New College, Oxford

Published during the golden decade before the Great War left an indelible mark on fellows and undergraduates alike, New College, Oxford (1906) is a sensitive and affectionate history of an ancient institution in a modern world. Himself a fellow of the college, A. O. Prickard conveys the image of an educational family whose purpose rose 'above the needs of the life of its members' in order to make a valuable contribution to both society and scholarship. Keen to promote the college's ongoing relevance in the new century, Prickard does not allow his fascination with its history to degenerate into nostalgia. As the author himself explains, Oxford is 'a place of visions and dreams, which float about, but do not encumber the earnest life of the present'. Such contentions combine with Edmund New's informal sketches to create an informative, picturesque and often surprising account.