Driving Spaces

A Cultural-Historical Geography of England's M1 Motorway

Peter Merriman author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Published:25th Sep '07

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

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Driving Spaces cover

Peter Merriman traces the social and cultural histories and geographies of driving spaces through an examination of the design, construction and use of England’s M1 motorway in the 1950s and 1960s.


  • A first-of-its-kind academic study examining the production and consumption of the landscapes and spaces of a British motorway
  • An interdisciplinary approach, engaging with theoretical and empirical work from sociology, history, cultural studies, anthropology and geography
  • Contains 38 high quality illustrations
  • Based on extensive, original archive work

"While I wish that he had synthesized his research in a strong conclusion, this criticism should not diminish the merits of the book. The empirical results and the study's framework deserve a firm place in the history of technology." (Technology & Culture, 1 January 2011)

"Merriman’s systematic, detailed and precisely documented description of the cultural context of the M1 will itself stand as a valuable documentary resource for researchers and students alike" (Area, December 2008)

"Thoroughly researched and full of rich … Driving Spaces presents the historical trajectory of the M1 Motorway through a series of cultural and political stages." (Journal of British Studies, October 2008)

“Merriman provides a fascinating perspective on the social and cultural aspects of driving and highways … in this multidisciplinary study. Includes … numerous references … .Recommended.” (Choice)

ISBN: 9781405130721

Dimensions: 230mm x 152mm x 18mm

Weight: 463g

320 pages