Product Description

This concise, illustrated history of the University of Cambridge, from its thirteenth-century origins to the present day, is the only book of its kind in print and is intended as a standard introduction for anyone interested in one of the world’s greatest academic institutions. Many individuals are celebrated here who have exerted great influence upon developments within the University and beyond. But forces for change have often come from outside the University, from central government or from the aspirations and expectations of society at large. One of the prime objectives of this book is to describe how the university has reacted to, or resisted, these external pressures. At the same time it conveys an impression of the day-to-day experiences of students and their teachers and administrators over the University’s 700-year history. Major university institutions, such as the University Press and the University Library, are also described briefly. The book contains many attractive and often unusual illustrations, of subjects ranging from medieval manuscripts to the striking new building projects of the 1990s.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #485433 in Books
• Published on: 1996-09-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
"The author offers a gentle and succint account of Cambridge University....The book contains excellent illustrations, useful tables and appendixes, and a glossary (indispensable for American Readers)....this book fills a need for a shorter history that is also up-to-date. Especially valuable for historians of higher education or others interested in English history." S. Fishman, Choice

Customer Reviews

Fabulous Read
The author's prose is captivating, making this a delightful read for anybody interested in the university and its history. Aside from the very engaging manner of presentation, this book is especially detailed considering its modest length. I completely enjoyed this book, and recommend it highly.

Not quite what I thought it would be.
This is an excellent book for what it is but A Concise History of the University of Cambridge is a bit too broad of a title. A more precise title should have been a History of the Curriculum of the University of Cambridge. If that is what you are looking for this is a great book. If you are wanting to get any idea what it was like to be a student at Cambridge in other centuries or such things as how student demographics evolved, you will only be tantalized.