Northerners: The bestselling history of the North of England

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That being said, I wish Groom had gone into a little more detail in places. This study could never go into too much depth, but I felt the absence of some chapters. In particular, since my research involves crime, Groom says nothing about the Moors Murders or the Yorkshire Ripper, significant parts of the North's history, whether it likes it or not. This criticism is personal, however. The only other criticism I have is that there was some repeated information towards the end of the book. It would have been better if Groom only wrote new information instead of repeating points made in previous chapters. Writer Brian Groom seeks to do just that in Northerners: A History, a definitive new chronicle of the region, the first to appear this century.

HarperNorth have bought World English rights to the next two books by Brian Groom, author of the bestselling Northerners: A History, from the Ice Age to the Present Day.You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many user’s needs. Compare Standard and Premium Digital here. Northerners fills a gap in the market for a book on the history that has shaped the north of England. It could hardly be more topical, given tensions over Brexit, the “red wall” and forces threatening to drive the country apart. This book lays out the dramatic events that have played out in the north – waves of migration, invasions and battles, its impact on European culture and the global economy, its struggles to assert its identity as modern Britain emerged. It explores what northernness means in the 21 st century and the crucial role the north can play in Britain’s future. The story is told through the people, famous or not, who have built the region. Brian Groom is a journalist and one of the foremost experts on British regional and national affairs. His career was spent mainly at the Financial Times, where he did many of the top writing and editing jobs. He is also a former editor of Scotland on Sunday, which he launched as deputy editor and which won many awards. Originally from Stretford, Lancashire (now part of Greater Manchester), he returned to live in the north – in Saddleworth, south Pennines – in 2015. We don’t need to ask ourselves “are we northerners?” because we know already. But darn sarf they don’t know, and it’s about time somebody told ‘em. Northerners was 10 years in the writing, and even longer in the evolution. Groom, former head of the regional reporting team of the Financial Times, travelled around the North in the fifties with his father, the sales manager of a textile firm. He didn’t miss much.

Much as many would love to wish the North-South divide away, this is no time to give up,” says Groom. “If there is to be a revival, it will depend on the talents, energy and enterprise of northerners. Delving into the human stories behind these northerners creates an emotional tale of loss and heroism throughout time, connecting readers with the past and their history.” In his view, the answer is simple: “The North is where people who live there think they are in the North”. And a Northerner is “someone who regards themself as a Northerner.” Figures such as King Oswald of Northumbria, Saint Cuthbert and Bede, Victorian heroine Grace Darling, reformers Josephine Butler, Mary Astell and Emily Davies, Jarrow MP Ellen Wilkinson, railway pioneers George and Robert Stephenson and engineer William Armstrong feature prominently in Northerners: A History, from the Ice Age to the Present Day by journalist Brian Groom.

Romans

Finally, Brian Groom explores what northernness means today and the crucial role the north can play in Britain's future. As new forces threaten the fabric of the UK again, this landmark book could scarcely be more timely. If you do nothing, you will be auto-enrolled in our premium digital monthly subscription plan and retain complete access for 65 € per month. When I started thinking about this ten years ago,” Brian explains. “I was astonished to discover that there had only ever been one general history of the North published in 1990, so it seemed like a gap and an opportunity. I thought there was room for a much more people-focused narrative, so that was a prime aim in writing this book.” Romans The publisher said: "Groom compellingly lays out the dramatic events that created the north: waves of migration, invasions and battles. In a sweeping narrative that takes us from the earliest times to the present day, the book shows that the people of the north have shaped Britain and the world in unexpected ways. Northerners also shows how the past echoes down the centuries. The devastation of factory and pit closures in the 1980s, for example, recalled the trauma of William the Conqueror’s Harrying of the North. The book charts how the north-south divide has ebbed and flowed, and explores the divisions between northerners.