World Politics, Economics and History

Attlee collection

Former Prime Minister Clement Attlee donated this collection to the newly founded University of York in the early 1960s. Many of these works relate to the independence of India and Pakistan and demonstrate the extent of Attlee’s involvement with this historic event.

Elton collection

The Geoffrey Elton Collection was donated to the Library from the Borthwick Institute of Archives. It consists of material which may be of interest to researchers of British political history.

Charles Feinstein collection

The Feinstein collection comprises books spanning from 1900-1950 on economic history.

General Pamphlet collection

This eclectic collection covers a wide range of topics from the early 20th-century and is a valuable primary source with pamphlets written by contemporary politicians, historians and writers.    

Leftwich collection

Adrian Leftwich was a senior lecturer in the Department of Politics and his collection covers African history and political development (including South Africa).

Riddy collection

This collection focuses on the history of British rule in India including the politics and government of the 18th- and 19th-centuries.

Electronic collections

The Library subscribes to many specialist databases which provide primary and secondary sources for many subjects. Search our Subject Guides to explore the politics, economics and history resources in more detail.

Archival collections

The Borthwick Institute for Archives holds various collections relating to Southern Africa. The material in these collections ranges from administrative and personal correspondence, including photographs and diaries, to political publications by the ANC and other anti-apartheid organisations. There are also lectures, poems, plays and sermons.