ABSTRACT
The genesis of this collection of essays was a conversation on the beach at Aberystwyth in December 1987, between sessions of the annual conference of the British International Studies Association (BISA) which, incidentally, was also the occasion for the discussions which led to the establishment of the British International History Group. The conversation on the beach elicited a mutual feeling that the editors’ respective PhD supervisors, George Grün and Esmonde Robertson, should be honoured in some way for their dedicated support of their postgraduate students. A collection of essays in which contributions would be made by ex-students and colleagues seemed to be the most appropriate way to honour them. Tragically, in the case of Esmonde Robertson, who had died in 1986, this would have to be posthumously. As tragic was the sudden death of George Grün, who passed away shortly before Christmas 1993. Consequently, these essays are now dedicated to the memory of two gifted people who touched and influenced the lives of their authors in so many beneficial ways.
