Jake Newton
B.A. and M.A. University of Victoria, Ph.D. University of British Columbia
After many years in the banking sector, I decided to do something more satisfying with my time, and began a lengthy career as a student, in 1987. By attending the University of Victoria year-round, I managed to graduate with an Honours B.A. in 1990, and moved on to an M.A. the same year. In 1992, I began the PhD program at UBC, finally completing that at the end of 2000. My major field is British Imperial and Commonwealth History, but I also have considerable interest in other fields, in particular World History. As a result, my secondary fields of study are Sino-Western Relations (M.A.) and Modern Europe and Comparative Revolutions (PhD). I also took the opportunity while obtaining my M.A. to add some courses in the theory and practice of teaching history. Since 1996, I have taught a number of courses at UBC, Simon Fraser University, and Kwantlen, including African, British Imperial, European, Indian, and World History.
Favourite Novels
The Flashman series by George MacDonald Fraser, The Seige of Krishnapur by J. G. Farrell, the Hornblower series by C.S.Forester, anything by W.Somerset Maugham, the series by Donald Jack about the Canadian WWI pilot, and anything witty, by people such as Lynne Truss, Gore Vidal, Molly Ivens, Al Franken, Bill Bryson, Bailey White, + nice quiet mysteries - nothing too tense or alarming, I can't take the extra stress.
Favourite Films
Judgment at Nuremburg, Dr Strangelove, Gosforth Park, nothing that Mel Gibson has been anywhere near, all the 'period' mysteries (Agatha Christie, Foyle's War, Sherlock Holmes, that kind of thing - good social history), Tea with Mussolini, Passage to India, and I'm particularly fond of documentaries on ancient Egypt, though I'll watch any historical documentary. I utterly refuse to expose my already shredded nerves to 'thrillers' or 'horror' or even 'science fiction' - student papers are frightening enough - nor do I bother with alleged 'comedies' from Hollywood unless there is some hope that it might actually be amusing, such as The Ref, or even The Mask (though Jim Carrey can get a tad wearing) - so mainly British films there.
