John Springhall – författare

The international controversy (highlighted in Britain by the Bulger case) over the relationship between video nasties and crime is one that has a long prior history. Do books, films or magazines create a corrupting environment which encourages crime and moral decay?Dr. Springhall has written a highly perceptive and entertaining account of how commercial culture in Britain and America has been viewed, since its inception during the Industrial Revolution, as a force likely to undermine national morals. There has been wave after wave of scares: from the Victorian penny gaff theatres and penny dreadful novels to Hollywood gangster films, and American horror comics. A final chapter refers to video nasties, violence on television, 'gansta-rap' and computer games, each in turn playing the role of folk devils which must be causing delinquency. Why particular issues suddenly galvanize public attention, and why so many people have associated delinquency with entertainment, form the fascinating subjects of this groundbreaking book.

One of the most significant changes of the post-1945 world has been the decline and final dismemberment of European colonial empires in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Pacific and the Caribbean. In 1939, roughly a third of the world's entire population lived under colonial rule. At the end of the century, less than one per cent do so. In this study, each major European overseas colony, rather than being subject to chronological or thematic subdivision, receives separate, extensive and consecutive treatment.

The last decade of the nineteenth century and the first of the twentieth were marked by growing industrial and social uncertainty in Britain. Domestically, the expanding influence of socialism and, internationally, the rising threat from Germany - set against the backdrop of the disastrous South African War - undermined confidence in Britain's ability to preserve its empire. In response, the ruling elite placed renewed emphasis on promoting national unity through cultural and social initiatives.First published in 1977, Youth, Empire and Society explores the youth movements that emerged during this turbulent period. The book delves into how these movements were deliberately designed to reinforce social conformity, instil ideological values in the younger generation, and counteract signs of juvenile restlessness.The author examines five key movements - Boy's Brigades, ethnoreligious Lads' Brigades, Cadet Corps, Boy Scouts, and Woodcraft groups. He traces their formation, growth, and eventual decline. The book also reveals how, by the 1920s, alternative youth movements with anti-imperialist and anti-militarist ideologies began to emerge, offering an alternative ideological foundation to the more mainstream organisations.

The last decade of the nineteenth century and the first of the twentieth were marked by growing industrial and social uncertainty in Britain. Domestically, the expanding influence of socialism and, internationally, the rising threat from Germany - set against the backdrop of the disastrous South African War - undermined confidence in Britain's ability to preserve its empire. In response, the ruling elite placed renewed emphasis on promoting national unity through cultural and social initiatives.First published in 1977, Youth, Empire and Society explores the youth movements that emerged during this turbulent period. The book delves into how these movements were deliberately designed to reinforce social conformity, instil ideological values in the younger generation, and counteract signs of juvenile restlessness.The author examines five key movements - Boy's Brigades, ethnoreligious Lads' Brigades, Cadet Corps, Boy Scouts, and Woodcraft groups. He traces their formation, growth, and eventual decline. The book also reveals how, by the 1920s, alternative youth movements with anti-imperialist and anti-militarist ideologies began to emerge, offering an alternative ideological foundation to the more mainstream organisations.

The last decade of the nineteenth century and the first of the twentieth were marked by growing industrial and social uncertainty in Britain. Domestically, the expanding influence of socialism and, internationally, the rising threat from Germany – set against the backdrop of the disastrous South African War – undermined confidence in Britain’s ability to preserve its empire. In response, the ruling elite placed renewed emphasis on promoting national unity through cultural and social initiatives.First published in 1977, Youth, Empire and Society explores the youth movements that emerged during this turbulent period. The book delves into how these movements were deliberately designed to reinforce social conformity, instil ideological values in the younger generation, and counteract signs of juvenile restlessness.The author examines five key movements – Boy’s Brigades, ethnoreligious Lads’ Brigades, Cadet Corps, Boy Scouts, and Woodcraft groups. He traces their formation, growth, and eventual decline. The book also reveals how, by the 1920s, alternative youth movements with anti-imperialist and anti-militarist ideologies began to emerge, offering an alternative ideological foundation to the more mainstream organisations.