PRIESTLEY College lecuturer Bill Cooke has produced an extensive and knowledgeable account of Warrington’s complex history entitled “The Story of Warrington – The Athens of the North.”
In 2015 Warrington was named by the Royal Society of Arts as the ‘least culturally alive town in England’. But was this a fair evaluation? Explaining the reasoning behind his new book, author Cooke says: “Warrington came in for a lot of ribbing in 2015. As a relative newcomer to the town, but with previous for writing works of history, I was inspired to embark on a study of Warrington with a view to seeing whether the Royal Society of Arts had a case.”
Cooke offers a dramatic reexamination of the town. Looking back on its fascinating history dating back to the Romans, The Story of Warrington demonstrates an extensive and diverse cultural history.
Should Warrington apologise for the person who supported Richard III against the Princes in the Tower? Why was Warrington thought of as the Athens of the North? What role did the town play in
the Industrial Revolution and the slave trade? How did Warrington help win the Cold War? Presented with answers to these questions and more, readers will be able to decide on their own judgement of the town.
“There are very few cultural histories of Warrington. I hope that my new book conveys the complexity of the town’s history, but in an accessible fashion for the lay reader,” concludes Cooke.
Born in Kenya and raised in New Zealand, Bill Cooke teaches philosophy and religious studies at Priestley College in Warrington. He is president of the Warrington Literary and Philosophical Society and convener of the Warrington chapter of Philosophy in Pubs. Cooke is the author of six books, published in the UK, USA and New Zealand.
RELEASE DATE: 28th August 2020
ISBN: 9781838594381 Price: £20.00
‘Bill Cooke is to be congratulated on his extensive and knowledgeable account of Warrington’s history.’ – Harry Wells, author of Medieval Warrington
