We get to know the men who governed the nation in peace and war during eighty turbulent years: how they rose and fell, their public deeds and their- sometimes colourful – private lives.
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Enrol online here.
Course Dates 2018 – 2019
These courses take place at Stoke Lodge
Wednesdays 1.15pm to 3.15pm John Stevens
- 12 sessions from 19 September £148 / £90 HPM1
New course dates will be available in our next Course Guide 2019 -20 from Summer 2019
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Tutor – John Stevens
Subjects: History
A lawyer by profession until my retirement in 2013, I have a lifelong interest in history and an enthusiasm to communicate and share this interest by both the spoken and written word.
My interests are wide and include in particular the Stuart era in Britain and nineteenth century English and European political history.
I have also published work, and lectured on, aspects of Bristol history in the period 1800-1850.
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Our History Tutors
Learn more about our brilliant tutors.
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Britain in an Age of Revolution, 1782-1815
Two revolutions dominate this course- the Industrial Revolution, which set Britain on the road to prosperity, and the French, against which the nation fought a war of twenty-three years. The poets and writers of the age also feature. Visit the tutor’s profile Enrol online here. Course Dates 2018 – 2019 These courses take place at […]
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Stone Circles and Neolithic Monuments of Wessex
Ancient artefacts abound in The West Country, particularly in Somerset and Wiltshire. These sites provide a fascinating picture of our ancestors’ lives, spiritual beliefs, and capabilities. This journey into our past will be an inspiring and memorable experience.. Enrol online here. Course Dates 2017 – 2018 These courses take place at Stoke Lodge Fridays 1pm to […]
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Years of Regency and Reform, 1815-1846
We study an era of Regency dandies and penniless workers threatened by industrialisation, earnest reformers and Romantic poets, and see the stage being set for world-wide empire in the Victorian age. Visit the tutor’s profile Enrol online here. Course Dates 2018 – 2019 These courses take place at Stoke Lodge Wednesdays 7pm to 9pm John […]
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NEW – The European Reformation 1500-1650
When the Roman Catholic Church lost its ability to hold European Christendom together in the 1520s, a variety of reforming movements strove for supremacy with the Papacy and frequently with each other. We tell the story of Luther, Calvin and many others, of the Catholic Church’s attempts to reform itself from the inside and of […]
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The Descent to the War Between the States — 1820 to 1865
An overview of the key events, laws, and people in the decades leading to the American Civil War. A look at causes, politics and missed chances that resulted in the bloodiest war in American history, the role slavery played, and its consequences still at play in American life today. Enrol online here. Course Dates 2018 […]
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Twelve more Prime Ministers, 1866-1940
In the era between the premierships of Disraeli and Neville Chamberlain, middle and even working-class men rose to the heights of power. How did they compare to their aristocratic predecessors? We explore change and continuity over 75 eventful years. Visit the tutor’s profile Enrol online here. Course Dates 2018 – 2019 These courses take place […]
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The Early Stuarts, 1603-1660
We explore a turbulent era, in which the English fought a civil war, executed their King, endured Puritan military dictatorship- and then restored the dead King’s son amidst general rejoicing. Visit the tutor’s profile Enrol online here. Course Dates 2018 – 2019 These courses take place at Stoke Lodge Mondays 7pm to 9pm John Stevens […]
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Europe, America and the World in the Nineteenth Century
This is the story of the age of empire, the imperial rivalries of the great powers and the effects- for good and ill – on those countries which were colonised. Africa, Australasia and India of course figure prominently in the story. China and Japan, ancient civilisations for long a closed book to the west but […]
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British Titans of the Nineteenth Century
From Cardinal Newman to General Gordon, Mary Carpenter to Rudyard Kipling, British life in the C19 was studded with great men and women in all walks of life. We explore these and many others. Visit the tutor’s profile Enrol online here. Course Dates 2018 – 2019 These courses take place at Stoke Lodge Wednesdays 1.15pm […]
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They Made History: Great Historians and their Works
History is not set in stone. Much depends on the men and women who write it, be they Catholics, Protestants or atheists, conservatives, liberals or socialists. Gibbon, Macaulay and AJP Taylor come under scrutiny, with many others less well known. Visit the tutor’s profile Enrol online here. Course Dates 2018 – 2019 These courses take […]
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NEW – Early Tudor England 1485-1547
Did you enjoy reading or watching Wolf Hall or similar novels and films? This course tells the true story of the first two Tudors – every bit as absorbing as fiction, as we see Henry VII establishing the dynasty in the face of threats from Pretenders, to leave a secure throne to his son. We […]
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Early Georgian England, 1714-1760
We explore these crucial years, in which hard won peace and stability triumphed over Jacobite and French threats, Pope and Gray wrote their greatest poetry, and England acquired dominion over Canada and India. Visit the tutor’s profile Enrol online here. Course Dates 2018 – 2019 These courses take place at Stoke Lodge Mondays 7pm to […]
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The Later Stuarts, 1660-1714
So much begins in this period- Parliamentary government, modern banking, the British Empire- but it is also an era of great poetry, theatre and architecture. We explore all these aspects and more. Visit the tutor’s profile Enrol online here. Course Dates 2018 – 2019 These courses take place at Stoke Lodge Mondays 7pm to 9pm […]
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Politics in Historical Perspective
Few of today’s political issues are wholly new. We look at questions like Northern Ireland, devolution, EU membership and many others, adopting a historical perspective going back two or three hundred years, or even longer. Visit the tutor’s profile Enrol online here. Course Dates 2018 – 2019 These courses take place at Stoke Lodge Tuesdays […]
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The Founding Fathers and the Birth of the US Constitution
An overview of the men who fought for independence, led the new nation and drafted the US constitution—1776 to 1812. Enrol online here. Course Dates 2018 – 2019 These courses take place at Stoke Lodge Tuesdays 7pm to 9pm Russell Walker 10 sessions from 25 September £124 / £76 AHFF1 10 sessions from 23 April […]
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British Political Mavericks, 1660-2018
From Lord Shaftesbury in the C17 to Nye Bevan and Enoch Powell, we look at famous figures who have challenged the political establishment. Some are Right-wing, some Left-wing, others harder to categorise. All are fascinating. Visit the tutor’s profile Enrol online here. Course Dates 2018 – 2019 These courses take place at Stoke Lodge Tuesdays […]
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The European Power Struggle 1870-1918
Continuing the story of Europe in the nineteenth century, we see how Bismarck in his later years sought to maintain a balance of power and how his successors, and Kaiser Wilhelm II, upset this through policies of naval and colonial expansion among other things. We also consider how France’s desire for “revenge” on Prussia, Russian […]
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Peace and Conflict in Europe 1815-1870
Following Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815, Europe’s rulers and diplomats strove to damp down dynastic rivalries and revolutionary tendencies within states. But international tension was not so easily controlled and new movements – nationalism, liberalism, socialism – presented fresh challenges. This course looks at the post-1815 world, the events leading to the “year of […]
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George III and the Loss of America, 1760-1782
Whilst the political and military aspects of the American problem dominate this period, it was also the era of Dr Johnson, David Garrick and Sir Joshua Reynolds, which means there is much more to be studied and enjoyed this term. Visit the tutor’s profile Enrol online here. Course Dates 2018 – 2019 These courses take […]