Frame
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 274

Black in the British Frame

  • Type: Book
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  • Published: 2001-11-30
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  • Publisher: A&C Black

In this updated edition of Stephen Bourne's acclaimed and award-winning study, the author takes a personal look at the history of black people in popular British film and television. He documents, from original research and interviews, experiences and representations which have been ignored in previous media books about people of African descent. There are chapters about Paul Robeson, silent films, soap operas and much more--as well as several useful appendices including award winners and suggestions for further reading.

The Manifesto on How to be Interesting
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 393

The Manifesto on How to be Interesting

Apparently I'm boring. A nobody. But that's all about to change. Because I am starting a project. Here. Now. For myself. And if you want to come along for the ride then you're very welcome. Bree is by no means popular. Most of the time, she hates her life, her school, her never-there parents. So she writes. But when Bree is told she needs to stop shutting the world out and start living a life worth writing about, The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting is born. A manifesto that will change everything... ...but the question is, at what cost?

Fighting Proud
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 273

Fighting Proud

In this astonishing new history of wartime Britain, historian Stephen Bourne unearths the fascinating stories of the gay men who served in the armed forces and at home, and brings to light the great unheralded contribution they made to the war effort. Fighting Proud weaves together the remarkable lives of these men, from RAF hero Ian Gleed - a Flying Ace twice honoured for bravery by King George VI - to the infantry officers serving in the trenches on the Western Front in WWI - many of whom led the charges into machine-gun fire only to find themselves court-martialled after the war for indecent behaviour. Behind the lines, Alan Turing's work on breaking the 'enigma machine' and subsequent pe...

Black Poppies
  • Language: en

Black Poppies

A short, compelling history of Black Britons during the First World War, for readers aged 8 to 12