Great Britain, Historical Study & Educational Resources, Human Geography 

A narrative nonfictional account of the unique city of Liverpool written by a flâneur rather than a historian, with special emphasis on the long-suppressed influence of black cultureScousers believe they live in a special place, one that has more in common with Salvador da Bahia, New Orleans, or Gdansk than anywhere in England, and the city has always punched above its weight. In less than 100 years, however, Liverpool's image has declined from a major mercantile player known as the Second City of the Empire to what some social commentators have described as a cultural backwater remembered largely as the place where the Beatles were born. This popular history reveals how Liverpool's preeminence in the slave trade left an indelible scar on the psychogeography of the city. It also explores the roots of Liverpool's contrary nature, its rebelliousness, and its hedonism, as well as some of the recent hurricanes that have battered the city, including the anger of Toxteth, Militant's stand against Margaret Thatcher, and the murder of James Bulger. This distinctly personal account defines the characteristics of this Celtic enclave, with her loudmouthed, big-hearted people who have created a city quite different from anywhere else in the world. - from Amzon