A digestible and comprehensive tour of the fascinating history of one of England’s most famous towns.

A Short History of Cambridge provides a narrative of the city and university, from the Middle Ages to the present day. Going beyond the world-renowned research attractions of Cambridge University, this revised paperback edition explores the vast cultural output of the town, from art and literature to theater and comedy. Richard Tames sheds light on the very origins of academia in the area, the intricate lives of the students and scholars who studied there, and how this community interacted with the townsfolk over the past eight hundred years.

Cambridge offers the splendor of King's College Chapel and the beauty of “the Backs” as well as outstanding collections of fans and fritillaries, sculpture and stained glass, and medieval coins and oriental manuscripts. Attractions include the world-class Fitzwilliam Museum and Botanic Gardens, quirky Kettle’s Yard, and museums devoted to archaeology, anthropology, zoology, earth sciences, polar research, and the history of science, plus Britain's oldest bookshop. Enter the world of “Bumps and Bedders” and learn why May Week is in June. This joyful history of the town to which more than eight million visitors flock every year will delight both readers familiar with the cobbles of Cambridge and those who have seen no further than the stained-glass windows of King’s College Chapel.

Richard Tames read history at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and has taught for Syracuse University in London. He is the author of An Armchair Traveller's History of Oxford and An Armchair Traveller's History of London and coauthor of An Armchair Traveller's History of Bath.