Online Reviews
This online reviews section will be updated each quarter, to coincide with the appearance of the journal, and a list of books reviewed will be printed in each issue.
Hugo Javier Freitas
Laura Yeoman
Why BALH?
Supporting your academic research
There is an increasing interest in local history as a key element of academic studies – not just the content that has been published by local historians over the decades as a key research resource, but also in co-produced projects. Grant-awarding bodies such as the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) have placed an increasing emphasis on collaborations and partnerships when considering the award of research funding, and BALH provides the perfect platform for academic researchers to locate key groups and ongoing activity.
Nick Barratt, Historian and Author
Meet the team
John Chandler
John, raised in east Devon, discovered a passion for local history and topography after studying classics and theology at Bristol, where he also completed a doctorate on the late Roman church. Training as a librarian led to a role as Wiltshire’s local studies librarian, where he became a local history generalist while writing extensively. Going freelance in 1988, he built a career through writing, consultancy, and archaeology projects. Since the late 1990s, he has run Hobnob Press, publishing over 150 local history titles. Now involved with the Victoria County History, he continues his lifelong passion in retirement.
John Chandler, Trustee
Sat 10th October 2026 9:00 am
