Downe Arms : Speaker Roger Osborne, author, geologist & teacher

Wed, Apr 26th 2017 at 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

A new insight into the relations between social forces, money & technology in the most important episode in human history. Delicious tales of inventors, scoundrels and visionaries are combined with serious analysis of how & why the revolution happened


Roger Osborne is an author, playwright, publisher (High Tide Publishing) and geologist

Roger is a former Curator of Geology at Whitby Museum and teaches creative writing at the University of Hull.

Over the past 25 years he has written books exploring new ways of seeing and understanding the past, while at the same time appealing to the broadest possible readership.Alongside major works of history, Roger has written a series of guide books exploring the interconnections of landscape, geology and history of the area of North Yorkshire where he lives.

Iron, Steam and Money: The Making of the Industrial Revolution (2013)
A new insight into the relations between social forces, money and technology in the most important episode in human history. Delicious tales of  inventors, scoundrels and visionaries are combined with analysis of how and why the revolution happened in eighteenth-century Britain.

Review extracts:

'Ably handling a mass of material, Osborne explores both the technological side of his subject and its human aspect.'

'A truly rattling good yarn.'

OTHER BOOKKS BY ROGER INCLUDE:

The Dinosaur Coast: The Pocket Edition (2015)

A complete revision of an established favourite in a new handy size.

The Dinosaur Coast is a fully-illustrated guide to the rocks, fossils and landscape of Yorkshire’s famous Jurassic coastline. Packed with photographs and drawings, it takes readers on 60 mile journey from Saltburn to Flamborough, and a 100-milion year journey through the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Rocks and Landscape of the North York Moors (2009)
A friendly guide to the Jurassic rocks that make the spectacular landscape of the moors. Packed with drawings and photos that make geology simple to understand and inspiring.

The Floating Egg: Episodes in the Making of Geology (1998)

As well as being an extraordinary critical and commercial success, the book overturned received wisdom about how to relate the history of science to a general readership.

'I was always fascinated by the history of science, but frustrated by the clichéd biographies of great men of genius overcoming huge odds to find triumph and glory. We all know that life is not like that, and science is not like that either. So I set out to write a book that would be enchanting for readers, but would also draw on the richness and complexity of the past, and use the voices of our predecessors. I was trained as a geologist and the Yorkshire coast is my adopted home, so I brought them together in this book.'

Review extracts: 
'A wonderful tome . . .beautifully structured . . . utterly fascinating. Reading The Floating Egg is a captivating experience because there is at least one surprise in every chapter. Roger Osborne has combined portions of history, biology, architecture, palaeontology, astronomy – and a large dose of humour – and produced the fascinating story of how geology came to be.' Richard Ellis, The Times

'If you have never read a book about geology and didn't think you were interested, Roger Osborne could change your life . . . He succeeds magnificently in communicating his enthusiasm.' Independent on Sunday

'Can I urge you to buy, borrow or beg a copy of this wonderful book about how the town of Whitby and the surrounding area were critical to the development of the science of geology.' Beverly Guardian

'This book is a real gem, beautifully illustrated, charmingly told and informative. It is a book that will linger in the memory and provide you with a lifelong passion for the subject.' Ottakar's Book Of The Month

'A wonderful introduction to the history of geology and to geological history.' Dr Robin Nicholson, Yorkshire Geology Society

Civilization: A New History of the Western World (2006)

In this ambitious and important book Roger Osborne shows that we can only understand and take comfort in our civilization by re-examining and confronting our past. The barbarity in Western history can no longer be explained away as base human brutality breaking through the restraining bonds of civilization. Instead we need to see that civilization is itself a hazardous enterprise, creating enormous challenges to humans as moral social beings -- challenges that we sometimes fail.

Civilization tells the story of the western world from its origins to the present. Sweeping in its scope and comprehensive in its coverage, Civilization covers everything from the siege of Troy to the Gettysburg address, from Charlemagne to the European Union and from Aristotle to Wittgenstein. Filled with the voices of the past the book ends with an assessment of the present state of western civilization in the light of its past –and an indication of how it might go about the urgent task of renewing itself.

Review extracts: 
'It is a bold adventurer who proposes to survey the history of the Western civilization in a mere 500 pages, and not only to say something fresh about many aspects of it, but to do so in a spirit of perceptive scepticism that refuses to go along with standard views and reflex valuations. Roger Osborne offers himself this challenge and meets it brilliantly.' A.C. Grayling, Independent on Sunday

'It would be hard to imagine a more readable general history of the West that covers so much ground so incisively.' William Grimes, New York Times

'Roger Osborne's absorbing blockbuster… is an admirable achievement: a coherent narrative that gallops from the painting of the Lascaux buffalo to the cloning of Dolly the Sheep in fewer than 500 crisply written pages.' Boyd Tonkin, Independent

'I know of no other book that so clearly and comprehensively explains such a diverse array of philosophers, including Democritus, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Hegel, Marx and Wittgenstein . . . An immensely important book and an exhilarating read.' Gregor Dallas, Literary Review

'Urgent, compelling, breathtaking in scope, Osborne's Civilization confronts the vital question of our time.' John Carey

'Osborne's book is a blessing…. Two weeks in, and the year's first necessary book is with us.' Christopher Bray, Daily Telegraph


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Ref: 517 | Comment Date/Time: 2017-03-07 11:45:15 | By: Jim Martin | From: Yorks & Humber

Comment: Superbly informative and a very strong advertisement to listen to the Speaker.

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