04 April 2020
Publications 2015 - 2019
Publications from your fellow alumni, published in the years 2015 - 2019.
From novels and poetry collections to works of non-fiction, our community of alumni and staff have published a variety of books over the years. We share a selection of these with you here.
If you would like to put forward a work for inclusion, please email the alumni office. When submitting, please make sure to also include a high res image of the book cover.
Sandra Blow: Catalogue Raisonne of Prints by John Basford (Music, 1980)
Includes exhibition lists, awards, public collections, bibliography etc. 34 pages, 48 illustrations, paperback. Colley Books 2015 - £12.95.
Purchase the book here
Fifty Years of Malfunction by Grant Vicat (Classics, 1982)
Fifty Years of Malfunction is an anecdotal journey through life, from the point of view of a former Type 1 diabetic. The book aims to give sufferers, carers and interested readers a clearer understanding of many aspects of the condition often overlooked, especially by the newly diagnosed. Because diabetes affects every part of the body, there is plenty of both comic and serious medical drama, and a cast of eccentric characters.
All profits from the book will go to Addenbrooke's Hospital Transplant Department, who gave Grant a replacement kidney and pancreas in 2013. The book costs £10, (including p&p within the UK). Please contact Grant at rgvicat@gmail.com to buy a copy or for more information.
The Einstein Code by Tom West (Chemistry, 1982)
Marine archaeologists Kate Wetherall and Lou Bates are diving off Howland Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, when a torpedo-shaped object hurtles through the water towards them; the fuselage of Amelia Earhart's lost plane. In the cockpit, they find a corroded metal cylinder the size of a baton.
Whoever can decrypt the lost cipher, which holds the key to Einstein's secret defence technology, could hold the key to global power.
Afrocentric Interpretations of Jesus and the Gospel Tradition: Things Black Scholars See that White Scholars Overlook, ed. By Thomas B. Slater (Theology and Religious Studies, 1996)
Thomas Slater (PhD, Theology & Religious Studies, 1996) has published his third book, Afrocentric Interpretations of Jesus and the Gospels (Edwin Mellen Press, 2015), a collection of 10 essays by African American religious scholars. Two more volumes are planned to discuss topics throughout the New Testament. Slater, an ordained Methodist minister, served on the staff of Chelsea Methodist Church in London while studying at Kings with the late Professor Graham Stanton. He currently teaches at McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University, a moderate Baptist seminary located in Atlanta, Georgia.
Heaven and Hell: The Psychology of the Emotions by Dr Neel Burton (Medicine, 2002)
Today more than ever, the education doled out in classrooms is cold and cognitive. But, once outside, it is our uneducated emotions that move us, hold us back, and lead us astray. It is, at first and at last, our emotions that determine our choice of profession, partner, and politics, and our relation to money, sex, and religion. Nothing can make us feel more alive, or more human, than our emotions, or hurt us more.
Yet many people lumber through life without giving full consideration to their emotions, partly because our empirical, materialistic culture does not encourage it or even make it seem possible, and partly because it requires unusual strength to gaze into the abyss of our deepest drives, needs, and fears. This book proposes to do just that, examining over 25 emotions ranging from lust to love and humility to humiliation, and drawing some useful and surprising conclusions along the way.
Weird Sports and Wacky Games Around The World: From Buzkashi to Zorbing by Dr Victoria Williams (English, 2008)
Play is an essential part of the human experience that has existed since time immemorial and occurs in all cultures. Play also proves that what can seem frivolous is actually a source of joy, and, sometimes, of great commercial value. One of the main ways people play is through participating in sports and games. This single volume edition concentrates on sporting activities and pastimes enjoyed around the world that are either played by only a handful of participants (such as the Eton Wall Game) or enjoyed by many millions of people and have a huge cultural significance (such as cricket). Many of the activities detailed include elements of history, folklore, politics, art, literature and science and cover North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Oceania. Animal sports are also featured, including controversial so-called blood sports. Also included are a number of entries on traditional British pub games and other pastimes including British folk sports like the Haxey Hood Game and activities such as cheese rolling and pancake races, which, though often presumed to be uniquely English occasions, have parallel events in other countries.
