Cosmo Lang

The period 1928-1942 saw some of the greatest political and social upheavals in modern British history. Lang, as Archbishop of Canterbury, led the Church of England through this tumultuous period and was a pivotal influence in political and religious decision-making. In this book, Robert Beaken provides a new perspective on Lang, including his considerable relationship with the royal family. Beaken also shows how Lang proved to be a sensitive leader during wartime, opposing any demonisation of the enemy and showing compassion to conscientious objectors. Despite his central role at a time of flux, there has been little written on Lang since the original biography published in 1949, and history has not been kind to this intellectually gifted but emotionally complex man. Although Lang has often been seen as a fairly unsuccessful archbishop who was resistant to change, Beaken shows that he was, in fact, an effective leader of the Anglican community at a time when the Church of England was internally divided over issues surrounding the Revised Prayer Book and its position in an ever-changing world. Lang's reputation is therefore ripe for reassessment. Drawing on previously unseen material and first-hand interviews, Beaken tells the story of a fascinating and complex man, who was, he argues, Britain's first 'modern' Archbishop of Canterbury.

Explores the Church of England's understanding of the Third Reich and its impact on the reactions to and memory of the Holocaust in Britain. Argues that the Anglican Church did not engage with the Third Reich through the prism of the persecution of the Jews. English Christians commonly perceived Nazism as significant through its anti-Christianity, as an attack on Christian culture, and not through its antisemitism. In the 1930s the Church was opposed to war, but when Nazi antisemitism became much more pronounced after 1938, the Church incorporated this persecution into its image of Nazism as anti-Christian. While there was some concern for Jewish victims (especially on the part of George Bell and William Temple), particular concern was expressed for the German Christian victims of totalitarianism. This led the Anglican Church, after the war, to favor reconstruction of West Germany as a buffer against communism and anti-Christianity. The Church objected to war crimes trials as being opposed to "Christian forgiveness" vs. the "Jewish" value of vengeance, a view which sought to reduce the significance of Nazi antisemitism and the Holocaust.

British intellectual life between the wars stood at the heart of modernity. The combination of a liberal, uncensored society and a large educated audience for new ideas made Britain a laboratory for novel ways to understand the world. The Morbid Age opens a window onto this creative but anxious era, the golden age of the public intellectual and scientist: Arnold Toynbee, Aldous and Julian Huxley, H. G. Wells, Marie Stopes and a host of others. Yet, as Richard Overy argues, a striking characteristic of so many of the ideas that emerged from this new age - from eugenics to Freud's unconscious, to modern ideas of pacifism and world government - was the fear that the West was facing a possibly terminal crisis of civilization. The modern era promised progress of a kind, but it was overshadowed by a growing fear of decay and death, an end to the civilized world and the arrival of a new Dark Age - even though the country had suffered no occupation, no civil war and none of the bitter ideological rivalries of inter-war Europe, and had an economy that survived better than most. The Morbid Age explores how this strange paradox came about. Ultimately, Overy shows, the coming of war was almost welcomed as a way to resolve the contradictions and anxieties of this period, a war in which it was believed civilization would be either saved or utterly destroyed.

Brings to life a fascinating page of history in a scholarly but highly readable account of the "tithe war". During the 1930s, farming communities waged a campaign of "passive resistance" against Tithe Rentcharge, the modern version of medieval tithe. Led by the National Tithepayers' Association, farmers refused to pay the charge, disrupted auctions of seized stock and joined demonstrations to prevent action by bailiffs. The National Government condemned their "unconstitutional action", ruled out changes in the law and mobilised police to support the titheowners. Meanwhile, the Church of England and lay titheowners - including Oxford and Cambridge colleges, public schools and major landowners - sought to vindicate their right to tithe; in a particularly shameful episode, the Church established a secret company to buy taken produce and remove it from farms. This "tithe war" was fought outside farms, in the courts, in the press and in the wider arena of public opinion. It posed problems for the Church, legal system, and every political party; split the National Farmers' Union; and provided opportunities for the British Union of Fascists and other sections of the extreme right to cause disturbance. Drawing on extensive archival research, accounts in local newspapers, and private papers, John Bulaitis traces the evolution of what has been described as this "curious rural revolt", from the late nineteenth century to its climax in 1936, when the Tithe Act brought an end to this form of tax.

