History West Midlands On Air

Birmingham: The Workshop of the World is the first substantial history of the city to be published for decades. It coincides with 850th anniversary of the granting of Birmingham’s market charter by Henry II in 1166. This very readable book presents a fascinating picture of Birmingham’s evolution from an insignificant Anglo Saxon hamlet into one of the world’s greatest commercial cities. Experts explore Birmingham's story from its prehistoric and historic roots into the 16th and 17th century town and a series of distinguished authors show how Birmingham became the "City of a Thousand Trades" and a global model of civic government with a worldwide reputation for scientific discovery, technological innovation and advances in education and the arts. From early the 20th Century, Birmingham like so many great British cities, faced the challenges of industrial decline, poor housing and significant social problems. Birmingham: The Workshop of the World describes how the city and its people have responded with urban r