A DISCLAIMER: This is not a course about the kings and queens of England. Nor does it dwell on the supposed "genius" of Winston Churchill. This is a course, however, which deals with the rise of England as a world power in the 18th century, the success of England as the "Workshop of the World" in the 19th century, and the demise of that power in the 20th century. My own approach to the material is that of the intellectual, social and economic historian.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Attendance and informed participation at ALL class meetings is required. This means that you (1) show up to class on a regular basis and (2) complete your reading assignments on time. The entire success of the course, both from my standpoint and from yours, is that you get involved, get interested and get motivated to study a nation whose history is quite similar to our own. Remember, education is little more than dialogue, and according to the master of dialogue, Socrates, good dialogue ought to improve both the instructor and the student. Above all, you will be challenged to think and discuss. When all is said and done, by the end of the semester you should have a good idea just what it means to be "English."

REQUIRED TEXTS: The following texts are required and should be available at the bookstore. With the exception of the book by Derek Jarrett, these books are also available at Barnes and Noble or Book Stop.

Derek Jarrett, England in the Age of Hogarth
Gordon Haight, ed., The Portable Victorian Reader
Paul Fussell, The Great War and Modern Memory
Richard Critchfield, An American Looks at Britain

ON READING HISTORY: Make no mistake, the study of history means reading. The books I have selected for this course represent a variety of ways in which to look at English history. The book by Jarrett is a "monograph," that is, it focuses on a specific era of history and explores that era from the standpoint of social history. Haight's book is a collection of Victorian documents which describe 19th century England. Fussell's approach to the Great War is that of the literary historian. In this case, he is examining the poet's response to war. In the end, Fussell has some profound insights into war in general that I think you may find interesting. Finally, Critchfield's book is, as its title suggests, an American's response to England in the late 1980s. If anything, this last book is journalism.

The reading may be at times difficult. Some of it may even be quite dull. Try not to worry so much about specific names, dates, or events. Think more in terms of broad-based themes and ideas. If you have any specific problems with the reading or desire some different texts, please do not hesitate to ask.

READING ASSIGNMENTS: The reading assignments might seem a bit hefty. Sometimes you will be reading about 100 pages per week. At other times, only 30 or 40 pages. Regardless, you must make every effort to keep up with the reading assignments. If you have not done the reading for a specific week, you should show up to class just the same.

GRADING: I will assign two or three take-home examinations during the course of the semester. These will be essay exams which ask you to comment and reflect upon topics we have dealt with in class. They will be announced in advance and you will have one week to complete them. For those of you interested in submitting a research paper in lieu of the exams, please see me as soon as possible to discuss your somewhat different requirements. Your final grade is based on a two variables: (1) performance on the take-home exams or research essay and (2) the level of your participation in class. At least 15% of your grade will be determined by this last variable.

THE INTERNET: There are a vast number of resources available on the Internet which you may utilize in adjunct to the requirements of this course. While much of the fun (and tedium) of the Internet consists in locating these resources, I can help to point you in the right direction. For instance, there are numerous USENET news groups devoted to British politics, economics and social history. There are also at least 10 mailing lists to which you may subscribe. The most impressive resources can be located through the World Wide Web (WWW) although you will need a "browser" such as Cello or Mosaic to access them. If any of you are interested in learning about the Net or about the resources to be found there, please do not hesitate to ask me.