The Rule by Jack Colman (Law, 2009)
In Helvik, a single rule governs the people: ‘No person of Helvik may kill another person of Helvik. Any person who breaks this rule is no longer a person of Helvik.’ Gunnarr remembers a time before the rule, when blood feuds and petty rivalries led to endless death. In the days since, an uneasy peace has fallen over the town, and Gunnarr has made himself the man to enforce it. When an innocent friend suffers from a breach of the rule, Gunnarr rushes to deal retribution. Too late, he discovers that what appeared a mindless act was actually something far more sinister. And now he has left his unborn child and family unprotected, just when they need him most. A vast host of warriors is at the gates of Helvik, and with Gunnarr gone, nothing and no one stands against them…
Buy The Rule here.
2016
The Love of Geli Raubal by Brenda Squires (German, 1969)
This is a coming-of-age tale set against the upheaval of the General Strike in 1926. The Love of Geli Raubal is a historical thriller. It draws on Brenda’s experience as a graduate of German and from the time she spent living and working in Berlin as a teacher and translator.
The Love of Geli Raubal is published by Parthian Books and is available in WHSmith, Waterstones and Daunt Books.
Sheffield Society of Artists: Members and Proceedings 1930-53 by John Basford (Music, 1980)
Edited and with an Introduction and notes. Colley Books 2016 - Paperback £12.95.
Bach’s Numbers: Compositional Proportion and Significance by Ruth Tatlow (Music, 1983)
In this 2015 best-selling music title from Cambridge University Press, Ruth Tatlow uses the principles of her ground-breaking theory of proportional parallelism and the latest documentary evidence to show how and why Bach created numerical perfection across his published collections.
The book is designed to inspire anyone interested in the music of J. S. Bach, whether performer, listener, composer, mathematician, theologian or historian. The author explains more in this three-minute trailer.
To find out more or to purchase the work, visit the Cambridge University Press website.
Biological Psychiatry of Cancer and Cancer Treatment by Andrew Hodgkiss (Medicine, 1986)
As long-term cancer survival becomes a widely-shared experience, the quality of life of people living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis is increasingly important. Optimising the prevention and treatment of any psychiatric consequences of certain tumours and treatments is now central to high-quality cancer care.
Biological Psychiatry of Cancer and Cancer Treatment provides the reader with expert guidance on how to prevent, detect and manage the 'organic' psychiatric disorders experienced by people with cancer.
Destination Earth: A New Philosophy of Travel by a World-Traveler by Nicos Hadjicostis (Physics, 1986)
'Travel is the departure from one's little pond. It is the bold renouncement of the petty comforts that hold us prisoner. It is a movement away from the known towards the unknown and unimaginable. Travel is expansion, widening, opening-up...'
After years as a media executive, Nicos Hadjicostis abandoned the business world and set his sights on a larger and more fulfilling goal: to explore our planet as if it were one huge country, a single destination. Starting from New York and travelling west for six-and-a-half-years, the author visited six continents and seventy countries delving deep into their peoples, cultures and natural wonders.
Loyal to the Empire by Patrick Crowley (Defence Studies, 2004)
Monro was one of a handful of senior officers selected to command a division with the British Expeditionary Force in 1914 and also led a corps on the Western Front as the war progressed.
After Gallipoli he was instrumental in supporting the war effort from India as commander-in-chief and was directly involved in the aftermath of the Amritsar massacre by Brigadier General Dyer. His earlier life included distinguished service on the North West Frontier and in South Africa, and he was responsible for dramatically improving tactics within the army.
Loyal to Empire brings to life the interesting character of General Monro, perhaps the least well known of all the British First World War commanders, and reassesses the legacy of his important military
Integration in Energy and Transport: Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, by Alexandros Petersen (War Studies, 2006)
The South Caucasus has established itself as a corridor for transporting energy from Azerbaijan to Georgia, Turkey, and on to Europe, symbolised by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline. This new infrastructure has created an east-west “Eurasian bridge” in which transnational extra-regional actors, especially the European Union and international financial institutions, have played a critical role. This book offers an original exploration of integration in the energy and transport sectors amongst Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, and the capacity of this to fundamentally change relations between these countries. In the period studied, from the mid-1990s to 2008, integration in energy and transport did not result in broader political, security, and sociocultural integration in any significant way. The author sets his analysis in a theoretical framework, drawing on theories of integration, but also grounds it in the detailed, empirical knowledge that is the measure of true expertise.
