History Teacher Dr. Colin Davis Publishes New Book

Indian Springs history teacher Dr. Colin Davis has published a new book of research on the hardships faced by New England and British fishermen in the 1960s and 70s.

Entitled “Contested and Dangerous Seas: North Atlantic Fishermen, Their Wives, Unions, and the Politics of Exclusion,” the book was published in December 2019 by the University of Massachusetts Press. It is Davis’ sixth book on transnational labor history. His other works have explored the lives of dockworkers, railroad workers, and Alabama coal miners.

Davis earned his B.A. in History and Sociology at the University of Warwick in England and his M.A. and Ph.D. in U.S. History at the State University of New York at Binghamton. Before coming to Springs, he taught at the university level for over 20 years, retiring in 2018 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he served as Chair of the History Department.

Davis has received numerous grants and fellowships and has given presentations across Europe, Australia, and North America—most recently at the University of Iceland.

Last summer, Davis and current Springs student Rebecca House ’20 received a grant to study World War II history at the Albert H. Small Normandy Institute in France. Their story was featured in the Summer 2019 issue of Indian Springs Magazine.

“Teaching at Indian Springs solidifies my love of history,” says Davis. “It’s a stimulating environment because the students are enthusiastic, and they ask good questions.”

This summer, Davis will study the history of ocean liners on a fellowship at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, for a new book he is currently writing.

“Contested and Dangerous Seas” is available for purchase online at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. A copy will be available in the Indian Springs library soon.

Congratulations, Dr. Davis!