City Of London

The City of London and Social Democracy examines the relationship between the financial sector and the state in post-war Britain. The key argument made in Aled Davies's study is that changes to the financial sector during the 1960s and 1970s undermined the state's capacity to sustain and develop a modern industrial economy. Social democratic economic strategy was constrained by the institutionalization of investment in pension and insurance funds; the fragmentation of the nation's oligopolistic domestic banking system; the emergence of an unregulated international capital market based in London; and the breakdown of the Bretton Woods international monetary system. Novel attempts to reconfigure social democratic economic strategy in response to these changes ultimately proved unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the assumption that national prosperity could only be achieved through industrial growth was challenged by a reconceptualization of Britain as a fundamentally financial and commercial nation — an idea that was successfully promoted by the City itself. These findings assert the need to place the Thatcher governments' subsequent neoliberal economic revolution, which saw the acceleration of deindustrialization and the triumph of the City of London as a pre-eminent international financial centre, within a broader material, institutional, and cultural context previously underappreciated by historians.

The City of London. Vol IV: A Club No More is the fourth and final volume of David Kynaston's epic history of the square mile in the modern era. This lively and informative book takes the story from the post-war era, when the City was hemmed in by bombsites and austere Chancellors, through to very recent developments, such as the "Big-Bang" deregulation of 1986. This is as much a social history as a financial study, with interesting discussions of the changing class and complexion of the City, and with fascinating details on the early computerisation of the big companies. As with earlier volumes Kynaston's style is that of an anecdotal storyteller. Colourful characters, dramatic boardroom struggles and heated exchanges between politicians and bankers dominate the pages.

Throughout the First World War, London played a major part in Great Britain's war effort, both at home and abroad. A far as Germany was concerned, the city was their ultimate goal the ultimate target that would bring them the sought-after victory they so desired. With the British Royal Family at Buckingham Palace, the heart of British Government at the Houses of Parliament and one of Europe's major financial centres, situated at the Bank of England, London was a major prize that would either be protected or lost to the enemy. With a real belief amongst the British public that there would be an invasion at some time during the war, the security of the countries capital was paramount not only for survival of the nation, but also to ensure that public morale remained high.The capital was a central hub for recruitment with centres popping up all over the city, at places such as Scotland Yard and the Tower of London. There was a regiment for everybody, catering for all elements of society from the labourer, to the landed gentry, for the more affluent, as well as those less well off, and from the professional sportsman, to the city banker; everybody wanted to do their bit for King and Country.The book looks at many different aspects of wartime London: the Members of Parliament who left their comfortable lifestyles, who fought and died for their country, the Silvertown munitions factory explosion, the twelve German spies who were shot at the Tower of London, and the hundreds of military hospitals that were spread across London. Part of St Thomas's Hospital, for example, treated the wounds of 11,396 military personnel between 1915-19.City of London in the Great War records yet another chapter in the history of the nation's capital, during the four-year period of time, which will live in the memory of the city forever more.

Originally published in 1932, this book presents a selection of the pleas and memoranda preserved among the archives of the City of London, roughly covering the period between 1381 and 1412. Written during an important period of the City's development, they throw considerable light on municipal law and legal custom. Detailed notes are incorporated throughout, together with indexes of names, places and subjects. A comprehensive editorial introduction is also provided. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of London and the development of the English legal system.