The iconic architecture and culture that defines New York as we know it today, from the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Centre to the pastrami sandwich, when the jazz age gave way to the age of swing and the city opened its great museums, came into being in the 1930s. It was Gotham's defining decade.
Jules Stewart was born in New York City and has spent most of his adult life in Madrid and London. He worked as a reporter for Reuters and later as a freelance journalist, before turning to authorship. He has published works of historical non-fiction on a variety of topics, from the Anglo-Afghan wars, a biography of Prince Albert, the Pundits who explored Tibet for the British Raj, a history of Madrid and the book he is to discuss in this talk, Gotham Rising: New York in the 1930s.
Be inspired: Unbound beauty: Venezuela in the Wiley Digital Archive - Dr Sherezade García Rangel
Explore historical accounts of Venezuela and its people, and uncover what role might these they still play.
Be inspired: Isabella Bird: Britain’s fearless Victorian adventurer, and her magic lantern slides
Jacki recreates Isabella Bird's lecture on Western China using her original magic lantern slides, and discusses her solo world travels.
Be inspired: Man of action and man of books: Shackleton as reader and writer - Dr Jan Piggott
Famous explorers were often inspired by literature; none read more widely than Shackleton.