Diplomas and Diplomacy: The History of the Marshall Scholarship by Aroop Mukharji (International Peace and Security, 2012)
The first published work to chart the history of the Marshall Scholarship, this book details the origins of the Scholarship in the British Foreign Office and subsequently traces the award's evolution through the careers and narratives of a range of Scholars. It further explores the complex and dynamic interaction between education and diplomacy through the broader lens of Anglo-American relations by way of extensive primary-source document research, interviews, and statistical analysis.
The Making of a Salafi Muslim Woman: Paths to Conversion by Anabel Inge (Anthropology of Islam, 2014)
The spread of Salafism―often referred to as Wahhabism―in the West has intrigued and alarmed observers since the attacks of 9/11. Many see it as a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam that condones the subjugation of women and fuels Jihadist extremism. This view depicts Salafi women as the hapless victims of a fanatical version of Islam. Yet in Britain, growing numbers of educated women―often converts or from less conservative Muslim backgrounds―are actively choosing to embrace Salafism's literalist beliefs and strict regulations, including heavy veiling, wifely obedience, and seclusion from non-related men. How do these young women reconcile such difficult demands with their desire for university education, fulfilling careers, and suitable husbands? How do their beliefs affect their love lives and other relationships? And why do they become Salafi in the first place?
Anabel Inge has gained unprecedented access to Salafi women's groups in the United Kingdom to provide the first in-depth account of their lives. Drawing on more than two years of ethnographic fieldwork in London, she examines why Salafism is attracting so many young Somalis, Afro-Caribbean converts, and others. But she also reveals the personal dilemmas they confront. This ground-breaking, lucid, and richly detailed book will be of vital interest to scholars, policy-makers, journalists, and general readers.
Religious Identity and Cultural Negotiation: Toward a Theology of Christian Identity in Migration by Jenny McGill (Theology and Religious Studies, 2015)
Given increasing global migration and the importance of positive cross-cultural relations across national borders, this book offers an interdisciplinary and intercultural exploration of identity formation. It uniquely draws from theology, psychology, and sociology--engaging narrative and identity theories, migration and identity studies, and the theologies of identity and migration--and builds on them in an unprecedented study of international migrants to construct an initial theology of Christian identity in migration.
New sociological research describes the social construction of religious, ethnic, and national identities among non-North American evangelical graduates who entered the United States to pursue advanced academic studies from 1983 to 2013. It provides an intercultural account of Christian identity formation in the context of migration, transnationalism, and globalization. It ultimately argues that an integral component of Christian identity-making involves the concept of migration, of movement, toward a transformation.
2017
Songs for the Soul by Ivor Moody (Theology, 1980)
Songs For The Soul is a collection of musical musings and discussions from author Ivor Moody. In this book, Moody discusses his own interpretations of popular songs by the likes of The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel.
Moody sees popular music as a natural extension of his own spirituality, and writes that each of the six songs featured in this book contains “a treasury of blessings”. He argues that whilst the songs are in fact secular that they should not be dismissed or condemned, rather, they are open to spiritual interpretation. That music and the personal meanings we take from it should be incorporated into our everyday worship.
Dirty War: Rhodesia and Chemical Biological Warfare 1975-1980 by Glenn Cross (War Studies, 1986)
Dirty War is the first comprehensive look at the Rhodesia's top secret use of chemical and biological weapons (CBW) during their long counterinsurgency against native African nationalists. Having declared its independence from Great Britain in 1965, the government ― made up of European settlers and their descendants ― almost immediately faced a growing threat from native African nationalists. In the midst of this long and terrible conflict, Rhodesia resorted to chemical and biological weapons against an elusive guerrilla adversary.
Eurasia’s Shifting Geopolitical Tectonic Plates by Alexandros Petersen (War Studies, 2006)
This anthology of articles, short studies, and interviews by Alexandros Petersen was written over the span of ten years, starting in 2004. Yet they are even more relevant today in their prescient analysis. Petersen insightfully addresses the implications of the West withdrawing its engagement from the Caucasus and Central Asia, the expansion of the Chinese influence, and Russia’s strategic interests.
