Walter Stephen – författare

In his time his revolutionary ideas appealed to women and he was surrounded by more than a generation of clever and forceful women. One who could say that ‘life is not really a gladiators’ show; it is rather a vast mothers’ meeting!’ could not fail to attract followers. WALTER STEPHENPatrick Geddes – Sociologist, Town Planner, Biologist, Peace Warrior. It is well known that this extraordinary Scot shaped the cityscape of Edinburgh, but for the first time Walter Stephen turns the lens onto the strong, wilful women who influenced the revolutionary man – and who were in turn influenced by him.From his wife and mother in Scotland, to a nun in India and a Marchioness in Ireland, this insightful volume shows the wide range of women across the globe whose lives intertwined with Geddes’s, whether professionally or personally.Delving deeper into Geddes’s personal life than ever before, Walter Stephen and his fellow Modern Geddesians go beyond the surface of the Scotsman’s acclaimed works to reveal the female characters that shaped him throughout his life. Contributors include: Veronica Burbridge, Siân Reynolds, Anne-Michelle Slater, Kenny Munro, Swami Narasimhananda, Sofia Leonard, Kenneth MacLean, Robert Morris and Kate Henderson.A well-researched and thoughtfully written book. SCOTTISH REVIEW OF BOOKS on The Evolution of Evolution[The book] makes the reader realise in what esteem Geddes should be held, not just in Scotland, but across the globe. LALLANS MAGAZINE on A Vigorous Institution

Walter Stephen provides an uninhibited look at the misery and toil of World War I through a collection of twelve diverse stories. Providing a Scottish perspective, he takes a look at tales from home and abroad with scepticism, delving deeper to unveil the unencumbered truth. Recalling Siegfried Sassoon’s words, Stephen reveals the failures of those in command as the Great War became known as A Dirty Swindle. The varied accounts chronicle the progress of troops from recruitment to training to the frontline, as well as enlightening historians to a side of Field Marshal Haig never seen before.

Walter Stephen provides an uninhibited look at the misery and toil of World War I through a collection of twelve diverse stories. Providing a Scottish perspective, he takes a look at tales from home and abroad with scepticism, delving deeper to unveil the unencumbered truth. Recalling Siegfried Sassoon’s words, Stephen reveals the failures of those in command as the Great War became known as A Dirty Swindle. The varied accounts chronicle the progress of troops from recruitment to training to the frontline, as well as enlightening historians to a side of Field Marshal Haig never seen before.

Town planning. Interest-led, open-minded education. Preservation of buildings with historical worth. All are so central to modern society that our age tends to claim these notions as its own. In fact they were first visualised by Sir Patrick Geddes, a largely forgotten Victorian Scot and one of the greatest forward thinkers in history.In turns a gardener, biologist, conservationist, social evolutionist and town planner, he spent many years conserving and restoring Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile at a time when most decaying buildings were simply torn down. With these plans of renovation came the importance of education – as the development of the Outlook Tower, his numerous summer schools and his Collège des Ecossais in Montpellier illustrate. It is in India where his name is most widely known. It was here that possibly the greatest example of Geddes’ belief in ‘people planning’ can be seen and which took the form of pedestrian zones, student accommodation for women, and urban diversification projects in Edinburgh.Indeed, his influence travelled around the world, through the people he met and inspired, and has survived after his death.