If you click here you will get the latest edition of Making History from Radio 4. It has been recommended to me by a friend of the site (ok – Mr Podesta). What is noteworthy to us as A Level historians is that it is a discussion about the environmental history of the Fens. For the record I had never heard of the breedlings before, and I now want to find out their fate. More broadly, as Helen Castor suggests, “a landscape that changes is a landscape that loses its memory”. This is an interesting idea, and remember that you can see the Tudor programme of her excellent She Wolves series in history society in October.
Environmental history is a form of study that is relatively new here, but is very fashionable in the USA. I think it reflects two trends in academic history.
1. The increased use of new technology and scientific methods.
2. The increased specialisation of academic history.
Have a listen and see what you think.
Mr Kydd.