The incredible story of the mystery U-Boats of WWII! Graddon first chronicles the story of the mysterious U-33 that landed in Scotland in 1940 and involved the top-secret Enigma device. He then looks at U-Boat special missions during and after WWII, including U-Boat trips to Antarctica; U-Boats with the curious cargos of liquid mercury; the journey of the Spear of Destiny via U-Boat; the "Black Subs" and more. Topics covered by Graddon include: U-33: The Official Story; Survivors and Deceased; August 1985-the story breaks; The Carradale U-boat; The Tail of the Bank Event; In the wake of U-33; Wrecks; The Greenock Lairs; The Mystery Men; "Brass Bounders at the Admiralty"; Max Schiller through the Lens; U-Boat Special Missions; Neu-Schwabenland and Station; Mercury Rising; The Holy Lance; U-boats in Scotland-Fact in Fiction; Admiral Karl Donitz and the U-Boat fleet; U33: Argo of the Grail; The Female Pope; U-Boats with cargoes of liquid mercury, more. Thoroughly documented with photos and official documents.

From a leading British historian, the story of how fear of war shaped modern England By the end of World War I, Britain had become a laboratory for modernity. Intellectuals, politicians, scientists, and artists?among them Arnold Toynbee, Aldous Huxley, and H. G. Wells?sought a vision for a rapidly changing world. Coloring their innovative ideas and concepts, from eugenics to Freud?s unconscious, was a creeping fear that the West was staring down the end of civilization. In their home country of Britain, many of these fears were unfounded. The country had not suffered from economic collapse, occupation, civil war, or any of the ideological conflicts of inter-war Europe. Nevertheless, the modern era?s promise of progress was overshadowed by a looming sense of decay and death that would deeply influence creative production and public argument between the wars. In The Twilight Years, award-winning historian Richard Overy examines the paradox of this period and argues that the coming of World War II was almost welcomed by Britain?s leading thinkers, who saw it as an extraordinary test for the survival of civilization? and a way of resolving their contradictory fears and hopes about the future.

In May 1931, Alan Don travelled from Dundee to Lambeth Palace to become Chaplain to Archbishop Cosmo Lang. During that journey he began a diary. He kept it faithfully for the next fifteen years, during which he also became Chaplain to the King and to the Speaker of the House of Commons. These positions afforded him a ringside view of some of the most momentous events in both British and world history – including the abdication of Edward VIII, the coronation of George VI, the rise of Hitler and the trauma of the Second World War. Now, for the first time, these fascinating diaries are laid open. They offer a wealth of detailed insight into the ecclesiastical, royal and parliamentary affairs of Britain and her élite during two historically significant decades. They also open a window on the history of the Church of England and its role in the social, political and military upheavals of the 1930s and 40s. Anyone who wants to know more about how Great Britain survived those turbulent times, will be amply rewarded by this engaging, perceptive and revealing eye-witness account.

'Mark Vickers has given us a wonderful new reference book of the beliefs (and non-beliefs) of 20th-century PMs - a meaty volume that can also be consumed as a social history of British religion.' THE TELEGRAPH 'This carefully researched and well-written study reveals the religious faith of our Prime Ministers, or lack of it, in vivid colours. Prepare to be shocked and surprised as the author lays bare their souls.' SIR ANTHONY SELDON Mark Vickers' acclaimed volume on the faith of the twentieth-century Prime Ministers casts a new perspective on these holders of the highest political office in the realm. While there are biographies aplenty on the 18 men and 1 woman who took up residence behind the famous black door, it is notable that that many of these works fail to reflect an important - sometimes the most important - aspect of the life of their subject. God in Number 10 rectifies this omission, offering intriguing insights into Margaret Thatcher's legendary 'Sermon on the Mound', Tony Blair's perception of Jesus as a modernizer, Arthur Balfour's recourse to spiritualism, Stanley Baldwin's mystical experiences, and Winston Churchill's involvement with astrology. The book considers the role of religion generally in the political classes of the period, the reasons for the declining influence of faith in the public forum, and the relationship between Church and State. The families of H. H. Asquith, Bonar Law, Ramsay MacDonald, Neville Chamberlain, Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home and Harold Wilson have all expressed their support for God in Number 10 and, where able, helped in the research, while John Major has assisted fully.