Eurasia's Shifting Geopolitical Tectonic Plates is available to buy here.
Nasser’s Peace: Egypt’s Response to the 1967 War with Israel by Michael Sharnoff (Mediterranean Studies Research, 2012)
Gamal Abdel Nasser was arguably one of the most influential Arab leaders in history. As President of Egypt from 1956 to 1970, he could have achieved a peace agreement with Israel, yet he preferred to maintain his unique leadership role by affirming pan-Arab nationalism and championing the liberation of Palestine, a common euphemism for the destruction of Israel.
In that era of Cold War politics, Nasser brilliantly played Moscow, Washington, and the United Nations to maximize his bargaining position and sustain his rule without compromising his core beliefs of Arab unity and solidarity. Surprisingly, little analysis is found regarding Nasser’s public and private perspectives on peace in the weeks and months immediately after the 1967 War. Nasser’s Peace is a close examination of how a developing country can rival world powers and how fluid the definition of “peace” can be.
Drawing on recently declassified primary sources, Michael Sharnoff thoroughly inspects Nasser’s post-war strategy, which he claims was a four-tiered diplomatic and media effort consisting of his public declarations, his private diplomatic consultations, the Egyptian media’s propaganda machine, and Egyptian diplomatic efforts. Sharnoff reveals that Nasser manipulated each tier masterfully, providing the answers they desired to hear, rather than stating the truth: that he wished to maintain control of his dictatorship and of his foothold in the Arab world.
De-constructing Dahl by Dr Laura Viñas Valle (Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies, 2014)
This is the first single-authored monograph on Roald Dahl since 1994. Remarkably, in spite of Dahl’s commercial success, and the divided opinions he generates, very little scholarly work on the author has been produced.
Find out more here.
The Metropolis of Glass by Chloe Lee (English, 2016)
The Metropolis of Glass is a poetry collection penned over four years by alumna Chloe Lee (English Literature and Language, 2016). It ranges across diverse topics, from divorce and infidelity to our rising use of social media in the digital age. The collection of poetry offers an insight into the negative impacts of digitalisation on society, and particularly on the younger generation. Inspired by John Ruskin’s The Stones of Venice, Chloe Lee’s Metropolis of Glass has been described as a ‘poignant and relevant read.’
2018
Darling by Rachel Edwards (English with French, 1996)
Rachel Edwards’ debut novel Darling has attracted rave reviews since its publication in summer 2018. She has been named as one of The Observer’s ‘promising British first-time novelists’ and there are rumours of a TV adaptation being made.
Darling charts the relationship between a black British woman and her white stepdaughter. Opening on the day of the Brexit vote, the book explores the deep tension that comes from these lives colliding and has been described as a ‘dark, provocative and refreshing take on the psychological thriller genre.’
Caesar’s Footprints: Journeys Through Roman Gaul by Bijan Omrani (Classics, 2009)
In his new book, Caesar’s Footsteps: Journeys through Roman Gaul, alumnus Bijan Omrani (PGCE Classics, 2009) makes a revelatory journey across Gaul in the footsteps of its Roman conquerors. In his book, Bijan tells the story of Caesar’s Gallic Wars and traces the imprint on modern France that Roman civilisation has left to this day.
The parallels drawn with the tumultuous times we live in are striking, including how Caesar dealt with a migration crisis, and what kept the Roman Empire together for so long. Could Caesar’s conquest of Gaul can be seen as the birth of the ‘European project’?
Caesar’s Footprints: Journeys through Roman Gaul is available to purchase on Amazon.
Reflections on the Challenges of Psychiatry in the UK and Beyond by Nick Bouras
This book is a historical chronicle of developments and changes of UK psychiatry over the last 40 years, all told from the perspective of a man influential and prominent in much of the process. Professor Bouras witnessed the challenges in psychiatry as a postgraduate student, practicing clinician, teacher, trainer, researcher and health service manager, allowing him to provide a personal panoramic view of some of the most significant milestones of modern psychiatry.
Professor Edgar Jones, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London has said that ‘this exploration of the psychiatry of intellectual disabilities is revealing not only as a personal history but also as an analysis of its clinical development, research challenges and its place in the politics of health. Professor Nick Bouras is particularly well qualified to provide this insightful and evocative account.’
Find out more here.