Stamps as Witnesses of History is not a book about the history of stamps as such. It is a book about how stamp issues since Rowland Hill invented the first adhesive postage stamp in 1840 have "witnessed" the seismic global political developments over the years. It is a guide to political philately, which aims to show how stamp issues have reflected and have related to key political events.
Thus stamps of the North German Confederation marked a major stepping stone to German unification, a truly momentous political event, whilst selected African stamps of the 1960s celebrated the independence of many emerging African states from European colonial empires. The book is arranged geographically, covering the whole world. For each country entry, the major political developments are listed chronologically on the left hand side with contemporaneous stamps, supported in some instances by relevant commemoratives, on the right hand side.
Recenzijos
Arranged by geographic region, the text is matter-of-fact and well researched, making this a good historical reference book for philatelists and others, Stamp Magazine, August 2018
The book is an easy to use invaluable tool, The London Philatelist, September 2018
This is a great work of reference, the illustrations make it a good stamp finder while the information is a gold mine for specialist collectors trying to research the political histories of the countries they collect, Stamp Lover, October 2018
A real magnum opus, and a handsome volume; a credit to the author, the printer and the publisher, Gibbons Stamp Monthly, January 2019
an excellent reference book for philatelists or researchers interested in incorporating stamps into their study, The London Philatelist, April 2020
Daugiau informacijos
The book is arranged geographically, covering the whole world. For each country entry, the major political developments are listed chronologically on the left hand side with contemporaneous stamps, supported in some instances by relevant commemoratives, on the right hand side.
CHAPTER 1
WESTERN
& NORTHERN EUROPE 8
1.1 British Isles 10
1.2 Netherlands, Belgium,
Luxembourg 15
1.3 France, Monaco 19
1.4 Portugal 23
1.5 Spain, Andorra 25
1.6 Gibraltar 27
1.7 Denmark, Iceland 28
1.8 Sweden, Norway 33
1.9 Finland, Åland Islands 35
CHAPTER 2
GERMANY,
SWITZERLAND & ITALY 40
2.1 German unification, German
States 42
2.2 Germany, 1871-1933 46
2.3 Germany, 1933-45 53
2.4 Germany, since 1945 58
2.5 Switzerland, Liechtenstein
62
2.6 Italian unification, Italian
States 65
2.7 Italy 69
2.8 San Marino, Vatican City
State 78
2.9 Malta 79
CHAPTER 3
CENTRAL
& EASTERN EUROPE 80
3.1 Austria 82
3.2 Hungary 88
3.3 Czechoslovakia, Czechia,
Slovakia 94
3.4 Poland 99
CHAPTER 4
THE
BALKANS 108
4.1 Romania 110
4.2 Bulgaria 118
4.3 Yugoslavia, predecessor
states 125
4.4 Yugoslavia 130
4.5 Yugoslavia: successor states
141
4.6 Albania 147
4.7 Greece 152
4.8 Thrace and Macedonia 162
CHAPTER 5
THE
RUSSIAN EMPIRE & SUCCESSOR STATES 166
5.1 Imperial Russia 168
5.2 Russia, pre-USSR 172
5.3 Ukraine and Belarus,
pre-USSR 177
5.4 The Baltic States, pre-USSR
180
5.5 The Caucasian Republics,
pre-USSR 186
5.6 The USSR 190
5.7 Russia, post-USSR 196
5.8 Ukraine, Moldova and
Belarus, post-USSR 198
5.9 The Baltic States, post-USSR
202
5.10 The Caucasian Republics,
post-USSR 203
5.11 The Central Asian Republics,
post-USSR 206
5.A Appendix table: Russian
Civil War, stamp issues 208
CHAPTER 6
WESTERN
ASIA 216
6.1 The Ottoman Empire, Turkey
218
6.2 Cyprus 228
6.3 The Levant, to 1923 231
6.4 Syria, Lebanon 234
6.5 Israel, Palestine, Jordan
239
6.6 Iraq 248
6.7 Hejaz and Nejd, Saudi Arabia
250
6.8 Eastern Arabia 253
6.9 Yemen 258
CHAPTER 7
SOUTHERN
ASIA & THE INDIAN OCEAN 264
7.1 Afghanistan 266
7.2 Persia, Iran 271
7.3 India, pre-independence 274
