The late A.W. Purdue was Reader in British History at the Open University. He was the author of sixteen books, including the histories of prominent North-East families. His book publications include The Monarchy and the British People (Batsford, 1998), The Civilisation of the Crowd: Popular Culture in England, 1750-1900 (Sutton Publishing, 1999) and Newcastle: The Biography (Amberley Publishing, 2011).