The Southampton Book of Days

Dr. Mary South has a post-graduate diploma in local history and a PhD in history and has published many articles on the history of Southampton. She is also a trained Blue Badge guide for the Southern Tourist region. She lives in Bishopstoke, Eastleigh.

Southampton is a uniquely historic city. Traitors, murderers, Kings and Queens, fugitives, pirates, and inventors have all played their part in the rich tapestry of Southampton's history. From the invention of obstetrical forceps by a local surgeon in the sixteenth century, to the first flight of R.J. Mitchell's Spitfire, Sotonians have proved to be both resourceful and inventive. Over the centuries, Southampton served as an important medieval trading port and community, and an eighteenth-century health resort, which was visited by the poet Thomas Gray, and home to Jane Austen as well as the scandalous Lady Betty Craven. In the twentieth century it became home to the great seagoing liners from the Cunard and White Star Lines, losing many of its sons on the fateful maiden voyage of the Titanic. Ideal for dipping into, this addictive book will keep you entertained and informed. Featuring hundreds of snippets of information gleaned from local archives and national newspapers, as well as the author's own extensive resources, it will enthral visitors and residents alike.