Imperial Mud : The Fight for the Fens-9781785787157

Imperial Mud : The Fight for the Fens

£10.99 GBP
£10.99 GBP
Acclaimed historian James Boyce presents a riveting account of the struggle for the...
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Acclaimed historian James Boyce presents a riveting account of the struggle for the Fens in his multi-award-winning book, 'Imperial Mud: The Fight for the Fens'. This gripping narrative, which has garnered accolades including the History and Tradition Category at the East Anglian Book Awards 2020, offers a fresh perspective on a pivotal period in English history.

Boyce masterfully chronicles the fierce resistance of the Fenland inhabitants against the encroachment of a burgeoning empire between the English Civil Wars and the mid-Victorian era. With meticulous attention to detail, he unveils the tragic tale of a proud indigenous culture fighting to preserve its wetland home - the last lowland wilderness in England - against the tide of so-called 'progress'.

The author's keen eye for the intricacies of power dynamics reveals that this was no mere triumph of technology over nature. Rather, it was the consequence of a newly centralised and militarised state, which favoured the enrichment of the few at the expense of the many. Boyce's vivid prose brings to life a cast of characters ranging from colonial masters like Oliver Cromwell to the defiant 'Fennish' themselves, whose dangerous and often bloody resistance to the enclosing landowners forms the heart of this compelling narrative.

Readers will be transported to a world where eels served as a medieval currency, where 'Fen football' games concealed acts of sabotage against drainage works, and where a bountiful ecosystem that had sustained the Fennish for millennia was systematically destroyed. Boyce's masterful argument, infused with a palpable sense of place, not only reimagines the history of the Fens but challenges our understanding of English identity itself.

'Imperial Mud' serves as a stark reminder of the consequences when the powerful disguise their avarice as progress - a lesson as pertinent today as it was in the Fens of yesteryear. This page-turner is an essential read for those seeking to unravel the complex tapestry of English history and identity.

Product Information:

Book ISBN: 9781785787157
Book Author: James Boyce
Book Format: Paperback / softback
Book Imprint: Icon Books
Book Publisher: Icon Books
Book Dimensions: 190 x 259 x 18 cm
Book Publication Date: 2021-08-04
Book Pagination: 272 pages
Book Weight: 240g

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This is a shop where you might find something you haven’t seen before, and we like to think we’ve got something for everyone. We choose each of our books with care and for a reason. This is because our physical store is small but beautifully formed, holding only around 1200 titles at any one time. We try and recreate the feel of the shop wherever we are online, to reflect our niche categories and personality.

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Our tagline is ‘Long Live the Hedgerows’ and our symbol a hibernating dormouse. If you want to support an independent with a unique character and which will share stories with you for years to come, then choose Sherlock & Pages. The world needs bookshops with soul, for they are ‘citadels of light.’

Sherlock & Pages is a little bookshop with a big heart. We are based in Frome, Somerset, England and curate lists of books in the areas we are passionate about – landscape, nature, history, and heritage. In short, the conservation of all we’ve inherited and all we are responsible to pass on. We aim to inspire and be inspired, to form a literary culture of care and passion about this precious planet we call home.

This is a shop where you might find something you haven’t seen before, and we like to think we’ve got something for everyone. We choose each of our books with care and for a reason. This is because our physical store is small but beautifully formed, holding only around 1200 titles at any one time. We try and recreate the feel of the shop wherever we are online, to reflect our niche categories and personality.

We have an active social media presence and aim to share our story with all our friends. The long-term goal is to build a hub for the books and writers we believe in. Who knows where our adventure will lead but by supporting Sherlock & Pages you’re helping us to add a further layer of magic to our little corner of the world. If you haven’t visited our physical store, one day you might just make a literary pilgrimage down to Somerset.

Our tagline is ‘Long Live the Hedgerows’ and our symbol a hibernating dormouse. If you want to support an independent with a unique character and which will share stories with you for years to come, then choose Sherlock & Pages. The world needs bookshops with soul, for they are ‘citadels of light.’

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