7.4 India, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
post-independence 284
7.5 Nepal, Bhutan 289
7.6 Ceylon, Sri Lanka 291
7.7 Indian Ocean 292
CHAPTER 8
EAST ASIA 300
8.1 Chinese Empire 302
8.2 Treaty Ports, Colonies and
Leased Territories 305
8.3 China, since 1912 312
8.4 Japanese China 320
8.5 Taiwan 322
8.6 Tibet 323
8.7 Mongolia 325
8.8 Japan, Ryukyu Islands 327
8.9 Korea 338
CHAPTER 9
SOUTH EAST
ASIA 342
9.1 Burma, Myanmar 344
9.2 French Indochina 349
9.3 Vietnam 354
9.4 Cambodia 358
9.5 Laos 361
9.6 Siam, Thailand 363
9.7 Malaysia, Singapore 366
9.8 Former British Borneo 372
9.9 Indonesia 374
9.10 Portuguese Timor, East Timor
380
9.11 The Philippines 382
CHAPTER
10
NORTH
& EAST AFRICA 384
10.1 Morocco 386
10.2 Western Sahara 390
10.3 Algeria, Tunisia 394
10.4 Libya 396
10.5 Egypt, Sudan 401
10.6 Ethiopia, Eritrea 407
10.7 Somalia, Djibouti 413
10.8 Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika,
Zanzibar and
Tanzania
418
10.9 Rwanda, Burundi 426
CHAPTER
11
SOUTHERN
AFRICA & SOUTH ATLANTIC
ISLANDS 430
11.1 Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi 432
11.2 South Africa, predecessor
territories 440
11.3 South Africa 446
11.4 Lesotho, Botswana and
Eswatini 448
11.5 South West Africa, Namibia
453
11.6 Mozambique, Angola 456
11.7 Madagascar, Comoro Islands
461
11.8 St Helena, Ascension and
Tristan da Cunha 465
CHAPTER
12
WEST
AFRICA 466
12.1 Anglophone West Africa,
excluding Liberia 468
12.2 Liberia 476
12.3 Cameroon, Togo 477
12.4 French West Africa 482
12.5 Francophone West Africa:
Central Group 484
12.6 Francophone West Africa:
Southern Coastal Group 490
12.7 French Equatorial Africa 494
12.8 Francophone Equatorial
Africa 496
12.9 Congo (Kinshasa) 500
12.10 Spanish Guinea, Equatorial
Guinea 503
12.11 Lusophone West Africa 506
CHAPTER 9
SOUTH EAST
ASIA 342
9.1 Burma, Myanmar 344
9.2 French Indochina 349
9.3 Vietnam 354
9.4 Cambodia 358
9.5 Laos 361
9.6 Siam, Thailand 363
9.7 Malaysia, Singapore 366
9.8 Former British Borneo 372
9.9 Indonesia 374
9.10 Portuguese Timor, East Timor
380
9.11 The Philippines 382
CHAPTER
10
NORTH
& EAST AFRICA 384
10.1 Morocco 386
10.2 Western Sahara 390
10.3 Algeria, Tunisia 394
10.4 Libya 396
10.5 Egypt, Sudan 401
10.6 Ethiopia, Eritrea 407
10.7 Somalia, Djibouti 413
10.8 Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika,
Zanzibar and
Tanzania
418
10.9 Rwanda, Burundi 426
CHAPTER
11
SOUTHERN
AFRICA & SOUTH ATLANTIC
ISLANDS 430
11.1 Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi 432
11.2 South Africa, predecessor
territories 440
11.3 South Africa 446
11.4 Lesotho, Botswana and
Eswatini 448
11.5 South West Africa, Namibia
453
11.6 Mozambique, Angola 456
11.7 Madagascar, Comoro Islands
461
11.8 St Helena, Ascension and
Tristan da Cunha 465
CHAPTER
12
WEST
AFRICA 466
12.1 Anglophone West Africa,
excluding Liberia 468
12.2 Liberia 476
12.3 Cameroon, Togo 477
12.4 French West Africa 482
12.5 Francophone West Africa:
Central Group 484
12.6 Francophone West Africa:
Southern Coastal Group 490
12.7 French Equatorial Africa 494
12.8 Francophone Equatorial
Africa 496
12.9 Congo (Kinshasa) 500
12.10 Spanish Guinea, Equatorial
Guinea 503
12.11 Lusophone West Africa 506
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ruth Lea, Baroness Lea of Lymm, CBE, FRPSL, is a member of the House of Lords and a professional economist. In her extensive career she has worked for the Arbuthnot Banking Group, the Centre for Policy Studies, the Institute of Directors, ITN, Lehman Brothers, Mitsubishi Bank and Thames Polytechnic (now the University of Greenwich) and she was a civil servant for 16 years, covering postings at the Treasury, the DTI, the Civil Service College and the Central Statistical Office. From an early age she was intrigued by stamps as witnesses of history.
