Prof. Campbell Publishes “The History of Britain and Ireland”

Kenneth L. Campbell, Ph.D., professor in the department of History and Anthropology, recently published "The History of Britain and Ireland: Prehistory to Today" (Bloomsbury, 2023). A significantly revised version of his previous work, "History of the British Isles," this new volume explores the constantly evolving dialogue and relationship between the past and the present.

Written in the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter and Rhodes Must Fall demonstrations, "The History of Britain and Ireland" examines the history of Britain and Ireland at a time when it asks difficult questions of its past and looks to the future. Campbell places Black history at the forefront of his analysis and "offers a voice to marginalized communities to craft a complete and comprehensive history of Britain and Ireland from Prehistory to Today," according to Bloomsbury. This book is unique in that it integrates the histories of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to "provide a balanced view of British history."

New topics in this book include COVID-19 and earlier diseases in history; LGBT history; a fresh appraisal of Winston Churchill; and Brexit and the subsequent negotiations, in addition to 45 illustrations.

"Ken is an historian ideally positioned to look at British history through such a wide lens," said Christopher DeRosa, Ph.D., chair of the department of History and Anthropology. "He is our department's 'renaissance' person,' as his teaching and scholarly interests range from medieval history to 21st century political and cultural history. He is a student of both Britain and Ireland and can consider both national perspectives with nuanced appreciation. I think his latest book will get assigned in a lot of courses beyond Monmouth University."