The History of the University of Oxford. Volume VII. Nineteenth-Century Oxford, Part 2. - Review - book review

Contemporary Review, April, 2001

The History of the University of Oxford. Volume VII. Nineteenth-Century Oxford, Part 2. M G. Brock and M. C. Curthoys, editors. Clarendon Press. [pound]75.00. 993 pages. ISBN 0-19-951017-2. This seventh volume completes the survey of the University's life in the nineteenth century and also the entire history of the University.

The nineteenth century, defined here as 1800 to 1914, saw the most massive changes in the University's history since the Reformation. By 1914 Oxford had emerged in much the same form as it is now and was recognisably a 'modern' university. Further changes, such as the full admission of women, which arrived in the twentieth century, were already afoot. This volume largely concentrates on the period between 1871, when, in effect, teaching was redefined as a secular profession, and 1914. The thirty-three essays address these changes and many others. There are eleven essays on teaching and scholarship which show how the University expanded as Greats gave rise to what are now called the 'hu manities'. There are three essays on sport, one on Oxford University Press, and essays on the buildings erected between 1800 and 1914, on the growth of a 'social conscience' as the University began its 'extension' system to take learning into the growing provincial cities of England and essays also on the University's role in the expanding Empire. This is a gold-mine from which readers may select nuggets which bring them the latest research, written in a most accessible format. It is a magnificent conclusion to a magnificent undertaking. (J.M.)