| In this first, single-volume history of the city for half a century, Dr. Upton looks at why Birmingham grew and what it has become. It has always been a place in which to experiment, from the steam engine to the factory in a garden; from the Bull Ring to Spaghetti Junction. To some the story of Birmingham is one of great industries: Boulton and Watt, Dunlop, Cadbury’s, G.K.N., Lloyd’s Bank and Austin Rover. But there are many lesser known tales: of the Bull Ring riots, the Onion Fair, the first floodlit football match and the tripe sellers. It is also a story of communities, too. The Quakers settled in the 17th century, the Irish and Italians in the 19th and, more recently, people from the Caribbean, the Indian subcontinent, China and Vietnam have all made Birmingham their home. - Foreign/Ethnic - England - Birmingham |
