"The Illustrated History of Southampton's Suburbs" is the first single-volume survey of the history of the development of the residential areas of the city. Local historian Jim Brown chronicles the growth of the suburbs from the earliest times to the present day and he illuminates the lives of people who lived in them. His fascinating book will appeal to anyone with an interest in the story of Southampton. The narrative is illustrated with more than 200 photographs, drawings and maps. Jim Brown shows how the countryside, farms and villages developed into the urban streets, residential areas, shopping districts and industrial estates that are so familiar today. In the course of the last 150 years, the outskirts of the city have been transformed, and they have expanded, in a way that would astonish Southampton residents of just a few generations ago. The districts featured include Bassett, Bitterne, Bitterne Manor, Bitterne Park, Eastern Docks, Freemantle, Harefield, Highfield, Itchen, Maybush, Merry Oak, Millbrook, Northam, Peartree, Portswood, Red-bridge, Shirley, Shirley Warren, Sholing, South Stoneham, St Denys, Swaythling and Woolston. In his fully illustrated account of each suburb, Jim Brown offers a concise history as well as local anecdotes and folklore. He also recalls remarkable episodes and notable individuals who played their part in the story, His survey will be essential reading and reference for Southampton residents past and present, who take an interest in their neighbourhood and in the complex, surprising history of the city itself.

Author Biography

JIM BROWN is a local author and researcher with a passion for Southampton's history. A former detective with the Southampton City Police, he has lived and worked in the city all his life, and in retirement has devoted himself to investigating the city's past. As a leading member of the Bitterne Local History Society he has written and contributed to several books and booklets, including Southampton's Changing Faces.